Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2020 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is known for its stunning landscapes. New Zealanders are passionate about protecting their land and their culture. Here are five fascinating facts to get you started. 1 Because New Zealand’s islands are so remote and difficult to get to, they were the last large areas of the world that are capable of supporting humans to be settled. People from an area in the Pacific known as Polynesia were the first to settle in New Zealand. They arrived by boat between 1280 and 1350 C.E., navigating by the ocean currents, the stars, and the wind. They developed their own distinctive identity and culture. They became known as the Maori. 2 Action! The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand.…

You might think that you don’t know very much about New Zealand, but chances are that you have seen it. If you have watched the Lord of the Rings movie franchise, you’re seeing New Zealand in the scenes of Hobbiton, Rivendell, and Mount Doom. But while the movies have generated a whole industry of Lord of the Rings tourism, there’s so much more to this island country than just a visit from Hollywood. New Zealand is an island nation located in the Southern Pacific Ocean. It is about 1,300 miles east of Australia. Because they are relatively close together and make up an area known as Australasia, many people think New Zealand is part of Australia, but New Zealand is very much its own country. It consists of two long,…

The most successful rugby team in the world is the New Zealand All Blacks. They have achieved three Rugby World Cups and have a win-rate of more than 75%, something no other team can say. But how has a nation of just 4.8 million people mastered an entire sport? Rugby is a rough game. Players wear little to no protective gear as they fight to bring the ball past the goal line. A match involves two teams and lasts 80 minutes. Each 15-player team can run and kick the ball forward, but when passing to teammates, a player can only pass the ball backward. New Zealand’s winning streak began in 1903 with its first international game against Australia. From there, they gained winning momentum, and in 1905, they were invited…

A group of people in long wooden canoes set sail from East Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean about 800 years ago. For days, they voyaged southwest. Strong currents and gusts of winds pounded them. Still, they pushed on. Finally, they reached a lush green land enveloped by clouds. They called it Aotearoa, the “land of the long white cloud.” It is now known as the North Island of New Zealand. These people were the first to call it their home. They were the ancestors of the present Maori (MAW-ree). New Zealand was the last large landmass (besides Antarctica) to be occupied by humans. For years, little was known about the first inhabitants of New Zealand. But now, thanks to the efforts of researchers, many of whom are Maori, the puzzle…

You know immediately that something strange is going on in the city of Rotorua. The air smells like rotten eggs. Plumes of steam rise from road drains. Peculiar crusts of yellow, white, and red cover the rocks. Mud puddles bubble. Rocks burn your hands. The ground vibrates as a hissing geyser spews hot water 100 feet into the air. Welcome to New Zealand’s North Island, where the earth boils beneath your feet. This hot spot is part of the Ring of Fire, a circle of volcanoes and earthquake-prone areas that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand sits above a crack between two enormous sections, called plates, of the earth’s outer shell. As the two plates slowly move together, the edge of one plate is pushed under the other, where it…

It began long ago. The Sky Father and the Earth Mother were in love; they held each other very tightly. “We must do something,” cried the children, who were sandwiched between them and had no room to move. The Forest Child stood up between them like a giant kauri tree, the Sea Child created waves, and the Wind Child blew hard. Soon the Mother and the Father were pushed far apart, and there was room for the children to play. Maui’s brothers were very cruel. They were always trying to outwit him. But early one morning, he hid himself in their fishing canoe and waited. When his brothers arrived and could not see him, they cheered. “Hurrah! We have escaped him!” When they were far out at sea, Maui jumped…

Before humans settled in New Zealand, the lush native plants fed an incredible variety of birds. As bird species developed through time, some did not need wings because they had no natural predators. Here are three bird stars that you won’t find in the sky—the kiwi, the weka, and the little blue penguin. The kiwi is the most ancient bird in New Zealand. This 70,000-year-old species is related to other flightless birds such as the ostrich, emu, rhea, and the largest of all, the extinct moa. It is nocturnal, secretive, and seldom seen in the wild. Sometimes called an “honorary mammal,” the kiwi has some very unbirdlike characteristics. It has no wings; its feathers look more like hair; it lives on the ground, and it is the only known bird…

Lots of people have heard of the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, but did you know that in New Zealand, there is an annual running of the sheep? The Te Kuiti Shearing Championships Running of the Sheep is held in late March or early April. The Saturday afternoon event is part of the Great New Zealand Muster. Begun in 2004, the running of the sheep was held to mark the 20th anniversary of the New Zealand Shearing Championships and to promote the town of Te Kuiti. Te Kuiti is called the Shearing Capital of the World. The famous running of the bulls was adapted for the sheep run. The fluffy sheep run down the short main street. Trucked into the town, between 1,000 to 2,000 sheep participate. New…

The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, who according to legend, arrived at the island in giant canoes sometime in the 1200s. Three main shapes dominate their artwork—spirals, the chevron, and the koru. The koru represents an uncurling baby fern leaf. It is like a spiral that has a tail or a stem. It symbolizes new life, growth, strength, and peace. These symbols were used in carvings, weavings, and paintings, usually done in white, black, and red. You can make koru-inspired art too. Materials: Scrap paper Fine tip markers (red and black) Watercolor paper Oil pastels or crayons Watercolors STEP 1—Practice the Pattern On scrap paper, practice making the koru design. It’s basically a swirl with an extending tail or a candy cane shape with the curve turned…