WALKER BOOKS E Classroom Ideas

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1 These notes are for: Sensational Survivors - Overview Primary / Secondary 7+yrs old Key Learning Areas: English Science History Geography Example of: Non-Fiction Reference Contents / Index / Glossary Experience of: Reading Writing Listening & Speaking Viewing Researching Themes: Environment Conservation Reference & Research New Zealand Art Recording Habitat Animals *Notes may be downloaded and printed for regular classroom use only. Walker Books Australia Ph Locked Bag 22 Fax Newtown, N.S.W., 2042 For enquiries please contact Melissa Hamilton: mhamilton@walkerbooks.com.au Notes 2010 Walker Books Australia Pty. Ltd. All Rights Reserved Sensational Survivors By: Sandra Morris ISBN: ARRP: $27.95 NZRRP: $29.99 No. of Pages: 48 August 2010 Outline: An ancient land isolated by vast oceans, New Zealand is home to many fascinating creatures. From a prehistoric reptile to one of the world s largest insects, you ll discover some of the most unusual and impressive species on our planet. Featuring stunning illustrations and text by the award-winning wildlife illustrator Sandra Morris, this book is the perfect reference for any classroom or school library. Jam-packed with strange and unusual facts this book will educate and entertain. Author / Illustrator Information: Sandra Morris is an author and illustrator from New Zealand. She gained her Masters in Fine Arts in 1990 where she completed her first picture book, One Lonely Kakapo, which won her the Russell Clark award for illustration in She has since written and illustrated Discovering New Zealand Birds, which was a finalist in both the Aim Children s Book Awards and the Non Fiction Library Awards. Sandra also holds a Graduate Diploma in Plant and Wildlife Illustration from the University of Newcastle, Australia. It was while she was in Australia that she developed a love for field sketching and this work has been exhibited in museums and galleries. Sandra also runs her own illustration agency promoting New Zealand illustrators overseas. How to Use These Notes: This story works on many levels. The suggested activities are therefore for a wide age and ability range. Please select accordingly. 1

2 Classroom Ideas for Sensational Survivors: Beginning Questions: History & Geography Research Gondwana. Find a photo or draw a picture of what Gondwana looked like. What landmasses, other than New Zealand, did it include? On a map of the world locate New Zealand and its capital. Identify the latitude and longitude of the capital. Using books from the library or the internet find out the following things about the country: - Population size - Indigenous culture - Natural and man-made attractions - Prime Minister - Surrounding ocean/sea What do you like about New Zealand? If you live in New Zealand write a paragraph about why you enjoy living there. If you live in another country write a paragraph about why you would like to live there. List up to three points for each. Use your text to create a tourism advertisement for New Zealand. Beginning Questions: Language Study the list of words in the glossary of Sensational Survivors. Create your own flash cards of these words by writing the word on one side of a card and a definition or picture on the other side. In class have a competition to determine who is the fastest to correctly identify the meaning of these words without looking at the cards. View the contents page of Sensational Survivors. There are some intriguing titles for each chapter. Come up with your own names for the different chapters. What other titles could you give them? General Questions: Environment Read the chapter New Arrivals. What different types of pests have been introduced to New Zealand? Further research their impact on native wildlife. Discuss the importance of protecting the local environment. What are important environmental practices that help to conserve our wildlife and natural surroundings? Have a class discussion about this topic and create a list of things you can do to help protect the environment. Research the natural and built environment in New Zealand. What are some of the major cities in New Zealand and their attractions? What type of environments does New Zealand have? E.g. forests, beaches, mountains, lakes. General Questions: Animals Read the chapter Ancient Survivors. The Tuatara have been around for more than 225 million years. Further research the Tuatara. Create a poster on this ancient reptile. Include facts and drawings. What other animals lived over 200 million years ago? Do any of these species still exist today? Ask students to choose their favourite animal from the book, then research this animal further and create a poster or PowerPoint presentation about them. They can use the following questions to aid their research: - Where does the animal live? - What type of habitat do they have? - What does the animal eat and how do they gather food? - How old is this species? - Are there any dangers to the animal? - Why did you choose this animal and why is it important to you? 2

3 Art Activity prepared by Sandra Morris An Explorer of the Natural World Keeping a Nature Journal Keeping a nature journal is a regular way of recording the observations, perceptions and feelings you have about the world around you. Drawing helps you observe, by focusing and noting details such as shape, texture, surface and spatial relationships. Look at other objects nearby and in the surrounding environment. E.g. If collecting seashells take note of tide, and what sort of beach it is (sandy, rocky, narrow, wide etc). To become an explorer of the world around you, you will need to: 1. Always look observe for a long period of time. Note static and moving things. 2. Use all your senses while observing look at colours, smells, sounds, tastes, textures and patterns. 3. Document your findings in a variety of ways writing, sketching, collecting, rubbings, pressings, tracing, modelling, printmaking. Walking to School Journal If you walk to school, a journal could be a daily record of things you see on this journey. Start a collection of the first found object seen on your walk each day. Draw and write about this object in your journal. Include size, colour, texture, and shape. Collect multiples of the same object, e.g. a variety of leaves, stones, shells. Lay them out creatively and observe closely. List the differences and draw the arrangements. Experiment with arranging these objects so a viewer can interact with them, e.g. make a building or structure of leaves. Patterns document as many patterns as you can find on your walk. Pencil rubbings on trees are ideal. Smells make a list of smells you experience on your walk. Try to identify the source of each smell: flowers, hay etc. Sounds sit in a spot for an hour and document all the sounds you hear and the times you heard them. Time come up with several ways of recording the passage of time, e.g. clouds, weather, wind direction. Seasonal Journal Divide your journal into 4 parts Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer. Record birds, animals, plants and weather/ landscape for each of the seasons. Birds Autumn: Winter: Spring: Summer: Animals Autumn: Winter: Spring: Summer: Observe changes in activity, e.g. prep for migration. What are they feeding on? What birds have stayed around and where can you find them? What are their habits for feeding? Watch for the first birds returning. Observe nesting activities, e.g. starlings, sparrows, native birds. Learn to identify bird calls and habitats of local birds. Are there any native birds in your garden? Observe their prep for winter e.g. butterfly migration. What are the changes in cricket, cicada and grasshopper calls? What creatures stay active? What are they eating? Which animals are hibernating? Focus on the return of butterflies, insects and frogs. Observe the height of productivity for frogs, spiders and earthworms. Document who is doing what. What sounds can you hear at night? E.g. crickets, owls, mice. 3

