Instructional Series
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Welcome to the English medium literacy instructional series teaching and learning resources for years 1 to 8.
- Gold
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- English
- Science
- Social Sciences
- The Arts
- Technology
- Health and Physical Education
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Fiction
- Non-fiction
- None
- Nature of science
- Living world
- Number and Algebra
- Gather and interpret data
- Engage with science
- Articles
- Stories
- Poems
- Plays
- Kākano | Seed
- Māhuri | Sapling
- Complex morphemes
- Consonant digraphs
- Short vowels
- Single consonants
- Tense
- Vowel digraphs
Search results
52 items - Showing 1 - 10
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A Bird in the Classroom
by Feana Tuʻakoi
illustrated by Donovan Bixley
When a bird flies into their classroom, the children try to get it out, at first with no success. At last, one of them comes up with a clever plan to entice the bird outside. Students, especially those who have had similar experiences, will enjoy the drama of this story.
Yellow 2
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New Zealand Birds
by Bronwen Wall
This report describes the characteristics of some endemic New Zealand birds. As well as reading this book for interest or to support specific curriculum topics, you can use it to build students’ awareness of the features of non-fiction texts.
#LFH
Audio listing the names of each of the birds followed by its call is available below:
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Feeding the Birds
by Susan Paris
illustrated by Tom Simpson
Ella notices hungry birds on the windowsill and Mum suggests they make a bird feeder for them. They use a plan in Mum’s magazine, visiting a hardware shop to buy their materials and then working in the shed to complete the project.
Yellow 2
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Bird of the Year
by Iona McNaughton
In this interview, Megan Hubscher of Forest & Bird talks to Iona McNaughton about the Bird of the Year competition – why it started and how it helps keep New Zealand native birds safe. Students can read about some of the past winners of the competition in an accompanying article, “And the Winner Is ...”
Gold 1
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Spirit of the Bird
by Ben Brown
illustrations by Tom Simpson
The bird of the title is the moa, and this fictional story is set in the time of the early Māori moa hunters. Little is known of this era, but the author conveys (often indirectly) the hardships of a subsistence lifestyle and the impact of human settlement on the moa.
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Two Little Dickey Birds
Poem card
This rhyme explores repetition and alliteration. Why did Peter and Paul fly away? (Part of Set 2.)
Download the full size PDF using the Text link.
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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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Close-up
by Tim Upperton
"Bird on a branch.
Tomtit on a broken twig.
Male ngirungiru in a makomako tree..."
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The Parapara Detectives
by Fiona Terry
Two friends are puzzled when they find dead and injured fantails in a local reserve. The article follows their detective work as they try to find out what is causing the deaths of the small birds. Using information from a plant expert, the Internet, and the SPCA’s bird rescue centre, they learn how the parapara tree uses sticky glue to spread its seeds – and kill birds.
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