: Mele's Game
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Approach: One to one Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Scanning for information
Resources: Newspaper article
2.5MB


Mele's Game A Big Hit in Otara

Mele is a happy 12 year old girl who lives in Otara. Otara is in South Auckland. Mele loves living there because she has lots of friends. She has lived there all of her life, so she knows most of the kids who live near her place.

Mele and most of her friends go to Otara School. They are very proud of their school because all of the children and teachers are very friendly, and they all like to learn new things. Mele says that her teacher, Mr Sewa, is one of the best teachers in Auckland.

Mele and her friends love playing games. They are always trying to think up new games, or different ways to play old games.

Mele has made up a new game which has made her famous in Otara. Everyone is now playing the game at Otara School, and they call it Mele’s Game.

The game is played with a stick with a long piece of string tied to it. A ball is tied to the end of the string. Mele turns the stick round and round with the ball near the ground. The other kids have to try to jump the string. If it touches them, they are ‘out’.

Mr Tupua, who is a friend of Mele’s family, is making the ball sticks that are used for the game. Mr Tupua said, “Some kids just make them themselves, and other kids have asked if they can buy them. Well, the best thing is kids having fun playing outside with their friends, so I’m happy to make the ball sticks for nothing.”

 mele's game
Just about every day you can see children at Otara School playing Mele’s Game. The little kids play with the big kids, and the big kids play with the little kids. It’s always like that at Otara School.

Sometimes Mele plays her game with her Mum and Dad. Her Mum is really good at it, but her Dad keeps on falling over, which makes Mele burst her sides with laughter. Her dad is a big man, so when he falls over, there is quite a crash.

Some people say Mele’s Game could be dangerous because people might get hurt when they fall over. Mele and her friends say that is rubbish. “We always play it on the grass,” says Mele. “And we kids know how to fall over.”
We asked Mele if she would be making up any new games. “Me and my friends are trying to work out a new game that we could sell to the world – and that would make us really famous,” said Mele. “Our school principal, Mrs Lualua said this could be a good technology project for us.”


We asked Mrs Lualua what she thought was the best thing about Mele’s game. “I think it’s great that kids can learn to make their own fun. Mele’s a really great kid. She enjoys her friends. She works hard at school, and she keeps herself really fit. We have a lot of children like that at Otara School.”

Mele’s stick and ball game is a winner.
Questions / instructions:
Mele has invented a new game. The newspaper did a story about Mele and her game. Look very quickly through the story to find the part that tells what the new game is. Don’t read all of the story – just look for the part that tells about Mele’s game. As soon as you have found it, read the part to me that describes the game.
Give student the newspaper article.
You can start now.
   
% responses
2005 ('01)
Y4
Y8
read the section, “The game is played with a stick…If it touches them, they are ‘out’.”
65
90 

Commentary:
Twenty-five percent more year 8 than year 4 students accurately identified the appropriate
part of the story.
 
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