2013 Education Programme is AVAILABLE!

We are excited to be able to present to you our new education programme for 2013.

At Puke Ariki the new topics for the year include:

• First Ships (Term 1)
• Fashion Flashback (Term 2)
• Making Music (Term 3)
• Our Feathered Friends: New Zealand Native Birds (Term 4)

We are also offering the ANZAC unit for Term 1.

In Patea at Aotea Utanganui during Term 1 Rob will be teaching a unit called Underwater: Aquatic Creatures.
 
If you would like a hard copy of our new programme please email us at edpukeariki@npdc.govt.nz with your details.

Come on - book with us now!

Beauty and the Beast – a hands-on interactive experience that has been heaps of fun!

Students were able to rotate through a number of activities to learn, investigate, create and experience butterflies and moths.

They created their own butterfly or moth from craft materials, imagined what a butterfly might see through the technology of our ipads, investigated the differences between moths and butterflies and their role in our environment, and listened to the beating of their wings. The children were fascinated to learn about the insects' amazing defensive tactics and the different ways they use their senses.

Teachers commented on the “great balance between the information given and hands-on activities” and that the “ipads were very popular.” Children were “engaged, excited and keen.”

Looking through the ipad to imagine how 
butterflies and moths see the world.

 Spot the difference between a moth and butterfly.

A hand-made proboscis.

We were told that this unit is a fantastic stepping stone into other curriculum activities such as science (foodchains and lifecycles), research, art (symmetry, camouflage and colours) and written language.

Let's Beat It! Term 4 Programme & Teacher Workshop

We've a very special addition to our Term 4 programme at Puke Ariki.

Let's Beat It! is a new programme focusing on the sound and rhythm of drums. What makes a drum a drum? What materials are different drums made of, and what sounds can they make? Join us for a fun, hands-on programme of rhythm and beats, where students discover drums from around the world and take part in a drumming circle.

Let's Beat It! is available for all year levels, and runs for one hour 15 minutes. Contact us to book your class, or check out our other Term 4 programmes. 

Teachers: join us for a free, fun Let's Beat It! teacher workshop on Tuesday 30 October at 4.00pm. Experience a variety of drums created from everyday objects and natural resources, and explore the sounds and effects created when different objects are played together. Led by the Puke Ariki educators, you'll learn lots of valuable skills to take back to the classroom. Limited places: contact us to register.

Last call - Toys for Teachers workshop

Our free Toys for Teachers workshop is this Wednesday 19 September at 4.00pm, and we still have a few places available.

Contact us to register - we hope to see you there!

Term 4: Beauty and the Beast

Our Term 4 special topic promises to be fascinating. Beauty and the Beast focuses on New Zealand butterflies and moths - what role do these creatures play in our environment? What makes them unique? How do we recognise them and how do they use their senses to their advantage?

We've already received several bookings for Term 4, and encourage you to book your class early to avoid missing out. We also have supporting loan resources for Beauty and the Beast, including two amazing butterfly cases (pictured above) for use back in the classroom.  Please contact us to learn more.

Term 3: Toy Creation

Our special topic for Term 3 has been the very enjoyable Toy Creation. We've had fantastic feedback from teachers about this programme, which asks students to consider the different energies, movements and technologies of simple toys.

Educator Keri Elvin and students create their own cotton-reel toy.

Teachers tell us that students were "very excited and involved, right from the start. Lots of talk generated" and had a "look of wonder on their faces. Enthusiasm - wonder - had them thinking".

We still  have some Toy Creation spaces left in Weeks 10 and 11 - contact us now to book your class.

What makes these toys move? How can we make them move faster? And...which one will win?!

You might also like to attend our free Toys for Teachers workshop, to be held on Wednesday 19 September at 4.00pm. Contact us for more information.

Visit to Owae Marae with Central School

Our team enjoyed a fantastic two days at Owae Marae last week, working with students from Central School in New Plymouth. We taught two of our most popular hands-on programmes: Taonga Pūoro and Model Pā.

Central School students work together to build a wharenui from kitset pieces.

Educator Nathan Hills helps students constuct a pā from sand  and model pieces.

Thanks for a wonderful couple of days, Central!

Toys for Teachers Workshop

Interested in the mechanics of movement and energy? Looking for inspiration for fun, hands-on classroom activities? Our Toys for Teachers Workshop is for you!

