Māori Myths and Legends - Fantail Craft

The fantail (pīwakawaka) features in many Māori myths and legends. This craft activity can be used for any of the stories (or alternatively, for a study on New Zealand birds).

Students write or draw on the tail fan and then attach it to the bird. You can add as many tail fans as you wish.

Two Options:
♦ Attach the tail fan(s) to a bird that has been cut out.
♦ Attach the tail fan(s) to a bird that is on a sheet of paper (you will probably need a long-armed stapler for this option).

Two Sets of Templates:
♦ Fantail facing right.
♦ Fantail facing left.

Writing / Drawing Suggestions:
♦ Write facts about fantails.
♦ Draw your favourite part of the story.
♦ Give the story a rating out of 10 and give a reason.
♦ Write about the story (plot, setting, characters, message, etc).
♦ Draw a fantail and add labels.
♦ Write about where you’d like to fly to if you were a fantail.
♦ Write vocabulary from the story (English / Te Reo).

The tail fans are completely blank (no lines for writing). If you would like lines, then I suggest you draw some before photocopying.

Designed on A4 size paper.
Approximate size when cut out is 23cm by 16cm.

The Templates (right and left facing):
♦ Bird with page border, tree branches and the word ‘pīwakawaka’.
♦ Bird.
♦ 1x feather tail fan and 1x blank tail fan.
♦ 2 x feather tail fans.
♦ 2 x blank tail fans.

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© Suzanne Welch Teaching Resources