Understanding Whakapapa

Curriculum Area and Level

• Social Sciences: Level 1 (Year 2)
• Achievement Objectives:
  • Understand how belonging to groups is important for people.
  • Recognise how the past is important to people’s lives.
• Focus: Exploring personal connections through whakapapa to understand identity and history.

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Lesson Details

Unit: "Exploring Our Tūrangawaewae"
Lesson: 2 of 10
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 20 students
Lesson Title: Understanding Whakapapa

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, ākonga (students) will:

1. Understand the concept of whakapapa as a connection to their family and identity.
2. Construct a simple family tree as a visual representation of whakapapa.
3. Gain an appreciation for their own family history.

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Resources Needed

• A3 sheets of paper (1 per student)
• Pre-drawn family tree templates with spaces for ākonga to write or draw family members (grandparents, parents, siblings, themselves)
• Colouring pencils/crayons/markers
• Photos or drawings of tīpuna (ancestors) for teacher-led discussion
• A simple bilingual glossary of key terms: whakapapa (genealogy), tīpuna (ancestors), whānau (family), tūrangawaewae (place of belonging)
• Teacher’s own sample family tree for demonstration

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Karakia (10 minutes)

• Start with a karakia to set the tone of respect and focus.
  E te Atua, tautokohia mātou i tēnei rā...

• Briefly recap Lesson 1 (What is Tūrangawaewae?) by asking:

  • Where is a place you feel you belong?
  • What makes that place special?

• Introduce the concept of whakapapa, linking it to tūrangawaewae:
  "Whakapapa is how we know where we come from, the people who love us, and how we are connected to others."

• Show a simple visual example of a whakapapa (your own family tree) to demonstrate how it works.

  • Highlight key Māori concepts like tīpuna (ancestors) and whānau (family) using the bilingual glossary.

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2. Interactive Discussion – Connecting to Whakapapa (10 minutes)

• Gather the students in a circle and ask:

  • Who is in your family at home?
  • Who are some important adults in your life (like grandparents, aunties, uncles)?
  • Do you know any stories about your family you’d like to share?

• Share a short pūrākau (story) about an ancestor or historic figure, illustrating the importance of whakapapa and how it connects us to our history and identity.
  Example: "There is a story about Tāne climbing to the heavens to retrieve the baskets of knowledge. He is your tīpuna – someone we all share as part of our whakapapa."

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3. Activity – Creating a Family Tree (30 minutes)

Step 1: Teacher Modelling (5 minutes)

• Show the students your family tree (pre-drawn on the whiteboard).
  • Explain who is in each part, for example:
    "These are my tīpuna, my grandparents. These are my parents. And here I am with my brothers and sisters."

Step 2: Students Begin Creating (20 minutes)

• Hand out A3 sheets with pre-drawn family tree templates.

• Give students time to:

  1. Write the names of their family members (parents, siblings, grandparents) with support where needed.
  2. Add drawings or small photos (if they brought any).
  3. Decorate their family tree with colours, symbols, or patterns they like.

• Move around the room, offering help to students who may need support identifying family members or writing their names.

Step 3: Sharing (5 minutes)

• Allow 2–3 students to share their family tree with the group (rotate students for sharing future lessons).
  • Ask simple prompts, e.g.:
    "Who is this person? Why are they special to you?"

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4. Closure and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Gather students back into the circle.

• Ask reflective questions:

  • What did you learn about whakapapa today?
  • How does knowing your family help you understand who you are?

• Close the lesson with a simple whakataukī that ties to identity and belonging:
  He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
  (What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.)

• Finish with a short thank you in te reo Māori:
  Ka nui te pai! Tino pai te mahi a tō te whānau! (Great work, whānau!)

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Assessment Criteria

1. Student participation and contributions during discussions.
2. Completion of the family tree activity, demonstrating understanding of their family connections.
3. Ability to use key terms (whakapapa, whānau, tīpuna) in context during activities or discussions.

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Extension Ideas

• Home Connection: Students can take their family trees home to share with their whānau, asking them to help add more generations of tīpuna.
• Future Lesson Integration: In the next lesson, students can link their whakapapa to their tūrangawaewae by discussing their origins or a special place their family belongs to.

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This lesson plan aligns with the New Zealand Social Sciences curriculum for Level 1, fostering a strong sense of belonging and exploring identity through the lens of whakapapa. Its interactive and creative approach ensures students remain engaged while developing a personal connection to the concepts taught.