Taranaki educators are warmly invited to join us on Wednesday 5 September at 4.00pm for a fun, hands-on workshop that explores the science and technology of toys. Led by the Puke Ariki educators, you'll learn how to make some simple toys from everyday resources, and discuss how to use these skills in the classroom.

This workshop is part of our popular Term 3 programme Toy Creation, and is the first in a regular series of teacher workshops.

Limited places - please phone 06 759 6060 or email us to register.

Toys for Teachers
Wednesday 19 September, 4.00pm-5.00pm
Noel and Melva Yarrow Education Room, Puke Ariki North Wing

Laurence Aberhart: Recent Taranaki Photographs

There's an exciting programme available at Aotea Utanganui in Pātea next month, focusing on the unique features of the work of photographer Laurence Aberhart.

Students will see the world through a photographer’s eyes as they explore Laurence Aberhart’s images and deepen their understanding of how black and white photographs work. Utilising the museum camera collection, students will also investigate significant developments in photography.



Image: Laurence Aberhart Taranaki from Awatuna, Taranaki, 27 September 2009



This programme is offered for a limited time (14 September to 21 October only) and is available for all year levels. Contact us to book your class.

This programme supports the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery exhibition currently showing at Aotea Utanganui. The exhibition is produced by the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery with generous support from the Lysaght-Watt Trust through the Govett-Brewster Foundation.

Kura Liaison Network Meeting - Wednesday 8 August

Taranaki teachers and education professionals are invited to attend the next Puke Ariki Kura Liaison Network Meeting on Wednesday 8 August at 4.00pm.

Held each term at Puke Ariki, the Kura Liaison Network meetings are a great opportunity for you to tell us what you'd like to get out of your visit to Puke Ariki, and discuss how we can work together in the future.

We're about to finalise our 2013 programme and welcome your feedback and recommendations on how we can make next year's programme our best yet!

A yummy afternoon tea will also be served...

The meeting starts at 4.00pm in the Noel and Melva Yarrow Education Room, just off the Puke Ariki Foyer. We look forward to seeing you!

Taranaki Science Fair at Puke Ariki

Last week we had the pleasure of working with an enthusiastic group of secondary school students involved in the Taranaki Science Fair.

The group of 50 students from four Taranaki schools spent the morning at Puke Ariki taking part in a series of hands on, scientific workshops.

Educator Mikaere helps students make a balloon powered car.

Curator Social History Andrew Moffatt chose some unusual and mysterious items from the museum collection for students to analyse and discuss.

Students work with metal filings and magnets.

Balloon powered cars are go!

Term 3 Notebook

Check out the Term 3 Notebook newsletter sent to schools last week.  The latest Notebook details the Term 3 programmes, includes photos of recent school visits, and updates schools and teachers on relevant events at Puke Ariki and Aotea Utanganui.

The Notebook is emailed to schools and teachers each term. Contact us to be added to our teacher e-database to receive regular email updates from the Education team.

Haere ra, Hoani!

Our educator Hoani Eriwata, is leaving us the education team this week, to spend more time with his whanau.

Hoani has been with the Puke Ariki Education team for several years, and we've all enjoyed working with him - especially for his knowledge of te reo Maori and his interest in the environment and nature.

Hoani working with a group of students on our Term 2 Wild Foods programme.

We wish you all the very best Hoani, as you head off on your next adventure!

Toy Creation - Term 3, Puke Ariki

Our next e-newsletter will be emailed to teachers and schools later this week, but we wanted to let you know about our exciting Term 3 programme Toy Creation.

We've had a great time in the office preparing this lesson - playing with toys has been a great excuse to be kids again!

Toy Creation will look at how toys have been traditionally made and how they work. What makes them move? What mechanics do they use? Students will get the chance to make a simple toy and consider technology concepts such as balance and energy. They'll also look at traditional toys on display in the museum, many of which you might recognise from your own childhood!

Anyone visiting the office can't resist playing with the woodpecker toy...

Toy Creation promises to be a fun, hands-on programme that everyone will enjoy (trust us, we've had fun making it!)

Email us for more information or book your class visit online.

Kura Liaison Network meeting - Wednesday 13 June, 4.00pm

Teachers and educational professionals are invited to attend our next Kura Liaision Network (KLN) meeting, scheduled for Wednesday 13 June.

The KLN is a group of teachers who meet each term at Puke Ariki to discuss upcoming programmes, focus areas and school needs. We value your input in how to make our Puke Ariki education programmes appealing and relevant to local schools, and welcome new members. We also provide a very yummy afternoon tea!

