New Zealand Unit Study | Geography Curriculum & Hands-On Activities for Kids

Discover New Zealand with our hands-on, literature-based unit study that includes lessons in geography, language arts, science, music, math, and more.

Read The Whale Rider, explore traditional stories from Tales of Polynesia, follow the incredible journeys of migrating whales, and discover the country’s landmarks and geographical features through mapwork and notebooking activities.

Along the way, you’ll explore Māori traditions through haka, kōwhaiwhai, and raranga, discover the sounds of taonga pūoro, play the traditional strategy game Mū Tōrere, listen to a Māori story with Circle Round, and prepare ANZAC biscuits and hokey pokey ice cream.

✅ What's Included:

• New Zealand Notebooking Page: Students record important facts, color the national flag, document their favorite discoveries, and draw scenes from New Zealand’s geography, culture, plants, and wildlife.
• New Zealand Mapwork Activity: Students will locate major cities, geographical features, and cultural landmarks on an outline map and are encouraged to personalize their maps with illustrations, labels, and symbols that reflect what they’ve learned about the country.
• Literature Study: Read an discuss The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera and explore traditional Māori stories from Tales of Polynesia: Folktales from Hawaiʻi, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Samoa.
• Circle Round: Listen to a folktale from New Zealand and follow up with guided writing activities based on Judith C. Hochman’s The Writing Revolution method.
• The Writing Revolution Resources: Build writing skills with sentence-based exercises that connect directly to what students are learning about New Zealand.
• Whale Migration: Discover why whales travel thousands of miles between feeding and breeding grounds, explore the challenges they encounter along the way, and complete a guided science notebooking activity.
• Elapsed Time Task Cards: Build real-world math skills by solving elapsed time problems connected to places throughout New Zealand.
• Music Appreciation: Learn about haka as a Māori performing art and learn about taonga pūoro, traditional Māori musical instruments.
• Creative Arts: Explore kōwhaiwhai, learning how Māori artists use forms and patterns connected to the natural world, and discover raranga, the Māori art of plaiting.
• Cooking Class: Learn how to prepare two New Zealand favorites, ANZAC biscuits and hokey pokey ice cream.
• Global Games: Learn to play Mū Tōrere, a traditional Māori strategy game for two players, using our printable game board.

✅ Bonus Materials:

• Printable Global Explorers Cookbook Page for New Zealand
• Discover New Zealand: Bingo Challenge activity sheet
• New Zealand Unit Overview Sheet
• Access to our optional digital planning tool in Notion
• Plus, more than a dozen extra printable resources, such as book passports, food chain pyramid templates, and more!

Format: Printable PDF + Optional Digital Access

Best For: Homeschoolers, co-ops, enrichment, Montessori continent studies, and classroom geography units

Why Choose Global Explorers?

At the Global Explorers Club, we believe geography should be an adventure and not just a list of places to memorize. Our secular, literature-based unit studies allow children to explore the world through living books, hands-on activities, mapwork, and meaningful cultural experiences. Designed for flexible, family-style learning, each study encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation for the people, places, and traditions that make our world unique.