Lesson Plan for Year 1 Students: How the Kiwi Lost its Wings

Objectives:

• Students will be able to recount the main events of the story "How the Kiwi Lost its Wings."
• Students will understand the importance of the kiwi in New Zealand culture and nature.
• Enhance listening and comprehension skills through storytelling.
• Develop expressive language skills through discussion and role-play activities.

Curriculum Area and Level:

• Subject: English
• Curriculum Area: Listening, Reading, and Viewing
• Level: Level 1 of the New Zealand Curriculum
• Links to Curriculum: English in the New Zealand Curriculum

Materials:

• Book: "How the Kiwi Lost its Wings" (ensure enough copies for group reading if possible)
• Images of kiwi and other native New Zealand birds
• Whiteboard and markers
• Kiwi bird costume or puppet (optional)
• Activity sheets for character matching

Duration:

• 40 minutes

Lesson Plan Details:

Warm-Up Activity (5 minutes)

Activity: Introduction to Native Birds

• Briefly introduce native New Zealand birds with a focus on the kiwi.
• Show images of the kiwi and other native birds.
• Discuss why these birds are special to New Zealand.

Main Activity Part 1: Storytelling (15 minutes)

Activity: Interactive Reading

• Read the book "How the Kiwi Lost its Wings" aloud to the class.
• Utilise expressive voices and pauses to engage the students.
• Pause after key events to ask predictive questions such as "What do you think will happen next?"

Main Activity Part 2: Discussion (10 minutes)

Activity: Group Discussion

• Discuss the story’s events and the moral of the story.
• Questions to guide discussion:
  • "Why did the kiwi lose its wings?"
  • "How do you think the kiwi felt about its task?"
  • "What can we learn from the kiwi’s actions?"

Main Activity Part 3: Creative Expression (10 minutes)

Activity: Role-Play

• Divide the students into small groups.
• Assign each group a different character from the book.
• Allow them a few minutes to prepare a small skit or expression of their character’s role in the story.

Conclusion (5 minutes)

Activity: Recap and Reflect

• Gather the students back as a class and let each group share a brief summary or enactment.
• Reinforce the moral of the story and relate it to the values of helping and sacrifice.
• Hand out activity sheets where students match characteristics or quotes to the correct story character.

Homework/Follow-Up:

• Ask students to draw their favourite scene from the book or their favourite native New Zealand bird.
• Encourage parents to discuss the story further with their children at home to reinforce themes and morals discussed in class.

Reflection:

End the lesson by having students share one new thing they learned about kiwi birds or one way they can help others, mirroring the helpfulness of the kiwi in the story.

This detailed lesson plan is designed to engage Year 1 students in a meaningful way, allowing them to explore a significant cultural story, develop comprehension skills, and express themselves creatively while aligning with the New Zealand Curriculum standards for English.