LISTEN.

Can you hear that?

CUT audio at 48 seconds.

WHERE IS KIRIBATI?

As a class, students use a globe, wall map or digital application such as Google Earth to find:

o the Pacific Islands

o where Kiribati is located within this region.

o how far away they are from Kiribati.

WHAT IS KIRIBATI LIKE?

Share Nei Kinoia’s images/video of Kiribati

o As students engage with the images/video, they can play the game, “See it! Say it!”; that

is, when students see something they recognise, they put their hand up and verbally

identify it. For example, “I see the ocean!”

At the start of or during the lesson or at another time convenient time in the day let each student
taste of coconut water and/or share with students what a coconut looks and feels like (allergies considered):
o Explain to students that there are coconut trees everyone in Kiribati, coconut water is a common drink.
o Discuss what it tastes like and if they have tried it before.
o Discuss how they think the Kiribati people collect the coconuts from the tree and break open the hard coconut shell.
Themes: We use the things we have in reach; We are surrounded by ocean
Read postcard 3 from Nei Kinoia to understand Kiribati’s unique geographical features
o Image on postcard is ground level of Kiribati
o Required – link to geographical photos/images of Kiribati (the water, coconut tree etc)

WHICH WAY IS WHICH?

Themes: We are surrounded by ocean

Show students a real compass or on a digital application. Ask students:

What is it?
What it used for? Introduce the word, “navigation”.
How does it work?

As a class or in small groups in the classroom or playground, use a compass to work out which way is north, south, east and west.

Introduce an acronym such as Never Eat Soggy Weet-bix as an easy way for students to remember the four directions of the compass (North, South, East and West).

Referring to the representation of Kiribati you are creating as a class from Pre-episode 1 Learning experience 3:

explain that the geographical features of Kiribati define Kiribati people’s sense of direction: Lagoon side, South side, Ocean side and North side (link to footage of “Ocean and Lagoon side”).
mark Lagoon side, South side, Ocean side and North side on your map/representation of Kiribati and on each wall of the classroom (check is Ocean and Lagoon side equivalent to West or East)
invite students to create their own acronym to remember the different directions (Lagoon side, South side, Ocean side and North side) that will take during ‘The Flying Canoe’

BUILDING YOUR CANOE

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

Well, lots of people in Kiribati do!

A big part of Kiribati culture is the belief and respecting of magic and spirits. It is part of the foundation of why Kiribati is so unique and has a rich culture that is still alive today.

For as long as Kiribati has been around, the stories of magic and spirits have been there. These stories and beliefs guide how Kiribati people live, solve problems, find food, create art, music and dance, and also travel safely between atolls.

This magic and the spirits are deeply connected to the land and the ocean. Spirits hold stories and people respect these stories to guide their interaction with the land, ocean, sky and community. The spirits vary from atoll to atoll and when visiting, it is expected that the spirits and custom of that land is respected.

Different kinds of magic is passed down through family members which means that some families specialise in canoe-building magic, while others specialise in song-making magic. There is magic for navigation, love, health, architecture, performance, food and many other things that are part of every day life.

When you put this all together, it forms a community of people who hold special skills and knowledge for different needs as well as ensuring that their interactions with the land, sea and sky are always respectful.

It is part of every day life in Kiribati.