Day and Night - Level 21-22

Day and Night presents two captivating myths that explain how day and night came to be. The first tale features the demigod Māui, who uses his strength to slow the sun, while the second story from the Amazon tells of a girl who releases the night to help her husband sleep. These culturally rich retellings incorporate vivid descriptive language and personification, helping young readers visualise abstract natural phenomena. The book encourages exploration of mythic structure and symbolism, offering insights into how ancient cultures made sense of the world. Through figurative language and imaginative narratives, students gain a deeper appreciation of storytelling traditions across civilisations and the science concepts they metaphorically represent. A perfect blend of literacy and Earth science learning, Day and Night fosters discussion about sky patterns and celestial movement.

Educational Benefits:

• Reinforces understanding of myth elements and narrative structure.
• Supports comprehension of cause-and-effect in stories.
• Expands vocabulary through figurative and descriptive language.
• Links cultural storytelling with science concepts on light and time.

Classroom Ideas:

• Act out the myths to explore character motivation and cultural themes.
• Compare mythic and scientific explanations of day and night.
• Create student myths to explain natural phenomena.
• Illustrate scenes from the stories using personification.

Safety & Information:

• Suitable for ages 7+
• Book dimensions: 19 cm x 13 cm
• 32 pages, softcover
• Safe for independent or group reading