2021 Whānau Wai and Whānau Puna trips to Mangere Mountain

Whānau Wai and Whānau Puna trips to Mangere Mountain, March 2021.
As part of their science, social science and history learning this term Whānau Wai and Whānau Puna visited Mangere Mountain. Their visit included a BIG climb to the top of the mountain, sharing their mihi, looking at and feeling the cold basalt and comparing it to the warm scoria, discovering rocks that had come from the middle of a volcano as well as looking down into the crater and beyond at all the other volcanoes! They wove flax bracelets, found out about old gardening tools and saw the rua where the kumara were stored, they had a go at sharpening river stones to make an axe and used shells to smooth out a strong branch for the handle. They had a go at tititōrea (Māori stick games) and of course enjoyed a great bus trip across Auckland! What a day each group had - so much fun and authentic learning: seeing and touching, thinking, wondering and discovering!

Quotes from Whānau Puna tamariki
Armand - I enjoyed it so, so much because I learned about things that I didn’t know existed. I liked making a flax bracelet. It was a little tricky.
Karlia - I found out that Mangere Mountain is extinct. I thought it was still erupting!


Quotes from Whānau Wai tamariki
Mia - I learned how the people who loved on Mangere Mountain grew kumara. They made mud piles up to their knees. Then they put warm scoria rocks on top to trick the kumara into thinking it was a tropical island, so it was easy for the kumara to grow.
Oliver - I loved seeing the different rocks - basalt and scoria. There was a crumb bomb and a bread crust bomb. These are lava bombs made when the volcano erupted 79000 years ago.
Milan – I liked the bus ride through the long tunnel because there were lots of colourful lights. It made me think about my Nan because I love her.