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Official information and historical overview

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Official information and historical overview

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This is an official walking guide released by the Auckland City Council. It not only provides detailed walking routes but also offers in-depth information about the mountain's history, early development, and significant cultural sites. For teachers, it is a highly authoritative and reliable source of background information that can help us quickly understand the overall history and geographical overview of Maungawhau, making it particularly suitable for background learning before a field trip.

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Māori legends (Pūrākau) and cultural significance

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Māori legends (Pūrākau) and cultural significance

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This resource explains the sacred significance of the Maungawhau crater in Maori culture, where it is known as "Te Upu Kai a Mataaho ('the bowl of Mataaho'). Mataaho is the volcanic deity who guards the secrets of this land. This story provides an excellent entry point to guide lower-grade students in understanding this volcano from the perspective of myth and imagination, combining scientific knowledge with cultural narratives.

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Geology and Volcanology Knowledge (Interactive Map/Website)

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Geology and Volcanology Knowledge (Interactive Map/Website)

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This is an interactive Maungawhau path map. In teaching, we can use it to show students the trails of the volcano, the names of different areas, and the shape of the crater. It is very intuitive and can help students build a sense of space. It can also be used to plan a safe class outdoor walking route. Teachers can familiarize themselves with the terrain in advance and choose suitable locations for outdoor teaching activities (such as measurement, observation, etc.).

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This drone footage offers a breathtaking aerial view of Maungawhau, showcasing its vast crater and the surrounding urban landscape. It is a highly engaging and visual resource for younger students, instantly sparking their curiosity. It can serve as an introductory video for a lesson, prompting students to think: "What shapes can we see?" "Why is there a big hole in the middle?"

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Mt Eden by drone    Auckland   New Zealand

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Ecology and Volunteer Work (Community Website)

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Ecology and Volunteer Work (Community Website)

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This is the website of the community volunteer organization called "Friends of Maungawhau". Through this website, we can learn how local residents are involved in the work of protecting and restoring the Maungawhau ecological environment (such as planting trees and removing weeds). This provides us with a very good teaching perspective - environmental protection and community responsibility (kaitiakitanga). We can guide students to think about what they can do as students to protect this mountain.

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Welcome to Friends of Maungawhau - Friends of Maungawhau

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Friends of Maungawhau is a group of volunteers who help to protect, preserve and enhance Maungawhau/Mt Eden in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. We have been active in ecological restoration and advocacy for the maunga since the 1980s. In 2012 a landmark Treaty settlement returned 14 of the Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral landscapes) to iwi/hapū ownership and established the […]

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Create a list: The teacher should take photos of several common and distinctive local plants (such as the leaves of pōhutukawa and the leaf shapes of harakeke/flax) in Maungawhau or the school garden in advance, and create a simple digital treasure hunt list.

Treasure Hunt Activity: The students held their tablets and compared the photos on the list to search for these plants within the designated safe area.

Recorded findings: Whenever they discovered a plant, they would take a photo of it using a tablet as evidence of the "discovery". This not only made the treasure-hunting process very enjoyable, but also enhanced their ability to use digital devices for recording and matching (technology), while deepening their understanding of local plants (science).

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Kaitiaki Guardianship Action - Designing a Feeder for Birds

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Kaitiaki Guardianship Action - Designing a Feeder for Birds

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Observation and Questions: After visiting Maungawhau or watching related bird videos, the teacher posed the question: "How can we help and care for the birds in our school?"

Design Challenge: The engineering challenge for the students was: "Using recycled materials (such as plastic bottles, milk cartons, popsicle sticks), design and create a feeder for the birds at the school."

Production and Evaluation: Students draw design sketches and then proceed to make them. After completion, they need to explain their designs to their classmates: "How is the food loaded in my feeder?" "Where will the birds stand?" "How can we prevent the food from getting wet by rain?" This process develops their design thinking, hands-on skills, and concern for the local ecology (science).

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"The Bowl of Mataaho" Digital Storytelling Creation

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"The Bowl of Mataaho" Digital Storytelling Creation

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Sharing a story: The teacher told the myth of Mataaho and explained how the volcano was formed (simple scientific concepts such as underground magma erupting).

Technical Creation: Students use simple applications on their tablets (such as the drawing tools in Seesaw, or Puppet Pals) to create a digital work about "volcanic eruption". They can use different colors and brushes to depict the underground magma, the erupting volcano, and the flowing lava.

Telling the story: After completing the drawing, students can use the recording function of the application to record their own voices and tell the story in their drawings. For example, "This is Mataaho's bowl. It is angry and red lava is spewing out!" This perfectly combines technological tools, scientific knowledge and cultural narratives.

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How far is one step? - Measure Maunga with your feet

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How far is one step? - Measure Maunga with your feet

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Set the task: In an open and safe area at the foot of Maungawhau Mountain, establish a starting point and an ending point (for example, from a park bench to a big tree).

Carry out the measurement: The students' task is "To measure how far this distance is using our bodies". They can try different non-standard units of measurement methods:

Footstep: "From the starting point to the ending point, how many steps did you take in total?"

Jumping: "How many times do you need to jump to reach the finish line?"

Hand in hand: "How many children need to hold hands to form a line from the starting point to the ending point?"

Recording and Comparison: The students recorded their measurement results. After returning to the classroom, they could share and compare the data. The teacher could lead the discussion by saying: "Why do some people have more steps and some have fewer? What does this indicate?" Thus, the variable "step size" could be introduced, and an early awareness of data analysis could be established.

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Preparation: The teacher should prepare a box of scoria rocks purchased from a gardening supply store in advance. Ensure that the source is legitimate and do not take any rocks from Maungawhau. Also, prepare some magnifying glasses.

Observation and Description (Science): The students work in groups and act as "rock detectives". They use magnifying glasses to closely observe volcanic rocks and describe their findings using descriptive words. The teacher can ask guiding questions: "How does this rock feel? (Texture)", "How many colors do you see? (Color)", "Are there any small holes on the rock? Why are there holes? (Air holes)".

Classification and Counting (Mathematics): Next, give the students a classification challenge. For example, "Please divide all the stones into two groups: the dark red ones and the black ones", or "Please arrange the stones from the smallest to the largest in size". After completing the classification, they need to count how many stones are in each group and can record it on paper by drawing dots or writing numbers, and make simple comparisons of the quantities.

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Build a mini Pā (fort) like the ancients did.

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Build a mini Pā (fort) like the ancients did.

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Background learning: The teacher first uses pictures or stories to briefly introduce what Pā is and why the ancients built it at such a high location (for defense and visibility) at Maungawhau.

Design Challenge: The engineering challenge for the students was: "Using only natural materials (such as branches, stones, leaves, and soil) on the school's sandpit or grassland, design and build the sturdiest mini Pā model."

Construction and Testing: The students work in groups to first discuss the design plan, and then start the construction. During the construction process, they will encounter various engineering problems: How to make the "wall" stand upright? How to make the structure more stable? (Science - Stability, Gravity). After completion, a simple "wind test" (blowing air with the mouth) or "earthquake test" (gently shaking the sand tray) can be conducted to see which group's Pā is the most sturdy.