Beth, one of Ponderosa's community helpers and her husband, Dave, came to teach all of the first graders about New Zealand today! Thank you Beth and Dave for donating your time and talents and sharing your knowledge and expertise with the Ponderosa First Graders!
The children came up with 2 Learning Targets for the day.
Learning Target: I can state 3 facts about New Zealand.
I can tell the 2 landmasses of New Zealand.
New Zealand Flag
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises of two main landmasses-that of the North and South Islands-and numerous smaller islands.
The silver fern flag is any flag design that incorporates a silver fern, and is usually a white-silver fern on a black background. The silver fern motif is associated with New Zealand, and a silver fern flag may be used as an unofficial flag of New Zealand. The silver fern itself is a quasi-national emblem, being used for various official symbols, including the coat of arms of New Zealand and the New Zealand one dollar coin. A number of New Zealand sports teams, such as the Cricket team, the Silver Ferns, and the All Blacks use similar silver fern flags as a part of their official merchandise.
Those who venture into the mountain to go hiking in New Zealand will know about the Kea Parrot! Their raucous cries of "keeaa" often give away the presence of these highly social and inquisitive birds. If one leaves their shoes out overnight-shoelaces may be missing from your shoes in the morning. These birds are known to humans as having mischievous behavior.
The Haka is a traditional ancestral war dance or challenge from the Maori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group with vigorous movements and stomping of the feet with rhythmic chanting. The New Zealand rugby team named the All Blacks who practice performing the Haka before their matches which has made this dance widely know around the world. The hope of the dance is that it will frighten the opponent!