Emotions & Atua

Overview

This sensory-rich 70-minute session introduces preschool students (sensory learners with basic literacy) in New Zealand to selected Māori Atua (gods) and explores how these Atua link to human emotions. It supports the New Zealand Curriculum’s commitment to bicultural foundations (Treaty of Waitangi principle) and promotes positive identity, cultural understanding, and emotional awareness through experiential learning.

Curriculum References

Learning Area:

Social Sciences (Aotearoa New Zealand histories)
Health and Physical Education (Emotional well-being)
Learning Languages (Te reo Māori me ōna tikanga)

Key Competencies:

Managing Self
Relating to Others
Participating and Contributing

Principles:

Treaty of Waitangi
High Expectations
Cultural Diversity
Inclusion (responsive to sensory learners with high ORRS)

Values:

Whanaungatanga (Building relationships)
Manaakitanga (Care and respect)

Relevant Curriculum Links:

Understanding the significance of Atua in Māori culture and how they reflect emotions — Social Sciences Level 1 (recognise symbols and meanings in own and others’ cultures)
Developing emotional awareness and expressing feelings — Health and Physical Education Level 1
Using te reo Māori words and concepts relevant to self and feelings — Learning Languages Level 1

Learning Objectives

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

Identify at least three Māori Atua associated with particular emotions (e.g., Tāwhirimātea - anger/storm, Tāne Mahuta - peace/growth, Rūaumoko - change/upheaval).
Experience and express through movement, art, and sensory play the emotions linked to selected Atua.
Use simple te reo Māori words related to the Atua and emotions in supported contexts.
Recognise emotions and relate them respectfully to cultural stories and symbols.

Resources Needed

Visual aids: large laminated pictures of Atua (simple and colourful illustrations)
Sensory materials (e.g., feathers, leaves, water sprays, stones)
Soft music or nature sounds related to Atua (wind sounds, forest sounds)
Emotion cards with facial expressions pictures
Clay or playdough
Simple “Atua Emotion” printed word cards with Māori and English words
Comfortable open space for movement

Lesson Breakdown (70 minutes)

1. Welcome & Introduction (10 min)

Warm sensory greeting: Use a calming karakia (prayer) in te reo Māori to open the session (e.g., "Whakarongo ki te wā, ki te rangi, ā, ki te whenua") inviting students to listen and feel.
Briefly show pictures of three Atua and say their names clearly (repeat 2-3 times with gestures).
Explain simply: “These Atua are like guardians who can teach us about feelings inside us — happy, calm, angry, or excited.”
Use simple te reo Māori greeting words and emotions (e.g., hari = happy, pōuri = sad, riri = angry).

2. Story & Sensory Experience (20 min)

Tell a very simple story for each Atua with emotion focus. Use sensory cues:
- Tāwhirimātea (god of winds & storms): Use a small fan or blow gently on students to represent wind; talk about feelings of stormy anger or excitement.
- Tāne Mahuta (god of forests): Pass around leaves, wooden pieces, or soft feathers; talk about calm and peaceful feelings.
- Rūaumoko (god of earthquakes and volcanoes): Use textured clay or stones to feel shaky, mixed with a low rumbling sound; talk about change and surprise.
Ask children to mimic the feeling with their bodies or face (e.g., big strong arms for Tāwhirimātea, calm breathing for Tāne Mahuta).

3. Creative Expression (20 min)

Provide clay/playdough and emotion cards.
Invite children to create shapes or faces that show the emotion from one Atua story they liked (with adult support if needed).
Alternatively, use colours and soft brushes to paint the feeling of the Atua.
Encourage use of te reo Māori emotion words while creating (supported by teacher and visual word cards).

4. Group Movement & Sound (10 min)

Lead a guided movement activity linking Atua to emotions & nature.
Example: Soft steps and slow hand movements for Tāne Mahuta (peace), stomping feet & blowing air for Tāwhirimātea (anger/storm), gentle rocking side to side for Rūaumoko (earthquake/change).
Play nature sound recordings to deepen sensory connection.
Encourage vocal sounds or simple chants of the Atua names together.

5. Reflection & Closing (10 min)

Circle time: Show the Atua pictures and ask children to say (or show by face) the emotion they felt best.
Praise their effort and link back to how these feelings are okay and part of life, and how Atua teach us about them.
Close with a short karakia or waiata (song) in te reo Māori that celebrates connection to nature and feelings.

Assessment & Feedback

Formative assessment through observing children’s responses in movement and creative tasks—note engagement with sensory materials and use of te reo Māori words.
Encourage and record simple expressive attempts—verbal, gestural, or sensory responses—to emotion concepts linked to Atua.
Use a simple checklist for each child: Recognises Atua names, connects an emotion, participates in creative or movement activity.
Teacher reflection post-lesson on strategies best supporting sensory learners and use of te reo Māori.

Differentiation & Inclusion Strategies

Use multi-sensory approaches: visual, tactile, auditory to engage all learners.
Support non-verbal learners with picture cards and gestures.
Provide calm down spaces and sensory breaks as needed.
Use clear, slow speech with simple repetition and visuals for vocabulary.
Collaborate with teacher aides/whānau for individual support.
Emphasise wellbeing, belonging and manaakitanga throughout.

This lesson blends core curriculum goals (treaty partnership, cultural identity, emotional wellbeing) with developmentally appropriate, sensory-focused experiences that speak directly to high ORRS preschoolers’ strengths and needs. It models how Māori worldviews and language can enrich social sciences learning and emotional literacy in early childhood settings in New Zealand.

If you would like, I can also provide example karakia, story scripts, and visual card descriptions to support this plan.

Teaching Instructions