Tūrangawaewae Where We Stand.
After a few weeks of getting back into the swing of school and a trip away to Omaui Camp, Room 4 have begun to investigate our Inquiry focus for this term. We are investigating ‘Tūrangawaewae - Where We Stand’, learning about Lochiel's past and present. This inquiry has a focus around Social Science (including the new Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum), as well as having a Science (Planet Earth and Beyond) aspect to our learning.
We began our inquiry finding out what we want to learn about Lochiel to know the direction our inquiry will take. We wanted to know who were the first people here and why the area was named ‘Lochiel,' which farms have been here the longest and how the area has changed over time.
We began our investigations answering the question; What are the local landmarks/rivers in the area? We looked at maps of Southland, the South Island, and the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand to find out where we are located. We also found out where other places of interest are, such as hills, mountains, rivers, towns and cities. We labelled them on the maps and then shared back our discoveries with the rest of the class. We thought about places in the local area that are special to us, such as areas in nature or near the water and used these to create our own mihi.
Next we will investigate the beginnings of Aotearoa New Zealand, looking at Māori myths and legends around this, then move on to look at immigration to Southland and Lochiel and the farming families who have been here for generations.