Maui creation tale

Maui tale, the students loved this short creation movie.

http://youtu.be/P6q8E1laQjY

Modelling Matariki to Room 11

Today room 11 modeled our solar system in relation to the Martariki star constellation.  We used a basket ball as the Sun, a tennis ball as the Earth and 7 counters representing the Matariki constellation. This helped students to understand why Matariki is only visible at certain times of the year.  

The Sun

The Earth

The Earth rotating round the Sun.

This model helped the students recognise that when New Zealand was facing away from the sun, it was night time and New Zealand was looking out into space towards matariki.

 The seven counters representing the seven stars of Matariki.

 

 

Shared reading of Matariki as part of our introduction of Matariki inquiry.

Matariki

Matariki the Maori New Year.  A significant festival that is celebrated throughout New Zealand.  We have begun our classroom inquiry with Matariki as our focus.  The class have had their 'first wonderings' where they have come up with questions about Matariki, its heritage and the stars that make up the constellation.  From these first wonderings they have reviewed their questions and created more complex questions based on either Shape, Time, Stories, Stars and Planets.  From these groups of questions the students will develop their own inquiry.

Slice of time costumes

Mr Sefton and a few kids from room 11 dressed in their slice of time costumes.