The Battle of Birds

Learning Overview

WALT (We Are Learning To):

• Listen and interact with an oral pūrākau (Māori story) from Ngā Manu
• Identify native and endemic seabirds and landbirds, their habitats, and food sources
• Explore Māori names of manu (birds) and use them in discussion
• Understand the unique migration and nesting of Kuaka (Bar-tailed Godwit) in Te Whakatū
• Work collaboratively to answer questions about the pūrākau
• Express understanding through arts and discussion

This lesson is designed for preschool students (Year 0) to develop oral language, cultural identity, and rich knowledge of Aotearoa New Zealand’s native birds and their significance, aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh and Te Mātaiaho English and Social Sciences learning progressions for early years.

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Curriculum Links

New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

Learning Area: Social Sciences (Ngā Pūrākau me ngā Āhuatanga Tōrangapū / Histories and Experiences)

• Understand how stories such as pūrākau connect people and explain the world around them, including the environment and native species (Foundation level)
• Develop knowledge of local natural and cultural history (Te Whakatū regional focus)
• Engage with Māori language and cultural concepts (Marautanga Māori immersion)

Learning Area: English (Oral Language Focus)

• Develop oral language and verbal reasoning through narrative listening and interactive storytelling
• Use new vocabulary, including Māori manu names and environmental language, scaffolded with visual supports
• Practice turn-taking and pair discussion to share ideas and answers

Key Competencies:

• Participating and contributing: Share ideas in pairs/groups
• Relating to others: Listen and respond respectfully
• Thinking: Make connections between story and real birds and environment
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Use new vocabulary appropriately

Literacy and Oral Language Teaching Guidance (Te Mātaiaho English 0-6):

• Use storytelling with visual/physical supports (puppets, images, puppetry) to scaffold vocabulary and meaning
• Engage students in oral retell and questioning in pairs to deepen understanding
• Provide repeated exposure to vocabulary for memory and application【3:11, 3:12, 6:6†Te Mātaiaho English Single Page.pdf】

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Lesson Details

Time	Activity	Description	Support Materials	Success Criteria	Differentiation	Extension
5 mins	Welcome & Introduction	Greet children; explain the learning goals ("We are learning about birds and their stories").	Te Parekura o Ngā Manu story images or props	Students sit quietly and show interest, ready to listen	Use a visual timetable showing sequence of activities	Use simple waiata (song) about birds before story
15 mins	Interactive Oral Storytelling: Te Parekura o Ngā Manu	Storyteller narrates the pūrākau with interactive questioning. Use puppets or tactile bird models for seabirds and landbirds.	Puppets/models of Kuaka, other manu; habitat pictures	Students listen and respond to questions, e.g., naming birds, their homes, and foods	Scaffold individual children with simple sentence stems (“This bird is a...”)	Advanced learners retell parts of the story or describe bird traits using new words
5 mins	Pair Discussion Questions	In pairs, children answer simple questions: “Which bird lives in the sea?”, “What does Kuaka eat?”, “Where does Kuaka rest in Te Whakatū?”	Question cards with images and Māori vocabulary	Students talk in pairs and share a fact with teacher or group	Pair a more confident speaker with a learner who benefits from support	Challenge pairs to find clues to explain Kuaka’s migration ability
10 mins	Exploring Bird Habitats & Food	Group activity linking birds to habitats and food sources using sorting cards with visual clues and Māori manu names	Sorting cards: seabirds, landbirds, food types, habitat images	Students match birds to habitats and food; name birds in te reo Māori accurately or with support	Provide picture-word cards for children with language delays	Encourage naming mātauranga (knowledge) connections: “The Kuaka flies very far!”
5 mins	Kuaka and Migration Discussion	Show a simple map or video on screen or a globe to explain Kuaka migrates long distances to Te Whakatū for nesting	Map/globe or photos of Te Whakatū and Kuaka	Children demonstrate understanding by pointing or verbalising Kuaka’s journey	Use gestures and locations on the floor with bird footprints/scarf for representation	Ask advanced learners to predict why Kuaka fly to Te Whakatū
5 mins	Wrap-up & Success Self-Check	Recap main ideas with students, using simple questions ("What did we learn about Kuaka?"). Students show thumbs up/down to indicate success.	Visual checklist of WALT and success criteria to show pictorially	Most students show understanding by answering questions or demonstrating thumbs up	Offer individual support to any child struggling to respond	Invite confident students to explain a bird story to the group

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Follow-up Activities Onsite at Museum or Classroom Outreach

• Viewing Taxidermy and Exhibits: Children observe real bird specimens, naming them using Māori and English; relate them to the story
• Art Activity: Create artworks or crafts of native or endemic manu using natural materials, paint, or collage
• Role Play: Act out migration of Kuaka or the battle of the birds playfully to embody storytelling and deepen understanding

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Success Criteria

• Students listen attentively and respond to interactive questions during oral storytelling
• Students identify at least two seabirds and two landbirds, naming them or using Māori names with support
• Students match birds to correct habitats and food sources with minimal adult assistance
• Students verbalise a simple fact about the Kuaka’s unique migration/nesting behaviour
• Students participate cooperatively in pairs, sharing ideas respectfully

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Differentiation

• For students with language delays or ELL: Use visual vocab cards, gestures, sentence stems, and repetition; provide 1:1 support where available
• For advanced learners: Encourage extended vocabulary use, oral retell, and prediction during story; engage in teaching helpers role or small group discussions
• Learning through multiple modalities: visual, oral, tactile (puppetry, artefacts), and kinesthetic (acting role plays) to support diverse learners

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Resources

• Puppet or model birds representing manu from Te Parekura o Ngā Manu story: Kuaka, seabirds, landbirds
• Visual supports: Story sequence cards, habitat images, food pictures with Māori names
• Maps or photos of Te Whakatū and Kuaka’s migration route
• Art materials for follow-up creative activities
• Teacher’s script and question prompt booklet aligned with pūrākau

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This lesson embraces a Māori worldview through pūrākau and te reo Māori, fostering young learners’ connection to Aotearoa's environment and culture. It is highly interactive and oral, foundational for preschool learners’ language and social competence development as outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh and Te Mātaiaho guidance for Years 0-3 English and Social Sciences【3:11, 3:12, 6:6, 9:9†Te Mātaiaho English Single Page.pdf】 .