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

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51 items - Showing 1 - 10
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Poi
by Tira Johnson
illustrations by Martin Simpson
Maia, who does not want to practise for the kapa haka festival, is given an opportunity to reveal her artistic strengths. She learns that she can make a valuable contribution to the team in her own way.
Series: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: poi, kapa haka, helping, making, creating, supporting, teamwork
In: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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Tohunga
by Potiki
illustrations by Andrew Burdan
This intense and dramatic “slice of life” story recounts the time when a mother had to take her sick child in secret to a tohunga. It is set after 1907, when the New Zealand government made it illegal for tohunga to practise rongoā Māori. “Tohunga” provides rich material for both Māori and non-Māori students to explore themes of cultural similarities and differences.
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: tohunga, medicine, banned, traditional, healer, suppression, illegal
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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Johnny Pohe and the Great Escape
by Philip Cleaver
Porokoru Patapu (Johnny) Pohe was a daring and gifted pilot who flew bomber aircraft in the Second World War. In 1943, after twenty-two successful missions, his aircraft was shot down and he was captured. Johnny was taken to Stalag Luft III, a prison camp deep in Nazi Germany. This article tells the story of an ambitious prison escape that ended tragically for Johnny and for many others. It includes information about Māori involvement in the Second World War and about the devastating impact of bombing civilians in Germany.
Series: School Journal Level 4 May 2019
Learning area: Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 8
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: “Fly” SJ L4 May 2019 | “Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū: The Pioneer Māori Battalion” SJ L3 June 2014 | “Lest We Forget” SJ L4 June 2014 | “King and Country” SJ L4 June 2014 | “The Desert Kaupoi” SJSL L4 2014
Topics: bombers, bombing, courage, escape, flying, history, Hitler, ingenuity, internment, Johnny Pohe, Māori, Māori Battalion, pilots, prison camps, prisoners of war, RNZAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Second World War, Stalag Lu¡ III, the Great Escape, tunnelling, war crimes, World War II
In: School Journal Level 4 May 2019
Publication date: May 2019
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School Journal Level 3 September 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 Not So Normal Sparks The Ski Trip ✔ Poems The Game Articles The Big Dig: Clearing the Manawatū Gorge Slip ✔ Three Legends Mahinga Kai Crusaders ✔ Look inside this issue
The Big Dig: Clearing the Manawatū Gorge Slip
by Wayne Erb
“The Big Dig” describes the 2011 slip in the Manawatū gorge, giving an insight into repairing such an enormous slip and the scale of the problems that needed to be dealt with.
Series: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Learning area: Science, Technology
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 5
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: slip, landslide, gorge, Manawatū, road, detour, repairs, geologists, engineers, rocks
In: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Non-fiction
Topics: cricket, sport, hero, legend
In: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Mahinga Kai Crusaders
by Stanley Walsh
“Mahinga Kai Crusaders” explains two very different approaches to keeping the tikanga of mahinga kai alive – one through hunting and food gathering and the other by posting videos on a website.
Series: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Learning area: Science, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: mahinga kai, traditional, food, kaimoana, seasons, protection, skills
In: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Fiction
Topics: birthday, argument, unfairness, sharing, siblings, brother, sister, family
In: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Learning area: English
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Fiction
Topics: aliens, spaceship, science fiction, invasion
In: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
The Ski Trip
by Dave Armstrong
illustrations by Kat Chadwick
“The Ski Trip” relates how Anthony raises money for a class ski trip by working on odd jobs without the company of his best friend, who chooses to make the most of the end of summer by going to the beach and playing on his new bike.
Series: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Learning area: English
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 5
Category: Fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: financial literacy, money, saving, ski trip, working, earning
In: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Learning area: English, Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 5
Category: Fiction
Topics: poem, cricket, sport
In: School Journal Level 3 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
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School Journal Level 2 September 2014
PDFs of all the texts in this issue of the School Journal are available online as well as teacher support materials (TSM) and audio for the following:
TSM Audio Stories Nobody Laughed ✔ ✔ Poems Where Are the Fairies? Plays I Want to Be Zippy! Articles Reading a Boat ✔ Pōhā: A Clever Way of Storing Food ✔ ✔ Look inside this issue
Series: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Learning area: The Arts, Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Fiction
Topics: argument, cooperation, solving problems, play, disagreement
In: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Reading a Boat
by Don Long
photographs by Adrian Heke
“Reading a Boat” is an account of a family taking a ferry ride, which becomes an exploration of signs on the ferry. The family continue their exploration of signs when they arrive on land, and they discuss how we know which signs are important.
Series: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: boats, signs, photographs, ferry, safety, decisions
In: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Pōhā: A Clever Way of Storing Food
by Dr Michael Stevens
“Pōhā: A Clever Way of Storing Food” explains the traditional Māori way for storing harvested tītī (muttonbirds). The practice of using pōhā to store the tītī has been passed on through generations and is still being used today.
Series: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Learning area: Science, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: food, storage, preserving, kelp, tītī, mutton bird, pōhā, harakeke
In: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Series: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Learning area: English
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Fiction
Topics: fairies, ferries, confusion, poem
In: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
Nobody Laughed
by Bernard Beckett
illustrations by Kat Chadwick
“Nobody Laughed” is the humorous story of what happens when a class arrives back at school after the summer holidays and each child has the same bright-green bag. The bags get muddled and the only way to find out who owns which bag is to open them. The main character is really worried about how the others will react when they see the “secret favourite thing” in his bag. It soon becomes clear that everyone has their own secret item.
