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
166 items - Showing 1 - 10
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Chinese New Zealanders
by Helene Wong
"Chinese New Zealanders" provides an overview of migration to Aotearoa New Zealand from the 1860s until the present day. The article outlines push-and-pull factors that contributed to various waves of migration, how Pākehā New Zealanders responded to these waves, and adaptations made by Chinese migrants as they adjusted to their new home.
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Listening Eyes, Speaking Hands: The Story of Deaf Education in New Zealand
by Renata Hopkins
This article explores how attitudes to deafness have changed over time. The article includes a social history of the van Asch Deaf Education centre, which opened in 1880.
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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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Pencarrow: New Zealand’s First Lighthouse
by Tricia Glensor
New Zealand’s coastline has always been a dangerous place for ships and boats. Early Māori knew that. Several traditional stories tell of waka being washed onto rocks in storms. Since the 1790s, when the first Pākehā reached New Zealand, more than 2,300 ships have been wrecked in New Zealand waters.
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New Zealand at War
A timeline of the First World War
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New New Zealanders
by Adrienne Jansen
illustrated by Adrian Heke
This article introduces readers to a family who have escaped war-torn countries in the Middle East and have now embraced the freedom and safety that New Zealand offers. However, settling as refugees has its own challenges. We learn about the reasons the Kaka family had to move from Iraq to Syria, on to Lebanon, and then to New Zealand.
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Life in Aotearoa New Zealand
This article describes the evolutionary development of life in Aotearoa New Zealand and addresses the question of why our flora and fauna are so distinct. It introduces and explains the concepts of evolution and adaptation and offers a brief overview of how the land itself changed over many millions of years.
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Pā Tūwatawata and the New Zealand Wars
This article describes the development of pā technology in the nineteenth century, as iwi and hapū defended themselves and their land against invasion. It explains how the basic features of pā technology were adapted in response to invasion by Pākehā – utilising the rich knowledge Māori held about their land.
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Marcus Thomas: New Zealand Caveman
interviewed by Susan Paris
Marcus Thomas: New Zealand Caveman presents an engaging account of why Marcus took up caving. His passion for caving as a child led him to contact the New Zealand Speleological Society, and he has gone on to explore many of New Zealand’s longest and deepest caves. The article is structured as an interview, with the interviewer’s questions forming the headings.
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Alvin and Me
by Chris Tse
illustrated by Peter Campbell
"A week before Alvin arrived, I got summoned to the principal’s office. I was a good kid. I never got into trouble. I was sure I’d done nothing wrong. But still, I couldn’t help worrying..."