Cousins Hoani, Leilani, and Mitch are searching for their dog, Toki. When they realise he is trapped in a cave, they think about going in to rescue him. However, the potential danger and the possibility that the cave might be tapu stops them. Hoani, the narrator, shows particular sensitivity towards, and respect for, tikanga Māori….
When Janet set out to check the fences on her remote sheep farm in Taumaranui, she had no idea that her life would soon be in danger. Based on a real event, “Stung!” recounts what happened when Janet stepped on a wasps’ nest and was attacked by a swarm of angry insects. With no cellphone…
Selina Powell explores caves and their wildlife in this poem.
If you’ve ever stood on a wasp, you’ll know they have a very painful sting. But bees can sting, too, and we don’t think of bees as a problem. So why do most people think of the wasp as a pest? Keywords: biodiversity, environment, insects, native forests, pests, predators, senses, wasps, wasps’ nests, minibeasts
This article is about the life cycle of the wasp.
In 1958, a group of intrepid cavers descended into Harwoods Hole, a huge vertical chasm on Takaka Hill. At the bottom, they discovered a spectacular environment, with beautiful stalactites and waterfalls. A month later, they discovered a second cave nearby. The cavers proved that the two cave systems were connected and created a way to…
In this futuristic tale, readers will be confronted with a situation that has strong parallels with present-day moral dilemmas. “The Trial” provides opportunities for rich discussion about the concept of setting up a “new” society with clear rules and when the rules need to be questioned.
This article explains the work of astrobiologists and invites students to consider the possibilities of life beyond Earth. It asks what extra-terrestrial life might be like if it does exist. Could we be invaded by a dangerous species, or would the aliens be friendly?
It’s hard to imagine a world where women can’t vote. Yet up until 1893, this was the reality. Not one country allowed women to have a say in their national government. In some parts of the world, it would stay that way for a long time. New Zealand was different. On 28 November 1893, women…
In “Origin Story”, schoolgirl Moana has a surprise meeting with a fairy. As the fairy greets her and introduces itself, Moana is forced to suspend disbelief. Time is also “suspended” in a freeze-frame style, and Moana eventually realises that she has a chance – and the power – to change the course of events.
In this story, a girl named Moana and her sister Mere are forced to move to a cold, unfamiliar city where they must live in a “hushed” state of secrecy to hide from their father, eventually finding a sense of hope and belonging through a local community garden.
In this historical story set in New Zealand, thirteen-year-old May prepares for her final day of dressmaking for her friend Harriet, grappling with a mix of gratitude for the new sewing machine her father bought her and a deep sadness over the looming isolation of working from home.
In this story, a young girl named Maia struggles with anger and anxiety after a family move to Hamilton. She begins to find her footing and repair her relationship with her mother after her fearless aunt teaches her the literal and metaphorical skills of falling and getting back up through roller derby.
Inside this School Journal are two articles (Bugbix for Breakfast; The Zoo Debate), one story (The Amazing Humans), and one play (The Race).
Inside this School Journal are three stories (Kopūwai and the Clever Girl; Who Froze Farrell Flint?; New Boots), one poem (Thumbprints), one memoir (Alvin and Me), two articles (Becoming a Martian; Designed for Good) and one interview (Haritina Mogosanu – Starryteller).
Meet Haritina Mogosanu: astrobiologist, science communicator, president of the Mars Society in New Zealand, and “starryteller”. In 2012, she was commander of the first New Zealand mission to the Mars Desert Research Station in the United States.
In this poem, a narrator recounts their mother’s 1952 journey from Samoa to Auckland, where she was legally classified as an “alien” and forced to provide a thumbprint for an identification booklet, while also reflecting on her father’s previous ten-year incarceration in New Zealand due to his German ancestry.
In this story, Chris, a Chinese New Zealander, is asked to buddy a new student named Alvin who has recently arrived from Hong Kong. While Chris initially feels embarrassed about his heritage and reluctant to speak Cantonese at school, his friendship with Alvin ultimately inspires him to embrace his identity and research his own family…
“Becoming a Martian” is a challenging article that considers the possibility of humans living on Mars. The article begins with this concept.
In this story, a resentful Scout named Charlie is forced to hike in painful new boots while looking after an over-prepared new kid named Jason, only to have Jason save the day with duct tape after a group of mischievous kea destroy Charlie’s expensive footwear.
Minnie Sharp, detective, is the narrator of this science-fiction story. The setting is a futuristic research centre on Mars. Minnie has a mystery to solve following the discovery of a frozen scientist in the Cryogenic Storage Room.
This story is from Rapuwai, an ancestral iwi of Ngāi Tahu. It is set on the banks of the Mata-Au/Clutha River, in Otago, and comes from a time long ago when moa roamed the land and giant tuna swam in the rivers.
The New Zealand environment has been badly affected by introduced pests such as rats, stoats, and possums. “Designed for Good” follows the process of developing an effective and humane trap to reduce these pest populations. The article tells the story of the project, from the first “That’s it!” moment through to the production of thousands…
In this story, three friends who win a trip to a zoo on the planet Zeelon find themselves unexpectedly placed on display as a “human exhibit,” eventually escaping back to Earth with the help of a telepathic, tunnel-digging alien creature called a beevack.
This article tackles a topic that many people feel squeamish about: eating insects.
This article presents both sides of a debate: should we or shouldn’t we have zoos? It includes a short history of zoos and some suggestions for alternatives.
In this play, Chris Tse retells a traditional Chinese story about how the twelve animals that make up the Chinese zodiac came to be chosen and how their order was decided. All twelve of the Zodiac animals are characters in the play, although only six of them have speaking parts.
This is a fantasy story with a serious flavour. The indirect unfolding of the story allows students to make their own way through the text, piecing information together as they go.
This is an article that gives readers a “peek into history”. It makes a link between what we know about taking photos and what we can find out from photos that show different times and places.
This play is a parody of Waiting for Godot, the classic play by Samuel Beckett in which, famously, nothing happens. In addition to being performed by a group of students, all plays are literacy texts and can be used to explore ideas, language, and dialogue.
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