Purpose
Achievement Criteria
Explanatory Note 1
Demonstrate understanding of human-induced change within the Earth system involves:
- describing change within the Earth system that has resulted from human activity
- using science ideas to describe effects of the human-induced change within the Earth system.
Explain human-induced change within the Earth system involves:
- using science ideas to explain how the human-induced change affects the Earth system.
Analyse human-induced change within the Earth system involves:
- discussing scientific implications of the human-induced change within the Earth system.
Explanatory Note 2
Human-induced change within the Earth system is any modification to the Earth system that is directly or indirectly linked to a human activity.
Examples of human-induced change include:
- increased carbon in the atmosphere
- deforestation
- urbanisation.
Explanatory Note 3
Examples of a human activity include:
- mining
- horticulture
- agriculture
- burning fossil fuels
- synthesising plastics.
Explanatory Note 4
The Earth system consists of the interconnected spheres of the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere.
Shared Explanatory Note
Refer to the NCEA glossary for Māori, Pacific, and further subject-specific terms and concepts.
This achievement standard is derived from the Science Learning Area at Level 6 of The New Zealand Curriculum: Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007.
Conditions of Assessment
Assessor involvement during the assessment event is limited to:
- providing general feedback. They can suggest sections of student work that would benefit from further development, or skills a student may need to revisit across the work. Student work that has received sustained or detailed feedback is not suitable for submission towards this Achievement Standard.
- providing advice when students select relevant information recorded as observations, or providing students with comparative data.
- helping students develop good practice that is not a requirement of the assessment such as referencing and attribution of third-party content, and presentation of work. Students should not be limited to a method or decision about presentation – this decision can be made in consultation with the assessor.
At the start of the assessment event, assessors need to provide students with commonly used resources, tools, or equipment to support development of student evidence.
Assessment activities that involve a practical component must follow relevant safety protocols, as described in Safety and Science/Pūtaiao Guidance for Aotearoa New Zealand Schools and Kura.
Students may not:
- collaborate on their use of evidence in the assessment activity, even though evidence may be collected as a group
- practise the exact assessment task prior to assessment
- receive feedback or feedforward on the exact task prior to the assessment.
Evidence for all parts of this assessment can be in te reo Māori, English, or New Zealand Sign Language.
Unpacking the Standard
Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.
We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.
Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.
We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.
The intent of the Standard
The purpose of the Standard is for ākonga to be able to demonstrate understanding of the significance of change occurring within the Earth system as a result of a human activity.
To achieve this Standard, ākonga must describe change within the Earth system as a result of a human activity, and use science ideas to describe the effects of that change.
Ākonga will build an awareness of responsibility for the health of our planet, by understanding the complex ways in which human-induced change within the Earth system happens. They will gain skills in the literacy practices of science by communicating science ideas that explain our Earth using disciplinary specific vocabulary and conventions. They will be able to understand how human-induced change can affect different spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere) within the Earth system, building an appreciation for how they are interconnected.
Ākonga can explore human-induced change from any worldview or cultural position. This could mean viewing change through an ao Māori lens, a Pacific lens, or from the perspective of another Indigenous knowledge system.
This Achievement Standard aligns with the following items of Significant Learning:
- understand that the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere interact in the Earth system
- explore how Earth processes interact and influence the surface, climate, and life on Earth
- explore the effects of natural and human-induced changes on Earth’s systems and consider the implications.
Making reliable judgements
Ākonga are being asked to demonstrate understanding of:
- change within the Earth system as a result of human activity
- effects of the human-induced change
- science ideas involved in the effect of human-induced change within the Earth system.
At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will demonstrate a stronger ability to use science ideas to understand how human-induced change affects the Earth system. They will be able to use their understanding of human-induced change and science ideas to articulate the interconnectedness of the spheres. Ākonga will discuss scientific implications within the Earth system. For example, they might discuss how the effects result in ongoing changes to the spheres, recognising how an effect on one sphere leads to effects in other spheres.
Collecting evidence
This Achievement Standard has a research component that may include written, oral, and visual resources. Ākonga will need to keep a record of their resources so that they can be referenced. Kaiako may use milestones to support ākonga with time management, and to collect evidence of authenticity.
The final assessment could be written, oral, digital, or presented in a format agreed to in discussion with kaiako, and which allows ākonga to meet all aspects of the Standard.
Possible contexts
Ākonga can explore contexts of particular relevance or interest to them. Ākonga may choose to complete the assessment based on a case-study that arises from a human activity. Examples of a human activity could be:
- mining
- horticulture
- agriculture
- burning fossil fuels
- synthesising plastics.
