Whānau and Me

Purpose of this Lesson

This 30-minute English lesson is designed for a reliever teacher working with Year 2 students. It aims to build meaningful connections between the reliever and students while developing oral language and early writing skills. The activities are intentionally structured to match New Zealand's Level 1 English curriculum expectations and meet the needs of five to seven-year-olds.

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Curriculum Links

• Learning Area: English
• Curriculum Level: Level 1
• Strand: Listening, Reading and Viewing; Speaking, Writing and Presenting
• Key Competencies:
  • Relating to others
  • Managing self
  • Participating and contributing
  • Thinking

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Share information about themselves confidently.
• Listen to others during sharing time.
• Use simple written and visual text to describe themselves.
• Make connections between text, themselves, and others.

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Materials Needed

• A3 "All About Me" template (reliever can draw quickly if not pre-printed)
• Crayons, pencils, felt tips
• Whiteboard and markers
• (Optional) Stickers for encouragement

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Lesson Structure (30 minutes total)

1. Mihi and Warm Welcome (5 minutes)

Purpose: Set the tone, create a safe space.

• Begin with a warm “Kia ora koutou!” and introduce yourself.
• Briefly explain: “Today, I want to know more about you, your whānau (family), and your favourite things!”
• Warm-up question: “Put your hand up if you love the beach!” (Repeat with different fun options: ice cream, dogs, rugby, etc.)

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2. Story Starter: "All About Me" (5 minutes)

Purpose: Model the task.

• On the whiteboard, draw a stick figure of yourself.
• Around the stick figure, quickly add:
  • Name
  • Favourite colour
  • Favourite food
  • A mahi (job) they want to do when they grow up
  • Something special about their whānau
• Say aloud each fact as you draw or write it, modelling simple sentences:
  • “My name is Miss/Mr ___ and my favourite food is watermelon!”

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3. Main Activity: Create "All About Me" Posters (15 minutes)

Purpose: Students express themselves visually and in writing.

• Hand out an A3 paper divided into 4 sections:

  1. My Name and Picture
  2. My Favourite Things
  3. My Whānau
  4. When I Grow Up

• Encourage students:

  • Write a few words or a sentence in each section.
  • Use drawings to show their ideas.

Teacher Tip: As they work, roam and ask questions like, “Tell me about your picture!” or “Ooh, is that your little brother?”

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4. Quick Circle Share (5 minutes)

Purpose: Build classroom community.

• Gather students in a circle on the mat.
• Each student shares ONE favourite thing from their poster.

Inclusive Option: If a student is shy, they can point to their drawing instead of speaking.

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Adaptations for Diverse Learners

• Allow oral responses only if writing is challenging.
• Scribe key words for students who need extra support.
• Offer sentence starters:
  • “My name is ___.”
  • “I like ___.”

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Reflective Questions For the Teacher:

• Who was confidently sharing?
• Who may need extra support with language development?
• Are there common interests that can be woven into future lessons?

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Extra Challenge (If Time Permits)

• Students buddy up and "interview" a classmate by drawing their friend’s favourite thing!

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Notes for the Reliever

• Keep the tone light, warm, and fun.
• Celebrate every single detail students share.
• You’re not just gathering information—you’re building trust.

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Ka pai tō mahi (great work) and have fun getting to know these tamariki!

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NZ Curriculum - English Learning Area Overview
Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) Teacher Support Resources