The Moa
The brown-feathered bird stared down, studying her like prey. She wanted to run, to escape the terrifying gaze. The bird stepped back on its large clawed feet, keeping its small eyes on her. Ahorangi felt trapped beneath the glare, as if the bird were suffocating her, as if its claws were already scratching at her throat.
About this resource
Series: School Journal Level 4 November 2017
Learning area: English
Category: Fiction
Topics: change, conservation, decisions, Elsie Locke Writing Prize, environment, Māori, metaphor, moa, responsibility, student writing, whānau
The Moa
Words by Lucy Buchanan
Illustrations by Elliemay Logan
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More from this series
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School Journal Level 4 November 2017
Inside this School Journal are five stories (The Fight; The Moa; The Steamer; The Universe in the Spare Room; and Wind Chimes); one poem (My Sister and I); and two articles (Keeping promises: The Treaty settlement process; Skiing in Afghanistan).
1 of 8Skiing in Afghanistan
"Want to go skiing in Afghanistan?" my friend Heidi asked. "Afghanistan?" I said. Wasn’t it one of the most dangerous countries in the world? The stories in the news weren’t good – frequent attacks against locals and foreigners, violence a fact of daily life ... Did I really want to go there? I said...
2 of 8The Fight
Robbie shouldn’t have laughed. I can feel the change in atmosphere. It’s like a hot day with thunderclouds on the way.
3 of 8The Steamer
They sat on the shoreline, surrounded by bleached driftwood, and watched the steamer drift across the lake.
4 of 8The Universe in the Spare Room
The universe in the spare room was unhappy.
5 of 8Wind Chimes
“Wind Chimes” continues the dystopian theme of “Hushed”. The protagonists, Tre and Muse, are on the run.
6 of 8Keeping Promises - The Treaty Settlement Process
This article provides an accessible introduction to the Treaty settlement process. The content covers events from 1840, when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, through to the present day.
7 of 8My Sister and I
"The Auckland-based poet Leilani Tamu remembers aspects of her childhood in this autobiographical poem. She looks back on the experiences that were a familiar part of her upbringing when she and her sister spent time with their dad.
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