Aroha and Whanaungatanga

Curriculum Links

• Learning Area: Health and Physical Education
• Level: Years 5-6 (Phase 2: Expanding horizons of knowledge and collaboration)
• Achievement Objectives:
• Understand and demonstrate strategies to establish and maintain respectful relationships.
• Appreciate the importance of aroha (love, compassion) and whanaungatanga (relationships, sense of belonging) in their school and community contexts.
• Key Competencies:
• Relating to others: Develop and maintain positive relationships through aroha and respect.
• Participating and contributing: Actively engage in collaborative learning and express ideas with respect.
• Values: Contribution, Community, Caring for others, Respect

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 40-minute lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain what aroha and whanaungatanga mean and recognise how these values strengthen their school community.
2. Identify examples of aroha and whanaungatanga in everyday school life.
3. Creatively express their understanding of aroha and whanaungatanga through a comic strip or art piece.
4. Collaborate respectfully with peers to share and celebrate their work.

Lesson Outline

Materials Needed

• Large paper or comic strip templates
• Coloured pencils, markers, crayons
• Example images or simple story prompts showing aroha and whanaungatanga in school (optional)
• Whiteboard or chart paper and markers

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1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Warm-up Discussion:
• Ask: What do aroha and whanaungatanga mean to you?
• Share culturally relevant definitions:
• Aroha: love, kindness, compassion, empathy shown to others.
• Whanaungatanga: a sense of belonging through relationships, family connections, and community.
• Use examples from school—for instance, helping a friend, welcoming new students, working together.
• Curriculum Connection: Explain these are key values in our kura (school) which help us all feel safe, supported, and part of a family. This links to Health and Physical Education, focusing on building positive relationships.

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2. Group Brainstorming (5 minutes)

• On a whiteboard or chart paper, create a mind map with "Aroha" and "Whanaungatanga" as central words.
• Invite students to share words, actions, or stories that show these values in school.
• Encourage different examples (such as kindness, sharing, helping, listening, respecting others' ideas).

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3. Main Activity – Creative Expression (20 minutes)

• Task: Students create a comic strip or a small art piece that shows aroha and whanaungatanga in their school.
• Instructions:
• Plan a short story or scene illustrating these values (e.g., a student helping another, making new friends, including someone who feels left out).
• Use a comic strip format (3-6 panels) or a single creative art piece that tells the story visually.
• Include captions or speech bubbles to explain the characters' feelings or actions (connecting to English curriculum progression for Years 5-6 storytelling skills).
• Support: Provide templates to scaffold planning and drawing for all students including those needing extra assistance.
• Encourage collaboration by having students share ideas at their tables before starting their own work.

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4. Sharing and Reflecting (5 minutes)

• Invite students to share their comic strip or art piece with a partner or small group, explaining what aroha and whanaungatanga look like in their story.
• Highlight respectful listening and positive feedback.
• Optionally, choose a few students to present to the whole class.

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5. Wrap-up and Connection (Closing 5 minutes)

• Recap key points: aroha and whanaungatanga help us build a caring school community.
• Encourage students to practice these values every day and look out for aroha and whanaungatanga in others.
• Mention how their creative work contributes to the school’s aroha and whanaungatanga kaupapa (values practice).

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observes students during discussion and brainstorming to check understanding of aroha and whanaungatanga.
• Product: Comic strips/art pieces assessed informally for clear representation of aroha and whanaungatanga concepts, use of narrative or visual communication, and creativity.
• Social: Assess how students demonstrate respectful collaboration in sharing and feedback sessions.

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• Provide story maps or sentence starters for ELL students or those needing language support.
• Use buddy or small group work for students who benefit from collaboration.
• Allow alternative modes of expression (oral storytelling, digital drawings) if needed.

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Teacher Reflection Points

• Were students able to connect aroha and whanaungatanga to their own lives?
• Did the activity foster a sense of belonging and respectful relationships?
• What support or scaffolding was effective for engagement and expression?

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This lesson plan aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Health and Physical Education for Years 5-6, fostering key competencies, values, and the curriculum's principle of inclusion, while providing an engaging creative activity that links to communication skills found in English learning objectives.