Caring for Papatūānuku

Unit #4

Overview

This 3-lesson unit for Year 1 ākonga (students) in Aotearoa focuses on the concept of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship/protection), especially through a recycling lens. Each lesson runs for 15 minutes, is designed for a small group of 8 learners, and weaves Mātauranga Māori, local dialect (te reo-a-iwi), and culturally responsive practice throughout.

The lessons are designed to foster identity, language, and culture, enable expressions of manaakitanga and rangatiratanga, promote student agency, and foster creative thinking around how they can be kaitiaki in their world.

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Big Idea (Social Sciences Learning Area):

He taonga te ao — The environment is precious and we are its guardians.

Curriculum Links

Level 1 – Social Sciences

Strand: Identity, Culture and Organisation
▶ Achievement Objective: Understand how belonging to groups is important for people.

Level 1 – Science (Planet Earth and Beyond)

Strand: Interacting Systems
▶ Achievement Objective: Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.

Level 1 – English

Strand: Listening, Reading and Viewing
▶ Achievement Objective: Recognise and begin to understand how language features are used for effect.

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Teaching Context

Our tamariki will explore Kaitiakitanga as it applies to how they relate to their classroom, school and home environments. We draw connections with local tikanga and te reo-a-iwi, including place-based whakataukī and terms from the local iwi dialect (identify your iwi to personalise — e.g. Ngāti Raukawa or Ngāi Tahu).

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Lesson 1: What is Kaitiakitanga?

WALT (We Are Learning To):
Understand the concept of Kaitiakitanga and explore our role as kaitiaki (guardians).

Duration: 15 minutes
Resources:

• Papatūānuku poster
• Real objects from the environment (leaves, wrappers, bottle, paper)
• Local dialect te reo Māori terms
• Short picture book (dyslexia-friendly options, e.g., large font, clear spacing) — suggested book: “Papatūānuku Loves Me”

Lesson Flow:

1. Karakia and Mihi (2 mins): Welcome students with a local mihi and short karakia about guardianship of the land.
2. Makawhānau (Whānau Connection) (3 mins): Brief chat — “What do you do at home to keep the Earth clean?”
3. Shared Reading/Story (5 mins): Read aloud a picture book that introduces Kaitiakitanga using local reo Māori, explaining unfamiliar words.
4. Group Discussion (3 mins): Students handle objects and sort them into taonga (natural) vs kino mō te whenua (harmful to the earth).
5. Language Focus (2 mins): Introduce local words (e.g., tūpuna, whenua, awa, moana) and their meanings in relation to Kaitiakitanga.

Success Criteria:
✅ I can say what Kaitiakitanga means.
✅ I can name something I do to help the environment.
✅ I can sort objects into natural or harmful items.

Differentiation Strategies:

• Use visual prompts and physical props.
• Support with buddy learners or sentence starters on flashcards.
• Provide picture-based responses for non-verbal or ESOL students.

Extension Activity:
Students draw or dictate what a super kaitiaki looks like in their world.

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Lesson 2: Recycling in My World

WALT:
Identify items that can be recycled and understand how this helps us be kaitiaki.

Duration: 15 minutes
Resources:

• Mini bins with labels: Whakahōu (Recycle), Para (Rubbish), Kai (Compost)
• Flashcards with recyclables and non-recyclables
• Waiata: “Tīmata te Para Whakahōu” – locally adapted song about recycling
• Real or printed items for sorting
• Whakataukī: “Ko te whenua, ko au. Ko au te whenua” (I am the land, and the land is me.)

Lesson Flow:

1. Waiata and Movement (2 mins): Sing and learn the recycling song using actions.
2. Wānanga (Exploration Circle) (3 mins): Introduce the concept of recycling. What do the different bins mean? Where do your things go?
3. Interactive Sorting Game (7 mins): Students take turns sorting items into the correct bins with korero and reasoning.
4. Reflection Chat (3 mins): “How does recycling show Kaitiakitanga?”
   Use sentence starters: “I am a kaitiaki when I…”

Success Criteria:
✅ I can name items that can be recycled.
✅ I can explain why recycling helps the Earth.
✅ I can use a new te reo word related to looking after the land.

Differentiation Strategies:

• Colour-coded bins and use of tactile resources.
• Peer pairs for sorting.
• Pre-teach flashcards with images and word cues.

Extension Activity:
Challenge advanced students to create their own recycling signs using te reo-a-iwi and explain them to the group.

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Lesson 3: We Are Kaitiaki

WALT:
Show our understanding of Kaitiakitanga by taking action in our classroom.

Duration: 15 minutes
Resources:

• Poster paper
• Drawing materials
• Recycled materials box
• Clothing pegs or stickers to make a classroom “Kaitiaki Wall”
• Voice recording app for oral reflections

Lesson Flow:

1. Whakawhanaungatanga Warm-Up (2 mins): Quick circle: “Tell us one way you are a kaitiaki at school/home.”
2. Kaitiaki Creative Action (9 mins):
   Each learner can:
   a) Create a poster with recycled materials showing a kaitiaki action; OR
   b) Record their voice stating how they are a kaitiaki at school.
   Support with: “He kaitiaki au nā te mea ___” (I am a guardian because ___)
3. Our Kaitiaki Wall (4 mins): Peg posters or audio QR codes to a class display. Celebrate the mahi with collective affirmation.

Success Criteria:
✅ I can show what being a kaitiaki looks like.
✅ I can talk about my actions to protect the environment.
✅ I can use local te reo Māori to describe myself as a kaitiaki.

Differentiation Strategies:

• Offer an oral alternative for writing tasks.
• Use visual supports and sentence scaffolds.
• Allow extra time for students needing processing support.

Extension Activity:
Advanced students lead a mini haka or mihi about their kaitiaki role, incorporating learned reo.

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Cultural Locatedness & Local Reo Integration

• Te Reo-a-Iwi Fostering:
  Incorporate local dialect vocabulary into each lesson (check with iwi liaison or kaumātua). E.g., Some iwi use whenua while others may prefer papatūānuku or another dialect variant.

• Whānau Involvement:

  • Invite whānau to share a recycling practice from home during pick-up/drop-off.
  • Share photos of completed artworks and translations for whānau to use at home.

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Assessment for Learning

Assessment is primarily formative:

• Observing ākonga engagement in discussions and sorting activities.
• Listening to language use (including new te reo Māori vocabulary).
• Using verbal and visual prompts to gauge understanding of Kaitiakitanga.

Document reflections, voice recordings, and creations as evidence of learning progression.

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Final Thought

By incorporating the holistic concept of Kaitiakitanga through local culture, action, and language, our tamariki will not only develop environmental awareness but also a profound connection to whenua, whānau, and te ao Māori.