Series: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: secrets, embarrassment, laughing
In: School Journal Level 2 September 2014
Publication date: September 2014
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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.
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: English, Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 8
Category: Fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: cricket, old folks home, retirement, Grandad, Grandpa, storytelling, humour, tales
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: English, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 8
Category: Fiction
Topics: history, trees, kauri, logging, felling, settlers, danger
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: English, The Arts, Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 7
Category: Fiction
Topics: krumping, playground, dance, competition, belief
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: English, Social Sciences
Category: Fiction
Topics: post apocalyptic, science fiction, water, refugee, student writing, Elsie Locke
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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.
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 8
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: history, war, Māori, Waikato, Taranaki, war, Te Kooti, Tītokowaru, British Empire, land, settlers, pā, Kīngitanga
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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.
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 8
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: fair trade, chocolate, business, profits, workers, consumers, factory, shareholder
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 7
Category: Fiction
Topics: embarrassment, poem, poetry, metaphor, simile
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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School Journal Level 3 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 Tohunga ✔ Olden Days The Pink Umbrella Reckless Poems Wining's Wairau Articles Up the Pipe ✔ Painting the Town ✔ Look inside this issue
Tohunga
by Potiki
illustrations by Andrew Burdan
This intense and dramatic “slice of life” story recounts the time when a mother had to take her sick child in secret to a tohunga. It is set after 1907, when the New Zealand government made it illegal for tohunga to practise rongoā Māori. “Tohunga” provides rich material for both Māori and non-Māori students to explore themes of cultural similarities and differences.
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: tohunga, medicine, banned, traditional, healer, suppression, illegal
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: English
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 5
Category: Fiction
Topics: time travel, aliens, olden, past, history, future, museum
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Fiction
Topics: Grandma, embarrassment, relationships, respect, family
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Fiction
Topics: responsibility, keeping safe, decisions, sharks, stepping up
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Painting the Town
by Renata Hopkins
After the earthquakes in Christchurch, many public facilities were suddenly not available. The article, “Painting the Town” describes how artists have provided people with other ways of experiencing the city by using the walls and streets as their “gallery”. In doing this, they have given people experiences that can help them cope with the difficulties of living in a ruined city.
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: The Arts, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 5
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: Christchurch, painting, art, street art, earthquake, art gallery, ideas, creative, inspiration, artist
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Up the Pipe
by Fiona Terry
“Up the Pipe” shows real scientists in action, working on a project that has direct relevance to our daily lives. Dr Louis Tremblay and his team investigate the sludge at sewage treatment plants and go “up the pipe” to find out what goes down household drains. They want to raise public awareness of the harmful chemicals we may be using every day and convince us to use products that are less harmful to our environment.
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: Science, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 6
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: sludge, chemicals, scientist, environment, landfill, drains, sewage, sewerage, toxic, choice, green, eco-friendly, soap
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Learning area: English, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 3
Reading year level: 5
Category: Fiction
Topics: settler, olden days, history, hunting, poem, poetry, supermarket
In: School Journal Level 3 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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School Journal Level 2 November 2014
PDFs of all the texts in this issue of the School Journal are available online as well as teacher support materials (TSM) and audio for the following:
TSM Audio Stories Poi ✔ ✔ Ugly Poems Otautahi Octopoem Articles Idea City ✔ Tons of Tomatoes ✔ ✔ Look inside this issue
Poi
by Tira Johnson
illustrations by Martin Simpson
Maia, who does not want to practise for the kapa haka festival, is given an opportunity to reveal her artistic strengths. She learns that she can make a valuable contribution to the team in her own way.
Series: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Learning area: Health and Physical Education, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: poi, kapa haka, helping, making, creating, supporting, teamwork
In: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Learning area: English, Science
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Fiction
Topics: ugly, animals, protest, petition
In: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Idea City
by Renata Hopkins
After the quakes that destroyed much of Christchurch, many people came up with ideas to help bring the city back to life. This article recounts several of these ideas, many of which were small, temporary installations designed to raise people’s spirits. Note: Be sensitive to your students’ feelings as some may be experiencing difficulties post the earthquakes.
Series: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Learning area: The Arts, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: Christchurch, paintings, art, street art, gra iti, earthquake, creative, green space, garden, ideas, sharing, rebuild, buildings
In: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Tons of Tomatoes
by Georgina Barnes
“Tons of Tomatoes” shows readers inside a hydroponics glasshouse, where Johnny’s Uncle Reupena grows tomatoes. Along with Johnny, readers learn about hydroponics. Students will be able to make connections and comparisons with what they already know about growing plants. The article is well illustrated with photographs and is supported by an interview with Uncle Reupena.
Series: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Learning area: Science
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: tomatoes, growing, soil, glasshouse, horticulture
In: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
Series: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Learning area: English, Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 2
Reading year level: 4
Category: Fiction
Topics: Christchurch, garden, poetry, poem, ideas, spring
In: School Journal Level 2 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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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.
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: Social Sciences
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 8
Category: Non-fiction
Related titles: Listed in TSM
Topics: fair trade, chocolate, business, profits, workers, consumers, factory, shareholder
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014
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Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Learning area: English, The Arts, Health and Physical Education
Curriculum level: 4
Reading year level: 7
Category: Fiction
Topics: krumping, playground, dance, competition, belief
In: School Journal Level 4 November 2014
Publication date: November 2014