The Orca Highway

Overview

In this third lesson of Antarctica Story Explorers, students trace an orca’s journey from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to Houhora Harbour. They use movement, oral retelling, descriptive vocabulary, sentence building, early spelling practice, and an interactive flip book to organise a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Learning intentions

• WALT retell an orca’s journey in the correct sequence.
• WALT use descriptive words to make our oral and written stories interesting.
• WALT build longer sentences using because and so.
• WALT listen and ask questions to find out more about a partner’s story.
• WALT hear, segment, blend, and record CVC words.

Success criteria

• I can show where the orca travels and retell the route in order.
• I can use words such as frigid, mighty, delicious, warm, and peaceful.
• I can say a sentence with because or so.
• I can ask a question and listen to my partner’s answer.
• I can stretch, tap, and build words such as swim, fin, big, and hot.

Curriculum links

• English — Composition: telling an invented or real story orally, pictorially, or through teacher scribing.
• English — Writing to entertain: stories may be real or made up and are created to be enjoyable for readers.
• English — Comprehension: recognising that stories have characters, settings, action, and a beginning, middle, and end.
• Te Mātaiaho learning competencies: speaking, listening, interacting, creating meaning, and managing self.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Hook and vocabulary. Teacher opens the Antarctica-to-Houhora introduction slides and places a blue fabric “ocean” beside a simple floor map and globe. Ask, “How could an orca travel from this icy place to our harbour?” Introduce and act out frigid (shiver), mighty (strong arms), delicious (pretend tasting), warm (hug self), and peaceful (slow breathing). Students repeat each word, choose a matching movement or sensory action, and locate Antarctica and Houhora Harbour.

2. 6–14 min · Map the migration. Teacher lays out picture markers for Antarctica, the Southern Ocean, open ocean, and Houhora Harbour, then models an orca movement trail using the fabric ocean and a toy or picture orca. Students take turns moving the orca, pointing to each place, and saying a sentence such as, “The orca travels from Antarctica to Houhora Harbour.” Offer walking, pointing, fabric movement, or sound effects; performance is never required.

3. 14–22 min · Retell and question. Teacher mixes four orca journey picture cards and prompts students to put them in beginning–middle–end order, using the map to support meaning. In pairs, students retell the sequence with the cards, then ask one question to find out more: “Where did it go?”, “What did it eat?”, “How did the ocean feel?” or “Why did it travel?” Teacher records a brief oral retell from each student, noting sequence, vocabulary, and clarity.

4. 22–32 min · Make the interactive flip book. Teacher demonstrates the orca journey flip-book template, showing how to assemble the body and four interactive parts: a route/map flap, body and habitat flap, food-chain flap, and story-order wheel. Students draw, label, or dictate ideas on their own books. Prompt sentence building: “The orca travels because ___” and “The ocean is cold, so ___.” Scribe responses where needed and encourage students to add one descriptive word.

5. 32–40 min · Word and sentence station. Teacher leads a short blending game using sound boxes, sound dots, picture-word cards, and movable letters. Students segment and build swim, fin, big, and hot, touching one dot or box for each sound before blending. They then choose one word to use in an oral sentence, for example, “The big orca can swim.” Students needing support may match letters to the picture-word card before attempting independent spelling.

6. 40–45 min · Share and assess. Teacher revisits the sequence and reflection slides and asks, “What happened first, next, and last?” Each student shares one flip-book page, sentence, or movement/sensory response. Students complete an oral exit response: “The orca travels because ___” or “The ocean is cold, so ___.” Celebrate clear ideas and collect books for the next lesson.

Resources

• the Antarctica-to-Houhora introduction slides
• the orca journey flip-book template
• Globe and child-safe floor map of Aotearoa New Zealand and Antarctica
• Blue fabric, toy or picture orca, and place markers
• Four orca journey picture cards
• Descriptive-word picture cards
• Sound boxes, sound dots, movable letters, and CVC picture-word cards
• Pencils, crayons, scissors, and glue
• Optional ocean, orca, and gentle wind sound effects

Assessment

• During mapping and retelling, check whether each student identifies the route and sequences at least three events.
• Record a brief oral retell, noting use of story order, descriptive vocabulary, and a relevant question.
• Listen for accurate sound segmentation and blending of the CVC words, and collect the flip books to check a because or so sentence.

Differentiation

• Support with a four-picture sequence, repeated oral rehearsal, gesture, sentence frames, adult scribing, and picture-word cards. Accept pointing, drawing, signing, AAC, or home-language responses before recasting in English.
• For students developing phonological awareness, use two or three sounds first, stretch the word slowly, and provide movable letters in sound-box order.
• Extend confident students by adding a fourth event, a second descriptive word, or a reason and result in one sentence.
• Provide an inclusive sensory option: students may handle or watch the fabric, choose ocean sounds, move the orca, or narrate from their place rather than act in front of others. Use large-print cards, clear uncluttered visuals, and adult cutting support where required.