Kia ora Eco Warriors & Codebreakers!

You’ve completed the workshops — now it’s time for your FINAL MISSION. 

Choose ONE challenge: You only need to complete ONE option 

OPTION 1 — WARRIORS OF THE WAI

Solve the Case. Save the Wai.

PART 1 — WHO DUNNIT?

Tell us: 

  • Who YOU think made the awa sick 
  • WHY you think that using:  
  • Means 
  • Motive 
  • Opportunity 

 

PART 2 — WHAT DID YOU DO?

Find one real water problem in your: 

  • home 
  • school 
  • or community 

Show your solution: 

  • what you made or changed 
  • how it works 
  • what you used 
  • how others could try it 

Examples to get you thinking

Here are some WATER ideas to get you started (you don’t have to use these): 

Growing food or gardens

 

1.  Drip irrigation bottle 

  • This is when you reuse a plastic bottle to slowly drip water into the soil near a plant’s roots. 
  • You poke small holes in the bottle 
  • Fill it with water 
  • Turn it upside down in the soil 
  • This saves water because the plant only gets what it needs, and less water runs away or evaporates. 

 

2.  Smart watering plan 

  • This means watering plants at the best time, not just whenever. 
  • Water early in the morning or late in the afternoon 
  • Check the weather so you don’t water when it’s going to rain 
  • Decide how much water different plants need 
  • This helps plants grow better and stops water being wasted. 

 

3.  Runoff filter 

  • When it rains, water can wash dirt and rubbish into drains and rivers. A runoff filter catches the dirty stuff before it reaches the river. 
  • You might use gravel, sand, leaves, or plants 
  • Water can pass through, but rubbish gets trapped 
  • This helps keep rivers cleaner and healthier. 

Soil & water:

 

1.  Mulch test 

  • Mulch is things like leaves, bark, or straw that you put on top of soil. In this test, you compare: 
  • Soil with mulch 
  • Soil without mulch 
  • ✅ You’ll see that mulch helps soil stay wet for longer and protects it from drying out. 

 

2.  Soil water experiment 

  • This experiment shows how water moves through soil. 
  • Pour water onto different types of soil (sand, clay, garden soil) 
  • See which soil holds water best 
  • ✅ This helps us understand which soil is better for plants and gardens. 

 

3.  Rainwater collectors 

  • This is a way to collect rainwater from roofs. 
  • Rain goes into a bucket or tank 
  • The water can be reused for gardens or cleaning 
  • ✅ This saves drinking water and uses rain instead. 

Community:

 

1.  5 Minute Shower Challenge 

  • This is a challenge to help people use less water when they shower. 
  • Use a timer, a song, or a stopwatch 
  • Try to finish your shower in 5 minutes or less 
    This saves water and energy. 
  • You could make this a neighbourhood challenge! 
  • Invite people on your street to join in 
  • Keep track of how many people try the challenge 
  • Celebrate together if everyone takes part 
  • Bonus idea: 
    You could organise a street BBQ, shared afternoon tea, or picnic as a prize or celebration for everyone who joins the challenge. 
  • This helps save water and brings people together. 

 

2.  Tapoff signs 

  • These are friendly reminders near taps. 
  • Signs that say “Turn me off!” 
  • Pictures that remind people to save water 
  • They help people remember not to waste water. 

 

3.  Refill station at school 

  • A refill station is where students can fill their drink bottles. 
  • Instead of buying plastic bottles 
  • Everyone brings their own bottle 
  • This reduces plastic waste and helps the environment. 

Impact Section

 

Explain how your idea helps: 

  • your home 
  • your community 
  • the awa 

OPTION 2 — MICRO & MEGA

Crack the Code. Change the World.  

 

Your Challenge

Find a real-life problem in your: 

  • home 
  • school 
  • garden 
  • or community 

…that microbes could help solve 

 

Choose ONE theme 

  • Agriculture 
  • Compost / Soil Health 
  • Community Action 

 

Choose ONE way to show your solution 

  • Poster 
  • Comic strip 
  • Mini model 
  • Detective report 
  • Infographic 
  • Story / poem 

 

Include FOUR things 

  1. The problem 
  2. Your solution 
  3. MRS GREN 
  4. The impact 

Examples

Agriculture:

 

1.  Microbe booster for soil 

  • Kids design a pretend “microbe booster” that helps plants grow strong. 
  • Choose 3 helpful microbes (e.g. nitrogen helpers, disease fighters, decomposers) 
  • Draw or build a container (bottle, sachet, seed coating) 
  • Name their product and explain how it helps plants 

 

2.  Poster comparing healthy vs unhealthy roots 

  • Create a comparison poster showing what roots look like with and without microbes. 
  • Split a page into two sides 
  • Draw roots with microbes (thick, fuzzy, lots of life) 
  • Draw roots without microbes (thin, weak, cracked soil) 

 

3.  Comic about microbes fighting plant diseases 

  • Make a short comic where microbes defend a plant from disease. 
  • Invent a villain (fungus, bad bacteria, drought monster) 
  • Create microbe heroes with powers  
  • Show how the plant is saved 

Compost / Soil Health:

 

1.  Mini compost system 

  • Design or build a mini compost system.  
  •  
  • Draw or build a compost jar/bucket 
  • Label what microbes eat (food scraps, leaves) 
  • Show what compost becomes (soil!) 

 

2.  “Decomposition race” poster 

  • Predict which items decompose fastest. 
  • Choose 5 items (apple core, paper, plastic, leaf, banana peel) 
  • Rank them from fastest to slowest 
  • Explain why 

 

3.  Detective case: The Disappearing Apple Peel 

  • Solve a mystery using microbial clues. 
  • Write a case report 
  • Draw microbes as detectives 
  • Explain how microbes “made it disappear” 

Community Action:

 

1.  Microbe Heroes education campaign 

  • Create a campaign to teach others about helpful microbes. 
  • Design a poster, sticker, or mini video idea 
  • Create a slogan (e.g. “Microbes Make Our World Work!”) 
  • Choose where it would be shared (school, town, farm) 

 

2.  Story about microbes cleaning pollution 

  • Write or illustrate a story where microbes clean up pollution. 
  • Choose a problem (dirty river, oil spill, landfill) 
  • Show microbes breaking it down 
  • End with a healthier environment 

 

3.  Fact sheet: What Microbes Do for Our Town 

  • Create a kid friendly‑ fact sheet. 
  • List 5 ways microbes help (wastewater, soil, food, compost) 
  • Add drawings or icons 

Impact Section

 

Students explain how their solution helps: 

  • their home or garden 
  • their community 
  • and the awa 

 

Student Deliverable 

A 30–90 second video including: 

  1. Who they believe polluted the river (and why) 
  2. Their real-life water saving action 
  3. Detective reasoning (Means / Motive / Opportunity) 
  4. The impact

Judging Criteria (20 points)

 

  • Creativity 
  • Understanding 
  • Impact 
  • Clarity 

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