The Battle of the Mountains

L.I. -         Retell the story of the Battle of the Mountains

        Relate the Maori legend to our factual research about landforms

        Understand the part our landform has in the school production

Re-read the story in pairs and complete the activities below:

CLOSE ACTIVITY:

The restless Mountain hovered nearby, each preparing to claim Pihanga as his bride.  But Tongariro stood in their way.  Tongariro, the tuakana, the rival, watched, his eyes steady as each of the eldest mountains stepped up and issued their challenge.  Then with the formalities over, the way began!

over, eldest, mountains, rival, bride

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Find definitions for these words from the story.  Use them in a sentence.

  • fragrant having a pleasure smell
  • tension the state of being 
  • careered move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way
  • retaliating make an attack or assault for a similar attack
  • diverted course someone to change courses or turn one direction to another
  • agile You’re able to move quickly and easily
  • gouged make a rough hole
  • transfixing courses to become motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment
  • resentment when you get angry because you have been treated unfairly

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

  • Remember - List all of the landforms mentioned in this story.

         Mt Tongariro, Mt Taranaki, Mt Tauhara, Mt Putauaki and Mt Pihanga.

  • Understand - What would be a better title for the story?  It needs to attract the audience and tell what the story is about.

          The love of Pihanga

  • Apply - On a map of the North Island label all of the landforms from your list.

          Waikato river, Mt Tongariro, Mt Taranaki, Mt Pihanga,      

  • Analyse -  Look up the definition of a legend.  In what ways does this story fit or not fit the definition.

          The definition of the legend means to have a traditional story , AND THE

          WORD FITS WITH THIS STORY BECAUSE THIS STORY IS TRADITIONAL

  • Evaluate - What do you think the two youngest mountains Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe thought about the events in the story? IT ISN’T REALLY ENJOYABLE TO DO.

CREATE ACTIVITY

Choose 5 main events and draw pictures of them, either on paper or using tux paint.  Insert these into comic life to make a comic strip of the story.  Don’t forget to add captions, speech bubbles and onomatopoeia to your comic.