In this activity, students read the book Rangitoto by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold (ISBN 978 014 350334 7). Using the information, they write their own story of Rangitoto, from the point of view of the Māori who were on Motutapu at the time of the eruption. (This book has been recommended for this activity by Rosemary Tisdall, children’s literature consultant.)
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
- describe what a volcanic eruption would be like
- connect the last eruption of Rangitoto Island with Māori settlement in New Zealand
- understand some of the hazards associated with volcanic eruptions and what people should do in an emergency situation.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
- introduction/background notes
- what you need
- what to do
- discussion questions
- extension activity.
