Cultural Impacts

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 9 of 20) you will explore how the Land Wars influenced tikanga, kawa, and mātauranga, and how communities responded with resilience. You will investigate cultural loss and cultural strengthening using key concepts such as ngaro, kore, and whakakaha.

Learning intentions

• Students will investigate cultural impacts of the Land Wars on marae, waiata, and traditional practices.
• Students will use tikanga and kawa terminology to describe one cultural impact clearly.
• Students will apply new vocabulary (ngaro, kore, whakakaha) to explain loss and resilience.
• Students will develop respectful understanding of mātauranga as living knowledge systems.

Success criteria

• I can describe one cultural impact using appropriate tikanga terminology (tikanga/kawa/mātauranga).
• I can explain how that impact affected marae, waiata, or traditional practices.
• I can use ngaro, kore, and/or whakakaha accurately in my own sentences.

Curriculum links

• NCEA Te Reo Māori: Achievement standards assessing speaking, writing, and responding in te reo Māori (expressing ideas, explaining meaning, and using language features appropriate to the task).
• Communicative competence: interpreting information and conveying ideas with accuracy and clarity.
• Language and tikanga: understanding how te reo Māori and cultural concepts connect to values, protocols, and knowledge systems.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 — Karakia and kaupapa framing Teacher greets students and briefly revisits the unit focus: “Exploring the NZ Land Wars.” Students state (or share) one prior understanding of tikanga/kawa and what it protects.

2. 5–10 — Vocabulary and concept warm-up (ngaro/kore/whakakaha) Teacher uses quick visual cards (no long text) showing each word with a meaning in English and a Māori example sentence. Students chorally repeat and then pair up to choose which word best matches a scenario (e.g., “when knowledge can’t be practised”).

3. 10–17 — Input: cultural impacts, guided listening/reading Teacher presents a short, age-appropriate narrative excerpt (teacher read aloud). Students listen for three “impact” moments: marae changes, waiata/practice changes, and knowledge system disruption. Students mark each moment using symbols on a worksheet (marae icon, waiata icon, knowledge icon).

4. 17–27 — Investigation in groups: tikanga/kawa/mātauranga focus In groups of 3–4, students complete a short task: choose one impact and fill in three prompts.

• What happened (impact)?
• Which tikanga or kawa idea is relevant?
• What does this show about mātauranga (knowledge system) and resilience (whakakaha) or loss (ngaro/kore)? Teacher circulates, checking for respectful language and accuracy.

5. 27–37 — Create: short paragraph or mini-explanation Students write a 6–8 sentence explanation in te reo Māori OR a bilingual scaffold (te reo Māori core with brief English support if needed). Required elements: one tikanga/kawa term, one mātauranga reference, and at least one vocabulary word (ngaro/kore/whakakaha). Students may rehearse aloud to a partner before submitting.

6. 37–44 — Success criteria share and feedback (turn and talk) Two or three pairs/groups share their best sentence or their “impact explanation.” Class gives feedback using “Glow and Grow”:

• Glow: What matches success criteria?
• Grow: One language improvement (word choice, clarity, or tikanga terminology).

7. 44–45 — Exit ticket (quick check) Each student completes a one-minute exit ticket: “One cultural impact was… because… I used… (ngaro/kore/whakakaha).”

Resources

• Vocabulary cards for ngaro, kore, whakakaha with student-friendly meanings
• Symbol icons for marae, waiata, and mātauranga
• Short teacher-read excerpt on cultural impacts during the Land Wars (plus dyslexia-friendly version described below)
• Group task sheet with three prompts (impact, tikanga/kawa, mātauranga/resilience)
• Sentence starters in te reo Māori (e.g., “I pā he…”, “E hāngai ana tēnei ki…”, “E whakaatu ana i te…”)
• Writing supports: word banks and model paragraphs
• Feedback prompts (“Glow and Grow”)
• Exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Formative assessment: observation during group work and accuracy of vocabulary use during conferencing.
• Summative-for-this-lesson evidence: the mini-explanation (6–8 sentences) and exit ticket aligned to the success criteria.
• Teacher feedback focuses on: correct tikanga/kawa terminology, clear cultural impact explanation, and accurate use of ngaro/kore/whakakaha.

Differentiation

• Support (reading level support with culturally appropriate articles):
• Provide two versions of the excerpt: a shorter, more visual article with sentence breaks and a longer article with additional detail.
• Include margin glosses for key tikanga/kawa words and a bilingual glossary for ngaro/kore/whakakaha.
• Offer a guided writing template with sentence starters and a required word bank.
• Stretch/extension (for advanced learners):
• Add a second impact comparison: “How did the impact differ between marae and waiata?”
• Require a stronger explanation of resilience (whakakaha) using tikanga reasoning (why a particular protocol/knowledge practice mattered).
• EAL learners:
• Allow bilingual planning notes (English key words) while requiring te reo Māori sentences for the final explanation.
• Pre-teach pronunciation and provide audio teacher reread of the excerpt.
• SEN / dyslexia-friendly supports:
• Use visual storytelling: a 3-panel sequence with Māori symbol meanings explained verbally by the teacher (no dense text).
• Provide the excerpt in large print with increased spacing; allow oral response instead of written for part of the task.

Extension (optional)

• After the mini-explanation, students design a poster showcasing cultural resilience using Māori design principles. The poster must include:
• A title in te reo Māori about resilience (whakakaha)
• One “cultural impact” statement (ngaro/kore)
• One “response” statement describing how tikanga/kawa supports mātauranga
• At least two visual elements with a short explanation of what they represent (spoken or written).