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. 

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.

Literacy and Numeracy Requirements