Taming the taniwha activities

(see curriculum links at the end of the activity)

• thinking
• using language, symbols and text
• managing self
• relating to others
• participating and contributing

1. After reading, ask children about the message in the story:

• Tama was being bullied, that must have been awful for him. What were some of the ways he was being bullied?
• Why do you think James was doing those things to him?
• What advice was he given for dealing with his bully

– from Aunty Flo?

– from Uncle John?

– from Papa?

• Which advice do you think was the best advice? Why was this?

Establish that Papa’s advice was best – he told Tama to get to know the bully and become his friend. When Tama was kind to James, he stopped bullying him. They even became good friends!

• Notice how the bully is represented in the story. At the beginning of the story, he looks like a terrible taniwha, but as the story goes on, he looks more and more like a boy. Why do you think the illustrator chose to show the bully in this way?

Because the more Tama got to know him, the less scary he became, until Tama realised he was just a boy, the same as he was.

2. Talk about our own bullying experiences:

• Have you ever felt like Tama in the story? What happened? What did you do about it/ say?
• We call this bullying. In what ways can people be bullied?

These could be listed on the board – include verbal and emotional bullying as well.

• Is it OK to treat other people like this?

NO – put  big cross through the listed bullying behaviours on the board to illustrate this.

• So why do people bully others?

Establish that often it is to make themselves feel better. In the story, James must have been feeling bad because he was hungry and he had no friends to play with. So bullying Tama made him feel a little better, but it is still not OK. What he really needed was some food and a friend – Tama gave him these things and then he stopped needing to bully.

3. Create a class anti-bullying campaign.

• So what can we do to make sure there is no bullying in our class?

Write a list of ‘Rules’ for how to treat others. These should be worded by the children, however should include things like

–       listening to everybody’s ideas

–       including others in games

–       respecting our differences

• At Level 1, the rules will be very basic. The wording may become more complex at the higher levels, however try to keep them as simple as possible, and no more than 5  – this will make them easier to follow and monitor.

4. Children may like to create posters to put up around the room. These posters could illustrate one of the rules, or could state ‘No bully zone’.

• Take the anti-bully campaign school-wide – visit other classes with posters and children can teach others about what they have learnt (Health)
• Role play – give children scenarios where they need to deal with a bullying situation, or they could make up their own (Health/ Drama)
• Practice the class rules using co-operative games and activities – see Activity 2 (Physical Education)

Relationships with Other People

Relationships

• explore and share ideas about relationships with other people (Level 1)
• identify and demonstrate ways of maintaining and enhancing relationships between individuals and within groups (Level 2)
• identify and compare ways of establishing relationships and managing changing relationships (Level 3)

Identity, sensitivity and respect

• demonstrate respect through sharing and co-operation in groups (Level 1)
• describe how individuals and groups share characteristics and are also unique (Level 2)
• identify ways in which people discriminate and ways to act responsibly to support themselves and other people (Level 3)

Interpersonal skills

• express their own ideas, needs, wants and feelings clearly and listen to those of other people (Level 1)
• express their ideas, needs, wants and feelings appropriately and listen sensitively to other people and affirm them (Level 2)
• identify the pressures that can influence interactions with other people and demonstrate basic assertiveness strategies to manage these (Level 3)

Healthy Communities and Environments

Rights, responsibilities and laws; People and the environment

• take individual and collective action to contribute to environments that can be enjoyed by all (Level 1)
• contribute to and use simple guidelines and practices that promote physically and socially healthy classrooms, schools and local environments (Level 2)
• plan and implement a programme to enhance an identified social or physical aspect of their classroom or school environment (Level 3)

(see curriculum links at the end of the activity)

• thinking
• managing self
• relating to others
• participating and contributing

1.     Before playing, establish some rules so that every plays fairly, gets involved and has fun.

2.     Talk about why it is important to have rules.

3.     Once children are secure in the rules, enjoy playing some games together. Remind children of the rules as necessary.

Below are 4 co-operative games that work well with all ages:

At Levels 2 and 3, students can be involved in creating their own games and teaching them to the rest of the class.

