"The Long Pause", Connected, Level 3 – Shifting Views, November 2019
14 November 2019
This article explores the mystery of the long pause between the two major periods of Pacific migration. It shows how the development of new transport technology may have given the Polynesian people the advantage they needed to migrate further.
It demonstrates how the science of archaeology can be used to explain and understand the world.
You can find the article and the teaching notes here:
"The Long Pause", Connected, Level 3 – Shifting Views, November 2019
Other useful resources
- "Tupaia: Master Navigator", School Journal, Level 3, August 2019 – This journal article discusses the story of Tupaia, a navigator and high priest from the island of Rā‘iātea.
- “Painted Hoe”, School Journal, Level 2, June 2018 – This journal article discusses several different kinds of waka.
- Waka hourua described as a floating classroom – This audio file talks about the waka hourua built by the Tairāwhiti Waka Voyaging Trust in Gisborne.
Discussion questions
These could be class discussions with teacher guidance.
- Just as today people make drones in response to societal and environmental issues, so too did the Polynesian builders develop waka hourua in response to their societal and environmental issues of their time. What were some of the possible environmental and societal issues that drove the development of the waka hourua?
- How do you think that the societal and/or environmental issues that drove the development of the original waka hourua would differ to those that drove the development of the waka hourua built by the Tairāwhiti Waka Voyaging Trust?
- How do you think the Polynesians undertook planning, selecting resources, making, and testing their waka hourua? How did this process differ for the Tairāwhiti Waka Voyaging Trust waka hourua?
- What knowledge did Polynesian builders of the original waka hourua identify as useful to build a successful waka?
- What knowledge did the members of the Tairāwhiti Waka Voyaging Trust see as useful to build their waka hourua?
- Why have the waka hourua changed over time?
- How has the development of waka hourua impacted on the natural and social world over time?
Indicators of progression for discussion starters
| Component | Indicator | Level |
| Characteristics of technology |
| 3 |