The meeting will begin in the Noel and Melva Yarrow Education Room (just off the Foyer) at Puke Ariki at 4.00pm. Please contact us to learn more.

Wild Foods

Wild Foods has been our 'hot topic' this term, with schools from around Taranaki visiting us to learn about the variety of natural food sources on land and at sea.

Frankley School recently visited us for Wild Foods - we hope you enjoyed yourselves!

Wild Foods is available for the rest of Term 2, and we have good availability towards the end of term. Book your class online.

We love to get your feedback!

We recently received some delightful feedback from Room 12 at Spotswood Primary. Along with several other classes from Spotswood, Room 12 visited us for a fun Treasures of the Sea programme. 

We enjoyed having you at Puke Ariki, Room 12 - come back and see us again soon!

Titokowaru's Dilemma

A new exhibition opened at Puke Ariki this week: Titokowaru's Dilemma.

 

Titokowaru’s Dilemma shines light into the murky world of myth making. Marian Maguire’s beautiful lithographs and etchings explore Taranaki history, challenging simplistic readings of the past by taking Riwha Tītokowaru and placing him with the gods and philosophers of ancient Greece, showing him in debates that have a timeless significance. The prints are complemented by items from the Puke Ariki heritage collection which expose some fertile gaps in the accounts surrounding Tītokowaru and his enemies;  gaps in which colourful myths have sprouted. This exhibition asks ‘What is myth?’, ‘What is history?’and ‘Who decides?’

This is a self-guided programme, of particular interest to secondary school teachers of art, history and classical studies.

Pigskins and Grass Stains

There's a fun new programme available at Aotea Utanganui for our South Taranaki schools.

You might remember the Puke Ariki exhibition It's Not Just a Game: Whanāu, Whakapapa, Whutupaoro, which was so popular with schools and visitors during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Now It's Not Just a Game is on show at Aotea Utanganui, and our educator Rob has developed a fantastic programme for schools in support of the exhibition.

Pigskins and Grass Stains will explore the history of rugby in Taranaki, and consider the social impact of rugby on the wider community. Students will have a fantastic time discovering more about the traditions and histories of this famous game.  It's available for all year levels and runs for 75 minutes.

Contact us to learn more or book online.

New programmes available at Puke Ariki

We delivered several one-off programmes last term, and enjoyed developing these lessons. We received fantastic feedback and would like to now offer these programmes to all schools in 2012:

Taranaki Detective Trail

Put on your detective hat to discover the unique Taranaki identities hidden in the museum. Who are our icons? Why are they famous?

Taranaki Tourism

See Taranaki through the eyes of a tourist. Visit the iSite and museum galleries to investigate key Taranaki tourist attractions.

Parihaka

An introduction to the history and legacies of Parihaka. Ideal for secondary students of history, art, drama and te reo Māori.

A full list of the current programmes are on the Puke Ariki website.

Upcoming education events at Puke Ariki

Stuck for something to do these holidays? The Puke Ariki education team is involved in a series of family friendly educational events. Bring your whole family along for some fun learning, offered in partnership with the Taranaki Regional Council.

Spaces are limited - we recommend you register early on 06 759 6060.

Coastal Birdtrackers
Wednesday 11 April, 9.00am-10.30am - meet outside Chaddy's Charters
Join educator Nathan Hills to consider the impact of urbanisation on coastal environments. Come and learn how to identify birdtracks! This event is weather dependent and may be cancelled due to bad weather.

Volcanic Taranaki
Thursday 19 April, 2.00pm, Opunake Library
Explore the geological history of Mt Taranaki and learn about some of the emergency procedures you should know when living under our very own volcano!

Safe Fun in the Sun
Saturday 21 April, 10.30am-12.00pm, Noel and Melva Yarrow Education Room, Puke Ariki
Margaret Amore presents a session on having fun in the water. Families will enjoy learning about different techniques for surviving in the sea. Please bring a hat and a towel!

Check out the Puke Ariki website for more information about school holiday events.

Bert Crenca on 'the Art of Community'

Check out this link for details of a free presentation by Umberto Crenca, the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of AS220, a non-profit centre for the arts in Providence, Rhode Island.

Umberto will visit Puke Ariki on Friday 13 April to discuss 'the mechanics of creating vibrant communities by providing space and tools for self realisation through self expression'.

