Engaging the Community

Overview

In this 60-minute session (Lesson 5 of 6), Year 7-8 students at a Kura Kaupapa Māori will explore marketing strategies that honour and engage their local community while reflecting Māori values. Learners will develop a basic marketing plan for their t-shirt business that connects with their whānau, hapū, and iwi, incorporating tikanga and kaupapa Māori concepts such as manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. This lesson integrates business learning with Māori worldview, following the framework of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and New Zealand curriculum key competencies.

Learning Objectives

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

Understand the concept of marketing strategies that engage the local community, underpinned by Māori values.
Investigate examples of marketing that show manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, and whanaungatanga to attract and involve customers.
Develop a basic marketing plan that reflects tikanga Māori and connects with the community for their t-shirt business.
Communicate their marketing ideas clearly using a poster or digital presentation.

Curriculum Links (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa)

Learning Area: Pakihi (Business Studies) Years 7-8
Key Competencies: Participating and Contributing, Using Language, Symbols and Texts, Relating to Others
Values: Community and participation, Integrity, Respect, reflecting Māori cultural identity and practices
Achievement Objectives:
- Students use knowledge of local tikanga and kawa to develop plans that contribute to community wellbeing through business.
- Students engage in practices that show respect and reciprocity (manaakitanga) when promoting and marketing products.
Inclusion Principle: Differentiated learning supports all students to engage, including emergent bilingual, dyslexic learners, and those with different learning needs .

Success Criteria

I can explain why marketing should reflect and respect local Māori values and customs.
I can identify marketing examples that engage my whānau and hapū.
I can create a clear, simple marketing plan that uses tikanga concepts to attract customers.
I can share my ideas in a way that others understand and respect.

Materials

Examples of Māori business marketing (images, videos if available)
Large paper or whiteboards and markers
Digital devices or cameras for creating presentations (optional)
Marketing plan template (simple, dyslexia-friendly layout)
Visual aids on Māori values (manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga, etc.)

Lesson Structure (60 minutes)

1. Whakawhanaungatanga & Introduction (10 mins)

Start with a pepeha or mihi to connect culturally.
Brief discussion: What does it mean to engage with our community?
Introduce Māori values that are important in business and marketing (manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga).
Explain today’s goal: Create a marketing plan for your t-shirt business that shows respect and care for our people and culture.

2. Explore Marketing Examples (10 mins)

Show 2-3 local and Māori business marketing examples that clearly show community engagement and values (e.g., manaakitanga through free samples, involvement in local events, using te reo Māori in advertising).
In pairs, students discuss why these ideas work and how they connect to Māori values.
Groups share a quick summary with the class.

3. Develop Marketing Plan (25 mins)

Hand out a simple marketing plan template with headings such as:
- Name of the marketing activity
- How it shows manaakitanga/kaitiakitanga/whanaungatanga
- Who in the community it involves
- How it promotes the t-shirt business
Model an example with the whole class.
Students work in small groups to complete their plans.
Encourage drawing and visuals for dyslexia-friendly presentation.
Teacher circulates, supports learners, and prompts reflection on values and community focus.

4. Share and Reflect (10 mins)

Each group shows or explains one part of their marketing plan.
Class reflects on how their plans respect tikanga and serve the community.
Ask: How does this marketing help build relationships (whanaungatanga)? How does it respect the environment or people (kaitiakitanga)?

5. Wrap-Up & Homework (5 mins)

Summarise key learning points about marketing with Māori values.
Homework: Find one local example of community marketing to share in the next lesson.

Differentiation Strategies

For dyslexic learners: Use templates with clear fonts and spacing, provide example texts and visuals, allow oral explanations.
For advanced learners: Challenge them to think about digital marketing tools or social media to reach their community while respecting tikanga.
For diverse language learners: Use bilingual resources; provide key words in te reo Māori and English; paired work to support oral language development.
Hands-on approach: Use group discussions, visual storytelling, role-play scenarios of marketing pitches.

Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

Create a short video or digital story presenting their marketing plan, incorporating te reo Māori greetings and concepts.
Research and present a case study of a successful Māori enterprise that uses community engagement.
Propose ideas to reduce environmental impact in their marketing plan, linking to kaitiakitanga.

Assessment

Formative assessment through:

Observation of group discussions and presentations.
Review of marketing plans with an emphasis on engagement with Māori values.
Peer and self-reflection on contributions and understanding of the community focus.

This lesson plan is aligned to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa principles and fosters the five key competencies through authentic, culturally meaningful business learning. The hands-on activities and strong cultural focus will empower students to connect their entrepreneurial ideas with their whakapapa and community responsibilities, supporting their growth as confident and connected young Māori entrepreneurs.

If you want me to help prepare the specific teaching resources/templates or bilingual key terms list for this lesson, just let me know!

Teaching Instructions