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Culture, Contrast and ChallengeGS16North Island,New ZealandGLOBAL STUDIESSponsorMeredith WhiteBart MillarPriceS$3,400Course Length7 daysPost-Interim Experience:Parent’s night / OnlineReflectionsDescriptionWho are the Maori people, what are their traditions and how do theymaintain their beliefs in a changing world? In North Island New Zealand:Culture, Contrast and Challenge, students will experience this rich culturefirst-hand by living on a Marae, learning to dance the haka, engaging inarts such as weaving and waiata and preparing and sharing in the Hangitraditional meal. They will paddle waka canoes – the traditional Maoritransportation – and contrast this experience by engaging in more modernNew Zealand activities such as whitewater rafting, sailing and luge. Not onlywill students learn of the educational, political and economic challengesfaced by the Maori, they will also challenge themselves through outdooractivity and communal living. Students will gain an overall appreciation forindigenous culture, the New Zealand landscape and their fellow travellers.Upon arrival in Auckland, we journey to the Firth of Thames and soak inthe Hot Pools, a reminder of New Zealand’s volcanic origins. The nextmorning we travel to Whakatane to paddle waka canoes and participatein Maori cultural activities, then travel to Roimata Marae, where we willvisit a Maori immersion elementary school, learn traditional Maori arts andcrafts and help the tribal elders prepare our hangi meal. We end the dayon Te Motu Island with a camp-out under the stars. On our fourth day, wetake on a grade 3-4 whitewater rafting challenge on the Rangitaiki Riverand then continue on to Rotorua to enjoy more geothermal hot pools. Wethen head off for a morning of Rotorua’s best offerings – a Maori museum,thermal geysers, boiling mud pools, kiwi birds and carving/weaving schools– then contrast this with the more modern New Zealand adventure of thedownhill luge. We revisit Maori traditions tourist-style via an evening culturalperformance and meal and then take a nocturnal stroll to find glow worms.Our final day in New Zealand is spent engaged in a popular Kiwi pastime,sailing a 54-foot catamaran – a contrast to our earlier waka experience. Abrisk lake swim and a last soak in a thermal pool remind us of the beautyand power of nature and the lifestyle contrasts between New Zealand andSingapore.Objectives• To analyze past and current Maori socio-political challenges andcompare them with those of indigenous people in other parts of theworld.• To recognize and value the tradition and protocol by staying in a Marae,the powerful communal center of Maori life.• To contrast both the past/present Maori experience with theindigenous/ settler experience by engaging in targeted, handsonactivities and outdoor physical activities and visiting a local Maoriimmersion elementary school.RequirementsPre-Course requirements:• Obtain a physical examination and medical clearance to allow fullengagement in some vigorous outdoor activity.• Create and present a multimedia report on one aspect of Maori history,geography, or culture.Post-Course requirements:• Contribute to post-course blog and Parent Night.• Write an essay synthesizing your course and personal experienceregarding culture, contrast and challenge.SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL interim semester HANDBOOK 47