Prior to reading the text:
Looking in the title and the facial expressions in the images.
What do roles you think the students are undertaking in the story?
The four kids were looking or searching for something suspicious.
Share any experiences (actual or from reading) of solving a mystery.
When I noticed my favourite shoes were gone, I knew someone stole them. I looked inside my room and in the garage. As I walked in the garage I saw my brother. He said he didn't do it But I didn't say anything. That’s how I know it was him........
What do detectives do? How do they solve a mystery?
Look for clues, footprints. They search stuff with their tools like mystery glasses. Detectives interviews people see if they could find out some information.
What do you know about the threats to the survival of plants or animals?
Plant’s could die if they have not enough water to drink or sunshine.
Animals will die if they haven't eaten in years or they will be eaten by other animals.
(This can include examples where the needs and habitat of one species has threatened another, such as possums or deer in native forests.
Species in forest would have to kill another to help themselves survive. They could even hunt for them. Species likes to kill,threat,eat anything that is alive.
WALT- Show a developing understanding of text structures.
Making connections:
What knowledge of nature and animals in their natural habitat can you think of to help you decide what could happen to the bird?
An animal might die and suffocate in a squishy area or something very sharp that could kill them.
What does “its chances were slim” mean? When have you heard this expression in a different context?
A slight chance/small chance
Like “There is a small chance that I will arrive on Monday, but Tuesday is more likely.”
Why did they “need” to make a decision?
Save The Bird/Don’t save it.
What facts did they consider when making their decision?
Taking the bird to Rebecca's house to find out what is wrong with the bird.
Was this the best decision? Why do you think that?
Yes/Because Rebecca loves birds and she would be likely to save it’s life.
What new information have you learned about the parapara trees?
Parapara tree’s are very sticky and could kill small birds like waxeyes and fantails. Around 15 years ago the Parapara tree’s were popular as pot plants.
How do you think the trees might have got to the reserve?
Some people have Parapara tree’s in their houses when they were as tiny, but when Parapara tree’s were big they would have taken it out into their gardens.
Read about the Wellington City Council removing fully-grown pine trees so that native rata could be planted on the hills. Some people were not happy about that.
They were sad for the trees, but it’s much better for the birds. People had started to notice fewer birds in the reserve. So it will change now because the problem’s been solved.
Tell us about any similar examples in our area. Why would councils do this?
So it would be much better for the community.
Does it matter whether trees in reserves are native? Why do you think that?
Yes. Because there could be any sort of tree’s in the area.
In this article, the death of the birds makes the situation more urgent. What do you think might happen next?
These birds might as well die.
