Character Development

Overview

Lesson 5 of 10 focuses on creating relatable characters for an engaging narrative in Te reo Māori. Students explore how a character’s motivations influence events and outcomes, building on previous work with narrative elements and story engagement.

Learning intentions

• WALT create relatable character profiles in Te reo Māori.
• WALT describe character motivations and how they affect choices in a story.
• WALT link character actions to plot outcomes using clear reasoning.
• WALT use writing strategies to support the reader’s understanding of character development.

Success criteria

• I can name and describe my character (tūrangawaewae, appearance/traits, roles in the story).
• I can explain my character’s motivation using at least 2 reasons.
• I can show how my character’s motivation leads to specific actions in the story.
• I can revise my writing to improve clarity and impact for the reader.

Curriculum links

• Āheinga Reo — selecting features of different kinds of written language to strengthen authentic and imaginative texts.
• Rautaki Reo — using language research strategies to explore different reasons/motivations and their effects.
• Rautaki Reo — listening to recognise and evaluate how we interpret, judge, and analyse language patterns.
• Rautaki Reo — manipulating language features and text structure so that the text sounds like my own voice.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Whakamahana (Hook). Teacher reads a short mini-narrative in Te reo Māori (2–3 sentences) where a character’s motivation is clear, then stops and asks: “Nō hea tōna hihiri? He aha tana mahi ka whai muri?” Students listen and do a quick think-pair-share, naming the motivation and likely action.

2. 5–12 min · Tauira (Model). Teacher co-constructs a character profile on the board using a template: ingoa (name), tūāhuatanga/āhua (traits), hihiri (motivation), me ngā take e rua (two reasons), and he aha tāna ka kōwhiri ai (choice). Teacher models sentence stems in Te reo Māori, e.g. “Kei te hiahia au kia… nō te mea…”, “Ka… nā te mea…”. Students copy the stems and add one idea to their own draft.

3. 12–20 min · Rōpū iti (Character creation). Teacher assigns partners to brainstorm 1 character each (or groups of 3 if needed) for their ongoing narrative unit. Students complete their character profile in Te reo Māori, ensuring motivations are realistic and relatable. Teacher circulates, prompting with questions about why the character acts and what outcome is likely.

4. 20–30 min · Kaupapa hihiri → mahi (Reasoning mapping). Teacher introduces a “Hihiri-Mahi-Hōputu” chain on the board: Hihiri (motivation) → Kōwhiringa (choice) → Mahi (action) → Putanga (outcome). Students use their profiles to draw their own chain and write 3–4 connected sentences in Te reo Māori explaining how motivation drives action and affects the story’s outcome.

5. 30–38 min · Whakarongo ā-hōtaka (Peer feedback). Teacher explains a simple feedback focus aligned to interpreting/analying: “Tirohia mēnā mārama te hihiri, ā, ka kitea te hononga ki te mahi me te putanga.” Students swap drafts with a partner and give one “whakapai ake” comment and one “pai” comment, both using a stem list (e.g., “He mārama te…”, “Ka taea te whakamarama ake i te…”, “Nō te mea…”). Teacher checks for accuracy and supports students needing extra structure.

6. 38–45 min · Putanga whakamutunga (Exit & refine). Students revise one sentence in their draft to strengthen clarity or voice. Teacher conducts an exit ticket: students write one short sentence beginning with “Nō te mea…” explaining the main motivation that leads to the next action in their story.

Resources

• Character profile template (print or digital) with sentence stems
• Hihiri–Mahi–Hōputu chain graphic organiser
• Student notebooks/pens
• Board marker/chalk and projector/visualiser (optional)
• Feedback stem cards for peer review
• Mini-narrative text for the hook (teacher-prepared)
• Dictionary support (teacher-provided word bank; students’ personal gloss sheets if available)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during character creation and questioning about motivations and linked outcomes.
• Formative: completed Hihiri–Mahi–Hōputu chain and 3–4 connected sentences assessed against success criteria.
• Summative-for-today: exit ticket sentence using “Nō te mea…” to confirm understanding of motivation→action logic.

Differentiation

• Support: provide extra sentence starters, a reduced sentence requirement (e.g., 2 connected sentences) and word bank options for motivations (e.g., hiahia, mataku, aroha, wehi, whakaute, riri).
• Support: allow a partially filled character profile template (students complete blanks rather than starting from scratch).
• Extension: students add a complication (e.g., “ka huri te whakaaro o te pūāhua nā te mea…”) and include a second outcome influenced by a new choice.
• Language scaffolds: model how to use “nō te mea” and “ka… nā reira” to connect motivation to outcome; encourage accurate punctuation and readable spacing.
• EAL/SEN considerations: offer visual organisers, sentence frame bank, and allow oral rehearsal before writing (students whisper-read their sentence chain to a partner).