Key Words
20 Uenuku and Rainbows
rainbow
Uenuku
Rangi
spherical
prism
disperses
ma
1. “Wow look at that
Dad,” exclaimed Renata.
2. “Yes I see it, a
rainbow,” replied Stephen,
his Dad.
ROY G BIV
3. Stephen continued “The rainbow is the God, Uenuku. As a man,
whero
karaka
kowhai
kakariki
kikorangi
poroporo
he fell in love with a morning mist maiden, married her and they
mnemonic
had a child. Unfortunately he tricked her into staying beyond dawn,
by blacking out the windows. When she discovered the trick she
left. Poor Uenuku was very sad and spent all his time searching for
her. Rangi the Sky Father took pity on him in his grief and turned
him into a rainbow so he could join his family in the sky. When it
rains, the sky tears flow, and sometimes you get to see Uenuku the
God of Rainbows.”
4. “Nice story telling, Dad. It has all the right ingredients. The mist in the morning
does give rainbows some times. Rain gives rainbows but only when the sun is behind you
and the shower of rain is in front. The white light travels into each raindrop and is
reflected back towards us. Each little raindrop acts like a prism because of its
spherical shape. The prism disperses (separates) the white (ma) light into its seven
different colours. Because there are a large number of raindrops, we see the rainbow
arching across the sky.”
5. “Well I never. You can tell a good story too. I do remember the order of colours is
ROY G BIV. For Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet,” responded Stephen.
6. “Yes, we learnt the Maori names for them. Whero is blood red and karaka is orange
like the tree fruit. Kowhai is yellow like the colour of that tree’s flowers in spring.
Kakariki is green like the sound and colour of the little green parrots with their red
heads. Kikorangi is blue after Rangi the sky fathers covering or cloak (kiko). Poroporo
is for purple (Indigo and Violet together) like the colour of the flowers from the bush
of the same name, unfortunately WKKKKP isn’t as good a memory aid (mnemonic) as
ROY G BIV is” continued Renata.
7. “That’s OK, because you have tied in each of the colours to a physical thing. You
could make up a memory-aid-story yourself that would remind you of the colours in
order. For example -The ma clouds floated in the sky. A rainbow appeared. A whero
blooded man sat eating karaka fruit looking out at the kowhai in flower. A cheeky
kakariki flew by chattering under the bright kikorangi sky. The clouds turned poroporo
and the rain started to fall.
8. “I like the Uenuku story better Dad but I see what you mean about making up a
story to remember things better. Thanks Dad”
Maori Technology-Science Readings Book 1, 40 Readings contact D Newton [email protected]
Questions 20 Uenuku and Rainbows
Write out the question and then answer
them in your book.
A How well did you read?
1) The rainbow is the God, ________
a)
Tane
Rangi
b)
c)
Papatuanuku
Uenuku
d)
2) Rain gives rainbows but only when the
sun is ______ you and the shower of
rain is _______.
a)
in front, behind
b)
behind, in front
c)
beside, behind
d)
behind, beside
3) Each little raindrop acts like a
______ because of its shape.
a)
prism
b)
prison
c)
prion
d)
printism
4) The order of colours is_________.
a)
BIV G ROY
b)
VIB G OYR
c)
ROY G BIV
d)
VIB G ROY
5) Kowhai is _____
a)
red
b)
yellow
c)
purple
d)
green
B Learn about WordsVocabulary
You can often tell the meaning of a word
by reading the words around it. Find it in
the paragraph number shown. Find the
word that fits the given meaning then
write out both eg furry, produces milk (1)
= MAMMAL
6) the God of rainbows (3) =
7) disperses (4) =
8) ma (4) =
9) mnemonic (6) =
One good way to learn words is to use
them. Write out the sentence containing
the correct word.
10) The white light travels into each
raindrop and is _______ back
towards us (4)
11) The prism disperses the white light
into its _____ different colours(4)
12) ________ is green like the sound and
_______of the little green parrots (6)
13) _________ is for ______ (Indigo
and Violet together) (6)
14) You could make up a __ -___-story (7)
D Answering Scientific
questions.
Write the answer to each of the
following making sure you include the
question in the answer you write down.
The first two have been started for you.
15) Explain why the raindrop disperses
white light into its seven colours?
The raindrop disperses white light
into its seven colours because…………..
16) State the order of the seven colours.
The order of the seven colours
is…………..
17) State the order of the seven colours
in te reo (Maori).
The order of the seven colours in te
reo is…………..
18) Describe two ways a list of science
names can be remembered.
Two ways a list of science names can be
remembered is firstly ………….. Secondly a
list can be remembered by………………
E Extra for fast finishers (something
creative) Choose one of the following.
•
Draw a picture that will remind
you of what the story is about.
•
Make a list of all the science facts
you found out reading the story.
•
Make a list of all the Maori words
with their meanings and draw a picture
for each one.
C Using Words
Maori Technology-Science Readings Book 1, 40 Readings contact D Newton [email protected]
ANSWERS 20 Uenuku and
Rainbows
A How well did you read?
1) The rainbow is the God, Uenuku.
2) Rain gives rainbows but only when the
sun is behind you and the shower of
rain is in front.
3) Each little raindrop acts like a prism
because of its shape.
4) The order of colours is ROY G BIV.
5) Kowhai is yellow
B Learn about WordsVocabulary
6)
7)
8)
9)
the God of rainbows (3) = Uenuku
disperses (4) =seperates
ma (4) =white
mnemonic (6) =memory aid
C Using Words
10) The white light travels into each
raindrop and is reflected back
towards us (4)
11) The prism disperses the white light
into its seven different colours(4)
12) Kakariki is green like the sound and
colour of the little green parrots (6)
13) Poroporo is for purple (Indigo and
Violet together) (6)
14) You could make up a memory-aidstory (7)
D Answering Scientific
questions.
Write the answer to each of the
following making sure you include the
question in the answer you write down.
The first two have been started for you.
15) Explain why the raindrop disperses
white light into its seven colours?
The raindrop disperses white light
into its seven colours because of its
shape so it acts like a prism.
16) State the order of the seven colours.
The order of the seven colours is
ROYGBIV Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet
17) State the order of the seven colours
in te reo (Maori).
The order of the seven colours in te
reo is Whero, Karaka, Kowhai,
Kakariki, Kikirangi, Poroporo
18) Describe two ways a list of science
names can be remembered.
Two ways a list of science names can
be remembered is firstly by ordering
the first letters as a mnemonic eg
ROYBIV. Secondly a list can be
remembered by making up a
memorable story like the one used
to remember the Maori colours of
the rainbow in this story.
A third way is to make up a rap and
chant it
Red and orange and yellow and
green, blue and purple too,
I can rap a rainbow,
I can rap a rainbow,
I can rap a rainbow too.
Whero, karaka, kowhai too,
kakariki green and kikorangi blue.
Poroporo purple,
saddens Uenuku,
sad god of rainbows,
loosing his mist---ress,
We can rap a rainbow too.
Maori Technology-Science Readings Book 1, 40 Readings contact D Newton [email protected]
Whero = Red
Karaka = Orange
Kakariki = Green
Kowhai = Yellow
Kikirangi = Blue
Poroporo = Purple
(Indigo and Violet)
Maori Technology-Science Readings Book 1, 40 Readings contact D Newton [email protected]