Building homes for tree wētā
In this activity, students consider the life requirements and natural habitat of tree wētā and design a wētā home to meet some of these needs.
Wētā motel
Wētā motels come in many shapes and sizes – what kind will you build?
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
name three or more requirements wētā need to stay alive
identify area(s) on the school grounds that would make the most suitable wētā habitat
design a house that meets some of the life requirements of tree wētā.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
student handout.
Note: This activity has opportunities for you to pursue both science and technology learning objectives.
Nature of science
Wētā houses simulate the natural galleries that provide refuge for tree wētā. They replicate some of the conditions wētā require for their life processes but are not identical to their natural habitats.
Related content
For more on wētā galleries, see the article Wētā.
Read about the efforts of South Auckland school students to discover the ideal home for tree wētā in the article Redesigning wētā houses.
Useful link
The School Journal level 2 August 2019 article Wētā as the starting point for designing and building a wētā motel. This activity is a great intersection of science, technology and literacy!