Learning opportunities that may provide evidence towards this Standard include field trips, investigations (fair tests, pattern seeking, modelling, observation, identifying and classifying), expert speakers such as local iwi (kaumātua/kuia), and kōrero with whānau and hapū. While an investigation may be conducted as part of teaching and learning to collect data to use for this assessment, the investigation is not assessed.
The intent of the Standard
The purpose of the Standard is for ākonga to be able to demonstrate understanding of the significance of change occurring within the Earth system as a result of a human activity.
To achieve this Standard, ākonga must describe change within the Earth system as a result of a human activity, and use science ideas to describe the effects of that change.
Ākonga will build an awareness of responsibility for the health of our planet, by understanding the complex ways in which human-induced change within the Earth system happens. They will gain skills in the literacy practices of science by communicating science ideas that explain our Earth using disciplinary specific vocabulary and conventions. They will be able to understand how human-induced change can affect different spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere) within the Earth system, building an appreciation for how they are interconnected.
Ākonga can explore human-induced change from any worldview or cultural position. This could mean viewing change through an ao Māori lens, a Pacific lens, or from the perspective of another Indigenous knowledge system.
This Achievement Standard aligns with the following items of Significant Learning:
- understand that the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere interact in the Earth system
- explore how Earth processes interact and influence the surface, climate, and life on Earth
- explore the effects of natural and human-induced changes on Earth’s systems and consider the implications.
Making reliable judgements
Ākonga are being asked to demonstrate understanding of:
- change within the Earth system as a result of human activity
- effects of the human-induced change
- science ideas involved in the effect of human-induced change within the Earth system.
At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will demonstrate a stronger ability to use science ideas to understand how human-induced change affects the Earth system. They will be able to use their understanding of human-induced change and science ideas to articulate the interconnectedness of the spheres. Ākonga will discuss scientific implications within the Earth system. For example, they might discuss how the effects result in ongoing changes to the spheres, recognising how an effect on one sphere leads to effects in other spheres.
Collecting evidence
This Achievement Standard has a research component that may include written, oral, and visual resources. Ākonga will need to keep a record of their resources so that they can be referenced. Kaiako may use milestones to support ākonga with time management, and to collect evidence of authenticity.
The final assessment could be written, oral, digital, or presented in a format agreed to in discussion with kaiako, and which allows ākonga to meet all aspects of the Standard.
Possible contexts
Ākonga can explore contexts of particular relevance or interest to them. Ākonga may choose to complete the assessment based on a case-study that arises from a human activity. Examples of a human activity could be:
- mining
- horticulture
- agriculture
- burning fossil fuels
- synthesising plastics.
Learning opportunities that may provide evidence towards this Standard include field trips, investigations (fair tests, pattern seeking, modelling, observation, identifying and classifying), expert speakers such as local iwi (kaumātua/kuia), and kōrero with whānau and hapū. While an investigation may be conducted as part of teaching and learning to collect data to use for this assessment, the investigation is not assessed.
Standard Exclusions
This Standard has exclusion(s). Standards that recognise the same or similar learning outcomes as other Achievement or Unit Standards need to be excluded to prevent ‘double dipping’. Where two or more Standards assess the same learning outcome, those Standards are specified in the Exclusions List. You can only use credits gained from one of these Standards towards your NCEA qualification.
Click here for the exclusions list for the new NCEA Level 1 pilot Standards.
Standard Exclusions
This Standard has exclusion(s). Standards that recognise the same or similar learning outcomes as other Achievement or Unit Standards need to be excluded to prevent ‘double dipping’. Where two or more Standards assess the same learning outcome, those Standards are specified in the Exclusions List. You can only use credits gained from one of these Standards towards your NCEA qualification.
Click here for the exclusions list for the new NCEA Level 1 pilot Standards.
Literacy and Numeracy Requirements
This Achievement Standard has been approved for literacy. It can be used for the 2023 NCEA Level 1 Pilot to meet the NCEA co-requisite requirements.
Full information on the co-requisite for 2024 and 2025: Standards approved for NCEA co-requisite for 2024 and 2025.
Literacy and Numeracy Requirements
This Achievement Standard has been approved for literacy. It can be used for the 2023 NCEA Level 1 Pilot to meet the NCEA co-requisite requirements.
Full information on the co-requisite for 2024 and 2025: Standards approved for NCEA co-requisite for 2024 and 2025.