The urgent, carrying sound of the Pūtātara, or conch trumpet, is a call to action.
For this resource, it provides the impetus for schools and teachers to incorporate sustainability and global citizenship across their school curriculum. Opportunities for learners to explore and contribute to our changing world must not be ‘siloed add-ons’ but rather a key part of what it means to be a future-focused, lifelong learner.
This Ministry of Education resource is aligned to best practice in local curriculum design, education for global citizenship, and environmental education, with links to Levels 3 - 5 of the NZ Curriculum.
Pūtātara encourages schools and teachers to create learning opportunities that expand learners’ understanding of complex issues and take action for change, using pathways linked to these three concepts:
- Tūrangawaewae - Understanding where I stand
- Kaitiakitanga - Caring for people and place
- Whakapuāwai - Flourishing ever forward
This place-based approach honours Māori as tangata whenua and creates space for critical consciousness raising within our own settings and histories. In this way, Pūtātara connects with approaches in the Local Curriculum Design Toolkit, which also emphasises localised and student-centred curriculum.
Learners gain opportunities to participate in positive change for a more peaceful and sustainable world. Creative thinking skills are severely limited in a climate of fear, so this resource does not focus on the ‘doom and gloom’ of inaction – instead, it is unapologetically strengths-based, optimistic, and empowering.
The resource is inclusive by design and aligned with the principles of Universal Design for Learning, presenting content in varied and engaging formats, connecting across curriculum areas, and encouraging teachers to engage learners in diverse ways.
Click on the link provided above to start exploring the suite of resources on Tāhūrangi.
Watch this webinar from March 2022 to learn more about how Pūtātara was created and see inspiring examples of this resource being used by teachers and ākonga.
