The Sea and Me by Dave Lowe is a reflective non-fiction text that weaves personal memory with scientific explanation to explore a lifelong relationship with the ocean and the growing reality of climate change. Through vivid recollections of surfing, coastal exploration, and later work as a climate scientist, Lowe traces how his understanding of the sea deepened over time. The text explains complex ideas such as atmospheric carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, and ocean acidification through clear, accessible language grounded in lived experience, including Lowe’s work at Ōrua-pouanui (Baring Head). By blending storytelling with scientific evidence, the text supports students to understand how human actions have changed the planet and why responsibility and care for the environment matter.

The text is ideal for integrated learning across literacy and science, supporting inquiry into climate change, human impact on the environment, scientific evidence, and personal responsibility in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This pack contains a range of response activities complete with activity explainer videos for exploring thinking skills and developing emotional understandings and compassionate inquiry including:

• Blooms Higher Order Thinking activities
• Book Club guide for deepening text discussion
• A range of activities to explore emotional understanding, compassionate inquiry, empathy development, vocabulary and developing skills for self and co-regulation.

Curriculum Phase: Phase 3

Year Level: Year 6

English (NZC Levels 3–4):
reading for meaning and critical thinking, analysing author voice and perspective, synthesising personal narrative and factual information, interpreting figurative and technical language

Science – Living World:
climate change, atmosphere and oceans, human impact on ecosystems, scientific observation and evidence

Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand Histories:
human–environment relationships, continuity and change, responsibility and decision-making

Text type:
Non-fiction, personal recount, scientific explanation, reflective essay

Key words include:
ocean, sea, surfing, climate change, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, atmosphere, ocean acidification, science, scientists, evidence, responsibility, environment, storms, waves, coastal life, Ōrua-pouanui, Baring Head, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, observation, change over time, human impact, sustainability, Aotearoa New Zealand