EnglishFreePrintable

My Guardian Story Reflection

A free english worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

My Guardian Story Reflection

Read the story, then investigate how stories can be cared for and shared. Kaitiakitanga is a Māori concept connected with guardianship and care. Its meanings and responsibilities can vary between people and places; approach it with respect.

The notebook by the window

When Maia helped clear out her great-aunt Mere’s cottage, she found a blue notebook on a shelf. Its pages held short memories: a storm that changed the shape of the beach, a neighbour who brought soup during a difficult winter, and the day Mere’s family planted a row of pōhutukawa beside a walking track. Maia wanted to post the stories online straight away. Mere paused. “Some memories are mine to share,” she said, “but other people appear in them too. I should ask them first.” She explained that one story mentioned a neighbour’s private hardship. Another included a place that the family preferred not to publicise. The notebook was not simply a collection of interesting events; it carried people’s experiences and choices. Together, Maia and Mere sorted the pages. They marked which memories Mere was happy to share, which needed permission, and which should stay within the family. Maia typed a version of the pōhutukawa story for the local library’s community display. She checked the wording with Mere and added a note explaining who had told the story and when. For the private pages, Maia made no copies. Before Maia left, Mere gave her the notebook. “Looking after a story isn’t just keeping it safe,” she said. “It means listening carefully, checking what the storyteller wants, and passing it on honestly.” Maia realised that being a guardian could sometimes mean sharing a story—and sometimes choosing not to.

Read closely

Use details from “The notebook by the window” to support your answers.

1.At first, what does Maia want to do with the notebook’s stories?

Post them online straight away
Burn the notebook
Send every page to the library
Rewrite them as a fantasy novel

2.Give two reasons Mere does not want every story shared publicly.

3.Which idea best expresses Mere’s view of looking after a story?

A guardian should share every story as widely as possible.
A guardian should listen, check the storyteller’s wishes, and pass stories on honestly.
A guardian should change details to make a story more exciting.
A guardian should keep all stories secret forever.

4.True or false? Maia made copies of the private pages before leaving.

TrueFalse

5.Complete the sentence with a word from the story: Maia checked the wording of the library display with .

6.Why do you think Maia added a note saying who had told the pōhutukawa story and when? Explain how that could help someone reading it later.

7.Find one detail in the story that shows Maia’s thinking changes. Explain what she understands by the end.

8.Imagine someone tells you a family or community story that includes another person’s private experience. What is one respectful step you could take before sharing it?

9.Write a reflection titled “My Role as a Guardian of Stories”. In 5–7 sentences, explain what a story guardian might do, use one example from Maia and Mere’s choices, and describe one responsibility you would take seriously when sharing a story.