CONTENTS page Locations of Teacher Resource Kits for the Waikato Conservancy 3 Location of Karangahake Gorge 4 Using this Resource 5 Organisation of Outdoor Safety 9 Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway Facilities 10 Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway - Background 11 Management of Karangahake Historic Walkway 13 Statement about Curriculum Links 14 1. The Arts 14 2. Social Studies 15 3. Science 16 4. Technology 17 5. Health and Physical Education 18 6. General study topics 19 Teacher Study Sheets 20 I. Social Studies 20 II. Audio and Visual Arts 21 III. Earth Science 22 Study sites for Karangahake 23 IV. Site One: Karangahake rocks 24 V. Site Two: River survey 25 River Survey Record Sheet: Ohinemuri 29 VI. Site Three: Gold Mining and gold from quartz 30 extraction VII. Historic structures and buildings 32 Map showing site of Karangahake township 33 VIII. Pelton Wheels 42 Other References and Resources 43 2 Locations of Teacher Resource Kits for the Waikato Conservancy Waikato Conservancy boundary Cuvier Is. 0 10 20km N Wetland Kit study sites: Mercury Is. 7.1 L. Ngaroto 7.2 L. Ruatuna 7.3 L. Kaituna 7.4 Whangamarino Wetland 25 Cathedral Whitianga Cove 1 25 2 Tairua Firth KauaerangaKauaeranga of Valley 1 Thames Valley Thames 25 Miranda 25 2 2 26 Meremere 7.4 Port Paeroa Waihi 1 Waikato Karangahake 3 2 Te Aroha 7.3 Morrinsville 26 1 Hamilton Raglan 23 7.2 Cambridge 4 1 7.1 3 Mt Pirongia Kawhia Ruakuri 5 Tokoroa Caves Te Kuiti 3 6 Pureora Forest 1 Park 4 Mokau Taupo Lake Taupo Taumarunui 3 Location of Karangahake Gorge 25 Coroglen N Te Mata Tapu Tairua Shoe Is. Waiomu Pauanui Te Puru Slipper Is. Hikuai Kauaeranga Valley DOC Visitor 25 Tar aru Centre Thames 25A Onemana 25 Kopu Whangamata 25 26 Whiritoa 25 2 Waikino Visitor Waihi Centre Paeroa 2 Waikino Waihi Karangahake Beach Karangahake 2 26 0 10 20km Gorge 4 USING THIS RESOURCE This Teacher Resource Kit is designed to give you a hand to plan exciting and educational conservation learning experiences outside the classroom. It focuses on a selection of parks and reserves administered by the Department of Conservation (DOC) in your region. There are six accessible sites within the Waikato that are ideal for learning about marine reserves, limestone caves, volcanoes, forests, endangered species and historic reserves. In addition, there are currently three sites (plus one pending) suitable for wetland studies. By visiting these sites, students can consolidate work already done and gain additional first-hand experiences and information to complete their studies. CROSS-CURRICULAR OR SPECIALISED In planning your programme we suggest using the Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools. The guidelines provide advice on environmental topics and how to plan these into curriculum studies and programmes with a bicultural focus. Sites can be used to meet goals from specific curriculum areas, or different curriculum areas simultaneously. This is an approach that mirrors the interconnectedness of the environment. ACTIVITIES Activities in these kits can be adapted to the age/level of your students, allowing you to choose the achievement objectives at the appropriate level. Activities are designed to support the key dimensions of environmental education - in, about and for the environment. Education in the environment Education in the environment (both natural and built) gives opportunities to develop skills in observation, data collection, practical inquiry and investigation, as well as social and co-operative skills, group-work skills, communication skills, and problem-solving. Education about the environment Education about the environment involves not only knowing about and understanding the natural and built environments, but also appreciating the key social, political, ecological and economic factors that influence decision making on local, national and global issues. 5 Education for the environment Education for the environment involves developing a sense of responsibility for natural and social environments. It deals with people’s emotions and their willingness to make lifestyle choices that help maintain and improve the quality of the environment. Education for the environment is based on students’ knowledge and understanding about the environment and their experiences in the environment – all three aspects are interlinked. A balanced environmental education programme addresses all three dimensions (in, about, and for ). BEFORE YOU START The activities offer students the opportunity of working across a range of related subject areas - in much the same way as project teams work together to manage a forest park or marine reserve, for the benefit of all. Teachers are encouraged to undertake further extension activities such as: • Use of media such as the internet, books, videos, maps and tapes. • Taking part in a Ministry of Education LEOTC (Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom) programme. • Visits