In Year 2, as a part of our Inquiry this term, we looked at our school House names and their significance. Not only did we try to learn the proper pronunciation of the Maori words, but we also found out about the history behind the names.
We are told “The Great Fleet” of Polynesian settlers set out from Hawaiki around 1350. Legend states that there were 8 great waka travelling to Aotearoa. Our School House groups are named after four of these: Tainui, Aotea, Takitimu and Tokomaru.
Because all learning needs to be celebrated and needs to be fun as well, we decided to build our own boats, using different materials and original designs. Children had to choose their own materials, design and build the boats and then try them on the water.
Surprisingly, most of the boats stayed afloat even after we loaded them with weights. So maybe we have found the next generation of boat designers for America’s Cup!
