Year 8/9 Inquiry Learning

TERM #1 - Maori Medicine

The Inquiry Problem
Setting: New Zealand in the 1750s.

A young boy, named Kahu (Kahurangi) was walking through the forest with his spear. He,
along with his friends Nikau and Kauri, were hunting for Moa. They had set up some traps
and snares in an effort to capture one and were keen to see if their traps had been successful.
Suddenly, they noticed a noise coming from the direction of one of the traps. Excitedly, they
began to run. As Kahu was running, he tripped over a root. A sharp, stinging pain shot
through his leg as he crashed into the ground. His friends turned around at the sound of his
cry of pain and rushed to his side. Blood gushed out of a large cut on his knee. In horror,
Kauri looked at Nikau, and cried “What should we do?”

Week #1
Inquiry on what New Zealand was like during the time the problem story is set in.

Week #2
Inquiry on disease and injury

Week #3
Inquiry on the differences and similarities of cells.

Week #4
Inquiry on the origin of living things
Inquiry on classification
Inquiry on plant groups

Week #5
Inquiry on growing plants

Week #6
Inquiry on the interactions between organisms
Inquiry on the uses and properties of plants
Inquiry on how plants are important to cultures

Week #7
Inquiry on how people use plants differently
Inquiry on how the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand affected the land and its plants

Week # 8
Inquiry on how people combine plants and innovation to create opportunity
Inquiry on how plants can be used to respond to community challenges

Week #9
Complete any remaining quests. Class trip to Mende Biotech.