Hau wera
Nā Rongopai Broughton
He whakarāpopoto
This poem describes a hot air balloon floating in the sky. The children mentioned in the poem are reassured that the balloon will be guided safely to land in Kawerau.
Ngā āhuatanga i roto i te tuhinga
He whatu tamariki
- The poem uses familiar descriptive language.
- The ideas are kept brief.
- The poem could lead students to discuss experiences of flying in a plane or being at the top of a tall building.
He whatu pānui
Hei tautoko i te kaipānui
- The text is simple.
- Each line is short.
Kia mataara!
- Poetry can be challenging for many readers. It is important to expose students to poetry in many formats. Get the students to express themselves in group situations and in pairs before they are asked to work independently. Teachers could work with students on the structure and descriptive language needed to express their ideas in poetry.
Hei wānanga i te reo
- Discuss the kīanga used in the poem, for example, "kei te rere mai", "he mea nui", "he whero nei te tae".
- Discuss the feelings of students who have been in similar situations. Record the types of words that they provide in the discussions.
- Allow students opportunities to play with words to assist them in their creativity.
Hei whakaihiihi
- Ask the students what they know about hot air balloons and whether or not they have seen one.
- Talk to the students about how the poem may assist them in the writing of their own poetry.
Hei whakatā
- Read the poem to the students, ensuring you do not allow them to see the text or illustrations. Allow students to form an image in their minds based on the reading of the poem.
- Ask the students to describe the air balloon flying across the sky. What colour is the balloon? Is it the same shape, colour, or size as the one in the poem?
- Get the students to list other things that fly. What types of words might they use to describe the images that they can see?
Hei wānanga
Ask the students:
- What makes the air balloon lift off the ground?
- How would you steer the balloon to Kawerau?
- What could cause the children to become worried?
- What words would you use to describe the movement of the air balloon?
Hei mahi
Ask the students to write a poem based on the same subject or a subject of their choice.
Ngā taputapu
- Stiff black paper
- Pieces of white paper for a template of the hot air balloon shape
- Different-coloured tissue paper
- A pencil
- Scissors
- Glue
Ngā tohutohu
- Children may work independently or in pairs for this activity.
- Brainstorm ideas about the colour and shape of their hot air balloon.
- Using the words generated from the discussion, get them to write a short four to five line poem describing the size, shape, movement, and colour.
- Once the text is complete, have them begin making the hot air balloon shape to place their poem on.
- Make the hot air balloon template by folding the black paper in half and lightly drawing the shape ready to cut out. They will only need to draw half of the hot air balloon starting at the fold.
- Glue the different-coloured tissue paper on to the opened-out black balloon shape.
- Paste the poems onto the balloon shapes.
Ētahi atu mahi
- Students could write about things that fly.
- Students could create a humorous skit about flying.
- Students could make up story strips.
- Students could expand on the existing poem by writing from the perspective of the hot air balloon.
