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

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- 2
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- English
- Social Sciences
- Science
- Health and Physical Education
- Technology
- The Arts
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Learning Languages
- Fiction
- Non-fiction
- None
- Nature of science
- Living world
- Nature of technology
- Statistics
- Geometry and Measurement
- Planet Earth and beyond
- Technological knowledge
- Physical world
- Material world
- Number and Algebra
- Technological practice
- Gather and interpret data
- Use evidence
- Critique evidence
- Engage with science
- Interpret representations
- Articles
- Stories
- Poems
- Plays
- Activity
- Comic
- Kākano | Seed
- Tupu | Seedling
- Māhuri | Sapling
- Rākau | Tree
- Consonant digraphs
- Consonant patterns
- Initial and final blends
- Long vowels
- Short vowels
- Single consonants
- Complex morphemes
- Tense
- Vowel digraphs
- Contractions
- Syllable types
Search results
1187 items - Showing 881 - 890
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Monsters
by Tricia Glensor, illustrations by Scott Pearson
This article describes a selection of mythical creatures and monsters from around the world, including Kāhui Tipua (Aotearoa), Afinemata/Gāhehelevao (Tokelau), kraken (Norway), oni (Japan), sphinx (Ancient Greece and North Africa), dragons (Asia and Europe), chinthe (Myanmar/Cambodia/Laos), and the bunyip (Australia), and discusses the possible origins of such creatures and some of the reasons for their universal appeal.
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Our First Olympians
by Bill Nagelkerke
“Faster, higher, stronger ...” The Olympic Games have been a source of international interest and entertainment since the late nineteenth century. This article provides information on some of our earliest Olympians, with a particular focus on the four athletes who attended the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. It was the first year that Aotearoa New Zealand had sent an independent national team to the games, and despite facing additional challenges of distance and expense, all four athletes made the finals with one winning a bronze medal. The final paragraph of the article extols the benefits of aiming high and working hard to achieve a goal.
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Megabyte
by Greg O’Connell
This humorous poem describes the poet’s pet monster and its dining habits. It links to the article “Monsters” in the same journal and shows how a topic can be approached in different ways. It also provides a model for students’ poetic writing.
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Kupe and the Giant Wheke
A traditional story, retold by Steph Matuku, illustrations by Isobel Te Aho-White
This traditional tale features in the oral traditions of many iwi. It tells of how Kupe discovered Aotearoa while pursuing a giant wheke (octopus) across the Pacific. As he chased the creature around Aotearoa, Kupe explored the new land and named many places.
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Let’s Vote on It!
by Simon Cooke, illustrations by Beck Wheeler
The author uses this light-hearted play to introduce ideas about voting, elections, and MMP. A monster is roaming the kingdom and causing mayhem. The characters come up with various ways to deal with the threat and then vote on the solutions. The resolution sees the problem solved peacefully through communication.
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Kia Māia
by André Ngāpō, illustrations by Minky Stapleton
Jayson has just arrived in New Zealand to stay with his nan. He is staying at her marae preparing for an unveiling but is feeling out of his depth. With help from his younger cousin, Nikora, Jayson slowly feels his way, learning about tikanga Māori and how he, too, belongs.
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Ghost Walk
by Renata Hopkins, illustrations by Rosie Colligan
Grumpa wants to take a walk, but the narrator has other ideas. Grumpa wins, and the pair tour Christchurch’s Red Zone, where the narrator learns to see what’s no longer there – and ways we can preserve the past.
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Want Relief
by Paul Mason, illustrations by Andrew Burdan
The Auckland Islands, a New Zealand territory in the Southern Ocean, were the site of nine shipwrecks in the nineteenth century. Paul Mason uses this as a starting point for his fictional story about Nell, who becomes a castaway with several others and must play her part in keeping their precious fire going.
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The Longest Walk
by Rebekah White
The Rapsey family, including nine-year-old Elizabeth and her six-year-old brother, Johnny, spent just over four months walking the entire length of New Zealand. During this time, they lived a simple life, learning about the natural world around them and the various ways to engage with it. Rebekah White captures both the sense of adventure and the contemplative moments through her lyrical style, which contains some elements of creative non-fiction.
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Changing Lives: The Omeo Story
by Lucy Corry
Kevin Halsall is an engineer and inventor who likes to solve problems. Over a four-year period, he designed and built the Omeo: a ground-breaking mobility device that gives people much greater freedom than a traditional wheelchair. In this article, Kevin discusses his motivation and design process, and his friend Marcus shares the impact the Omeo has had on his life.