There was much excitement yesterday when the girls in Years 0-3 boarded the bus for a trip to Auckland War Memorial Museum. The visit was planned as a way of introducing their Term 4 Social Studies topic on Maori Myths and Legends. 

The Museum has a wealth of striking artefacts and the girls were fortunate to be able to take advantage of the Museum’s very engaging educational programme targeted at their age group. 

On arrival, the girls were greeted and then welcomed into the Tainui ancestral house, Hotunui. For first time visitors, there is always a sense of awe when entering a meeting house and the girls were most respectful, paying careful attention to their guides. 

The guides took the girls on a journey of exploration, telling the story of Rangi and Papa (the Creation Story) and looking in careful detail at the whakairo (carving) and kowhaiwhai patterns depicted on the walls and rafters. They learnt about the shapes, colour and meaning behind many of the symbols before settling down in groups to use templates of elements of the kowhaiwhai to make their own story to share with the group. The Year 0-1 girls will take this new-found knowledge back to their Art unit this term. 

The visit culminated with a fantastic cultural performance of singing, dancing and action songs before finishing with everyone’s favourite – the haka! 

Trips such as these play an important part in the girls’ learning. Education outside the classroom allows for authentic learning where the girls can experience new ideas first hand and be guided by those with specialist knowledge. It was a fantastic opportunity for the girls and we thank the parents who took the time to accompany them.

Share this