• Co-operative Games. Retrieved from http://www.creativekidsathome.com/games/cooperative_games/
• Physical Education Games Lesson Plans (for younger children). Retrieved from
• http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/physical_ed/games/
• Ultimate Camp Resource. Retrieved from

http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/cooperative-games.page-1.html

Movement Concepts and Motor Skills

Positive attitudes; challenges and social and cultural factors

• participate in a range of games and activities and identify the factors that make participation safe and enjoyable (Level 1)
• participate in and create a variety of games and activities and discuss the enjoyment that these activities can bring to them and others (Level 2)
• develop movement skills in challenging situations and describe how these challenges impact on themselves and others (Level 3)
• participate in co-operative and competitive activities and describe how co-operation and competition can affect people’s behavior and the quality of the experience (Level 3)

Relationships with Other People

Identity, sensitivity and respect

• demonstrate respect through sharing and co-operation in groups (Level 1)
• identify ways in which people discriminate and ways to act responsibly to support themselves and other people (Level 3)

Interpersonal skills

• express their own ideas, needs, wants and feelings clearly and listen to those of other people (Level 1)
• express their ideas, needs, wants and feelings appropriately and listen sensitively to other people and affirm them (Level 2)
• identify the pressures that can influence interactions with other people and demonstrate basic assertiveness strategies to manage these (Level 3)

(see curriculum links at the end of the activity)

• thinking
• using language, symbols and texts

Amazon.com has said that Campbell “…uses a vibrant style of illustration, building up a textured picture with bright colours, lots of detail and plenty of hidden objects for children to pick out as they read.”(Amazon.com, 2010)

1. After reading the story, look back through the illustrations. Talk about how Campbell has done them.

• They are very busy pictures, aren’t they? Look carefully at the details – what images has Henry Campbell included? Why do you think he has included that?
• What kinds of colours has he used? Why, do you think?
• The layout seems to be all over the place – why do you think he put that apple core there? (etc…) What does it have to do with the story? Can you see any other places in the illustrations where he has done a similar thing?
• What materials do you think he has used to create these illustrations? (paint). What else could we use for a similar effect?
• Notice how every object is outlined in black to give a ‘cartoony’ effect and make them seem to stand out more.

Campbell also illustrated ‘The little kowhai tree’ by Witi Ihimaera – this shows additional examples of Henry Campbell’s style.

2. Tell the children that they are going to have a go at illustrating part of a story “in the style of Henry Campbell”. This may be using ‘Taming the taniwha’, or another story (or a story of their own).

• At Level 1, students may use bright colours, outlined in black and then create a wide, patterned border to frame their picture, as we see in the book.
• At Levels 2 and 3, students will be able to replicate more of the features of Campbell’s work. Try to put in the little details in their pictures which link parts of the story together (eg. the apple cores).
• At Level 3, students may go on to research other artists who use a similar style, using the internet or books.

• ‘The little kowhai tree’ by Witi Ihimaera
• paper
• paint, felts
• thick black marker for outlining
• information books and internet access (for Level 3)

• Give each child a different part of the story to illustrate and put them together to make a class book (Visual Art)
• Write to Henry Campbell – ask him about what it is like to be an illustrator and send him some of the children’s illustrations which ‘borrow’ his style (English)

• Amazon.com. Retrieved from

http://www.amazon.com/Taming-Taniwha-Tim-Tipene/dp/1877266523

• Ihimaera, W. (2007). The little kowhai tree. Wellington: Huia Publishers. ISBN: 9781877283642

Visual Art

• share ideas about how and why their own and others’ works are made and their purpose, value and context (Level 1 & 2)
• explore a variety of materials and tools and discover elements and selected principles (Level 1 & 2)
• investigate visual ideas in response to a variety of motivations, observation, and imagination (Level 1)
• share the ideas, feelings, and stories communicated by their own and others’ objects and images (Level 1 & 2)
• investigate and develop visual ideas in response to a variety of motivations, observation and imagination (Level 2)
• investigate the purpose of objects and images from past and present cultures and identify the contexts in which they were or are made, viewed or valued (Level 3)
• explore some art-making conventions, applying knowledge of elements and selected principles through the use of materials and processes (Level 3)
• develop and revisit visual ideas, in response to a variety of motivations, observation and imagination, supported by the study of artists’ works (Level 3)
• describe the ideas their own and others’ objects and images communicate (Level 3)