Kōkiri Learn

Week 4 of 5

Sun, Earth, Moon and Matariki

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Session 1 · VOICE: Investigate

Moon phases and Matariki

  1. 20 minDark room model: a lamp is the Sun, your head is the Earth and a ball on a stick is the Moon. Turn slowly and watch the lit part change. Draw the phases you see.
  2. 15 minMatariki: read about the cluster and the nine stars, how its rising in June or July resets the maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar), and why star names and meanings differ between iwi. Listen to any local knowledge your school has been invited to share.
  3. 10 minPlan a home sky watch with whānau: use a star map to find Tautoru (Orion's Belt) and then Matariki in the pre-dawn eastern sky, or the Moon and a planet in the evening.

Session 2 · VOICE: Create Conclusions

Build the exhibit

  1. 10 minChoose your product: rock-and-fossil key, Solar System walk signs, or pocket sky guide. List the evidence you have for it.
  2. 30 minBuild it. Keys use yes/no questions from your test results. Trail signs give scale distance and one surprising fact. Sky guides give directions, times and a safety tip.
  3. 10 minSwap with another group: can they use your key to name a rock they have not seen before?

Getting started

Use the key template with the first two questions filled in.

Stretch

Draw an ellipse using two drawing pins and a loop of string, the way Johannes Kepler showed planets really move.

Checkpoint

Every student can model why the Moon's shape seems to change, and every group has a first draft of its product.

Activities for this week

Useful this week