Misty Skies Unit Plan

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Tena Ko....

......and welcome to the "Misty Skies" unit plan All of the resources on this sitese pages are designed to promote awareness and understanding of Te Imi Moriori and are based on the new curriculum document. The Moriori are the Tchakat Henu (tangata whenua, or people of the land) of Rekohu (the Chatham Islands). They have lived there for many hundreds of years and are the original inhabitants.

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Rekohu: Misty Skies

*******Mega Unit*******

 

Year 7 & 8 Levels 3 & 4 Time: 3-4 weeks
 
o  Listening Reading Viewing

Processes and strategies

o Integrate sources of information, processes, and strategies confidently to identify, form, and express ideas.

  • Integrates oral, visual, and written sources of information and prior knowledge confidently to make sense of increasingly varied and complex texts.

Purposes and audiences

o Show an understanding of how texts are shaped for different purposes and audiences.

Language features

o Show an increased understanding of how language features are used for effect within and across texts.

·         Has an increasing vocabulary that can be used to make meaning of texts.

  • Shows an increasing knowledge of how a range of text conventions can be used appropriately and effectively.

 

o  Speaking, Writing, Presenting

Processes and strategies The Misty-Skies Unit Plan about settlers to Rekohu

o Integrate sources of information, processes, and strategies confidently to identify, form, and express ideas.

  • Creates a range of texts by integrating oral, written, and visual sources of information confidently.

Purposes and audiences

o Show an understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.

Language features

o Use a range of language features appropriately, showing an understanding and appreciation of their effect.

  • Uses an increasing vocabulary to create precise meaning.
  • Uses a range of text conventions appropriately, effectively, and with increasing accuracy.

Additional Curriculum areas

oSocial Sciences

 

 

o Place and Environment: Students learn about how people perceive, represent, interpret, and interact with places and environments to understand the relationships between people and the environment.   

o  Continuity and Change: Students learn about past events, experiences, and actions, and their changing interpretation over time, to understand about the past, the present, and possible futures.  

Through this process and the Social Inquiry strand, students will understand that

o people remember and record the past in different ways;

o the movement of people affects cultural diversity and interaction in New Zealand.

 

Specific Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

·         Write a report, organising and linking ideas logically and making language choices appropriate to the audience

·         Gather, select, record and present information from a wide variety of sources using different technologies

·         Select and read independently, for information and enjoyment, a range of texts on the subject of the Chatham Islands, its settlers and why people went there to live.

·         Discuss language meanings and ideas in a range of texts, relating their understandings to experiences, purpose and audience

·         Explain how the environment of Rekohu was used by early Moriori and how they  adapted to the conditions

·         Identify how the activities of the settlers that came later, both Pakeha and Maori, are reflected in the environment today.


Setting:

oNew Zealand   oRekohu (The Chatham Islands)   

 

Perspective:

o The Past (History)   o The Present (Current Issues)      

oThe Future.  o Multicultural   oIndigenous people             

 

Key Competencies Focus:

o participating and contributing

o thinking

 


Teaching and Learning Activities

Overview:

In this unit students, read, research and write a report on early Moriori, European or Maori settlers to Rekohu (the Chathams).

Teacher to set up a Topic Zone (learning centre) with books, school journals newspaper cuttings, photos, maps etc(see list of resources accompanying this unit.) Include sheet Aotearoa Also a map of the Chathams (see old-map and old-map2).

 The Misty-Skies Unit Plan about settlers to Rekohu

Introduction
Where in the world are our ancestors from? Discuss as a class:

                   What does immigration and migrant mean?

       Where did our ancestors come from? 

 

Students orally share where their families came from, family heritage and traditions. Students work in groups of three and note down the relevant details using a mind map .

Groups then compare their findings with another group to see what similarities and differences there are.

What traditions are associated with particular cultures?

Read the following articles to the students. Early-Rekohu, Early Chatham Islands and Early Wharekauri, in that order.

 

Identify, in order, the three groups who have colonised Rekohu.

 

Prior knowledge assessment:

Students create their own “Why Rekohu” sheet (using Aotearoa sheet as a guide) for each of the three groups: Moriori, European and Maori.


Early Moriori

Practise Activity 1:

Group discussion. “What was life like for early Maori in New Zealand before the Europeans arrived?”

(Groups must have a scribe, facilitator, spokesperson and A3 paper and pen.)

Spokesperson from each group to report back to class. A3 sheet put on display.

Discuss similarities and differences between each groups sheet.

 

Practice Activity 2:

Group discussion (as above) “What were some of the things that the Europeans bought with them that improved or worsened life for Maori?”

Spokesperson to report back to class. 


What do we know about the lives of the early Moriori inhabitants of Rekohu?  

 

Stringing Our Ideas Together
Use a ball of string for this activity.  Have students sit in a circle.  Each student is asked to think about what they already know about what life was like for the Moriori people on Rekohu before any Europeans arrived. Remind them of the above practice activity.

Begin with an example, stating one fact, such as "Moriori lived together in extended families in isolated communities, shifting with the seasons and weather."

The teacher then holds the free end of the ball of string and passes the ball on to someone else in the circle to contribute their idea. They then hold on to the string and pass the ball on to someone else. After everyone has shared their ideas, the number of connections in the circle shows how much students collectively know about the topic.


What do we know about early European settlers to Rekohu?
Use a ball of string again for this activity.  Have students sit in a circle.  Each student is asked to think about what they already know about what life was like for the early European settlers. What were some of the challenges these early settlers faced?

