Understanding Te Tiriti

Lesson Overview

• Lesson Title: Introduction to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Unit: Understanding Te Tiriti (Lesson 1 of 8)
• Year Level: Year 7
• Curriculum Area: Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories
• Curriculum Level: Level 4
• Time: 60 minutes
• Class Size: 23 students

Big Idea

Te Tiriti o Waitangi plays a crucial role in shaping New Zealand’s identity, governance, and relationships. Understanding its origins helps us see how history influences the present.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Understand the historical context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
2. Identify key reasons for the signing of the treaty.
3. Share their prior knowledge and formulate questions for future lessons.

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Lesson Plan Breakdown

1. Mihi & Settling In (5 mins)

• Teacher greets students with *“Mōrena koutou” (Good morning, everyone).
• Quick class warm-up: “One word – What do you think of when you hear ‘Te Tiriti o Waitangi’?” (students share responses).
• Display today’s learning objectives on the board.

2. Hook: Historical Time Machine (10 mins)

(Engaging students with an immersive idea – thinking outside the box!)

• Show the class an old suitcase with items representing 1840 (e.g., a quill pen, a British flag, a waka model, and a document bound in twine). Ask:
  • “What do these objects tell us about the time period?”
  • “Who might have owned or used these items?”
• Guide a short discussion linking these objects to life in early 19th-century Aotearoa.

3. Prior Knowledge Brainstorm (10 mins)

• Activity: ‘Graffiti Wall of Knowledge’
  • On large sheets of butcher paper (or a digital board), students write what they already know about Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
  • In pairs, they discuss and add questions they want answered in the unit.
  • Teacher collects and briefly reviews key points with the class.

4. Storytelling: Setting the Scene (15 mins)

(Bringing history to life!)

• Teacher presents a short dramatic storytelling session about the events leading up to 1840:
  • British settlers arriving and trading.
  • Māori chiefs debating how to protect their land and people.
  • The arrival of British officials proposing a treaty.
• Ask students, “If you were a Māori chief or a British settler, what concerns would you have?”
• Pair & Share Discussion: Students reflect on what they might have felt if they were alive at the time.

5. Quickfire Game: ‘Fact or Myth?’ (10 mins)

• Teacher reads statements related to Te Tiriti (e.g., “The Treaty was signed in just one day.”).
• Students move to one side of the class if they think it’s Fact, and the other side if they think it’s Myth.
• Teacher reveals correct answers, providing brief explanations.

6. Reflection & Exit Ticket (10 mins)

• Students write one new thing they learned and one question they still have on post-it notes.
• Place these on the class “Te Tiriti Wonder Wall” to refer back to throughout the unit.
• Teacher concludes: “We’re just beginning our journey into Te Tiriti – next lesson, we’ll explore the key agreements made in the treaty!”

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Assessment & Differentiation

Formative Assessment:

• Engagement in discussions and activities.
• Quality of questions posed on the Graffiti Wall and Exit Tickets.

Differentiation Strategies:

• Pair stronger and emerging learners for discussions.
• Use visuals and storytelling to support different learning styles.
• Provide sentence starters for written reflections if needed.

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Resources & Preparation

• Old suitcase with historical props
• Large sheets of paper or digital brainstorming tools
• Post-it notes
• Printed or projected ‘Fact or Myth?’ statements

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Teacher Reflection Questions

• What worked well in engaging the students?
• What common misconceptions arose that need addressing in future lessons?
• How did students react to the storytelling approach?

Next Lesson: The Agreements in Te Tiriti – What Was Promised?