Instructional Series
Welcome to the English medium literacy instructional series teaching and learning resources for years 1 to 8.

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- English
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- Nature of science
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- Planet Earth and beyond
- Physical world
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- Number and Algebra
- Material world
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- Gather and interpret data
- Use evidence
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- Engage with science
- Interpret representations
- Articles
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Search results
994 items - Showing 161 - 170
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Breakdown
by Tricia Glensor
illustrations by Scott Pearson
Mum and Jake can’t go to the supermarket because Mum’s car won’t start. When the tow truck arrives, Jake takes a keen interest in everything the tow- truck driver does. Jake’s interest in the technology becomes the focus of the story, with a detailed description of the process of winching the car onto the tow truck woven into the narrative. The story concludes with a diagram that Jake has drawn.
Gold 1
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Rongoā Māori
by André Ngāpō
illustrations by Elspeth Alix Batt
This story has a strong theme of the value of rongoā Māori, traditional Māori medicine. It provides opportunities for students who are familiar with te reo and rongoā Māori to share their knowledge. Ana’s mum is ill, and when Nan comes to visit, she decides that rongoā Māori is what Mum needs. Nan takes Ana into the bush with her to collect the plants she wants to use. Ana is fascinated by what Nan shows her, and Nan agrees to teach Ana more about traditional Māori medicine. After using rongoā Māori to treat an unexpected emergency, they return home to prepare the leaves of koromiko they have collected to treat Mum’s illness.
Purple 2
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Torty, the Lucky Tortoise
by David Chadwick
illustrations by Scott Pearson
The adventures of Torty, the tortoise started in Greece during the First World War when she was rescued by Stewart, a New Zealand stretcher-bearer. Stewart took Torty back home to New Zealand at the end of the war and looked after her until he died. Torty is still alive and is cared for by Stewart’s family. This true story is told through a variety of text forms including two pages of graphic layout.
Gold 2
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Marcus and the Wind
by Kylie Parry
Marcus is a “middle boy”. He doesn’t stand out in any way and tends to be overlooked. Then, one Wednesday, everything changes. A strange wind springs up, and Marcus suddenly finds himself doing extraordinary things. The story is open-ended but with an implication that Marcus’s days of being a “middle boy” are over.
Purple 2
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Kahu Ora
by Marama Rangiaho-Katipa
This is a recount of a visit to the exhibition of Kahu Ora (living cloaks) at Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand. In the exhibition, there is one korowai that has a special significance to Marama, the author. She learns about how korowai are made and how a special korowai reveals a story from her iwi.
Gold 1
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The Port
by Sharyn Jones
This article is about the Port of Tauranga and is told by a boy whose father works there. It contains a general description of what a port is and has specific information about the kinds of ships, and their cargo, that visit Tauranga. There is also a brief overview of the grounding of the Rena.
Gold 2
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Lost Again!
by Kylee Goodwin
In this humorous poem, Mum has lost her keys again, and she and the children are searching for them in increasingly unlikely places. Eventually, Dad joins the search and finds the keys hanging on the hook, just where they should be!