New Zealand- A country in the Southwest Pacific Ocean,
consisting of two major islands. The Pacific Islands- Geographers
divide the Pacific Islands into high islands and low islands. High
islands can support a larger population of people than low
islands.
Slide 3
Many people dream of living on a tropical island, or at least
visiting one. Do you? Jot down a brief description of your dream
island. (5 minutes)
Slide 4
Work with a neighbor and compare your list with theirs. What
things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)
Slide 5
New Zealand has more than 50 volcanoes, some of which are still
active today. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give
women the right to vote. Eighty percent of New Zealands electricity
is provided by hydropower. Tourism is the main industry in New
Zealand with over two million visitors a year. New Zealands main
exports are lamb, wool, butter, cheese, kiwifruit, and wine.
Slide 6
Video- New Zealand
Slide 7
Key Term New Zealand A country in the Southwest Pacific Ocean,
consisting of two major islands.
Slide 8
Key Term Wellington The capital city of New Zealand.
Slide 9
New Zealand is a remote, mountainous group of islands in the
Southeastern Pacific Ocean. The two main islands, are separated by
the Cook Strait. Australia, its nearest neighbor, is 1,000 miles
away. The South Island is home to the highest mountain peak in New
Zealand, Mount Cook.
Slide 10
The islands of New Zealand were created just 23 million years
ago when land was thrust out of the ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50 volcanoes, some of which are still active
today.
Slide 11
The backbone of New Zealand Is a string of volcanic mountains
formed along the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. These
mountains from the two large island. The two islands are quite
distinct geographically.
Slide 12
The North Island is narrow and hilly. Spread across the center
is a plateau and an active geothermal region. The volcanoes, hot
springs, and geysers make for a popular tourist destination.
Slide 13
Key Term Geyser A natural hot spring that shoots a column of
water and steam into the air.
Slide 14
The South Island is home to the highest mountain peak in New
Zealand, Mount Cook, which rises to 12,316 feet and is called
"Cloud Piercer" by the Maori people.
Slide 15
Because of its remote location, New Zealand is rich in unusual
wildlife that is not seen anywhere else in the world. Nearly all
the land animals are birds and many of these species have lost the
ability to fly. The Maori people and European settlers introduced
animals to the islands and the flightless birds had no defense
against them.
Slide 16
In the last 1,000 years, half of all animals on the islands
have become extinct. Deforestation and draining of swamp land is
also threatening many remaining species, including the kiwi bird.
Fewer than 75,000 wild kiwis remain.
Slide 17
Bats are the only land mammals to have made the ocean crossing
to New Zealand. The giant weta, at 2.5 ounces, weighs three times
more than a mouse. It is a relative of crickets and is considered
one of the world's heaviest insects also lives in New Zealand.
Slide 18
The Maori people arrived by canoe from islands in Polynesia
near Tahiti around 1,000 A.D. In the 1600s, the Dutch explorer Abel
Tasman visited the islands, but his party left after being
attacked.
Slide 19
In 1769, Captain James Cook came to the islands. The British
established settlements and signed a treaty with the Maori in
1840.
Slide 20
The Maori protested the treaty after their lands were seized,
and in the 1860s, they began a 12- year war against the British for
control of the North Island. Peace was restored to the islands in
the 1870s.
Slide 21
In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the
right to vote. The country became a dominion of Britain in 1907 and
gained its independence from Britain in 1947.
Slide 22
New Zealanders, or "Kiwis" as they are called, have been shaped
by their isolation. Today, most Kiwis are no longer farmers, with
86 percent of the population living in cities. More people live on
North Island, than the whole population of the South Island.
Slide 23
The vast majority of people live in large cities along the
coast. Three out of four New Zealanders live on the North Island.
The North Island has very busy airports and harbors.
Slide 24
Eighty percent of New Zealands electricity is provided by
hydropower. Scientists have determined that the Western coast of
New Zealand has the best prospect for small-to- medium scale
generation of wave power. More than a third of New Zealands energy
is used in transport.
Slide 25
Tourism is the main industry in New Zealand with over two
million visitors a year. New Zealands main exports are lamb, wool,
butter, cheese, kiwifruit, and wine.
Slide 26
Video- Maori Culture
Slide 27
Developed in New Zealand in the early 1900s from a vine found
in China, the kiwifruit was originally known as the Chinese
gooseberry. However, when exporters wanted to promote the fruit as
a memorable New Zealand product. They renamed it kiwifruit after
the flightless kiwi.
