Aotearoa Storytime

Curriculum Area

Aotearoa New Zealand Histories – Early Learning (Preschool, Te Whāriki Curriculum, Contribution | Mana Tangata & Communication | Mana Reo)

Learning Objective

By the end of this lesson, children will:

• Develop a basic understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s history through storytelling.
• Be introduced to simple te reo Māori words related to the story.
• Engage in active participation using role-play and interactive visuals.

Resources Needed

• Large printed images or simple props of key characters (e.g. Kupe, waka, taniwha).
• A soft toy or prop to represent Māui and his fish.
• Basic te reo Māori flashcards (moana - ocean, waka - canoe, ika - fish, rākau - tree, maunga - mountain).
• A small piece of blue fabric to represent the ocean.

Lesson Structure (20 Minutes)

1. Karakia & Welcome (2 minutes)

• Gather in a circle and begin with a simple karakia timatanga (opening prayer) to set the tone.
• Greet students using te reo Māori: "Tēnā koutou tamariki mā!" (Hello children!).
• Encourage them to respond: “Tēnā koe, kaiako!” (Hello teacher!).

2. Interactive Story – Māui and the Giant Fish (5 minutes)

• Introduce Māui using a soft toy representation.
• Use facial expressions and hand gestures to engage children in the excitement of Māui fishing up the North Island.
• Pause at key moments and encourage children to guess what happens next.
• As you tell the story, introduce simple te reo Māori words:
  • Moana (ocean) – Hold up blue fabric, let children touch and shake it.
  • Ika (fish) – Show a fish image and get children to mimic swimming hands.
  • Māui – Ask, "Who is clever and strong?", prompting kids to repeat "Māui!".

3. Movement Activity – Acting Like Māui! (5 minutes)

• Have children ‘stand in a waka’ (pretend to paddle).
• Have them ‘throw their fishing lines’ and ‘pull in the big fish’ (using arm motions).
• Ask them to form Aotearoa’s mountains and rivers with their bodies by shaping themselves into small “mountains” or wavy rivers on the floor.

4. Flashcard Review Game (5 minutes)

• Show te reo Māori flashcards one by one and ask:
  • “Who remembers this word?”
  • “Can you say it with me?”
  • “Can you find something around us that looks like this?”
• Give lots of positive encouragement (e.g. "Ka pai! Pai mahi!" – Well done! Great job!).
• Repeat words with rhythm and clapping to help them stick.

5. Closing Song & Karakia (3 minutes)

• End with a waiata (song) such as Tōku Pepeha or a simple action song reinforcing the te reo Māori words.
• Say karakia whakamutunga (closing prayer) together.
• Farewell using "Ka kite anō, tamariki mā!" (See you again, children!).

Assessment & Reflection

• Observe whether students repeat te reo Māori words correctly.
• Look for engagement in the role-play and movement activities.
• Encourage students to share something they remember from the story.

🎉 Wow Factor: An immersive storytelling approach, fostering language acquisition through hands-on props & movement! 🎉