Goldfields Through Character

Overview

This four-lesson, 50-minute sequence builds on the class reading approximately two chapters aloud at a time and their current position at Chapter 16. Students use their own copies of Children of the Rush to analyse characters, infer meaning, make decisions from a character’s perspective, and communicate ideas using evidence. Te reo Māori is woven naturally through discussion, group decisions and reflection.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify character traits, motivations, feelings and challenges.
• WALT make inferences and support ideas with evidence from the novel.
• WALT make and justify decisions from a character’s perspective.
• WALT collaborate, listen and communicate clearly using English and familiar te reo Māori.
• WALT connect the novel with possible experiences of people during the Otago Gold Rush.

Success criteria

• I can describe a character and explain my thinking.
• I can refer to an event, detail or quotation from Chapters 1–16 as evidence.
• I can explain and justify a decision in role.
• I can listen, respond and use kupu such as whānau, hoa, mahi, wai, kai, āwhina and haumaru meaningfully.

Curriculum links

• English Reading and Viewing: making meaning from texts, analysing character, inferring, synthesising ideas and selecting evidence.
• English Oral Language: planning and participating in purposeful discussion, adapting language for audience and responding to others.
• English Writing: organising notes and ideas logically to support coherent responses.
• Social Sciences: exploring how people may have lived, worked and made decisions during the Otago Gold Rush; Key Competencies—Thinking, Relating to others, Participating and contributing, and Using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (Lesson 1: 50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Reconnect. Display the learning intention using the character-analysis opening slides; students name a character and one remembered detail from Chapters 1–16.
2. 5–12 min · Model inference. Teacher demonstrates the pattern “text detail → inference → explanation”, stressing that students must check their own book rather than invent quotations. Students practise orally with a teacher-selected detail.
3. 12–28 min · Character investigation. Distribute the Ko wai au character profile and the Character Motivation Evidence Tracker. Students work in pairs or threes on Michael, Atarangi or another significant character, recording evidence for whānau, hoa, mahi, wants, needs, worries, challenges, maia, āwhina and what matters.
4. 28–38 min · Rehearse language. Teacher prompts: “Which detail proves this?” and “What might the character be feeling?” Students use Ko wai au? Ko ___ ahau. Ko wai tō hoa? He aha tō mahi? Ka āwhina au i taku hoa.
5. 38–47 min · Freeze-frame. Groups create a still image of an important moment and explain the action, feeling and supporting evidence. Class listens for a clear link between interpretation and text.
6. 47–50 min · Exit reflection. Students complete: “My character is ___ because ___; my evidence is ___.” Teacher identifies students needing evidence or vocabulary support.

Lesson structure (Lesson 2: 50 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Re-enter role. Revisit the character-recall and decision slides. Students state one character need from Lesson 1 and support it with evidence.
2. 6–12 min · Scenario and criteria. Explain: “You have arrived on the Otago goldfields in 1861 with limited money and resources. Your goal is to survive.” Model that a strong choice connects resource, character need and novel evidence.
3. 12–30 min · Spend the kōura. Give each group ten paper tokens labelled KŌURA and the goldfields resource-budget sheet. Groups choose from: tent/shelter 3, food 2, water 1, mining tools 4, horse 5, map 3, warm clothing 2, first aid 2, firewood 1, compass 2. They must not exceed ten and must use at least five kupu: kōura, wai, kai, whare, mahi, hoa, whānau, haumaru.
4. 30–42 min · Justify. Groups prepare: “We chose ___ because our character experienced/needed ___ in the novel.” Teacher asks, “What did you leave out, and why?” and checks that decisions are evidence-based rather than historically guessed.
5. 42–48 min · Share and challenge. Groups present two choices; peers respectfully question or offer an alternative using “I agree/disagree because…”.
6. 48–50 min · Bridge forward. Students record their resources and predict one problem. Teacher explains that these choices will be tested next lesson.

Lesson structure (Lesson 3: 50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Recall and language warm-up. Use the survival-challenge instructions. Groups review their resources and practise one phrase: Me whai wai tātou or Me noho haumaru tātou.
2. 5–10 min · Model collaborative decision-making. Teacher demonstrates listening, proposing, challenging and agreeing. Introduce pono as trustworthy/honest and remind students to speak as their character.
3. 10–35 min · Event rounds. Reveal one event at a time from the six Gold Rush event cards: extra kōura and whether to tell others; heavy rain and sacrificing a resource to improve the whare; helping a traveller without wai or kai; a risky offer requiring trust and pono; an injured hoa; and leaving with only five resources. After each, groups discuss, decide, record the consequence and explain the relevant novel evidence.
4. 35–44 min · Oral report. Each group presents its most difficult decision. Teacher prompts: “Who benefited?”, “What value shaped your choice?”, and “What would your character say?”
5. 44–50 min · Individual check. Students complete: “Our hardest decision was ___; we chose ___ because ___; the novel suggests my character values ___.” Teacher conferences with groups whose reasoning lacks evidence.

Lesson structure (Lesson 4: 50 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Continuum. Display the survival-continuum and interview prompts. Students stand between “I would definitely survive” and “I definitely would not survive”, then justify their position with one decision and one text detail.
2. 8–25 min · Character interviews. Distribute the character-interview and evidence record. In pairs, one student is the character and one is a journalist; then swap. Questions include Ko wai koe? He aha tō mahi? Ko wai tō hoa? He aha tāu e hiahia ana? Ka āwhina koe i ētahi atu? He aha te mea tino nui ki a koe? Kei te haumaru koe? The interviewer must ask, “What evidence from the novel makes you think that?”
3. 25–40 min · Synthesis writing. Students write “Could I Survive the Gold Rush?” using the provided stems: “I think I would/would not survive because…”, “The most important thing I would need…”, “One difficult decision…”, “My character would agree/disagree…”, and one piece of evidence from Children of the Rush.
4. 40–47 min · Partner response. Students read their reflection aloud; partners identify the evidence and one effective explanation.
5. 47–50 min · Whakataukī reflection. Introduce He waka eke noa—we are all in the same canoe. Students connect it to whānau, hoa and āwhina, then share one way collaboration affected survival.

Resources

• Students’ copies of Children of the Rush
• Four slide decks, one per lesson
• Four one-page worksheets, one per lesson
• Ten paper kōura tokens per group
• Resource cards and six event cards
• Board, markers and timer
• Space for freeze-frames and the continuum

Assessment

• Listen for the distinction between a text detail and an inference; ask, “Which part of the novel supports that?”
• Collect character profiles, budget decisions, event responses and interview records to check evidence, reasoning and collaboration.
• Assess the final reflection for a clear claim, character perspective, relevant evidence and meaningful use or explanation of one kupu.

Differentiation

• Support with pre-selected chapter pages, illustrated vocabulary, sentence starters, mixed-ability grouping, oral rehearsal and scribing or speech-to-text.
• Allow students to respond through drawing plus labels, recorded speech or shared writing before completing the final reflection.
• Challenge confident readers to compare two characters, weigh conflicting evidence or explain how a decision changes across the sequence.
• Respect students’ varied cultural knowledge: teach pronunciation, invite correct peer modelling, and present te reo Māori as a meaningful language for relationship, values and action rather than a translation exercise.