Challenge

As part of the 2009 celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of New Zealand citizenship, the Department of Internal Affairs wanted to develop a teaching and learning resource about New Zealand citizenship.

This new resource was to explore the formal status of New Zealand citizenship and what it means to be or become a citizen and to contribute to the development and well-being of society. It was to be aimed at Levels 2 and 5 Social Sciences, and had to have a life that would extend past the anniversary year.

Approach

Educating NZ began by developing the Level 2 resource, designed to help schools take advantage of the opportunities in The New Zealand Curriculum for citizenship study.  We did this in association with experienced Social Sciences teachers, and had it peer reviewed by Graeme Aitken (Associate Dean Academic in the Faculty of Education at Auckland University).  

The final resource includes a unit plan, an inquiry model based on Building Conceptual Understanding in Social Sciences, accompanying templates, stories and factsheets.  

At the same time, we developed the Citizenship Education website from which teachers can download the resource.

Educating NZ subsequently developed a version of the resource for Level 5 (secondary school), again using the expertise of experienced Social Sciences teachers to assist in the process.   

What’s happening now?

Both the Level 2 and Level 5 resources are now live on the Citizenship Education website.

Promotion of the resource took place at the SocCon conference for Social Sciences teachers in Christchurch in September 2009, and also at regional social sciences workshops and ICT cluster groups.  We also presented it at Learn@School in Rotorua earlier this year.

The website was later developed as a hard-copy book and accompanying CD-Rom, which were sent to all schools in New Zealand. 

"We are extremely pleased with the Citizenship Education website and teacher resource books developed by Educating NZ.  The resources are comprehensive, practical and easy to use by teachers while also being engaging, fun and attractive to students.  Educating NZ’s staff were easy to work with at all times and, despite challenging timeframes, the resources they produced have exceeded our high expectations."  Hayden Kerr, Senior Policy Analyst, The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua