Finding Something You Lost

This activity explores what it feels like to lose something precious to you. In this activity, the facilitator acts as the rainbow caretaker who has lost the rainbow. The children then help the caretaker to find fabric pieces of the rainbow and stitch it back together. This unit of work was created by Peter O’Connor.…

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Re-Membering The Branch

This learning experience explores themes of losing something precious to you. It uses the teacher in role convention where the teacher pretends to be a tree who has lost its branch. This learning experience also engages visual arts through crayon rubbings of the branch and leaves. Check out the professional development video (link below) for…

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Playing with Anger

This is the first learning experience in the unit: Playing with Anger. This learning experience uses the picture book, Anger is like Armour, to help children explore anger. Children learn about the function anger can serve, how anger might feel in their bodies and healthy ways to express anger. This unit of work was created…

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The Magic Seashell

OVERARCHING VALUES: VALUING PASIFIKA WAYS OF BEING AND KNOWING – WITH AND FOR ALL PEOPLE Experiencing this learning should be savoured by all, so allow good time for each part. Remember that this is about relationships – so really encourage the talanoa. Make alongside the students where you can. In your talk and making, share…

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Making a Kahoa Kakala

OVERARCHING VALUES: VALUING PASIFIKA WAYS OF BEING AND KNOWING – WITH AND FOR ALL PEOPLE Experiencing this learning should be savoured by all, so allow good time for each part. Remember that this is about relationships – so really encourage the talanoa. Make alongside the students where you can. In your talk and making, share…

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Two Stars and a Wish

This dance work is a way for students to express their thinking about having been in isolation. This is a physical way of thinking about the good and possibly hard things about having been in isolation. While this lesson plan was initially created and used for returning to education post COVID-19 lockdowns, it can be…

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The Emperor and the Magic Goose

A drama about loneliness and togetherness This drama takes as its starting point the traditional Red Lantern Festival, held in Auckland since 2000, and cancelled in 2020 because of Coronavirus, both in Auckland and throughout China. The drama uses a traditional Chinese folk tale of the Festival’s origins, to explore: 1. Loneliness, what it makes…

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Hā Ora

In Hā Ora, you will find three units of work, which are all connected thematically under the concept of Hā Ora. HĀ ORA MEANS A BREATH OF LIFE. This offering is intended to support child wellbeing as they come back into their school communities after a time of challenge. Hā ora also describes having an essence…

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Hello Again!

This dance work uses dance as a way of creating new forms of greetings. Due to physical distancing imposed during some crises, we sometimes have to find other ways of creating both formal and informal ways of saying hello. There is opportunity for students to have fun creating together while discussing the ways life may…

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My Many Coloured Days

This dance unit explores the relationship between feelings and colours. Using a picture book as a starting place, students create and share original movement to describe an experience – perhaps the excitement of being back at school, having been in isolation, or perhaps about feelings about siblings. This unit of work was created by Ginnie…

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