The talk will be of special interest to arts organisations, youth organisations, educational institutions, artists and community development organisations. Puke Ariki will provide drinks and nibbles afterwards to allow for networking and meet & greet with Umberto.

 Please RSVP to pukearikiadmin@pukeariki.com or phone (06) 759 0894.

Join the Ruru Revolution!

Join the Ruru Revolution...and take over the museum!

This is your chance to make your mark in Puke Ariki. On Saturday 14 April we're running a special event, where you can create your own labels for items in the museum collection. What stories do you have to tell about the items in the museum? What memories or ideas do they evoke? This is your chance to tell the world!

It's simple...grab a Ruru post-it, write your own personalised label, stick it up for all to see and collect a gold Ruru badge. There will also be music, mask making, scavenger hunts, spot prizes and more!

Join us for this fun family event on Saturday 14 April from 11.00am-2.00pm in the Puke Ariki foyer. Be part of the revolution!

Term 2 programmes

It's hard to believe it's the nearly the end of term one already! We have two exciting new programmes available at Puke Ariki in Term 2: Wild Foods and Puke Ariki Pā.

In Wild Foods, students will discover a world without supermarkets and become a great food gatherer. They'll learn about the variety of natural food sources on land and water and develop an appreciation of the customs around gathering wild food.  Wild Foods compliments our very popular Tools and Traps programme.

Puke Ariki Pā will make you see the land that Puke Ariki sits on in a whole new light. The art of storytelling will make students aware of the significance of awa and moana in this area, while learning the origins of local Māori names and their connections to tangata whenua. If you've visited us for Model Pā you'll appreciate the links with this new programme.

Both programmes are adaptable for any year level. Please contact us for more information, or book your visit online today. We'd love to see you!

Researching Taranaki Identities

We've enjoyed recently working with students from Mangorei School on a Specially Tailored programme about 'Significant Taranaki Identities'.

Students discover the variety of research resources in the Taranaki Research Centre

The students were museum detectives, solving a series of clues that led through the museum galleries and exhibitions in search of photographs, objects and information about significant Taranaki identities such as Truby King, Chew Chong and Maui Pomare. The following week the classes returned to the Taranaki Research Centre, where students put their research and inquiry learning skills to work to discover information about their chosen Taranaki identity. 

See our earlier post about the fantastic 'Boostergrams' that Mangorei School sent after their visit.

Would your students enjoy a similar programme during your next visit to Puke Ariki? Contact us for more information.

Maui dolphin sightings

Did you visit us last year for our Save Our Species programme, which focused on the endangered Maui Dolphin? If so, you'll be interested in this video and news item featuring four Maui Dolphins swimming off the bow of a boat off the Waikato Coast. It's amazing to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat!

Thanks from Mangorei School

We received a lovely surprise in the mail today: two 'boostergrams' from students in Room 8 at Mangorei School, New Plymouth.

Mangorei School senior students are working with us on a specially tailored programme designed to help identify and research significant Taranaki people. The lesson involved an investigative hunt through the museum, linking special museum objects to important Taranaki identities, and researching those identities in the Taranaki Research Centre.

Thanks for your feedback, Room 8 - we're so glad you had a fantastic and exciting time learning and researching at Puke Ariki.

Teacher feedback

We love getting feedback from teachers after their visit to Puke Ariki. We appreciate the comments we get about our programmes - what you liked, what was memorable, what could work differently, and how your students reacted.

 Teacher feedback: students were excited, involved and [the programme] stimulated their curiosity

We'd also love to feature student work inspired by your visit to us. Please email us any photos or examples of work that you'd like to share.

Here's some of our 2012 teacher feedback. Do you have anything you'd like to add from your visit?

• Excellent simple understanding for my age group. Children very engaged. Simple easy descriptions for children to use.
• Quality 'wow' factor to begin our unit. 
• All really. Lovely clear presentation. Important information clearly given, revisited.
• [Student reaction:] wonderment and awe.
• Engaged. The value of this session will be realised throughout the term. Great lead in.
• Well prepared, actively involved the students, gave students concepts about the creatures, size, life / eating adaptation.

First lesson of 2012 at Puke Ariki

We welcomed students from Marfell Community School on Monday. They were our first two classes of the 2012 year - and what a fun, thought provoking start to the year it was!

Puke Ariki educator Erin developed a specially tailored programme focusing on 'Mind, Body and Soul', a topic that two Marfell classes were studying in the classroom.

