Caring for Our Own

Overview

This 30-minute lesson invites Year 0-1 students to explore the concept of Tino Rangatiratanga as the act of looking after and caring for their own people. The lesson aligns with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, focusing on fostering students’ understanding of responsibility, equity, and manaakitanga, linked deeply with social studies and wellbeing.

---

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Social Sciences (Te Ao Tūroa and Communities)
Level: Years 0–1 (Phase 1)
Strand: Identity, Culture, and Organisation
Achievement Objective:

• Understand how people and communities look after their environment and each other (NZC Social Sciences).
• Recognise and show care for others from their own cultural backgrounds and those of others (Manaakitanga).

Key Competencies:

• Relating to others: Working together, showing care and respect for others.
• Participating and contributing: Acting in ways that contribute to the wellbeing of the classroom community.

Cross Curriculum Link:

• Health and Physical Education: Wellbeing and care for self and others.
• English: Oral communication using Te Reo Māori alongside English (“Tino Rangatiratanga,” “Manaakitanga”).

---

Learning Objectives

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

• Understand the meaning of Tino Rangatiratanga as caring for their own people.
• Identify and articulate ways they already show care and kindness in the school environment.
• Appreciate that caring can look different for everyone, reflecting equity.
• Use and recognise key te reo Māori vocabulary: Tino Rangatiratanga and Manaakitanga.

---

Resources

• Visual cards/pictures depicting caring actions (e.g., sharing toys, helping friends, listening, hugging).
• Large chart paper or whiteboard for recording ideas with drawings.
• Markers, crayons for student contributions.

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Teacher says: “Today we are going to learn about Tino Rangatiratanga. This means we look after our own people — the people who are important to us.”
• Use simple language, gestures, and show the written words Tino Rangatiratanga and Manaakitanga on chart paper.
• Briefly explain Manaakitanga as showing kindness and care to others.

2. Discussion and Sharing (10 minutes)

• Invite students to think about and share ways they look after others at school (e.g., sharing toys, helping friends, using kind words).
• Encourage every child to contribute an idea; aim for 10–15 examples.
• As each idea is shared, teacher draws a simple picture next to the idea on chart paper to visually represent it.
• Use prompts to support children’s thinking, such as:
  • “How do you help your friends when they are sad?”
  • “What can you do if someone drops their book?”
• Affirm that all caring actions are important and look different for different people. Highlight diversity and equity.

3. Group Activity: Caring Action Sort (10 minutes)

• Show the caring-action visuals (cards or pictures).
• Have students come up in small groups or pairs and match pictures of caring actions with scenarios shared earlier.
• Discuss briefly how different actions help people feel happy and safe.
• Reinforce Manaakitanga (kindness) and Tino Rangatiratanga (looking after our own).
• Teacher assists and encourages using the te reo vocabulary and simple sentences.

4. Reflection and Closing (5 minutes)

• Gather students back and revisit the chart of caring actions.
• Ask a few children to share their favourite caring action with a partner or the whole class.
• Teacher summarises: “Tino Rangatiratanga means we look after the people we care about. We do this by showing Manaakitanga— kindness and respect.”
• End with a simple waiata or song about caring and kindness to create a positive class culture around looking after each other.

---

Assessment and Feedback

• Observe student participation and listening during discussions.
• Listen for use of te reo words and understanding in contributions.
• Note ability to identify and explain caring actions.
• Use formative assessment to inform future lessons on Tino Rangatiratanga and community wellbeing.

---

Equity Considerations

• Explicitly affirm that caring looks different for everyone, honouring diverse cultural backgrounds and personalities.
• Use visuals and gestures to support comprehension for learners who are English Language Learners or have additional learning needs.
• Create an inclusive environment where all children feel valued and able to share their ideas without judgement.

---

Links to the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

This lesson supports the following key points from the refreshed NZ Curriculum:

• Social Sciences: Engaging students in understanding their role in communities and caring for others aligns with the Social Sciences vision of participation and responsible citizenship.
• Key Competencies: Building skills in relating to others and participating confidently supports lifelong learning and wellbeing goals.
• Te Reo Māori: Integration of Tino Rangatiratanga and Manaakitanga introduces students to foundational cultural concepts early, respecting the bicultural foundation of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
• Equity and Diversity: Affirming diverse ways of caring ensures teaching is inclusive and culturally responsive, critical elements emphasized in the refreshed curriculum for Years 0-1 learners .

---

This plan encourages rich oral language use, social-emotional learning, and cultural understanding appropriate for young learners, while ensuring accessibility and inclusivity, helping teachers to engage their tamariki effectively in Tikanga Māori values and community responsibility.