Gate Pa Connections

Curriculum Area

Aotearoa New Zealand Histories – Understand (Level 1)
Visual Arts – Developing Practical Knowledge (Level 1)
English – Speaking, Writing and Presenting (Level 1)

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Unit Title

Gate Pa: History Unfolded
Lesson 2 of 2 – Cultural Significance and Artistic Expression of Gate Pa

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Duration

30 minutes

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this session, tamariki will:

• Recognise that places like Gate Pā are important to Māori culture.
• Understand that stories from the past are shared through art and kōrero.
• Express their ideas using visual and/or performance art.
• Build confidence speaking in front of others in a meaningful context.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Talk about Gate Pā and why the battle was important.
• Link the history of Gate Pā with a personal or creative response.
• Use art to show an idea or feeling about the kaupapa.
• Share their mahi with classmates using speaking and listening skills.

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Resources Needed

• Large printed image of the Gate Pā memorial or pā site
• Harakeke (flax) or paper strips for weaving activity
• A3 drawing paper, crayons, watercolour paints
• Poi and guitar or speaker for waiata and movement
• Māori and English versions of simple historical phrases about Gate Pā
• Microphone or taonga pūoro (if available) for mini Manu Kōrero
• Floor cushions and a korowai or mat for sharing time

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Preparation

• Set up four colourful activity stations before class
• Have soothing kaiārahi music playing for transitions
• Prepare visual prompt cards showing a pā, warriors, peaceful gardens, and the Raukura (feather symbol of peace)

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Lesson Outline

⏱ 0–10 mins | Mat Time Introduction

• Karakia Timatanga

• Revise previous learning through a short recap of the Battle of Gate Pā (focus on the idea of bravery, wisdom, and respect). Use a story-card format with big visuals and simplified language.

• Whakataukī of the Day:
  “He manu hou ahau, he pī ka rere.”
  (I am a fledgling bird, a new learner finding flight.)
  ➝ Talk briefly about learning from the past to become stronger.

• Introduce the day's kaupapa: “Art and kōrero help us remember and honour ngā tūpuna and important places like Gate Pā.”

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⏱ 10–25 mins | Activity Rotations

Four 3–4 minute rotations. 5 minutes is allowed for changeover and setup. Each group led or monitored by kaiako or tuākana-teina support where available.

💠 Station 1: Weaving Peace

Tamariki weave paper or harakeke strips into simple mats to represent bringing people together. Talk about the peaceful values Māori showed at Gate Pā, honouring their enemies after battle.

Curriculum Link: Visual Arts PK 1 & Aotearoa Histories – Place and People

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🎨 Station 2: Painted Pāscapes

Tamariki use crayons, then paint washes to create pictures of Gate Pā. Encourage them to include maunga, trees, wharenui, and people. Have visual 'idea cards' for guidance.

Curriculum Link: Visual Arts – DI & PK1 | Histories – Understand Places of Importance

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🎤 Station 3: Mini Manu Kōrero

With a talking stick or taonga pūoro, tamariki take turns sharing a sentence about what they’ve learnt about Gate Pā or how brave warriors were. Prompt cards help guide sentence structure. Emphasize tone, clarity, and mana.

Curriculum Link: English – Speaking | Histories – Remembering Important Events and People

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🎶 Station 4: Wairua Waiata & Poi

Students learn a short waiata about honour and remembrance, using poi to express rhythm and feeling. Suggested waiata: "E Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū" or a class-created chant. Tie back to symbolic gesture and performance as remembrance.

Curriculum Link: Performing Arts | Histories – Cultural Expression

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⏱ 25–30 mins | Poroporoaki & Sharing Circle

• Sharing Circle: Each group sends one student to show or speak about their mahi. Students listen respectfully and ask questions.

• Reflection Prompt:
  “What did you learn about Gate Pā that makes you feel proud or interested?”

• Link to Matariki: “Just like we remember ancestors during Matariki, we remember important events like Gate Pā that shaped Aotearoa.”

• End with a Karakia Whakamutunga and ask students to help tidy their station areas.

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Opportunities for Cross-Curricular Links

• Maths: Simple weaving patterns (AB, ABB)
• Science: Exploring natural colours from kawakawa or kōkōwai
• Literacy: Label drawings, add single-word captions (e.g. toa, wairua)
• Te Reo Māori: Embed reo in prompts, praise, and activity names

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual aids and gesture-rich explanations for ELLs
• Pre-recorded mihi or phrases for tamariki needing verbal support
• Flexible art-based tasks for tamariki with diverse abilities
• Option to pair with tuākana from Year 3–4 for peer support

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Suggested Follow-up

Invite the whānau to a hui or exhibition of artworks. Display the tamariki’s mahi in a mini 'museum corner' related to Gate Pā. Plan a simple hīkoi or virtual trip to a local pā site.

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Final Thoughts

This lesson strives to bring the past alive in a sensory-rich, creative, and emotionally resonant way. It honours local Māori knowledge while empowering tamariki to express themselves with pride and purpose. Through collaboration, movement, and story, children connect with history not as facts, but as part of their cultural heartbeat.