Kaitiaki of the Estuary by Keri Welham is an informative non-fiction text that explores how students take on the role of kaitiaki to care for their local estuary in Rangataua Bay, Tauranga Moana. Through first-hand experiences and clear explanation, the text follows students from Maungatapu School as they monitor the health of the estuary by observing and counting species such as pāpaka (crabs), tītiko (mud snails), worms, and fish. The text explains how these species act as tohu, or signs, helping scientists and communities understand whether the estuary is healthy or polluted. Grounded in real-life action and inquiry, the text supports students to see how observation and care work together to protect natural environments.

The text also highlights the strong connection between people, place, and whakapapa. It shows how mātauranga Māori and kaitiakitanga guide the students’ work, and how local iwi and hapū value the estuary as an important source of identity and wellbeing. By addressing challenges such as rubbish, pollution, and invasive species, the text emphasises collective responsibility and hope for the future. Informative, purposeful, and community-focused, the text supports students to understand guardianship and environmental responsibility through lived experience and voice.

The text is ideal for integrated learning across literacy, science, and social sciences, supporting inquiry into ecosystems, community action, and caring for places that sustain life in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This pack contains wide range of response activities including:

• A guided reading plan exploring key literacy elements including inference and deduction, language use, making connection and text organisation, along with key questioning to promote emotional intelligence, metacognition and compassionate inquiry. 
• An independent learning contract complete with explainer videos for activity clarity
  
• A wide range of response activities to support developing and embedding key literacy skills including sentence and word work, spelling, and cloze activities. 

Curriculum Phase: Phase 2

Year Level: Year 4

English (NZC Levels 2–3):
reading for meaning and enjoyment, identifying main ideas and supporting details, understanding informational texts, interpreting diagrams and photographs, building topic-specific vocabulary

Science – Living World:
ecosystems and habitats, native species, human impact on the environment, observation and data collection

Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand Histories:
kaitiakitanga, Māori perspectives, relationships between people and place, community action, continuity and change, identity and belonging

Text type:
Non-fiction, informational report, case study

Key words include:
kaitiaki, kaitiakitanga, estuary, tāhuna, Rangataua Bay, Tauranga Moana, pāpaka, tītiko, mudflats, habitat, species, monitoring, tohu, pollution, rubbish, invasive species, Asian paddle crab, mātauranga Māori, whakapapa, iwi, hapū, Ngāti Hē, Ngā Pōtiki, community action, conservation, environmental responsibility, native species, sustainability, guardianship, caring for places