Matariki for Years 3–10
DATE: May 24th
TIME: 10am – 11am
Join an exclusive chat with Te Papa Educators who are part of the team behind Te Papa's celebrations of Matariki.
This videoconference will be presented in Māori. If there is enough interest, a second session in English can follow from 11am to 12pm.
Towards the end of May or early June each year, the star cluster Matariki – or Pleiades – appears in our dawn skies. The Māori New Year begins with the first new moon after the first appearance of Matariki, and in 2005 the new moon appears on Wednesday 8 June.
At Te Papa, they celebrate this annual event with a rich and varied festival of musical and dance performances, as well as lectures, storytelling, and entertainment. A special feature of the 2005 programme is growth and celebration.
By joining this videoconference, your students can:
- Hear a story about the stars
- Learn how to find the Matariki constellation in the pre-dawn hours
- Learn about the significance of Matariki, here in NZ and in the Southern hemisphere
- Learn about some traditional Māori gardening tools
- Learn about some varieties of Indigenous Māori potataoes, corn and marrow
To register for this videoconference, contact:
digitalconversations@cwa.co.nz or telephone: (04) 382 6506 by Monday 23 May
Useful websites:
Matariki at Te Papa
Use this site to find out more about Matariki. Information includes the Māori calendar, the moon's cycle, the significance of Māori instruments to Matariki, and also some resources for teachers. There are also links to how other organisations are celebrating Matariki around New Zealand.
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/Learning/OnlineResources/Matariki/
wickED – Matariki
Play a shockwave game and learn at the same time.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/matariki/
Hot Topic – Matariki
Use this TKI Hot Topic from 2003 for further information.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/hot_topics/matariki_e.php
The Māori Language Commission
Access resources on Matariki including a PDF copy of a booklet produced by Te Tauri Whiri Māori Language Commission, and activities and whakatauki related to Matariki for Māori immersion teachers.
http://www.matariki.net.nz/