Description

Oceania, is an anomaly in terms of the standard continent.  This one has more ocean than land.  The regions linked under this one umbrella, Oceania,  includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.  Covering the South and Pacific Oceans, this continent is a lot smaller than any of the others.

The range of stories told about this continent will inspire, fascinate and encourage you to find out more.  Take a journey through your mind’s eye.  Imagine growing up as a member of the Melanesian people.  They range from the island of New Guinea and down to Tonga.  Their forebears emigrated to these islands, from Africa, between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago.  Alternatively, as a member of the Maori people, you receive your first tattoo when you are very young, continuing the cultural traditions of their artwork.

Children love to learn about how others live, what they do and eat.  Stories reveal ideas, beliefs and facts about others.  They prompt a thirst in you, to explore and experience for yourself.  The Oceania Continent, image and fact cards offer a structure for the teacher.  S/he can weave stories behind the images and facts.  These provide a means for children to experience what others experience.  Developing an understanding as to why their friends worship as they do or follow different traditions to themselves.  Or why they look and sound different to them.  For the first time, the Child encounters diversity with meaning and understanding.  This activity widens our children’s knowledge and awareness of others, allowing them the opportunity to grow their understanding of the world:

Contents: of the Oceania Continent Cards

42 Image cards stored and displayed in a clear acrylic holder for storage or story-telling.

The image cards, accompanied by fact cards for the teacher, consist of the following, with examples of facts:

• Indigenous peoples (5 cards)

  what are the Aboriginal Australian  peoples religious beliefs? what does the meaning of the Micronesian peoples name mean?  the Maori people come from which island?  their earliest inhabitants used to eat a certain bird as their staple food, what was this bird called and why don’t we hear about it in today’s world?

• Types of homes (4 cards)

the Aboriginal Australians have a special name for the temporary homes they build when they are on the move, what was it called and how are they constructed? would you like to live in such a house?

• Natural wonders (5 cards)

what is the largest reef in the world called?  It is home to the fish that Disney used in their animated movie called “Finding Nemo”, what is the real name of this fish? what is the Lady Knox Geyser?  scientists have found a way to make the Geyser erupt at the same time everyday, how did they achieve this?

• Man-made wonders (5 cards)

the Taputapuatea Marae, an area of great religious and political significance for the Polynesian people is a meeting place.  Historically, who did the Polynesians believe would meet here and what does the site look like?  the Me’ae Iipana has 18 stone sculptures what are they called and how big can they be?

• Animals (6 cards)

the Kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand, can this bird fly?  do they have feathers?  is the Platypus an animal or mammal?  do they lay eggs? how do they find their prey under water?

• Plants (6 cards)

the Banksia Plagiocarpa comes from a botanical genus that South Africa is very familiar with, do you know which one?  the Golden Wattle is Australia’s national flower, which sports teams wear the colours of these flowers on their outfits?

• Trees (6 cards)

the Breadfruit Tree gets its name from the fruit of the tree, which, when cooked, has a texture of freshly baked bread, but what does it taste like?  what can the oil from the Eucalyptus tree do?  the Wallemia is one of the world’s oldest and rarest trees, when was it discovered?  why did they think it was extinct?

• Cities (4 cards)

Port Moresby is the capital city of Papua New Guinea, has 2 nicknames, one is Moresby, what is the other? Suva became the capital of Fiji in 1877, they have become famous for a New Year street part, what type of things do they do to celebrate the New Year.

The Oceania Continent Cards bring the continent to life.

Primarily aimed at the 3 to 6 year child.  But suitable for the elementary child as reference with our Oceania Continent Activity Set.

Children find the attractive images and fact cards, interesting and entertaining.   Each statement presents a new aspect of life to the child, prompting them to want to learn more.

Related Products

• Oceania Labels
• Unlabeled Oceania Control Mat
• Oceania Labeled Control Mat
• Oceania Flags
• Oceania Mammals

Further Reading and Resources