Tāwhirimātea
He whakarāpopoto
This poem is about the power of Tāwhirimātea. The birds are mere puppets whose strings are being pulled by Tāwhirimātea.
He whāinga ako
- To identify the attributes of one atua – Tāwhirimātea.
He whatu pānui
Hei tautoko i te kaipānui
- The poem uses some familiar phrases.
- The lines do not rhyme.
- Tāwhirimātea can be strong, forceful, and sensitive.
- The birds are vulnerable to the whims of Tāwhirimātea.
Kia mataara!
- The phrase 'kōmuri kē' – a different, gentle kind of breeze – may need to be explained.
- The phrase 'kia tau te mauri' – settle down – may need to be explained.
He kete kupu
Ensure that your students are familiar with the word below and are able to use it.
| kōmuri | a gentle breeze |
Hei wānanga i te reo
- Discuss the word 'kē'.
- Develop a word bank about Tāwhirimātea and the different types of winds.
Hei whakaihiihi
- Go out on a windy day, get the students to lie down for five minutes and watch birds flying. Return to the classroom where the students can then share their observations.
Hei whakatā
- Look for phrases that describe the wind.
- Discuss with the students the relationship between Tāwhirimātea and the birds.
Hei wānanga
- Are there other animals that are affected by Tāwhirimātea?
- Are people affected by Tāwhirimātea?
- Discuss with the students other situations where you could use the phrase 'kia tau te mauri'.
Hei mahi
- Share the poems 'Toutouwai' and 'Riroriro' with the class. They are from the picture pack He Kohinga Waiata by Hirini Melbourne, published by Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.
- Read the story Toroa tītakataka with your group focusing in particular on words describing movement in the wind.
- Share the large book Ngā Manu. Identify the birds and classify them from flightless to long distance fliers.
- Read the story 'Kōtuku rerenga tahi' written by Te Aorere Riddell, in He Kohikohinga 17. This story describes the dilemma of Kōtuku getting lost in a storm.
- Read the story 'Hokioi' written by Peti Nohotima, in He Kohikohinga 10. This story is about a contest between two birds, Hokioi and Kāhu, about who can fly closest to the sun.
- Using boxes, create a model with Tāwhirimātea and Ranginui in the background and birds in the foreground attached by string.
- There is a list of ideas in the book He Purapura: Handbook by Te Pou Taki Kōrero published in the section Ō Mataora/Making Sense of the Living World.
Hei mahi kē atu
- In pairs the students identify words within Tāwhirimātea, for example, tā, tea, mā. What are the meanings of these smaller words?
- Dramatise the poem. The characters would be Tāwhirimātea and the birds. Perform and record on a video camera.
