Instructional Series
Welcome to the English medium literacy instructional series teaching and learning resources for years 1 to 8.
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Search results
67 items - Showing 51 - 60
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A Quilt for Kiri
by Don Long
pictures by Judith Kunzlé
This sensitive narrative tells of the death of Kiri’s grandmother far away in the Cook Islands. Grandma’s gift of a quilt to Kiri sparks special memories for Kiri and her dad. A Gift for Aunty Ngā (Gold) is a sequel to this book.
Purple 2
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Rat and Octopus
retold by Tusiata Avia
illustrated by Fraser Williamson
Rat and Octopus, a tale common to many Pacific cultures, is retold here by Samoan writer Tusiata Avia. Students will enjoy finding out why Octopus has black markings on his head and why Rat and Octopus remain enemies to this day.
Orange 2
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New Zealand's Weather
by Eric Brenstrum
This article outlines the global influences on the weather. It explores how oceans, continents, and icecaps affect the way air moves, heats, and cools. It then reinforces the concepts explained in “What Makes the Weather” by applying them to the context of weather in the South Pacific and particularly in New Zealand.
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The Story of Taranaki
by Hone Rata, illustrations by Taupuruariki Whakataka Brightwell
This traditional story, known by many iwi in the Taranaki area, tells how Mount Taranaki was once called Pukeonaki and stood in the centre of the North Island, close to Mount Tongariro. The two mountains fought over Pihanga, a nearby mountain. Tongariro won and Pukeonaki left in anger and grief, travelling to his present position and forming the Whanganui River on the way. The people who came to live in the region later named him Taranaki.
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Endurance
by Paul Mason
This book recounts the incredible survival story that followed Ernest Shackleton’s failed attempt to cross Antarctica in 1914. After his ship, the Endurance, was trapped and later crushed by ice, Shackleton and his crew were stranded on the ice for five months before travelling in lifeboats to Elephant Island. A small group then sailed on to South Georgia and trekked through glaciers and over mountains to eventually find help.
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Journey on the Sea
by Clare Knighton
"Aotearoa is an island nation with more than 15,000 kilometres of coastline (only nine other countries have more). It’s no wonder so many of us love the water. But activities like swimming, surfing, fishing, and sailing all involve risk. On average, more than a hundred New Zealanders drown each year."
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What is Biosecurity
by Andrew and Anna Dickson
This article introduces the concept of biosecurity and explains how, as a group of isolated islands, New Zealand developed a unique range of ecosystems. The arrival of plants or animals from other countries could be disastrous for our environment. Therefore, our borders are constantly monitored by biosecurity agencies to protect our environment, agriculture, and our health.
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School Journal Level 3 August 2017
PDFs of all the texts in this issue of the School Journal are available online as well as teacher support materials (TSM) for the following:
TSM Stories Wild Things Low Tide ✔ Poems Dog Training Plays How Hemi Cleaned His Room Articles The Subantarctic Islands ✔ Te Tiriti o Waitangi ✔ The Possum Problem Look inside this issue
The Subantarctic Islands
written and illustrated by Giselle Clarkson
This visual text uses words and cartoon-style images to provide information about the five groups of islands that are found between New Zealand and Antarctica. The information is presented in a lively way, organised into sections that tell what and where the islands are, the weather they share, and their flora and fauna.
Information and tips for using comics in the classroom:
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
by Ross Calman
This straightforward article explains what the Treaty of Waitangi is, why it was needed, and what it says. Although most students will have heard of the Treaty, this may be the first time they have read about it for themselves.
The Possum Problem
by Johanna Knox
illustrated by Adele Jackson
"Possums. You hardly ever see them, but they’re all around: in the bush, on farms, in parks. They might even be in your garden. During the day, possums stay in their dens. These are dry, hidden places where they won’t be disturbed. Possums emerge after dark, millions upon millions of them, all across New Zealand. And what do they do? They eat."
Dog Training
by Marty Smith
illustrated by Josh Morgan
"Dad would snap at us if we gave the dogs food: Don’t feed them at the table! It turns them into beggars!"
Wild Things
by Renata Hopkins
illustrated by Daron Parton
"But it wasn’t a mouse that woke us. It was another noise. It sounded as though someone with asthma was choking on a mouthful of cornflakes right outside my window. I froze."
Low Tide
by Tim Jones
illustrated by Elliemay Logan
This short story describes what happens during the hour that Manu and his father have to rescue what they can from their ruined home. A storm accompanied by a high tide has breached a seawall and sent seawater through their house.
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School Journal Level 4 May 2016
PDFs of all the texts in this issue of the School Journal are available online as well as teacher support materials (TSM) for the following:
TSM Stories Ngā Tātarakihi o Parihaka ✔ MeMe and Me Man and Sea Poems Surge Plays Waiting for Toni ✔ Articles Captain Cook Charting Our Islands ✔ Wildboy: The Journey of Brando Yelavich Look inside this issue
Ngā Tātarakihi o Parihaka
This story, set at Parihaka just prior to the government raid in 1881, is told from the perspective of a young girl who was living there. The author’s great-grandmother was living at Parihaka at that time, and the story is partially based on oral history.
Waiting for Toni
This play is a parody of Waiting for Godot, the classic play by Samuel Beckett in which, famously, nothing happens. In addition to being performed by a group of students, all plays are literacy texts and can be used to explore ideas, language, and dialogue.
MeMe and Me
Life with a new phone spins out of control.
Man and Sea
What are the marks of Tataua – and what does it mean to receive them?
Wildboy: The Journey of Brando Yelavich
by Stephanie Chamberlin
One boy's journey and what he learnt along the way.
Captain Cook Charting Our Islands
This article describes Captain Cook’s first visit to New Zealand where he charted the coastline. It focuses on Cook’s abilities as a skilled maker of charts and maps rather than as a great explorer. It also examines the maths involved in Cook’s chart making (a perfect, real-life example of maths in everyday life).
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School Journal Level 4 November 2014
PDFs of all the texts in this issue of the School Journal are available online as well as teacher support materials (TSM) for the following:
TSM Stories Match Report ✔ Kauri Island Battle Close to the Edge Poems The Embarrassment Expert Articles Ngā Pakanga o Aotearoa/The New Zealand Wars ✔ Fair Chocolate ✔ Look inside this issue
Match Report
by Kate De Goldi
illustrations by Gavin Mouldey
This tale of a boy telling his grandfather about a cricket match sounds simple, but the clever text structure and extensive use of the language of cricket makes it a very rich text that can be revisited many times for different purposes. The theme of relationships between the generations is conveyed powerfully and in ways that students will recognise.
Ngā Pakanga o Aotearoa/The New Zealand Wars
by Ross Calman
“The New Zealand Wars” describes the wars fought between 1845 and 1872. The wars were about who controlled the country and who owned the land. This long and fascinating article explains the circumstances of the wars, including the areas and tribes involved. There are good general descriptions of the main confrontations and key players, both Māori and British. The text is written by a Māori author who presents a balanced account of the wars and their impacts.
Fair Chocolate
by Renata Hopkins
The article “Fair Chocolate” is about a Christchurch company and its decision to deal directly with cacao producers on the other side of the world and make its own chocolate. Within this context, the article traverses economics, fair trade, and business practices.
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