Literacy and numeracy using the road code

Use The official New Zealand road code to integrate learning for citizenship within broad contemporary social issues in New Zealand.

Resources include links to Drive – the official online learning tool to help young people become safe, skilled and licensed drivers.

Themed activity sets

Published 2025

These resources contained updated lesson plans built around a common theme, providing easy-to-use support for young drivers.

Learning with the road code activity set 1: driver licence [PDF, 356 KB]

Learning with the road code activity set 2: Responsible driving [PDF, 300 KB]

Activity sets 1 and 2 bundle (Word and PDF) [ZIP, 1.1 MB]

Download the full Literacy and Numeracy resources

Updated 2023

This contextualised learning programme can help secondary students meet  Literacy and Numeracy requirements.

Activities include: check a car is safe before getting in, discuss the reasons for road rules, route planning, identify hazards, reflect on attitudes, create a whakataukī and write to a politician.

Get everything with one click.

Everything as Word docs [ZIP, 2.1 MB]  Everything as PDF [ZIP, 2.4 MB]

Unit standards covered

• 26622: Write to communicate ideas for a purpose and audience
• 26624: Read texts with understanding
• 26625: Actively participate in spoken interactions
• 26623: Use numbers to solve problems
• 26626: Interpret statistical information for a purpose
• 26627: Use measurement to solve problems

Plus a range of achievement standards.

Note: each activity has links to the online official New Zealand Road Code, Drive and related modules in Pathways Awarua, the online literacy and numeracy resource.

For the latest content visit:

The official New Zealand road code online(external link)

Drive: Learn the road code(external link)

Pathways Awarua(external link)

Introduction

The intro outlines the big ideas around safer road use and citizenship with curriculum links and suggested learning pathways. Plus SOLO self-assessment rubrics.

Literacy and Numeracy Intro [DOCX, 631 KB]

SOLO self-assessment rubrics [DOCX, 200 KB]

Part 1

Bringing in ideas: what is worth knowing as a citizen and a road user? Students build ideas about citizenship, roads, hazards, road users, sharing, risk and distraction.

Literacy and numeracy Part 1 [DOCX, 628 KB]

Part 2

Relating ideas: explaining what is worth knowing as a citizen and a road user. Students develop their ability to explain the causes and consequences of citizenship in the context of road users.

Literacy and numeracy Part 2 [DOCX, 417 KB]

Part 3

Looking in a new way: extending your thoughts and your actions as a citizen and a road user. Students bring new insights by reflecting, evaluating, creating and taking action as citizens and road users who belong, matter and make a difference.

Literacy and numeracy Part 3 [DOCX, 452 KB]