Describing a taniwha
To create a taniwha, your students will need a blank page and a set of number cards with the numbers one to nine on them. A template for these cards is on resource sheet 6.1. Invite a student to select a card from the pack to determine (for example) how many wings to put on the taniwha. You could say:
| Maori vocabulary | English translation |
|---|---|
| E hia ngā parirau? | How many wings? |
| E toru ngā parirau. | Three wings. |
Now invite another student to select a card to see how many legs to put on the taniwha.
| Maori vocabulary | English translation |
|---|---|
| E hia ngā waewae? | How many legs? |
| E waru ngā waewae. | Eight legs. |
Draw your first taniwha together as a class. Then get the students to create their own taniwha, drawing numeral cards to find out the number of legs, wings, claws, and so on to draw. At a sharing-back session afterwards, get them to describe their taniwha using the numbers in te reo Maori.