TUI STREET HEROESTEACHERS’ NOTES

1. PRE-WRITING ACTIVITY
In ‘The Very Beginning’, Ms Brennan, the student teacher, uses the obstacle course to show the students theshape of the Hero’s Journey. Show students a simple plot pyramid on
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=freytag%27s+pyramid&FORM=HDRSC2
you can choose one without any words so that they can simply visualize it.
Go outside to use an obstacle course or tree or some other structure that involves climbing up and down. Getstudents to climb the Hero’s Journey. Use the language Ms Brennan uses, e.g. ‘We are beginning in the ordinaryworld. Adventure calls you to climb up this ladder/rope/tree. Now you are facing the challenge of climbing andtrying to get to the top. The top is the most difficult challenge called a ‘climax’. You have beaten the challenge,
the most dangerous/exciting bit. Now, you begin the return, back down to the ordinary world.’
Back in the classroom, see if the students can name each part on the pyramid, using the titles Ms Brennan used:
The Beginning in the Ordinary World, Adventure Calls, The Challenges, The Most Difficult Challenge/Climax, The
Return to the Ordinary World. They can draw their own plot pyramid and label it.
2. SKY COUNTRY
Use the plot pyramid to trace Ella’s journey with Tim, Jack and Lucy. Get the students to tell you which parts of thestory would go where on the pyramid.
Writing activity: Imagine NZ no longer allows visitors into the country. One person manages to get into NZ. Youand your friends discover this illegal person. Write a story about this. Think about these questions: How would
NZ stop people getting in? Why would the NZ government decide not to let visitors in? Who is the person who
secretly entered NZ and how did they get in? How did you and your friends discover this person who has entered
the country illegally? What happens now? Think about difficulties and challenges that face you all and how thesewill be solved at the end.
Writing activity: Write the next chapter of Sky Country. What happened in Sky Country after the Tui Street kids left
and the sky-hole was nailed shut by George’s mum and dad? What happens to the Fee-Fies? Does anyone open
the sky-hole up again?
Read the story of the Battle of the Sea Birds and Land Birds to the class. You’ll need to simplify the language
though, as it’s too difficult for primary and intermediate-aged students. Here’s the link:
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-TreRace-t1-body-d6-d1-d3.html
Get students to write a poem or song lyrics, pretending they are one of the birds and telling the story from thebird’s point of view.
ART IDEA: Draw a picture of the Battle of the Land and Sea Birds.
ANOTHER ART IDEA: Have a look at the different types of tapa cloth from Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. Students candraw/paint one of the designs to go on the classroom wall.

3. THE MOUNTAIN’S SECRETUse the plot pyramid to trace Pesi’s journey with the Tui Street kids. Get the students to tell you which parts of thestory would go where on the pyramid.
WRITING ACTIVITY: Imagine you are Kuri, the ancient Māori dog. Write about how you came to be the last of
your species. Was it because you have some sort of magical power? Was a magical spell placed on you? How did
you get caught by Lula? Tell us the whole story of what happened before the Tui Street kids found you.
WRITING ACTIVITY: Write what happened to Lula after the taniwhasaurus threw her up into the air.
SIMILES: Ms Brennan has told the class to try to use similes. Get the class to look closely at pages 91 and 92,
where Pesi is thinking about similes. Discuss Pesi’s similes. Get the class to look over their previous two writing
activities to see if they can put a simile in somewhere to make it more interesting.
RESEARCH: The otters in this story are based on stories of ancient otters that apparently used to live in NZ. See
this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitoreke Can you find out about other ancient NZ species that are now
extinct? Maybe you could share your findings with the class. If you can, make a slideshow, such as a Prezi or Powerpoint, about this creature. You could show this to the class.
RESEARCH: Are there protected mountains in NZ? Find out about one. Is there a Māori legend linked to it?
ART IDEAS: Draw/paint a moment from ‘The Mountain’s Secret’ to go on your classroom wall.
4. STANDING STONE
Use the plot pyramid to trace Louie’s journey with the Tui Street kids and by himself. Get the students to tell you
which parts of the story would go where on the pyramid.
WRITING ACTIVITY: Write a standing stone story of your own. Imagine you have found a standing stone in yourbackyard or somewhere in your street. What magical power does the standing stone have? What challenges happen because of this magical power? How do you or your character solve these challenges?
WRITING ACTIVITY: Imagine you find fairies somewhere in the school grounds. Maybe they are in a classroom
or living under a bush or somewhere else you can think of. Write a story about this. Are they safe, friendly fairies
or are they a danger to people in the school? What challenges do they cause? How do these challenges become
solved at the end?
RESEARCH: Find another Irish or Scottish fairy legend. You can search these on the internet or look in your school
library. Share what you have found with the class.
RESEARCH: Find a standing stone or circle of standing stones on the internet or in a book in the library. Share thisinformation with the class.
ART IDEA: Draw/paint a standing stone you have researched.
ART IDEA: Draw/paint an Irish or Scottish fairy or a fairy from another culture. You could find out about the Māori
fairy, called a ‘patupaiarehe’ and draw that.
5. THE VERY END
Ask students if they are happy with ‘The Very End’ of ‘Tui Street Heroes’. Is there something else they would have
liked to have happen at the very end of the book? Why?
Read a story to the class. Ask them to write a different ending. You could brainstorm ideas first.
Teachers’ notes written by Anne Kayes.

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