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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- Science
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- Technology
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- Mathematics and Statistics
- Fiction
- Non-fiction
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- Articles
- Stories
- Poems
- Plays
Search results
98 items - Showing 21 - 30
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Richard Owen’s Giant Mystery
by Quinn Berentson
illustrations by Spike Wademan
Richard Owen was a British scientist of the early nineteenth century, most famous for his identification and naming of dinosaurs. This article reports on the role he played in unravelling the mystery of the moa and in identifying it as the largest bird ever known to humans. The nature of scientific endeavour is conveyed well, from the initial presentation of a bone fragment and through the research needed to have a new species recognised.
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Nga Mahi a te Rehia Maori Games
by Ross Calman
“In early Māori society, games were played by everyone …” This report describes eight traditional Māori games and lists several more.
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The River
by Paul Mason
Leo has travelled from New Zealand to visit his father, who has a houseboat in England. Leo and his dad touch briefly on memories of earlier visits to England, when the family was still together and living in New Zealand. The river has changed since the earlier visit, polluted by a factory upstream. Leo’s desire to see the selkie he saw previously causes him to fall into the dirty river. Leo finds that to save himself, he has to “stop fighting the river”, and students may hypothesise that this realisation could help him deal with the changes in his life.
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Kahawai
by Paul Mason
“Kahawai” is set in an unfamiliar time and place (a much-changed Auckland in a not-so-distant future), but it conveys familiar ideas about sustainability, selflessness for the greater good, and cooperation in times of hardship. Āreta, and her grandmother, Trish, go fishing on a filthy sea and make a surprising catch.
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Robot Challenge
as told to Karen Phelps
In “Robot Challenge”, the students describe how they designed and made robots for a competition. The article will interest many students and could inspire some to enter the competition themselves.
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Silas the Stretcher-bearer
by Rachel Stedman
This article conveys the experiences of Silas, who was a stretcher-bearer during the First World War. Silas was a conscientious objector who decided to join non-combatant service upon being drafted.
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Water Worries
by Rachael McMillan
“Water Worries” combines explanations and persuasive arguments in a report that describes the serious water issues we face in New Zealand. The addition of a short procedural text tells how to make a water harvester at home.
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Heartbeat
by Andre Ngāpō
A young girl and her koro look out over their forest, Te Rākau, listening for the heartbeat of Tāne Mahuta. The forest shelters many birds and insects, as well as many very old trees.
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Mmm, That's Tasty!
by Neville Gardner
The intriguing title of this article leads to an exploration of our sense of taste and the many factors that help us determine whether food tastes nice or nasty.
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Tarakura of the Rangitāiki Plains
by Bernadine Ngaheu
This exciting, fast-paced myth retells a traditional story from Ngāti Awa. It portrays one chief’s courageous actions to protect his iwi from the taniwha Tarakura. Iratumoana, the chief, displays many qualities: bravery, fortitude, and decisiveness. He also shows wisdom and humility, understanding that he must consult and work with others if he is to prevail over the taniwha. The chief provides a positive role model of someone who puts himself in physical danger for the good of the community.
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