Water and Star Stories

Overview

In this fifth of seven lessons in “Ngā Whetu: Stars and Stories,” students explore how wai (water) appears in pūrākau connected to stars and learn—through a simple, safe experiment—how light interacts with water. They connect the science idea of light refraction/reflection to the story of Wainui, recognising how places, stars, and the environment are linked.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe ways wai is connected to star stories and place names in our class pūrākau.
• WALT investigate how light changes when it moves through or reflects off water.
• WALT use scientific ideas and story language to explain how water can affect what we see in the night sky.

Success criteria

• I can name at least one water body or wai concept mentioned in the story and connect it to a star or night-sky event.
• I can observe and describe what happens to a light beam or “ray” when it meets water.
• I can explain (orally or in writing) how the results help me understand the story connection to Wainui.
• I can record observations clearly using sentences, labelled drawings, or a simple results table.

Curriculum links

• NZ Curriculum Refresh: Science (investigating in the physical world; using evidence to explain phenomena about light and matter interactions).
• NZ Curriculum Refresh: Key ideas about nature of science (planning a fair test, using observations/data, and communicating findings).
• Te Ao Māori learning connections (mana whenua perspectives; using pūrākau as knowledge and context, not just “story content”).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 minutes — Hook: story-to-science frontloading

• Display two images (or quick sketches): a waterway/shoreline and a night sky with stars.
• Teacher prompt: “Where do we see wai in our star stories? What might wai do to light, sound, or visibility?”

2. 10 minutes — Te Reo Māori block (Block 1): wai and night-sky words

• Teach and practise short, spoken phrases: wai, rangi, whetū, tōrama/ māramatanga (light/brightness), and ata or pō (day/night).
• Students in pairs create a 2–3 sentence “story sentence” using one wai word and one star word (teacher circulates with a sentence frame).

3. 15 minutes — L3 Biology/Science mini-lesson: light with water

• Brief, teacher-led demonstration: shine a torch through air versus through a clear container with water.
• Explain in student-friendly terms: light can change direction when it enters water and can be reflected from the surface.
• Emphasise safe handling and what to observe (bright spot, beam path, any “bending,” glare on the surface).

4. 15 minutes — Hands-on experiment (group work, independent after instruction)

• Each group (4–5 students) completes the “Light Through Water” task.
• Method (simple and safe):
• Darken room slightly.
• Place a clear plastic cup or shallow tray on a dark background.
• Aim a torch at a drawn line on paper through the water (or aim at the air space next to the cup first).
• Record: what students see in air, what changes in water, and what happens near the surface.
• Teacher checks the procedure after the first minute, then releases students to work independently with a recording template.

5. 8 minutes — Share findings: link back to Wainui

• Whole-class discussion using a prompt: “How does the way light behaves near water help us understand what might be noticed in the story about Wainui?”
• Students contribute one observation and one connection to pūrākau (e.g., “water changes what we see; stories describe how Wainui relates to the night environment”).

6. 7 minutes — Exit ticket: evidence + explanation

• Students submit one of:
• A labelled drawing + 2 sentences, or
• A short “Claim–Evidence–Story Link” (sentence starters provided).
• Teacher collects for formative assessment.

Resources

• Clear plastic cups or shallow transparent trays (one per group)
• Water (enough to cover a few centimetres in the tray/cup)
• Torch/flashlight (one per group) and spare batteries
• Dark paper or clipboard backing for contrast
• Printed observation sheet or notebook template (air vs water observations)
• Marker pens and sticky labels
• Safety glasses (optional but recommended), towel/rags
• Image cards or drawings of water bodies and stars (for the hook)
• Sentence frames for different language levels

Assessment

• Formative observation during group work (ability to follow steps, make accurate observations, and record evidence).
• Exit ticket checks for:
• Scientific description of light-water effects
• A meaningful connection to pūrākau/Wainui
• Teacher uses a quick rubric-style mental checklist: observation quality, reasoning clarity, communication.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide pre-filled recording tables (Air/Water/Surface) with word banks (bright, bends, changes direction, reflection).
• Offer sentence frames in short chunks for explanation and story link.
• Pair students strategically (one confident reader/writer with one who needs verbal support).
• Extension:
• Challenge students to predict what would happen with a thicker water layer or different container shapes.
• Ask for a second test: compare “water still” vs “water with a gentle wave” and note any differences in light reflections.
• EAL:
• Use visuals for “before/after,” gestures for “change direction,” and allow oral responses recorded by a peer scribe.
• SEN:
• Reduce writing load: allow labelled diagrams with a single sentence, or choose from three explanation options.

Extension (optional)

If students finish early, ask: “How could water help or hinder seeing stars—what might change during sunrise/sunset near the shoreline?”