4 Continued... Art Activity prepared by Sandra Morris An Explorer of the Natural World Keeping a Nature Journal Plants Autumn: Winter: Spring: Summer: Which plants bloom latest? Which trees are losing their leaves and changing colour? Draw tree seeds, nuts and fruits. Draw the silhouette of winter trees. Observe twigs, leaves, flower buds, seeds and cones of evergreens. Look for first flowers. Record the first leaves and tree flowers. Draw the sequence of flowers blooming. Record what s growing in your garden, in parks, fields and meadows. Weather/Landscape Autumn: Record changes in cloud shapes, sunsets, rain patterns, sounds in nature. Draw a landscape showing tree shapes and colour changes. Winter: Record weather changes, snowflakes, rain patterns, moon phases, constellations. Draw a landscape showing trees and the land. Spring: Record rain patterns, mud, snow etc. Look for bird and animal tracks. Draw a landscape showing early signs of spring in trees and land. Summer: Document daily weather for a month. Draw a landscape showing summer in trees and land. Skills & knowledge fostered by nature journalising 1. Scientific and aesthetic observation 2. Creative and technical writing 3. Layout and presentation of ideas and observations 4. Perception and analysis 5. Questioning and inventiveness 6. Reflection and silence 7. Meditation, focus, personal healing 8. Greater appreciation of nature and place 9. Finding your own voice 10. Self confidence and ability to express yourself References How to Be An Explorer of the World Keri Smith (Perigee, Penguin Group, 2008) Keeping a Nature Journal Clare Walker Leslie & Charles E. Roth (Storey Publishing, 2000) Sandra Morris: Inspiration for Sensational Survivors Sandra grew up in a rural part of Hamilton, New Zealand with her nature-mad brother, now wildlife film maker and natural history photographer, Rod Morris. They spent their childhood years immersed in the natural environment that has continued to be a pleasure and passion throughout their lives. As children they kept lots of animals and they went on great expeditions on their aunt s and uncle s farm near Tauranga. Sandra was interested in drawing from a very young age. Her father encouraged this with the promise of a drawing at the end of the bed in the morning, if the children went to bed on time. Sandra went on to study art at university, and her first job when she graduated was to design and illustrate for the NZ School Journals based in Wellington. Her brother Rod was also based in Wellington, working as a wildlife officer for the Wildlife Service (now known as DOC). Every time the officers returned from an expedition, they would have a great film night where they showed their slides taken on the trip and this is where Sandra gained her life long dedication to sharing the wonders of our wildlife with future generations of children. 4

5 Name: Class: Date: ECHOES OF GONDWANA WORK SHEET Using pages 4-5 of Sensational Survivors, fill in the text and illustrate the timeline below May be downloaded, printed and photocopied for educational purposes.

6 Name: Class: FACTS & FIGURES Using Sensational Survivors, match the animal facts. Date: During her lifetime, a female can lay up to 100 eggs. New Zealand Sea Lion They can glide up to 140 kilometres per hour. Kiwi They can weigh as much as 275 kilograms. Skinks They can eat more than 1000 kilograms of food in a day. Royal Albatross The female has a wingspan of nearly 15 centimetres. Yellow-eyed Penguins Some will stay underwater for twenty minutes. Delcourt s Gecko Some have shells the size of a human hand. Kauri Snails This animal was 62 centimetres long. Puriri Moth They travel up to 30 kilometres from the shore in search of food. Humpback Whales They can dive as deep as 600 metres. Giant Squid ANSWERS: During her lifetime, a female can lay up to 100 eggs. = Kiwi / They can glide up to 140 kilometres per hour. = Royal Albatross / They can weigh as much as 275 kilograms. = Giant Squid / They can eat more than 1000 kilograms of food in a day. = Humpback Whales / The female has a wingspan of nearly 15 centimetres. = Puriri Moth / Some will stay underwater for twenty minutes. = Skinks / Some have shells the size of a human hand. = Kauri Snails / This animal was 62 centimetres long. = Delcourt s Gecko / These travel up to 30 kilometres from the shore in search of food. = Yellow-eyed Penguins / They can dive as deep as 600 metres. = New Zealand Sea Lion May be downloaded, printed and photocopied for educational purposes.