If You Were a River
1. Setting the Scene (Warm-Up / Icebreaker)
Invite students to step into the river’s shoes — or currents!
Prompt them with sensory questions:
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What would you see every day as a river?
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What would you hear? (birds, boats, rain, rubbish, laughter?)
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What would you feel flowing through you?
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How long have you been here — hundreds, thousands, or millions of years?
Facilitator tip:
Play gentle river sounds in the background — it helps them “enter the scene.”
2. Opening Discussion Ideas
Help students explore tone, mood, and point of view.
A. River’s Emotions
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How might a river feel about the way humans treat it?
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Would it be angry? Lonely? Hopeful? Proud?
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What makes a river happy? What makes it sad?
B. Messages to Humans
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What would you want humans to stop doing?
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What would you want them to start doing?
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How would you remind them that you are alive and part of their story?
C. Memories & History
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What changes has your river seen over time?
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What ancient stories or secrets could it tell?
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How would it describe humans from 200 years ago vs. now?
3. Critical Thinking Prompts
Guide them toward deeper analysis and ethical thinking.
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Do rivers have “rights”? Should they?
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If a river could vote, what laws would it ask for?
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Can humans and rivers work together rather than one controlling the other?
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What happens to people when rivers are ignored or polluted — who gets affected most?
NZ Curriculum Links:
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Science: Interdependence of living systems
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Social Studies: Sustainability and kaitiakitanga
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English: Personification and persuasive writing
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The Arts: Expression through poetry, song, or visual art
✍️ 4. Creative Extension Tasks
Option A – “The River’s Letter”
Students write a short letter or poem from the river to humanity.
“Dear Humans,
I’ve carried your canoes, your secrets, and your waste.
I miss the sound of fish tails. Please remember I breathe too…”
Option B – “If I Were a River” Mural or Collage
Each student draws or creates one section of a river showing how it feels — healthy, polluted, or healing.
Option C – “News Flash from the River”
Students act out a 1-minute “river broadcast” — reporting on how humans are treating it.
5. Reflection & Sharing
Wrap up with a few big-picture questions:
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What surprised you most when thinking like a river?
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How did this change how you feel about nature around you?
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What one action could humans take that would make a river proud?
Optional Digital Activity for YPI
In their “Curiosity Journal,” students upload:
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A drawing or poem from the river’s perspective
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One photo of a local stream, with a short caption: “Here’s what this river might say…”
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A final reflection: “Humans forget that…”