Some Place!

Social Studies Online

It is important that you The Teacher, model the process of identifying and exploring a significant place and/or environment before getting your students started on the Mini Inquiry into a significant place and/or environment. You might choose to work with a significant place/environment in your local area or take a virtual field trip through the Otuataua Stonefields online.

In my local area, Mangere Mountain and the nearby Otuataua Stonefields are both significant heritage sites. The volcanic environment with its extensive lava fields, fertile soils and cones has been intensively settled and cultivated for hundreds of years by Maori and later by Pakeha.

This brief case study focuses on the Otuataua Stonefields, which have been deemed as sufficiently significant for a number of groups of people, to have been designated an Historic Reserve in a joint project involving Manukau City Council, the Department of Conservation and the Auckland Regional Council. You will no doubt have similar sites in your local area.

The Stonefields are of great significance to Maori. They are also places of significance for Pakeha, archaeologists, geologists and botanists and a host of other people.

The Stonefields were officially opened by Prime Minister Helen Clark on Saturday 10th February 2001.

(A more indepth study of Mangere Mountain features later on in the unit.)

1. Location: Where are the Otuataua Stonefields located?
   Draw a simple sketch map of the area on the board or OHT. Briefly discuss the Stonefields' location on the volcanic field; beside the Manukau Harbour; close to the airport and sewage works.

2. Who are the Stonefields significant for?
   Divide the class into groups of five. These are their Home Groups. Provide each group with a copy of (or online access to) each of the news items about the Stonefields from the Manukau City Council, and the Herald.

   Their task is to read the news items then:

   1. List all the individuals and groups who may consider the Stonefields to be significant for them in some way.

      Possible answers

   2. Group the individuals and groups into two or three categories using a Triple T Chart with the following headings:

      Significant	Important	No big deal

      ie. In the first column, students attempt to identify those people for whom the Stonefields are MORE than just important.

      Possible answers

3. Why are the Stonefields significant for different individuals and/or groups of people?
   1. Provide each group with ONE copy of each of the Significance for Maori, Pakeha, Botanists, Geologists, and Archaeologists extracts from the Manukau City Council Otuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve Draft Management Plan and access to or copies of the linked photos (they are copyright free).

      Each group allocates one item to each individual group member. Then all those in the class with the Significance for Maori information get together; all those with the Significance for Pakeha material get together and so on. These are the Expert Groups.

      Each Expert Group will construct a mini Retrieval Chart, using the following template to explain why the Stonefields are significant for their group. They should refer to both their Significance of... sheets and the news items.

      The Stonefields are significant for ... because:	An item of evidence is:
      Reason 1.
      Reason 2.
      Reason 3.

   2. The Experts return to their Home Groups.
      Each Home Group combines their knowledge to complete a comprehensive Retrieval Chart that explains why the Stonefields are significant for different people. Encourage each group to add other people identified in their T Charts to their Retrieval Charts.

      Possible Answers

Summarise
Discuss the class's findings as a class. What factors may make places and environments significant for people? Will a place/environment be significant for all people? Why/why not?

Construct a Concept Map on the board or OHP (or on a computer using Inspiration if that is appropriate) to show some reasons why places and environments might be significant for people.