Ka Nohona Ahupuaʻa is an interactive digital learning experience that introduces children to the traditional Hawaiian ahupuaʻa system and the relationships between people, land, water, and resources within an ahupuaʻa. Kamehameha Schools describes it as a “fun and exciting online learning tool” designed to support keiki learning about the ahupuaʻa and available on both computers and mobile devices.
The interactive supports learning about the different terms and concepts associated with an ahupuaʻa and helps young learners develop an understanding of Hawaiian land organization and the connections extending from mauka to makai. It was developed particularly for early-learning use and has been integrated into the Kamehameha Schools Preschool curriculum.
Explore Life in an Ahupuaʻa
Learners navigate the interactive environment to explore the ahupuaʻa and become familiar with its different areas, resources, and Hawaiian terminology. The experience can be used to prompt discussion about how people live within and care for an ahupuaʻa, how different parts of the landscape are connected, and how the ahupuaʻa system supports relationships between people and ʻāina.
Because it is designed as an interactive learning tool rather than a linear reading resource, children learn primarily through exploring, selecting, observing, and discussing elements of the digital environment. Kamehameha Schools specifically notes that the resource is used to teach keiki the terms and concepts surrounding the ahupuaʻa.
