Navigating the Matariki Star Cluster
Platform
Bee-Bot
Blue-Bot
Duration
1 lesson
Resources
Differentiation
Use the awesome, free printables from AHO Creative, or let students create their own designs for each of the whetū of Matariki.
Make it more of a game, where students have to race to each star and match their destination with the knowledge and connections significant for each one.
Extension
Break into groups and assign whetū for them to do more extensive research/reporting on, in order to present to the class when the bot reaches their star.
Relate certain knowledge or real-world scenarios, and challenge ākonga to write a program that navigates their bot directly to the most relevant whetū.
About Activity
This activity invites ākonga to get to know the nine stars of the Matariki cluster by touring their ‘night sky’ using Blue/Bee-Bots to navigate the stars on a grid using basic programming.
Connect the activity with the seasonal celebration of Matariki, to expand students’ understanding of the stars, the culture, and the lunar new year. Support your tamariki to relate to the knowledge held in each of the nine stars and to the reflections on the year past and the year ahead. Mānawatia a Matariki!
Activity Guide
Matariki Stars — Free Printables, by AHO
Matariki & Puanga — Poster and Printables, adapted from Playcentre
