Guardianship and Care

Overview

This 30-minute lesson introduces students to Kaitiakitanga, the Māori concept of guardianship and protection of the environment. Students will explore its significance in Māori culture and connect it to the stewardship of natural resources within New Zealand. This lesson is designed for Year 5-6 students (ages 9-11) as Lesson 1 in the four-lesson unit “Guardians of Our Resources,” following the New Zealand Curriculum.

Curriculum Links

• Social Sciences (The New Zealand Curriculum, Levels 3-4): Understanding how people participate in and contribute to communities; understanding roles and relationships within society; exploring how cultural practices and beliefs influence people’s understanding of the environment.
• Key Competencies:
  • Participating and contributing – contributing to the learning environment through respectful discussion and collaboration.
  • Thinking – making sense of information and applying it critically and creatively.
  • Relating to others – engaging in cultural storytelling, sharing ideas in a respectful way.
• Values: Ecological sustainability, Respect, Community and participation.
• Principles: Acknowledgement of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Inclusion, Cultural diversity.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Explain the meaning of Kaitiakitanga and its role in Māori culture.
2. Describe how Kaitiakitanga relates to protecting and caring for natural resources.
3. Connect the concept of guardianship to their own responsibilities in caring for the environment.

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Lesson Plan (30 minutes, 20 students)

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Hook: Display an engaging image or taonga (treasured item) connected to nature (e.g., pounamu or a photo of a river).
• Discussion Starter: Ask, “What does it mean to be a guardian or protector of something?”
• Briefly introduce Kaitiakitanga as a traditional Māori concept meaning guardianship and care for the environment. Highlight its ongoing importance today.

Curriculum focus: Activates prior knowledge, builds oral language and cultural understanding (English and Social Sciences).

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2. Storytelling & Explanation (10 minutes)

• Tell or read a Māori legend or story that illustrates Kaitiakitanga (for example, a story about Tāne and the forest or a local Māori environmental guardian story).
• Use visuals or multimedia to support understanding and engagement.
• After the story, facilitate a class discussion: “How did the characters show they were kaitiaki (guardians)?”
• Provide a clear definition: Kaitiakitanga means looking after and protecting the environment so it can be healthy for future generations.

Curriculum focus: Developing cultural knowledge, critical thinking, and comprehension through storytelling (English, Social Sciences) .

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3. Group Activity – Connect & Reflect (10 minutes)

• Task: In small groups, students list the ways they can be kaitiaki in their school or community (for example, recycling, planting trees, taking care of water).
• Sharing: Each group shares one idea with the class.
• Teacher notes key ideas on a whiteboard, linking them explicitly back to the concept of Kaitiakitanga.

Curriculum focus: Encourages participation, relating to others, responsible citizenship, and applying learning about the environment (Social Sciences, Key Competencies).

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4. Wrap-Up and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Recap key points: What is Kaitiakitanga? Why is it important?
• Formative Assessment: Ask individual students to explain in their own words one way they can act as a guardian of the environment.
• Optionally, a short exit slip: Write or draw one thing learned about Kaitiakitanga today.

Curriculum focus: Supports reflection, communication, and consolidation of learning through oral and written formats (English, Social Sciences) .

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Resources & Materials

• Māori environmental story (book or digital media)
• Images or physical taonga (e.g., photos of natural resources, pounamu)
• Whiteboard or chart paper for group ideas
• Paper and pencils for sketching/writing exit slips
• Optional: Audio-visual aids (projector or tablet)

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Teaching Tips

• Anchor learning in local iwi/Māori context where possible to enhance relevance and engagement.
• Use inclusive language and scaffold vocabulary around Māori concepts.
• Include te reo Māori terms and encourage correct pronunciation to reinforce cultural respect.
• Use flexible groupings and adjust based on student needs, giving extra support or challenge as necessary.

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This lesson connects directly with the New Zealand Curriculum’s emphasis on bicultural awareness, social responsibility, and ecological sustainability, providing a culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate introduction to guardianship of resources through the lens of Kaitiakitanga.

If desired, subsequent lessons can explore case studies of local kaitiaki actions, indigenous resource management, and student-led environmental care initiatives.

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If you need, I can also help create detailed lesson plans for lessons 2 to 4 in this unit!