Check out the photos from this visit on the Puke Ariki Facebook page ('like' us for updates, news, and happenings at Puke Ariki).

Thanks for visiting us, Marfell - we hope to see you again soon!

Do you have a class or school wide focus and would like to visit Puke Ariki as part of your unit? Contact us to discuss.

Tools and Traps - all year

One of our most requested programmes in 2011 was Tools and Traps. Tools and Traps is a fantastic hands-on lesson, where students experiment with a variety of stone and wooden tools to explore how natural resources were used to cook, catch and gather food. It's a highly interactive lesson, and students are given opportunites to be creative, solve problems, and think 'outside the square'.

Students work out how to move a heavy stone into a flax kete, only using sticks (and their brains!)

Due to the popularity of Tools and Traps, we've added it to our 2012 programmes, and it's available all year. Contact us to make a booking.

Notebook - Term 1, 2012

The Notebook update for Term 1, 2012 was emailed to Taranaki schools this week, as well as to teachers on our e-database. Notebook provides Taranaki teachers and principals with a quick update of Puke Ariki education programmes and news, and highlights particular activities or initatives of interest in the coming term.

You can read the latest copy on the Puke Ariki website, as well as back issues from 2011.

Toy Creation - Term 3

Check out these cute little creatures, currently residing in the education office. They're part of the fabulously fun and entertaining programme Toy Creation, offered at Puke Ariki in Term 3.

These wooden push-up toys are part of the hands-on activities for students in Toy Creation.

Toy Creation focuses on the art of making toys. Students will examine how toys were traditionally made, how they work, and explore the concepts of balance, movement and different energies. With lots of traditional wooden toys to touch, play and work with, this programme promises to be as much fun for the teachers as the students!

We're taking bookings for Toy Creation and our other Term 3 programmes now - contact us for more information or book your class online.

Our collection of wooden toys is getting a lot of feedback from our colleagues. What was your favourite childhood toy? Let us know - you may see it included in Toy Creation...

Anne Frank: a History for Today

A special touring exhibition opens at Puke Ariki in February. Anne Frank: A History of Today tells the life story of Anne Frank family, juxtaposed against world events before, during and after the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.

Anne Frank

Anne Frank: a History for Today has toured galleries and museums throughout New Zealand since 2010, and we're thrilled that it will be exhibiting at Puke Ariki.

The educational programme for Anne Frank is a self-guided lesson. Excellent pre and post visit supporting material, as well as an exhibition guide, is available online. While this lesson is self-guided (teacher-led rather than by a Puke Ariki educator), we do request you book with us to avoid clashes with other groups.  

Have you visited this exhibition elsewhere in New Zealand? What did you think?

Transport us...to Aotea Utanganui

Did you know that Puke Ariki has an educator based at Aotea Utanganui, Museum of South Taranaki? Rob Groat offers a variety of interactive educational programmes at the newly reopened Aotea Utanganui in Patea, working with primary and secondary schools throughout South Taranaki.

Check out Rob's programmes here or contact Rob to discuss a programme that suits your needs.

Rob checks out a Suzuki RG400 currently on display in the Aotea Utanganui exhibition Easy Rider.

Easy Rider is the new exhibition at Aotea Utanganui featuring a fascinating collection of historic bicycles, motorcycles, photographs and memorabilia, including items from the Aotea Utanganui collection. The supporting educational programme is Transport Us, which examines the history of different types of transport in South Taranaki. Transport Us is adaptable for all ages and year levels and is an excellent complement to Easy Rider. 

Contact us to make a booking for Transport Us or any other programme.

Treasures of the Sea

Happy New Year! We're looking forward to a busy, fun and energetic 2012 as we work together with Taranaki schools on the Puke Ariki LEOTC programme.

Term 1 is filling up quickly for bookings for the new lesson titled Treasures of the Sea. Students will learn about some of the more fascinating creatures of the sea - such as the sea star and octopus - and will discover why these animals are unique. Several schools have planned their visit to coincide with Seaweek (March 3-11), and we do still have a few spaces available during this week.

What is it that makes these sea creatures so special? Find out in Treasures of the Sea (Term 1 at Puke Ariki).

Have you booked a visit with us for 2012 yet? We'd love to see you! The early weeks of Term 1 are filling up quickly, so please  contact us to make a booking or check out our 2012 programmes online.