Maui

Note: This doesn't have to be taught as part of an English lesson. I've done this at the start of a Light unit for Juniors.

Lesson Plan:

Ask the following questions before starting the video:

• What would happen if it stayed night and we had no Sun?

  • • (Develop ideas about plants needing the Sun to survive because they get their food (energy) from sunlight through photosynthesis. Without plants, animal and ultimately human life could not be sustained because we make use of the chemical energy stored in plants.)

• What do we get from the Sun?

  • (Develop the idea that light and heat energy come from the Sun in waves – there are different kinds of waves, and some of the waves cannot be seen. Conclude that the Sun is indeed vital for our existence, and the early Māori as depicted in the legend of Māui and the Sun had some awareness of this. Reiterate that we get light and heat energy (necessary for life) from the Sun.)

Play video. Stop video along the way and ask the following questions for comprehension:

• Why were the days short and the nights long?

• Why were the people unhappy?

• What did Maui and his brothers make?

• Why did they travel at night?

• Why couldn’t the sun get free?

• When did the brothers let go of the ropes?

• What did the sun do after the brothers loosened the ropes?

Give students the storyboard to colour in.