HomeNewsAboutCommunitiesSearchSchoolsInteractGatewayHelp
Link to the main index:
Royal Society of New Zealand technology and hangarau teacher support material
# Link to the index: 
Classroom practice in technology and hangarau Link to the index: 
Classroom practice in technology and hangarau
RSNZ technology material

The starling box

A technology education unit

this page: Scenario | Contextualised achievement objectives


This material was produced by the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) under contract to the Ministry of Education in 2000 and 2001. It was written to assist teachers and schools in their delivery of the technology/ hangarau curriculum statements. The project was jointly coordinated by personnel from the Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ) and National Association of Māori Mathematicians, Scientists and Technologists (NAMMSAT) networks. Monitoring and evaluation of the material was carried out by a national project advisory group.
Other technology/hangarau material


Link to top

Scenario

A technology unit based on a situation in the Waikato:

Waikato had a problem with grass grubs on his property. He wanted to avoid using chemicals to control the grubs so decided to use the traditional method of encouraging starling populations onto his farm to feed on the grubs. He needed about 150 nesting boxes set up around the farm which over the season would attract in the nesting pairs and control the grub problem.

The students' task was to design and make a prototype for the nesting boxes, which could then be mass–produced for use on the farm.

Louise Milne and Louis Ewington
School Support Services, University of Waikato


Link to top

Contextualised achievement objectives

The various aspects of technology that could be studied, based on the achievement objectives, and within the context of starling nesting boxes are as follows.

Achievement Objectives
– Contextualised
A–1 Use and operation – of nesting boxes, where and how they are used
A–2a Principles – that are useful to explore within the context of nesting boxes (Curriculum Statement, p31)
A–2b Systems – associated with using or constructing nesting boxes
A–3 Practices – of an expert when designing or making nesting boxes for starlings
A–4 Promotion – of nesting boxes as a saleable product
B–5 Need and/or opportunity – for the development of nesting boxes
B–6a Design – generating designs by modifying and/or adapting existing nesting boxes to suite mass production for the farm
B–6b Plan & make – producing the outcome safely and to the negotiated standard
B–6c Presentation – sharing ideas and outcomes of designs and prototypes
B–6d Evaluation – students evaluation of their own designs
C–7 Attitudes and values – exploring why farmers may want to use natural control for grub/insect infestations
C–8 Impacts – the effect of starling nesting boxes on the immediate environment as compared to chemical controls

this page: Scenario | Contextualised achievement objectives



Link to the index: 
Longer-term programming
Link to the index:
Professional developmentLink to the index:
Innovation in technology and hangarau education
Link to the index:
Technology and hangarau in the newsLink to the index:
Frequently asked questions
Link to the index:
Technological practice in the wider communityLink to the index:
Assessment in technology and hangarau education
Link to the index:
Development in technology and hangarau facilities
end of subindex linksLink to main index: 
RSNZ technology and hangarau material