Treaty Impacts Today

Overview

In this lesson, students investigate how treaty principles shape present-day actions in a local council context, with a focus on South Auckland and Māori community wellbeing. Students then create a simple poster or short presentation explaining how these initiatives support Māori communities today and what this suggests about enduring treaty implications in society.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify key treaty principles and explain why they remain contested and significant over time.
• Students will investigate specific local council initiatives in South Auckland that aim to incorporate treaty principles.
• Students will describe how these initiatives affect Māori communities today (including benefits and limitations).
• Students will create an evidence-informed poster or presentation that makes a clear historical argument about treaty implications.

Success criteria

• I can explain (in my own words) at least two treaty-related principles and link them to current community actions.
• I can summarise one South Auckland council initiative accurately, using provided information.
• I can explain how the initiative supports Māori communities today, using evidence from the sources.
• I can present my ideas clearly and acknowledge different perspectives or possible limitations.

Curriculum links

• AC9HH9K06: different experiences and perspectives of colonisers, settlers and First Nations Australians, and how these impact changes to ideas, beliefs and values (adapted to treaty implications and Māori community impacts).
• AC9HH9S08: create historical descriptions and arguments using historical knowledge, concepts and terms and acknowledge evidence from sources.
• AC9HH9K03: causes and effects of European contact and extension of settlement, including impacts on First Nations peoples, to support understanding of why treaty principles matter now.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook: “Promises and outcomes”. Teacher displays 3 short statements on the board (e.g., “Partnership matters”, “Participation matters”, “Protection matters”) and asks students to silently choose which statement best explains why treaties still influence society. Students write a one-sentence justification.

2. 5–12 min · Mini-lesson: treaty principles and enduring significance. Teacher introduces essential concepts: treaty principles (as partnership/participation/protection) and contested interpretations, then connects treaty implications to real-world decision-making. Students complete a quick “Key idea → today” note-catcher (one link for each principle).

3. 12–25 min · Source investigation: local initiatives (South Auckland). Teacher divides the class into 5 groups and gives each group a source pack of council initiative summaries (printed or digital without links) including: initiative purpose, who it serves, how it works, and any outcomes/quotes. Students read, highlight evidence, and fill a worksheet:

• Initiative name and aim
• Treaty principle(s) it reflects
• Evidence of support for Māori communities today (2 details)
• One question/possible limitation or alternative perspective

4. 25–33 min · Whole-class sensemaking: evidence check. Teacher leads a structured share-out: each group gives a 30–40 second update using the sentence frame: “The initiative shows treaty partnership because…”. Students listen and add one piece of evidence to their own notes, focusing on benefits and constraints.

5. 33–44 min · Create: poster or 2-slide presentation. Teacher models a simple structure: Claim → Evidence → Explanation → Acknowledgement. Students create a poster or short presentation using their group’s initiative. They must include:

• A clear claim about how treaty principles show up in the initiative
• At least 2 pieces of evidence from the sources
• One sentence acknowledging complexity (e.g., how different groups might view outcomes)

6. 44–49 min · Gallery walk or quick share. Teacher sets expectations for respectful discussion. Students view 2–3 classmates’ posters/presentations and leave one “Glow and Grow” comment: what they understood clearly and one suggestion to strengthen evidence or explanation.

7. 49–50 min · Exit ticket. Students answer: “One treaty principle that appears in today’s society is… because…” and “I used evidence from…” (name the initiative).

Resources

• Printed source packs with council initiative summaries and short quotes (no hyperlinks)
• Initiative note-catcher worksheet (Claim, Evidence, Explanation, Complexity)
• Poster paper or slide templates (teacher-provided)
• Coloured highlighters, pens, sticky notes for gallery walk comments
• Timer visible to students
• Student-friendly success criteria sheet
• Optional: sentence starters for students who need scaffolding

Assessment

• Teacher observes group investigation notes for accurate identification of initiative details and treaty principles.
• During gallery walk, teacher checks for evidence use (students referencing specific source details rather than general statements).
• Exit ticket checks individual understanding of treaty principles, linkage to today, and evidence acknowledgement.

Differentiation

• Support: sentence starters for the “Claim → Evidence → Explanation” structure; a partially completed exemplar poster template; smaller group roles (reader, evidence finder, writer, presenter).
• EAL support: provide simplified summaries of initiative aims and a word bank (partnership, participation, protection, community, outcomes, support, limitations).
• Extension: students add a second initiative from another group and briefly compare which treaty principle is emphasised more strongly and why.
• SEN support: reduce cognitive load by limiting required evidence to exactly two source details; allow oral explanation recorded by teacher or in pairs.