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

- Gold
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- English
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- The Arts
- Health and Physical Education
- Social Sciences
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- Non-fiction
- Fiction
- Articles
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- Plays
Search results
8 items - Showing 1 - 8
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Hoiho
Hoiho (a yellow-eyed penguin) is being pursued by a seal, and in this dramatic poem, the writer urges Hoiho to move fast and escape. Neither creature can move as well on land as they can in the water, and the descriptive, dramatic language, with frequent repetition of similar sounds, conveys a vivid image of the desperate “Wibble wobble, flip flop” pursuit. This example of a native bird in danger provides a thematic link to “Catching Mustelids” in the same Journal.
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Catching Mustelids
by Bronwen Wall
This report, told from the perspective of a young girl, describes how and why her grandad catches mustelids (ferrets, stoats, and weasels). The theme of predators continues in the poem “ Hoiho” in the same Journal, providing an opportunity for students to integrate ideas from both texts. A third text in this Journal, “A New Home for Mokomoko”, continues the theme of protection of native wildlife.
Gold 1
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At the Game
by Sharyn Jones
Brady finds a wallet on his arrival at the stadium for a rugby game and is upset at the prospect of missing kick off when Dad insists on handing in the wallet right away. Luckily, their good deed is rewarded. The moral dilemma and author’s message in this text will promote rich discussion, and you may wish to read and discuss it over more than one session.
Purple 2
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Shark Attack
by Ruth Hamilton
Harry finds it hard to sit still in class. In this humorous narrative, he brings an exciting item to share for news. Unfortunately, it ends up causing an unfortunate accident that prevents Harry from sitting down at all!
Purple 2
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A New Home for Mokomoko
by Vanessa Hatley-Owen
When a class from Westmere School find out that mokomoko (skinks) are a protected species, they decide to build a mokomoko refuge. This recount describes the process and provides information about mokomoko and their survival needs. It provides opportunities for students to practise identifying and summarising main points, about both the process and mokomoko.
Gold 1
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Stop Thief
by Simon Cooke
illustrated by Hannah Hageraats
"Did you hear that? Those humans want to take our pictures and put them on banknotes. We’ll be famous!"
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Take Note
by Tricia Glensor
This article provides information about the images on New Zealand banknotes, using the $5 note as an example. It provides opportunities for students to think critically about what makes the images special to New Zealanders.
Gold 1