Te Whare Tapa Whā

Curriculum Area

Health and Physical Education – Level 4 of the New Zealand Curriculum

This lesson addresses the underlying concepts of hauora, with a specific focus on Te Whare Tapa Whā, a Māori model of holistic wellbeing. Year 8 students will explore the four dimensions:

• Taha tinana (physical wellbeing)
• Taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing)
• Taha whānau (social wellbeing)
• Taha hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this 60-minute session, students will:

• Identify and describe the four dimensions of hauora within Te Whare Tapa Whā
• Understand how these dimensions relate to their own lives and personal wellbeing
• Collaborate with others to represent their own Te Whare Tapa Whā using art and storytelling
• Reflect on how each wall of the whare (house) strengthens their overall hauora

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Key Competencies

• Thinking
• Participating and contributing
• Relating to others

Resources Needed

• A3 paper (1 per student)
• Markers, colouring pens, and pencils
• Printed Te Whare Tapa Whā visual organisers (optional)
• Whakataukī on wellbeing written on poster paper
• Music (to create a calming, reflective classroom environment)
• Reflection sheet (provided by teacher or co-designed in class)

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Lesson Duration: 60 Minutes

Class Size: 10 Year 8 students

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Lesson Flow

🌿 1. Whakawhanaungatanga & Karakia (5 minutes)

Purpose: Ground the class in tikanga Māori and create a calm, inclusive space.

• Begin with a short karakia (if appropriate for your school/kura setting)
• Circle time to establish connection — students briefly share a recent moment when they felt really good (can be funny or serious)

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🧠 2. Introduction to Te Whare Tapa Whā (10 minutes)

Purpose: Familiarise students with the hauora model

• Use a simple whare (house) metaphor drawn on the whiteboard with four walls:
  • Taha tinana = body
  • Taha wairua = spirit
  • Taha hinengaro = mind
  • Taha whānau = relationships
• Discuss each wall's meaning in student-friendly terms using relatable examples:
  • Sport/exercise = taha tinana
  • Belonging to whānau or a team = taha whānau
  • Thinking deeply or coping with stress = taha hinengaro
  • Feeling connected to culture or the environment = taha wairua

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🎨 3. Creative Activity — Build Your Whare (20 minutes)

Purpose: Apply learning through personal expression

• Students design their own Te Whare Tapa Whā on A3 paper
• Each side of their house should represent what that pillar of hauora means to them
  • Encourage use of symbols, colours, short phrases, or drawings
• Option to add a roof representing their goals or dreams (moemoeā)

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🔄 4. Pair and Share (10 minutes)

Purpose: Encourage deeper reflection and peer connection

• In pairs, students share one or two parts of their whare
• Suggested prompts:
  • “Which wall of your whare feels the strongest right now?”
  • “Which wall could use a bit more support?”

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👣 5. Walking Gallery — Reflect and Celebrate (10 minutes)

Purpose: Honour each student’s contribution and spark curiosity

• Display whares around the room (on desks or wall)
• Quiet walkthrough in a ‘gallery style’
  • Students write one anonymous positive sticky note/comment on another student’s whare
  • Calming music plays in the background to encourage mindful movement and respect

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📝 6. Reflection & Whakamutunga (5 minutes)

Purpose: Make meaning and affirm learning

• Distribute or co-create a quick reflection slip with 3 prompts:
  • My strongest wall today is...
  • One way I can strengthen a missing wall...
  • One thing I learnt about my classmates is...
• End with a closing karakia or a class whakataukī:

  "He oranga ngākau, he pikinga waiora."
  If the heart is well, all will be well.

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Opportunities for Integration

• Art: Extend the whare drawing into a full unit using different materials
• English: Students write a journal entry or poem from the perspective of their whare
• Te Reo Māori: Introduce vocabulary associated with each dimension

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Assessment for Learning

Formative:

• Observation of participation and group discussions
• Quality and depth of personal whare drawings
• Student engagement during gallery walk and peer feedback
• Responses on reflection slips

No formal summative assessment is required for this lesson, aligning with NZC’s holistic and developmental approach at Level 4.

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Differentiation / Adaptations

• Pairing students thoughtfully to support varied social comfort levels
• Provide sentence starters or visual aids for ELL students
• Allow oral recording of reflections for students with dyslexia or writing barriers

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Teacher Notes

This lesson offers a culturally sustaining approach that centres Māori models of wellbeing. Using creativity and reflection allows students to connect with abstract ideas in a way that is developmentally appropriate and meaningful. Teachers should be part of the gallery walk and offer positive comments too.

Next steps could include real-world applications (e.g. a wellbeing challenge over a week or a community initiative that strengthens one wall of the whare collectively).

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Te Whare Tapa Whā isn’t just a model — it's a taonga. Let this class be a step toward nurturing mana, connection, and wellbeing in our ākonga. 🏡