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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

2012 programme highlights

As the school year comes to an end, we thought it a good time to remind you of the fantastic LEOTC programmes available at Puke Ariki and Aotea Utanganui in 2012.

Don't forget you can book online - it takes 2-3 minutes and we'll email you to confirm. Easy as that!

Some of our Term 1 highlights are:

Anne Frank - A History for Today: a touring exhibition of the story of Anne Frank and the Holocaust. This is a self-guided lesson only (with excellent online resources) but we request you book with us to avoid clashes with other groups.

Treasures of the Sea: discover what's unique about a variety of New Zealand sea creatures, including the whale, shark, octopus and starfish. A great complement to your Seaweek studies (3-11 March).

Treasures of the Sea: Term 1 at Puke Ariki

Words in Wood: Discover the stories of our ancestors through the carvings and tukutuku panels of Aotea Utanganui.

Mounga Taranaki: students will discover the historic significance of Mount Taranaki, how volcanic activity created the mountain and how its natural resources have been used.

Check out the rest of our 2012 programmes here. We look forward to seeing you in 2012!

Mutunga: our legacy, our challenge, our future

Mutunga: our legacy, our challenge, our future is the new exhibition at Puke Ariki. Mutunga tells a story of the North Taranaki iwi, Ngāti Mutunga, who have maintained their iwi through war, mass migration, land confiscation and wholesale changes to their world.

This exhibition brings together, for the first time, a collection of historical and contemporary taonga, manuscripts, paintings and artworks that help tell the story of the people. Walk into a world seen through Ngāti Mutunga eyes - a world largely inaccessible to those without tribal connections.

We're offering an education programme for Mutunga in Term 1 next year, This is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the long and proud history of this Taranaki iwi.  Book your class online or contact us for further details.

2012 Programme

The 2012 LEOTC programme is live on the Puke Ariki website! A copy was sent to all Taranaki schools this week, and emailed to teachers on our e-database. (Don't have a copy? Email us and we'll send you one!)

The programme details all the exciting programmes available next year at Puke Ariki and Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki, and we're already taking bookings from schools for 2012. (You can also book a class visit online - it's quick and easy, we promise!).

Hands-on activities: students get up close and personal with a garden snail during a recent 'Slimy & Legless' programme.

Teachers - don't forget to check out our supporting programmes - including museum objects for loan to schools, educator visits to school camps, special Puke Ariki teacher orientations, and professional development opportunities.

2012 programme - hot off the press

We're happy to announce that our 2012 programme will be sent to all Taranaki schools this week. What do you think of the front cover?

We'll also email the programme to teachers on our e-database. If you'd like to receive a copy in your inbox, please contact us with your details.

The programme will also be available to view on the Puke Ariki website.