Invite students to reflect on their roles as protectors of the Earth and ways they can practice kindness to the world around them.
This activity supports the development of the following social-emotional skills: self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Introduce students to the Māori Tribe and their actions to protect the natural environment in New Zealand. Consider reading this article, or sharing the notes below, with students.
You might say: “The Māori Tribe is an indigenous group in New Zealand. The Māori have strong spiritual bonds with the land, soil, and water - they believe that the natural world can “speak” to humans in different ways to provide them with knowledge and understanding of the Earth, and teach them how to live in harmony with the environment. The Māori consider themselves to be guardians of the Earth, and that nature is a living being or entity (like you or me) that should be respected, cared for, and guarded for future generations and the health of our shared planet.
In 1863, the Crown of New Zealand took away ancestral lands from the Māori Tribe. Since then, the Māori Tribe has been lobbying to maintain and protect their sacred relationship with the river, mountains, and land in New Zealand. In 2017, the New Zealand Parliament voted to pass a bill to recognize Wanganui River, Mount Taranaki, and Te Urewera (a national park) as living entities with rights like any human. This means that any changes to these places that might harm them, like gravel extraction, a new dam, pollution, and overfishing, will have to be approved by their human guardians. Although these places cannot necessarily speak to us, they now have guardians who advocate and care for them.”
Engage students in a discussion by asking them:
Ask students to select a specific place in nature (local or national) such as a river, ocean, national park, etc. Then, have them complete a project that speaks on its behalf, and highlights the importance of practicing compassion for the environment. Students may need to conduct research in order to learn more about the history of their chosen location, and how it has been impacted by people over time.
For example, students might:
Invite students to present their projects to your Empatico partner class by facilitating a live virtual exchange, and encourage them to share why these places are important or special, and actions they want to take to respect, care for, and guard the world around them.
Guide students through a post-activity reflection by asking the following questions:
This activity was created in partnership with the University of California, Irvine Science Project.
Ask students to use a Flipgrid activity to share their empathy resolutions for the upcoming year, and how they want to care for themselves and others!
Go To ActivityEngage students in a discussion about empathy and different ways to show care and concern for others.
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