Mana and Identity

Lesson Overview

Lesson Title: Introduction to Mana Tangata
Unit: Empowering Mana Tangata (Lesson 1 of 10)
Duration: 60 minutes
Year Level: Year 9
Curriculum Level: Te Reo Māori – Level 4
Curriculum Area: Learning Languages (Te Reo Māori)
Achievement Objectives:

• Understand and use Te Reo Māori to explain key cultural concepts, including Mana Tangata.
• Engage in discussions about personal and collective identity within a Māori cultural context.
• Develop confidence in using Te Reo Māori phrases related to mana and identity.

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Lesson Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will:
✅ Define Mana Tangata and explain its relevance in Māori culture.
✅ Reflect on their own identity and how mana plays a role in their lives.
✅ Use key Te Reo Māori vocabulary related to mana in discussions.

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Resources

• Visual posters of Mana Tangata (teacher-created or sourced)
• Projector with a short whakataukī related to mana
• Harakeke (flax) model or images representing whakapapa and identity
• Exit slips for student reflections (small paper cards)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Whakawhanaungatanga – Connecting as a Class (10 mins)

📍 Purpose: Establish a safe environment for discussion and Te Reo Māori use

1. Mihi whakatau – Begin with a short karakia and mihi to set the tone.
2. Icebreaker:
   • Ask students to pair up and share their pepeha (or what they know of it).
   • Encourage students to introduce their partner using a sentence in Te Reo Māori:
     “Ko (partner’s name) tēnei. Nō (iwi/place) ia.”
3. Class wānanga: What does "mana" mean to you? (Students share one word or idea in English or Te Reo Māori.)

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2. Understanding Mana Tangata (15 mins)

📍 Purpose: Define the concept and its relevance to self and community

1. Visual Introduction: Show an image of a harakeke (flax plant).
   • Explain that mana is like the flax – it grows strong from the centre (whakapapa, family, community).
2. Whakataukī Discussion: Display the proverb:
   "E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea."
   • Translation: I will never be lost, for I am a seed sown from Rangiātea.
   • Ask: How does this relate to mana and identity?
3. Te Reo Māori Vocabulary: Introduce new terms:
   • Mana Tangata – personal and collective strength
   • Whakapapa – genealogy, identity
   • Whanaungatanga – relationships and connections

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3. Group Activity: What Gives Us Mana? (15 mins)

📍 Purpose: Encourage deeper thinking about identity and power

1. Whānau Groups: Divide students into groups of 4-5 (allow them to choose or assign randomly).
2. Task: Each group creates a Mana Web (a mind map) with "Mana Tangata" in the centre.
   • Branches should include sources of mana (whanau, culture, actions, integrity).
3. Sharing Back: Groups present one key idea in Te Reo Māori
   • Example: “He nui te mana o te whānau ki a au.” (Family is an important source of my mana.)

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4. Personal Reflection & Student Voice (15 mins)

📍 Purpose: Individual reflection and application to real life

1. Writing Task:
   • Give students an exit slip and ask:
     “Ka pēhea koe e whakapakari i tō mana?” (How can you strengthen your mana?)
   • Encourage students to write in Te Reo Māori where they can.
2. Closing Reflection:
   • Students stand in a circle and say a word or phrase that represents mana to them.
   • End with a brief karakia whakamutunga (closing karakia).

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Assessment & Follow-up Homework

✅ Formative Assessment:

• Teacher collects and reviews exit slips to gauge understanding.
• Listen to oral responses for use of key vocabulary.

📌 Homework:

• Research and bring a whakataukī (Māori proverb) related to mana for next lesson.
• Write down how they showed mana within their community this week.

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Teacher Reflection & Notes for Next Lesson

• Were students engaged in discussion?
• Did they use Te Reo Māori confidently?
• Adjust pacing if needed for Lesson 2, which will build on this by exploring mana in leadership.

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Why This Lesson Works

✔ Culturally Responsive: Embeds whakapapa and whanaungatanga to connect students to their identity.
✔ Language-Rich: Encourages Te Reo Māori use while allowing English scaffolds.
✔ Student Voices: Active participation through discussions, group work, and reflections.

This lesson sets the groundwork for mana recognition and personal empowerment, aligning with both Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and NZ Curriculum Te Reo Māori standards at Level 4.

He toi whakairo, he mana tangata – Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.