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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Search results
20 items - Showing 1 - 10
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Happy New Year
by Adrienne Frater
illustrations by Rebecca ter Borg
New Year’s Eve on Great Barrier Island doesn’t go according to plan.
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The Show Went On
by Bernard Beckett
illustrated by Rachel Smythe
The story begins with the children of Room 7 dressed as farmyard animals and about to make their entrance in the school production.
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Baskets of Fire
by Whiti Hereaka
“Baskets of Fire” is a pakiwaitara – a traditional Māori story that explains natural phenomena or why something is the way it is. This pakiwaitara tells how the Ngāti Tūwharetoa explorer Ngātoro-i-rangi discovers Mount Tongariro and wants to claim it for his people.
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After the Fire
by Adrienne Frater
illustrations by Adele Jackson
“There were no sheep, no cows, not even birds – anywhere.”
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Shipwrecked
by Sharon Udy
Using a graphic novel format, the narrator tells a story about her father. Many students will identify with the narrator who thinks her parents are a bit boring – until she finds an old newspaper clipping.
Information and tips for using comics in the classroom:
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Pirate Crew
by Alan Bagnall
illustrations by Philip Webb
Pipiana and her brother pretend to be pirates when their uncle takes them out fishing. But when the boat breaks down, they have to quickly become mechanics. The theme of water safety underlies this otherwise light-hearted text. The humour at the end could elude some students if they can’t follow the shift from pirate story to mechanic story and back again.
Gold 2
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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.
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One City – Two Earthquakes
by Jenna Tinkle
This informative article answers commonly asked questions about earthquakes, with specific reference to the Christchurch earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011. The text explains what liquefaction is and how earthquakes happen, and it includes instructions for what to do in an earthquake.
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Making a Road
by Andrew Gunn
“Making a Road” describes the process of constructing a road, from the planning through to sealing and road marking. This information text is well supported by clear subheadings and other visual language features such as labelled photographs and diagrams.
Gold 2
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A School Comes Home
by Renata Hopkins
This recount describes a campaign by Redcliffs School and its local community to save their school after it was closed because of damage from the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. “A School Comes Home” includes comments from past and present students and a timeline of events.
Gold 2
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