to zoos, aquaria, botanic gardens, museums, marine education centres and other facilities offering environmental education programmes and resources. • Guided trips and recreational activities led by accredited outdoor education providers. BACK AT SCHOOL To get the best value from a field trip teachers should plan good lead-in and follow-up activities. If students have some formative ideas about what they might find, they will observe in a more focused way and therefore develop their concepts more fully. The suggested activities given on pages 7 and 8 are designed to encompass learning 'about' and 'for' the environment. You will find specific site-based activities for Karangahake Gorge (learning 'in' the environment) from page 20 onwards. 6 Before Visit Activities 1. Find out what the students know about DOC. Why does DOC exist? Is there a DOC office in your area? What sorts of things does a DOC ranger do? Check out the DOC web site, www.doc.govt.nz (about & for) 2. Brainstorm the ideas that students already have about Karangahake Gorge, for example - What is a gold mine? What would you expect to find when you visit a gold mine? Why do you think it is called an historic gold mine? 3. Design and carry out an opinion poll. What different attitudes do people have about historic places and objects? Is there a range of views? What are the implications of your findings? (for) 4. Have a class debate on why the historic features at Karangahake Gorge should be protected and saved. Explore concepts such as attitudes and values. (for) 5. Examine the meanings of the words 'historic', ‘artefacts’ 'gorge', 'batteries’ ‘mine’ and 'ore'. Think about what buildings and structures might be found in Karangahake Gorge and where they fit in the above categories. (about) 6. How do you preserve things? What do you think is involved in ‘managing’ a historic site? How would you ensure historic features are preserved? How would you decide what are the most important artefacts to preserve? (for) 7. Look at what your class can do to help our historical environment - while visiting Karangahake Gorge and back at school. Why is this important? How can your school's local community get involved in protecting historic sites? (for) 8. Find out about the local iwi near Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway. Where are their marae? Who are the kaumätua? What stories can they tell you about the Karangahake Gorge and Ohinemuri River (about). How can traditional knowledge of Karangahake Gorge and its past use be more widely known to people who visit the area? Design ways of distributing information, such as interpretation panels, brochures, web pages, and radio interviews. What will your message be? Why? (for) 9. Design an outdoor safety code. Appoint class members to help apply it on the day. Why is this important? (about) Now I’m ready to visit Karangahake Gorge! 7 After Visit Activities 1. Make a walkway display along a wall of your classroom with groups working on buildings, bridges, railway, tunnels, rivers, landscape and tracks. Add pictures or models of machinery and discarded materials. Make silhouettes of the buildings and machinery of the past to put on your mural.(about) 2. Draw, design and construct a workable water wheel such as a ‘pelton wheel’ and a ‘water race’. (about) 3. Make a chart showing similarities and differences between the rivers flowing through the gorge and those in your area. Note the course, the landscape, the water colour, depth, the flow and the rock formations in the rivers. Choose a picture of a trout and a mayfly, add labels to show how these two species are adapted to live in this environment. (about & for) 4. Have a class debate on why the historic features at Karangahake Gorge should be protected and saved. Explore concepts such as attitudes and values (could explore changes in ideas compared to debates ‘before visit’) (for) 5. Examine the meanings of the words 'historic', ‘artefacts’ 'gorge', 'batteries’ ‘mine’ and 'ore'. Think about what buildings and structures might be found in Karangahake Gorge and where they fit in the above categories. (about) 6. Make a poster about ‘Industrial Archaeology’. Find out about some of the remains, what they looked like when new and what they look like now. Are they treasures and what can be done to protect them? (about & for) 7. In groups, discuss vandalism. What is it? Who does it? Why do you think they need to do it? and what could you do to prevent or lessen the damage to signs and important sites in the Karangahake Walkways. Calculate the cost of the damage caused by vandalism and list the types of vandalism seen. Who could you ask to find out the answers to the questions? (about) Get your school involved: • Adopt a local reserve. • Join a community conservation group. • Plant a native garden. • Use plants that will encourage native birds to your school. • Start a native plant nursery.