Ready for an educational movie day? Use a resource based on the movie Whale Rider to learn more about the Maori culture. Class members answer a variety of questions and listen to music from the soundtrack to further analyze and...

What a wonderful set of worksheets for introducing your youngsters to the Maori of New Zealand! They include a reading comprehension worksheet and word puzzle on the context of New Zealand, and origins and cultural features of the Maori...

A great way to become acquainted with any culture is to experience their performing arts and examine their crafts. Immerse young explorers in the rich cultural traditions of the Maori of New Zealand with a resource packed with videos of...

An informative video sets the context for a lesson that asks young historians to consider how cultural values influence perspective. Groups compare the attitudes reflected in a journal entry of a member of the Plymouth Colony to those of...

Introduce young explorers to the language of New Zealand's Maori with an activity book that includes word searches, fill-in-the-blank activities with Maori words, and prompts to illustrate native New Zealand birds.

Learn about the lunar calendar as it is used by the Maori people of New Zealand. Kids read the five paragraph passage then complete five matching, eight true/false, one vocabulary, seven fill-in-the-blank, and three discussion questions....

Students learn about and create koru art. In this cultural art lesson, students read M?ori legends and learn about M?ori koru designs. Students practice forming a koru shape, and, when ready,draw a large koru on cartridge paper using...

Students explore Maori culture in the New Zealand area and play the Maori Stick Game.

In this Australia and New Zealand worksheet, students compare the economies, cultures, histories, and original inhabitants in a chart, then answer some questions about a map (not included).

Fourth graders describe the similarities and differences between the New Zealand Maori and the Australian Aborigine. In this Aborigine/Maori culture lesson, 4th graders create a counting book to 10. Students play an Australian/New...

For thousands of years, people have been creating stories to explain their observations of the natural world. Explore this interesting literary form with this series of activities complementing the book Taming the Sun: Four Maori...

Students recognize Maori sayings, identify major characters, and discuss major story lines in The Whale Rider. In this The Whale Rider lesson, students repeat and define common words of the Maori and discuss the setting of the story. ...

Invertebrates play a prominent role in many myths across cultures. From Greece to Guatemala, see if you can identify the invertebrate of importance. Ten multiple-choice questions test your knowledge of mythology from around the world.

Wouldn't it be great if we could slow down the earth and make the days longer? That's exactly what happens in Maui and the Sun, as retold by June Mesler. Beginning with an independent reading of this interesting creation myth, learners...

Students work together in groups to identify new vocabulary words. They read a story about the new Maori King in New Zealand and answer questions. They also examine reported speech in the article.

Young scholars discover alternative medicines from around the globe.  In this world culture lesson plan, students read text from Africa, Ireland, Tibet and Tanzania discussing known remedies to diseases.  Young scholars discuss with each...

Pupils explore the Maori culture. In this bible studies lesson plan, students will journal and explore traditional Maori greetings and social customs before examining the Biblical culture greetings.

Eleventh graders research the meaning of diversity and human rights in various countries.  In this Social Studies lesson, 11th graders reflect on the aspects that can negatively affect First Nations people, then select a country that has...

Learners create a story similar to those of the Maori oral tradition.  In this Whale Rider lesson, students discuss the way that Maori legends were passed down from generation to generation.  Learners choose a land formation and write a...

Students examine the impact of movies and television. In this communication lesson, students share filmstrips that lack sound and determine the genre of the segments. Students discuss popular movies and television shows from different...

Students write a pen pal letter to narrate a special event in the life of a young person in the TL culture. In this pen pal lesson plan, students read and respond to letters by their classmates.

Students examine the cultures of indigenous peoples and how they have or have not assimilated into modern society. They create reports with recommendations on how the Nukak of Columbia could be assimilated into society.

Students research their family histories by conducing interviews with parents and grandparents. They put their histories into a chant or a chart/family tree and present it to their class.

Students compare and contrast the movie and the novel.  In this Whale Rider lesson, students work in groups to find similarities and differences in the book and the movie.  Students discuss the Maori culture and the importance of the...