Action, Data, Whānau Hui

Overview

Lesson 5 of 6 in Whenua: Our Living Place. In teams, ākonga safely trial their approved kaitiakitanga projects, collect baseline and implementation data, and begin preparing an accountable, bilingual presentation for a whānau hui.

Learning intentions

• WALT carry out an approved action safely and respectfully.
• WALT collect reliable data and use it to show our project’s hua.
• WALT communicate findings in te reo Māori and/or English as appropriate.
• WALT respond constructively to feedback from whānau, kaumātua, iwi or community partners.

Success criteria

• I can contribute safely to mahi ngātahi and follow tikanga.
• I can record clear, relevant data using agreed units or categories.
• I can create a suitable graph, display or evidence record.
• I can explain our findings and use feedback to improve our project.

Curriculum links

• Social Sciences: understand how people participate in and contribute to communities, and how decisions affect people and places.
• Social Sciences: understand how people interact with and care for the natural environment.
• Pāngarau: collect, represent, compare and interpret data; apply number and budgeting skills.
• Pūtaiao, Hangarau, Ngā Toi and Te Reo Māori: explain observations, test and improve solutions, communicate creatively, and use formal language for a real audience.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Reconnect and prepare Open with the opening question and project goals: “How will we know whether our mahi has made a difference?” Revisit the big idea, project success measures and vocabulary: hua, ine, raraunga, whakaatu, tuku pūrongo, urupare and kawenga. Place 25 students into their established project teams and confirm roles.

2. 5–12 minutes – Safety, tikanga and data briefing Use the safety and data-collection slides to review the site risk assessment, PPE, hydration, sun protection, tool use, water-edge supervision, wildlife protection and emergency procedures. Discuss tikanga for working with whenua and people, including respectful engagement with whānau, kaumātua, iwi representatives and environmental partners. Model completing the project data and reflection sheet with one example.

3. 12–32 minutes – Implement or trial the project Teams carry out their approved action or trial: for example, planting, removing rubbish, reducing water use, surveying species, improving visitor understanding or increasing participation. Students record baseline and implementation evidence on the project data and reflection sheet, using photographs, counts, measurements, survey responses or observation notes. The teacher circulates, checks safety, photographs evidence where appropriate, and holds brief data conferences with each team.

4. 32–42 minutes – Organise and display evidence Back in class, teams check their records for missing information, consistent units and fair comparisons. They create a graph, table or visual display using paper or digital tools, showing what changed and what may have influenced the result. Students may use the results table builder cards as a prompt for variables, units, trials and checking accuracy. Connect to Pāngarau by discussing totals, differences, percentages or simple comparisons, and to Pūtaiao by explaining observed changes.

5. 42–53 minutes – Prepare the whānau hui communication Use the presentation-planning and language slides to show the required sequence: mihi or greeting, project purpose, action taken, evidence and graph, learning, limitations, next steps and acknowledgement of supporters. Teams choose a bilingual or Māori-medium format such as a short presentation, waiata, poster, digital story, exhibition or demonstration. Encourage the use of mahi ngātahi, whakatutuki, tuku pūrongo and a relevant whakataukī. Students complete the reflection section of the project data and reflection sheet and rehearse together.

6. 53–58 minutes – Rehearse and give feedback Each team gives a one-minute rehearsal to another team. Listeners provide one specific strength and one constructive suggestion, using the sentence starters: “He mea pai…” and “Kia pai ake, ka taea e koutou…” Teams record the feedback and make one improvement. The teacher observes speaking, collaboration, evidence use and responsiveness.

7. 58–60 minutes – Plenary and next steps Return to the reflection and closing slides. Students share one piece of evidence, one challenge and one action they will complete before the final whānau hui. Collect worksheets and project logs, and remind teams to bring any required materials or recordings to Lesson 6.

Resources

• the complete lesson slide deck
• the project data and reflection sheet
• Approved project plans and team role list
• Project materials, tools and PPE
• Clipboards, pencils, rulers or measuring equipment
• Cameras or tablets, with permission and tikanga observed
• Graph paper, large paper, markers and bilingual signage supplies
• Digital presentation or graphing tools
• Site risk assessment, emergency contacts and first-aid kit
• Water, sunscreen and weather-appropriate clothing

Assessment

• Observe safe participation, tikanga, collaboration, leadership and accurate data collection during the project trial.
• Review project logs, completed data sheets and graphs for relevant evidence, clear labels, consistent units and thoughtful interpretation.
• Use the rehearsal and peer feedback to assess communication in te reo Māori and/or English, explanation of findings, and willingness to improve.

Differentiation

• Offer flexible formats: co-presenting, waiata, poster, digital story, demonstration or exhibition. Match leadership roles to strengths, such as photographer, data recorder, speaker, designer, interviewer or safety monitor.
• Provide visual examples, bilingual vocabulary, sentence starters, partially completed tables and teacher or peer scribing. Allow speech-to-text, audio recording and rehearsal with a trusted partner for ākonga with literacy, communication or processing needs.
• For EAL learners, pair spoken explanations with labelled visuals, gestures, home-language discussion and key terms in te reo Māori and English.
• Extend confident ākonga by calculating percentage change or comparing two data sets, discussing reliability and limitations, or designing a long-term monitoring plan with future measures and responsibilities.