Topic File B: The whale rider

This Topic File accompanies the film «Whale Rider». Pupils will get to know Pai, a young girl from New Zealand who challenges the past and finds hope in the future. They will hear about how she stands up agains a thousand years of tradition. They will learn about some of the customs and the traditions of the Maoris, the indigenous people of New Zealand.

Pupils ...

  • watch extracts from the film «Whale Rider»
  • find out about the Maoris of New Zealand
  • discuss role models in Maori society and in other communities

They also ...

  • read a traditional mythical story of the Maoris
  • write comments about the film
  • organise a Whale Rider event

They practise and consolidate ...

  • the vocabulary of the topic of indigenous people
  • the use of «many, lots of, a lot of, some, a few»
  • the use of modal verbs such as «should» and «will»

 


Link to Whale rider film website

Wikipedia article about The Whale rider