Caring for animals and ourselves

During this fun and interactive virtual session, students will explore a variety of strategies to look after their own wellbeing whilst learning some fun animal facts along the way. Students will be introduced to how we care for our animals through the Five Domains of Animal Welfare model and will look at the parallels between this model and our New Zealand health model: Te Whare Tapa Whā.

In this virtual session we ask the students; how do you look after yourself? We explore the way we care for animals at Auckland Zoo and connect it to how we may care for ourselves. We discuss the Te Whare Tapa Whā model, looking at the similarities between this health model and our Science of Care model we use at Auckland Zoo.

Students will walk away with a vocabulary to discuss their own health as well as a variety of strategies to help manage their wellbeing- such as diaphragmic breathing, creating your own safety mob, the importance of caring for our body and connecting to nature through some amazing animal stories.

This session has supporting activities that you can do both at home and in the classroom, that help support students manage themselves as well as building healthy relationships with others.

Learning outcomes:

To understand the importance of the science of care for the animals at Auckland Zoo and how this links to ways to care for our own hauora through Te Whare Tapa Whā.


Success Criteria: 

Students will:

  1. Develop a vocabulary to understand their own health needs
  2. Practice strategies to manage their own wellbeing
  3. Understand how we care for animals at Auckland Zoo

Key Competencies

  1. Thinking
  2. Managing Self
  3. Relating to Others
  4. Participating & Contributing

Curriculum Links

Level One

Health & Physical Education

  • Describe feelings and ask questions about their health, growth, development, and personal needs and wants
  • Describe themselves in relation to a range of contexts
  • Explore and share ideas about relationships with other people
  • Take individual and collective action to contribute to environments that can be enjoyed by all.

Science

  • Understand the processes of life and appreciate the diversity of living things.

Social Science

  • Understand how belonging to groups is important for people
  • Understand that people have different roles and responsibilities as part of their participation in groups
  • Understand how the past is important to people
  • Understand how places in New Zealand are significant for individuals and groups
  • Understand how the cultures of people in New Zealand are expressed in their daily lives.

Level Two

Health & Physical Education

  • Describe their stages of growth and their development needs and demonstrate increasing responsibility for self-care
  • Identify personal qualities that contribute to a sense of self-worth
  • Express their ideas, needs, wants, and feelings appropriately and listen sensitively to other people and affirm them
  • Explore how people’s attitudes, values, and actions contribute to healthy physical and social environments.

Science

  • Recognize that all living things have certain requirements so they can stay alive.

Social Science

  • Understand that people have social, cultural, and economic roles, rights, and responsibilities
  • Understand how people make choices to meet their needs and wants
  • Understand how cultural practices reflect and express people’s customs, traditions, and values
  • Understand how places influence people and people influence places
  • Understand how people make significant contributions to New Zealand’s society
  • Understand how the status of Māori as tangata whenua is significant for communities in New Zealand.

Level Three

Health & Physical Education

  • Identify factors that affect personal, physical, social, and emotional growth and develop skills to manage changes
  • Identify and compare ways of establishing relationships and managing changing relationships.

Science

  • Recognise that there are life processes common to all living things and that these occur in different ways.

Social Science

  • Understand how cultural practices vary but reflect similar purposes
  • Understand how people view and use places differently.

Level Four

Health & Physical Education

  • Demonstrate an increasing sense of responsibility for incorporating regular and enjoyable physical activity into their personal lifestyle to enhance well-being
  • Investigate and/or access a range of community resources that support well-being and evaluate the contribution made by each to the well-being of community members.

Science

  • Recognise that there are life processes common to all living things and that these occur in different ways.

Social Science

  • Understand how people pass on and sustain culture and heritage for different reasons and that this has consequences for people
  • Understand how people participate individually and collectively in response to community challenges.

Reference: Sexuality Education: A guide for principals, boards of trustees, and teachers

Email: conservationlearning@aucklandzoo.co.nz
(09) 360 3817
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