Notes

This book focuses on how plants are classified, using the plants of the New Zealand bush as a medium for the study. Even small patches of bush contain plants diverse enough to provide examples of the main plant groupings. In many cases, the skills of accurate observation, measurement, and description that are involved in classification can be practised within or near the school grounds. The topic also offers children an insight into the nature of New Zealand’s flora, including an introduction to some Maori ways of viewing the green world. Building Science Concepts is a series of science resource units for different curriculum levels. A distinctive feature of each book is the ‘concept overview’, located on the inside cover. This sets out the progressive concepts that build towards the ‘big ideas’. The books are linked to the achievement aims of levels 1 to 4 of “Science in the New Zealand Curriculum”. Each book also includes background science notes for teachers as well as suggested student activities.