Outreach to Otatara School - Term 3 2021
Once a week during Term 3 I headed out with the kōtukutuku class. For the first weeks of term (27 July, 3 & 10 Aug) we journeyed to the kōtukutuku stand of trees to learn about their classroom tree. As we made our way through the bush we looked and listened for interesting things, and noted what is changing with the changing season at this time of year. There were some great explorations and recording through photos and video on the ipads. On the 10 August we also surveyed the area where the fallen trunk of the totara tree had been uplifted by helicopter from the reserve, becoming investigators at the site and talking about the agency cooperation and about where the tōtara taonga was ending up.
Week 4 of term (17 August) and listening to the requests of students we headed to the outside play area part of the reserve. While still using their keen observation skills and in particular listening for birds, the kōtukutuku class had fun enjoying the bush reserve.
Lockdown and changing alert levels resulted in three weeks away from the bush as a class, but I heard once back that both teacher and students had been noticing and going out into nature with their families during that time - great to hear! By week 8 of term (14 September) our visit back to the kōtukutuku trees was enthusiastically welcomed and we noticed lots of changes with the kōtukutuku - many more leaves having grown and flowers still blooming. To celebrate Te Reo Māori language week the class sang waiata and we learnt some Te Reo for te rākau and putiputi flowers, as well as using the Te Reo Māori specific names for many of the native plants and birds that we saw during our bush time - tarata, tī kōuka, pīwakawaka, tui, kererū, horopito. We did some bark rubbings taking a closer look and feel of the rākau. Tumeke to be back in the ngahere today.
After quickly walking to the kōtukutuku on the 21 Sept to collect some flowers we listened to the pouring rain, glad to be in class looking at the kōtukutuku flowers and pondering about their parts. We counted petals, and named the stamen (and the anther and filament parts that make this up) learning that the stamen is the part of the flower that produces pollen. The class imagined what would happen to the pollen as birds like bellbird and tui drank the nectar from the flowers having to put their beaks right into the bottom of the flower, and then moving the pollen from one flower and plant to another as they keep drinking nectar. It was noticed that the stigma looked different from the ends of the stamen and that there was only one. Great noticing.
The last week of term 3 (28 Sept) was celebrated by a nature play in the reserve, with the challenge set to ‘find’ something that began with each letter of their names. “E” evergreen, “U” under storey of forest, “I” insect, “V” vine, “B” bird, “L” leaf, and “S” singing tui were some of the things thought about. A lovely way to end the term.
Bronwyn
Posted: 29 September 2021