Instructional Series
Welcome to the English medium literacy instructional series teaching and learning resources for years 1 to 8.
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77 items - Showing 31 - 40
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The Gulls of Sulphur Bay
by Sue Gibbison
Sulphur Bay, at the southern end of Lake Rotorua, is a wildlife reserve. Its hot springs make the area popular with many water birds, but the sulphur in the springs also causes some problems for them. This article describes how the gulls live in this unique environment. There are two other items in this Junior Journal linked to Lake Rotorua. They are “The Gulls of Mokoia Island” and a retelling of the legend of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai.
Gold 2
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Hinemoa and Tūtānekai
A legend from the Te Arawa iwi
This text is a retelling of a legend of the Te Arawa people. It tells the love story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai. Tūtānekai lives on Mokoia Island, separated from Hinemoa by the waters of Lake Rotorua. Hinemoa’s father does not want the two young people to be together and tries to stop them from meeting. But Hinemoa is determined and risks her life to swim across Lake Rotorua to be with Tūtānekai.
Gold 1
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The Stowaway
by Katie Furze
Walter is a cat who catches mice at the factory next door to his home. He has friends at the factory who, like his family, are very fond of him. When he doesn’t come home for his dinner, the family is worried and checks with the factory workers. Where can Walter be? The story shifts back in time to show the reader that Walter has been accidentally trapped in a shipping container. He arrives in Australia many days later and, thanks to a kindly quarantine officer, he is returned to his family. A page at the end of the story includes a map, a photo, and some information about the real cat that “The Stowaway” is based on.
Gold 1
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Uira
This short, dramatic poem is in te reo Māori with an accompanying English interpretation. It describes the sights and sounds of lightning as Tāwhirimātea performs a haka. Tāwhirimātea is one of the children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. He didn’t want his parents to separate. When his brothers separated his parents to let light into the world, Tāwhirimātea caused violent storms. He is the Atua of the winds, clouds, rain, hail, snow, and storms. “Atua” refers to ancestors who have a continued influence on people’s lives.
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Tākapu
by Katie Furze
The tākapu is also called the Australasian gannet. In this article, the author explains why she thinks the tākapu is an amazing bird. The text contains specialised vocabulary and some unfamiliar concepts, which are well-supported by the context, photographs, and maps.
Gold 2
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Pōhutukawa
by Kate Boyle
This article explores different aspects of this New Zealand tree, including a description of its preferred habitat, the special features that help it survive, the creatures that live in or on it, and the significance it has for Māori. Students also learn that pōhutukawa are in danger from people and from possums – these trees need help to survive.
Gold 1
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That's the Idea
by Alan Bagnall
Shannon’s dad is very shy. When the family moves, he is happy to work around the house. Inspired by the garden project at Shannon’s school and a section that needs clearing, Dad finds friends and a way to belong in his community. He even finds a new job. This story has themes of sharing and belonging.
Gold 2
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Making Paper
by Trish Puharich
“Making Paper” describes how a class turned waste paper into an interesting, new kind of paper. This example of a procedural text includes explanations and is well supported with photos. It requires students to “confidently use a range of processing and comprehension strategies to make meaning from and think critically about” text (from The Literacy Learning Progressions, page 14).
Gold 2
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Catching Mustelids
by Bronwen Wall
This report, told from the perspective of a young girl, describes how and why her grandad catches mustelids (ferrets, stoats, and weasels). The theme of predators continues in the poem “ Hoiho” in the same Journal, providing an opportunity for students to integrate ideas from both texts. A third text in this Journal, “A New Home for Mokomoko”, continues the theme of protection of native wildlife.
Gold 1
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A New Home for Mokomoko
by Vanessa Hatley-Owen
When a class from Westmere School find out that mokomoko (skinks) are a protected species, they decide to build a mokomoko refuge. This recount describes the process and provides information about mokomoko and their survival needs. It provides opportunities for students to practise identifying and summarising main points, about both the process and mokomoko.
Gold 1
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