Toroa students in term 3 have been learning about Aotearoa New Zealand Histories and integrated it across the curriculum.

At the start of the term, Toroa students delved into Māori history which is the foundational and continuous history of Aotearoa New Zealand. Māori cared for their land (whenua) and expressed their connection to places by naming the land and its features. Students revisited this by using Google Earth and navigating their journey through Aotearoa New Zealand. This gave the students in depth knowledge about the North and South Islands of New Zealand. In addition to this, students practiced map reading skills and maths to locate several land features of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Toroa students also showed their understanding of Māori language and use of digital technology by producing a weather report. They were encouraged to use either the North or South Island and they were asked to tell the weather of four different places of their choice. They were motivated to use both Māori and English names. Students also made animations to present these reports which strengthened their digital competence.

Students made Taniwha geometrical art, Taniwha eyes and Taniwha poems. For art, students planned and customised how their Taniwha would look. Tamariki used clay to give features and details to their Taniwha eye and then painted the features with acrylic and nail paint.They also made poems which used language features to describe their Taniwha. The Taniwha eye and the poem together is one of the stunning things to look at if anyone happens to come to the Toroa Hub.

Finally, Toroa students made a presentation where they retold the story of a Māori Pūrākau or the journey of migrants. Students have been learning a lot about these in their reading and writing sessions with their literacy teachers. A few students made a diary of migrants and some of them made short videos. The process of integration has combined many areas of the curriculum which has given our students a rich and deep understanding about New Zealand history.