Slide 28
New Zealands economy depends on exporting many of its
agricultural and industrial products. New Zealands capital,
Wellington, is an important link in the nations' overseas trade. It
has a superb harbor and sits near the middle of the country.
Question- What are some of New Zealands agricultural exports?
Slide 29
Answer- The main exports are lamb, wool, butter, cheese,
kiwifruit, and wine.
Slide 30
1. What percent of New Zealands energy is used for transport?
2. Tourism is the main industry in New Zealand with how many
visitors per year. 3. New Zealands main exports are?
Slide 31
1. What percent of New Zealands energy is used for transport?
More than a third of New Zealands energy is used in transport. 2.
Tourism is the main industry in New Zealand with how many visitors
per year. Tourism is the main industry in New Zealand with over two
million visitors a year. 3. New Zealands main exports are? New
Zealands main exports are lamb, wool, butter, cheese, kiwifruit,
and wine.
Slide 32
Geographers divide the Pacific islands into high islands and
low islands. Most people who live on the Pacific Islands live at a
subsistence level. That is, they usually grow or catch only enough
to feed themselves. The rise in sea level predicted by some
scientists as a result of global warming presents a major problem
to Pacific Islanders since it could make some islands
uninhabitable.
Slide 33
Slide 34
Geographers divide the Pacific Islands into high islands and
low islands. Volcanoes form high islands. They usually have
mountains. The soil, which consists of volcanic ash, is very
fertile. Because of their size and because people can grow crops
here, high islands support more people than low islands.
Slide 35
Far fewer people live on low islands than on high islands. Low
islands have poor sandy soil and little fresh water, so it is
difficult to raise crops. Most low islanders survive by fishing.
They may also grow coconuts, yams, and a starchy root called
taro.
Slide 36
Key Term High Islands A Pacific Island that has been formed by
a volcano and is usually mountainous.
Slide 37
Key Term Low Islands A Pacific Island that is a reef or small
coral island in the shape of a ring.
Slide 38
Key Term Atolls A ring- shaped coral island surrounding a
lagoon.
Slide 39
Key Term Coral A rock like material made up of the skeletons of
tiny sea creatures.
Slide 40
The bruising force of the Pacific surf is softened by the coral
reefs around many islands in this area of the world. This is
important since it helps even small islands survive the hurricanes
and storms that rage in the Pacific.
Slide 41
The rise in sea level predicted by some scientists as a result
of global warming presents a particular problem to Pacific
Islanders. A rise of only 8 to 10 inches could make some islands
uninhabitable.
Slide 42
Video- Global Warming
Slide 43
Reading Activity- Eyewitness To History 24
Slide 44
Many Pacific Islanders today make their living from farming and
fishing. Coconut products, pineapples, bananas, and some types of
fish are exported from the Pacific Islands. Most people, however,
only grow or catch only enough to feed themselves.
Slide 45
Pacific Island tourism is a growing industry. Vacationers in
search of scenic beauty have increasingly headed for these islands.
Fiji, for instance actively promotes tourism. Airport in this
region are also a stopping point for airplanes traveling between
North America and Australia.
Slide 46
Some Pacific Island governments, do not want a large tourist
industry. They fear that visitors might change the indigenous
culture.
Slide 47
Most of the world paid little attention to the Pacific Islands
until World War II. During the war, Japanese and United States
forces fought many bloody battles on the islands. Afterwards, many
islands became trust territories.
Slide 48
Key Term Trust Territories A dependent colony or territory
supervised by another country by commission of the United
Nation.
Slide 49
1. Why do far fewer people live on low islands than on high
islands? 2. Why do some Pacific Island governments, not want a
large tourist industry?
Slide 50
1. Why do far fewer people live on low islands than on high
islands? This is because low islands are quite small. Also, low
islands have poor sandy soil and little fresh water, so it is
difficult to raise crops. 2. Why do some Pacific Island
governments, not want a large tourist industry? Some governments
fear that visitors might change the indigenous culture.
Slide 51
Using sheets of paper, design a souvenir T-shirt for New
Zealand or the Pacific Islands that identifies their unique
physical and cultural characteristics. Then write a half page
summary explaining your design choice. (30 minutes)
Slide 52
What has been the muddiest point so far in this lesson? That
is, what topic remains the least clear to you? (4 minutes)
Slide 53
Work with a neighbor and compare your muddiest point with
theirs. Compare what things are the same and what things are
different? (3 minutes)