 

Begin with an example stating one fact, eg. "It took at least 3 months to sail from England to the Chathams (or NZ) in the early 1800s, in very cramped conditions," or "Some early Europeans were involved in whaling or sealing or farming." (continue as above)  

 

What do we know about early Maori settlers to Rekohu? Use a ball of string again for this activity.  Have students sit in a circle.  Each student is asked to think about what they already know about what life was like for the early Maori settlers. What were some of the challenges these early settlers faced?

Begin with an example stating one fact, eg. "The Maori suffered during the sea voyage to the Chathams,” or "Early Maori had different traditions to the native people.” (continue as above)

 

Overview - Picture Dictation
This provides an opportunity for students to record information in a visual way. Divide the class into three groups: Moriori, European and Maori.

Each group is given the appropriate fact sheet (picture-1, picture-2, or picture-3). As they read the statements, students record these visually on a 3 by 3 picture grid.

Complete a picture with these facts. When finished, students get together, one from each group and tell each other about their early settlers' (Moriori/European/Maori) life using their completed picture dictation as a prompt.  

 

How can we find out about the past?
Think about how people in the future will find out what life was like for us at the beginning of the twenty-first century.  What "clues" might we leave for people in the future?

Complete the Sheet “finding out about me,” and then share answers as a class.


 

Students in groups discuss:

How was the environment used by early Moriori / European /Maorisettlers? (See environment page for discussion points).  

 

How are some of the activities of early settlers reflected in the environment today?
(Apart from cleared land ie; pasture and deforested areas, there is little obvious  evidence of the early setlers on the Chathams, See checklist page for responses).

 

Class Brainstorm (see brainworx page) different ways to find out about the past.

Students will be able to use these ideas when finding out about the life of early settlers, eg. the fact that Moriori had an oral language and this was not recorded until well after the arrival of both Europeans and Maori.

 

Discuss how this would affect the ways we can find out about their lives during this period.

Students choose any two ideas from the brainstorming and investigate how they can tell or remind people about the past.

Students will present their ideas using the "ways of remembering" chart.



Report summaries.
Read the selected "welcome" report to the class.

Discuss:

      What is the purpose of this report? 

      Does the report state a position or problem, or discuss an event?

      Does the way the author has grouped together ideas or information help you to find out more about the topic?  

      How is the report structured?  

      Is there an opening statement?  

      Is there a series of facts about various aspects of the subject?  

      Have paragraphs been used to organise information?

      Have diagrams, photographs, illustrations been used?

      Is there a conclusion?

      What are the language features?

 

The purpose of this reading and discussion is for the students to think about the structure of the report.

      • What is the report about?
      • What are the key points and facts?
      • How could we turn these facts into questions?
      • Has the author used illustrations, diagrams or maps?

 

Discuss and list with the students the features of a report. Have students record these features.   After the reading, write down the purpose of the report on the whiteboard. Write down the key ideas or phrases that link to the purpose of the report. Group pieces of information under the key ideas, connecting them by links. Order the key ideas ready for writing a summary of the report. Write the summary with the students. Display this report summary in the classroom for future reference.

 

Reading/Writing a Report
Using copies of "a settlers lot," students create their own fictional report using the information provided.
When completed, students, working in pairs, read and discuss each others reports and discuss how well each has covered structure, key points, language features (correct tense) linking verbs and descriptive language. See features of a report.

 

Shared Writing

Teacher models writing a report .  Teacher selects a topic, discuss with and write down everything the students know and with the students, generate questions. Discuss with the students 'Where will we find information to help with our inquiry?'

Using suggestions from the students write a report. Analyse and annotate the completed writing with the students:

      Have we followed the features of a report?

      Have we included relevant facts?

      Have we grouped the information/facts (paragraphs)?      

      Have we sequenced and linked ideas?      

      Have we written a conclusion?  

Display the modeled writing in the class.


ASSESSMENT

 Assessment Task - Independent Report Writing
Students select a topic, related to the settlement of Rekohu to write a report on. They will read about, plan questions, take notes and present information/findings of their inquiry to share with the class. Students use the "I know" sheet to help them generate research questions. Students will conference with teacher to ensure questions are manageable.

If the students experience difficulty generating questions, they should be reminded of question words such as who, when, what, how, why.  

Introduce the self assessment sheet that the students are to use before beginning their task.

      The students select relevant materials that can be used to answer their questions. Students read the resources to locate answers to their questions and record the answers beneath the question. Encourage students to record only the answers to their questions.

      1.    Using the I know sheet students write down key points as they uncover them.

2.   Students draft an introductory paragraph and conclusion to their report.

3.   Complete the draft writing. Edit and proof read. Share the report with a partner. Encourage the students to give feedback based on the self assessment for the writing.

4.   Publish.

 Teacher to bind all reports into a class book about Early Chatham Island Settlers.

 
 Assessment of Report

Self Assessment      

Assessment Matrix


Resources

      English Online – http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz

Our Land  (NZ) Timeline

       Howick Historical Village

Pioneers in NZ

NZ Pioneer Museums

The Settlers' Lot

Whakapapa Maori  (see )

Maori Carving was used to record the ancestors:

Forestry Insights - Culture and Heritage

      Traditional Maori Fishing - Fact Sheet

      The Learner as a Reader, Learning Media

 

Assessment Schedule

Direct observation

Assessment of Report against exemplars (See NZ Exemplars online)

Assessment matrix


Unit Evaluation

How well did the students engage with this unit?

Did the majority of students achieve all of the Learning outcomes?

What would you do differently if you were to teach this unit again?


 

 

All of the resources that you need are attached in the following drop-down box. Simply select the list item that matches the one that you are supposed to be doing (in the unit plan) and you will be taken to a web page containing that unit resource. You will also find a link on each page which will provide you with an option of downloading a MSWord version.

Unit Resources

 

Misty skies unit plan

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