Taniwha by Monique and Pātaka Moore is an informative non-fiction text that introduces students to taniwha and their important place within te ao Māori. The text explains that taniwha can take many forms and often live in lakes, rivers, and the sea, where they act as kaitiaki, protecting people and places.

Through clear explanations and well-known stories, the text explores how taniwha guide waka, protect the environment, and provide signs when something is wrong. It helps students understand that taniwha are deeply connected to Māori beliefs, values, and relationships with the natural world. The text encourages respect for waterways and introduces the idea that caring for the environment is a shared responsibility.

The text is ideal for integrated learning across literacy and social sciences, supporting students to build cultural knowledge, develop understanding of guardianship, and explore how stories communicate values and beliefs in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This pack contains a range of structured literacy activities including

• Spelling rules ck / dge / drop the e / y as a consonant or vowel
• Sounds of -ed
• Exploring parts of language - adverbs, adjectives, nouns, verbs etc
• Doubling or not when adding -ing, -ed
• Floss rules
• Compound words
• Identifying and naming suffixes
• Identifying and naming prefixes
• Vowel teams
• Root words
• Controlling 'r'
• Diagraphs
• Schwa words
• Ghost diagraphs
• -oo- and -oo- / -au and -ow / 
• Hard and soft c and g
• Common subordinating conjunctions
• And much more!!

Curriculum Phase: Phase 2
Year Level: Year 4

English (NZC Levels 2–3): reading for meaning, identifying key ideas, building vocabulary, understanding informational texts, linking ideas across paragraphs, responding to Māori perspectives

Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand Histories: Māori beliefs and storytelling, kaitiakitanga, relationships between people and the environment, cultural identity, respect for place

Text type: Non-fiction, cultural explanation, informational article

Key words include: taniwha, kaitiaki, kaitiakitanga, te ao Māori, Māori stories, guardianship, rivers, lakes, oceans, environment, protection, beliefs, values, cultural identity, Māori perspectives, Aotearoa New Zealand, waka, signs, respect for nature, caring for waterways, storytelling, traditions