- Article
- Blast off, Year 4
- Issue 6, 2019
The Curious Kea
Learning resource
Outcomes
Worksheet: Compare and contrast
Understanding EN2-4A
Complete an article analysis to demonstrate student understanding of the text using this Article Analysis worksheet.
Conduct a See, Think, Wonder thinking routine to explore the title and make predictions about ‘The Curious Kea’, using the image on page 13 as a stimulus. This routine encourages students to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations. It helps stimulate curiosity and sets the stage for inquiry. Students could use this See, Think, Wonder worksheet to record responses.
- What do you see?
- What do you think about that?
- What does it make you wonder?
Complete a Google Slide Knowledge Chart to organise information about the Kea. What do students know about them? What would they like to know? What do they need to know?
Support: Simplified KWFL grid
Engaging personally EN2-2A
Write a story titled ‘Kea Capers’ or ‘Mischievous Kea’ using ideas from ‘The Curious Kea’ article. Brainstorm how the Kea’s destructive behaviour creates a natural plot twist, for example: Keas eating wires causing black outs or traffic jams, keas attacking new cars, keas ruining camping holidays, etc. Option to publish using Storybird or Book Creator.
Write a pensée poem to describe a kea, using these step by step No Prep Pensee Poem Pattern worksheets.
Connecting EN2-11D
Text-to-self connections occur when we make connections between personal experiences and the text.
Text-to-Self: Have a class discussion on how do the ideas in this text relate to students’ own lives, ideas and experiences. Ask students to consider:
- What I just read reminds me of the time when I …
- I agree with/understand what I just read because in my own life …
- I don’t agree with what I just read because in my own life …
Students complete this Connection Stems worksheet. Discuss as a class.
Teaching Strategy explained: Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World Rationale.
Engaging critically EN2-2A & EN2-7B
Conduct a class debate to ascertain whether the Kea is simply a curious, intelligent bird or just an annoying pest?
Complete a Pros and Cons ‘T’ table to illustrate student understanding of why humans should protect bird species, using reasons stated in the article relating to the Kea.
Experimenting EN2-10C
Complete a Venn diagram about the Kea, using the labels adore or curse. Who adores them and why, who curses them and why? Students could use this Venn Diagram (Character) worksheet to illustrate their thinking.
Create a film strip of student narratives ‘Kia Capers’, using this Story Board worksheet. Option to adapt into a play or podcast using Audacity.
Create a short advertisement to warn people about the curious Kea when they visit the South Island of New Zealand. Students can utilise free software at Biteable.
Watch NZ On Screen: Kea – Mountain Parrot documentary (13 minutes). Have students devise quiz questions to present to the class. They could be structured as true or false questions or questions based on facts from the documentary.
Reflecting EN2-12E
Conduct an I used to think ... But now I think … routine. This routine helps students to reflect on their thinking about a topic or issue and explore how and why that thinking has changed. It can be useful in consolidating new learning as students identify their new understandings, opinions, and beliefs. Record responses on this I Used to Think … Now I Think … worksheet.
Exit Slips are a formative assessment that can be used to quickly check for understanding. The teacher poses one or two questions in the last couple minutes of class and asks student to fill out an ‘exit slip’ (e.g. on an index card) to ascertain student thinking and understanding. Here are Instructions on filling out an Exit Slip and two Exit Slip worksheets.
Further reading
Resources
Harvard Thinking Routines