The Menehune and the Birds

Kēhau, a young Menehune boy, and his best friend, a little elepaio bird, discover that a group of men has been killing the birds of the Kaua’i rainforest in order to harvest their feathers faster. Kēhau and Elepaio seek out the Menehune Chief and his warriors to help save their friends and find a way to change the habits of these men or risk losing the beautiful birds forever.

For additional “Menehune and the Birds” content including the graphic novel and science curriculum, go to the PREL website for E Hoʻomau here: http://ehoomau.prel.org/the-menehune-and-the-birds

E Ho‘omau! (To preserve; to learn from the past and perpetuate the good) is a curriculum development project funded under the Native Hawaiian Education Program of the U.S. Department of Education. It begins with the creation of three high quality animated versions of traditional Hawaiian legends, designed to be engaging and culturally appropriate. These are complemented by standards-based written materials and teacher training activities to strengthen language arts and science achievement for Native Hawaiian 4th graders. E Ho‘omau! addresses the need to improve the literacy skills of students of Hawaiian ancestry by integrating evidence-based educational approaches with a visually-rich learning system based on Hawaiian legends. The idea is to elevate student motivation and enhance self-confidence while providing meaningful learning opportunities.

For more Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) products click here.