The Nā Māhele Activities are a series of downloadable anatomy-based worksheets that use labeled diagrams—illustrated and bilingual in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and English—to teach students about native Hawaiian plants and animals. Topics include parts of leaves (Nā Māhele o ka Lau), plant structures (Nā Māhele o ke Kumulāʻau), and bird anatomy (Nā Māhele o ka Manu).
Labeling exercises: Students complete diagrams such as the leaf anatomy guide and the koa tree breakdown.
Coloring & reflection: Each worksheet combines artistry with vocabulary practice and ecological concepts.
Field extension: Crystalize learning by observing real leaves, trees, or birds and applying classroom terms to nature.
Series consistency: Activities build sequential botanical and ecological literacy across plant and animal models.
Plant anatomy: leaf parts (laniʻihi, lau koho), tree structures (roots, trunk, branches, seed pods)
Avian morphology: bird body parts like nuku (bill), ʻēheu (wing), and analio (tail feathers)
Bilingual education: reinforcing Hawaiian language terms alongside scientific names and functions
Structural function: linking physical parts to ecological roles—like koa’s nitrogen nodules or bird wing shapes
