Education News
Hawaiians of Old— Nā Kānaka Maoli o ka Wā Kahiko
Available for SY '27/28, this fifth edition of "Hawaiians of Old" builds on the strengths of this trusted resource with thoughtful updates that make learning more student-centered, inquiry-driven, and intentionally grounded in Hawaiian perspectives. Students explore the lives, knowledge, practices, and values of early Hawaiians while developing their own abilities to observe carefully, ask questions, engage in experiential learning, and reflect. Together, these enhancements make complex concepts accessible to young learners while honoring the rich content and enduring purpose that have made "Hawaiians of Old" a classroom favorite.
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Student Kilo Journal
The Kilo Journal is the primary student companion to the textbook and Teacher’s Instructional Guide. It gives students a consistent place throughout the year to practice kilo, or careful observation, as they ask questions, gather evidence, and reflect on their learning. Activities connect directly to what students are studying, such as sketching a volcanic landform, mapping resources in an ahupuaʻa, or observing a natural material used for tools. Over time, the journal makes student thinking visible and serves as ongoing formative assessment for teachers.
- Record observations, questions, predictions, and evidence
- Create graphic organizers, timelines, and labeled sketches
- Respond to Essential Questions and the Kuleana Connection in each chapter
- Reflect on how their understanding grows through both writing and drawing
Hawaiians of Old Teacher’s Instructional Guide
The Teacher’s Instructional Guide helps educators bring the Hawaiians of Old textbook, Kilo Journal, and classroom learning together into one connected Grade 4 Hawaiʻi Social Studies curriculum. Grounded in ʻāina-based education and Hawaiian ways of knowing, it turns textbook content into purposeful lessons where students study the lives, knowledge, practices, and values of early Hawaiians. Each lesson moves students from observation and questioning toward deeper understanding, while remaining practical and adaptable to the needs of each classroom and community.
- Chapter Overviews with a Concept Lens, Big Idea, Focus and Essential Questions, and a Kuleana Connection
- Moʻolelo pairings that build ELA skills while grounding learning in Hawaiian culture
- Built-in inquiry that that strengthens students’ questioning, investigating, and evidence-based thinking
- Differentiation and assessment supports for English learners, students needing extra support, and advanced learners, plus teacher and student-friendly rubrics
- Alignment with Hawaiʻi 4th Grade Standards
New Textbook Content
Tools for learning and inquiry: Focus questions, key vocabulary, essential questions, kuleana connections, chapter summaries, and vocabulary review provide a clear framework for learning. Focus questions appear alongside related passages with a waʻa (canoe) icon, encouraging students to make connections as they read.
Hawaiian perspectives woven throughout: Moʻolelo, oli, mele, and Hawaiian primary sources, including material from Hawaiian-language nupepa (newspapers), play a more central role in sharing Hawaiian knowledge, perspectives, and ways of understanding the world.
Hawaiian and scientific perspectives presented together: The book opens with the Kumulipo and Hawaiian accounts of the origins of Hawaiʻi and its people alongside scientific understandings, giving students opportunities to explore different ways knowledge has been observed, understood, and passed down.
More accessible for fourth-grade readers: Chapters have been thoughtfully revised and shortened, with clearer organization and age-appropriate language that make complex ideas easier to understand without losing depth or meaning.
A new Makahiki chapter with a focus on Hawaiian values: Sports and games are placed within the larger meaning of Makahiki as a time of peace, harvest, gratitude, and community, while exploring values such as aloha, mālama, laulima, kuleana, haʻahaʻa, and hōʻihi.
Expanded coverage of Kamehameha: New content explores Kamehameha’s genealogy, early life and preparation for leadership, rise to power, alliances, major conflicts, and the events that led to the unification of the Hawaiian Islands.
Enhanced visuals: New and updated graphics help students better understand important concepts, places, processes, and relationships while building on the visual strengths of earlier editions.
