Feelings in Te Reo

Overview

Students learn to ask and answer about feelings in te reo Māori using visual cues, gestures and short phrases. They practise respectful classroom interaction and recognise that people may experience and express feelings differently.

Learning intentions

• WALT ask someone how they are feeling.
• WALT say how I am feeling using a te reo Māori sentence.
• WALT recognise and use words for several feelings.
• WALT listen respectfully when others share.

Success criteria

• I can ask, “Kei te pēhea koe?”
• I can answer, “Kei te ___ ahau.”
• I can match feeling kupu to pictures or facial expressions.
• I can listen without laughing at or judging another person’s feeling.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — Classroom language: using “E tū” and “Hoihoi/Turituri” appropriately.
• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — Giving instructions in te reo Māori requires culturally appropriate language which reflects respect, relationships and collective responsibility.
• Learning Languages: developing confidence to communicate meaning through familiar words, phrases, gesture and repetition.
• Key Competencies: relating to others and managing self.

Achievement Objectives / Curriculum Alignment

Aligned with NZ Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages, Emergent/Novice learning for describing and responding to feelings in te reo Māori:

• Students can understand and use simple phrases to express their own feelings, and ask and respond to “Kei te pēhea koe?” (NZ-TMA-LEARNINGLA-ALL-during-emergent-1-during-469-DOC173; NZ-TMA-LEARNINGLA-ALL-during-emergent-1-during-470-DOC173).
• Students can recognise that emotions may be expressed and understood in culturally grounded ways in te ao Māori (NZ-TMA-LEARNINGLA-ALL-during-emergent-1-during-468-DOC173).
• Students can participate respectfully in short interpersonal exchanges, using familiar phrases, listening behaviours and culturally appropriate responses (NZ-TMA-LEARNINGLA-ALL-during-emergent-1-during-469-DOC173; NZ-TMA-LEARNINGLA-ALL-during-emergent-1-during-468-DOC173).

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Whakatau and hook. Teacher welcomes the class, displays the opening feeling images and asks, “How might these people be feeling?” Explain that feelings can look different for different people and students may choose not to share their own feeling aloud. Students silently choose a facial expression or gesture for one feeling.

2. 4–10 min · Teach the kupu. Teacher introduces the feeling words one at a time, using the feeling vocabulary slides and clear gestures: hari (happy), pōuri (sad), riri (angry), mataku (afraid), and māharahara (worried). Model pronunciation, including the long vowel sounds, and have students echo each word, first as a whole class and then in quiet pairs. Students match each word to the teacher’s gesture and show the appropriate gesture when they hear a word.

3. 10–15 min · Build the sentence pattern. Teacher models the exchange: A: “Kei te pēhea koe?” B: “Kei te hari ahau.” Explain that ahau means “I/me” and that the feeling word can change. Model respectful listening and invite students to use “Āe” or a nod to show they are listening. Students practise the exchange with a partner, changing the feeling word each time. Partners may use a picture or point instead of sharing a real personal feeling.

4. 15–23 min · Feeling-match and speaking practice. Teacher distributes the feelings matching and speaking worksheet. Read the instructions aloud and complete the first example together. Students match the five kupu to simple feeling pictures, then practise asking and answering with a partner. Circulate and check that students use the full question and response. Pause the class midway and briefly revisit any pronunciation or sentence-pattern errors.

5. 23–27 min · Class communication circle. Teacher displays the partner challenge and respectful listening prompts. In pairs, students choose one feeling card or worksheet picture and perform the exchange for another pair. Remind students to use calm voices: “Hoihoi/Turituri” means noisy/quiet, so the class should be turituri while listening. Students give a quiet thumbs-up when they hear the question and a complete answer.

6. 27–30 min · Review and exit check. Teacher revisits the final review slide and asks the class to chorally respond to “Kei te pēhea koe?” Students complete the traffic-light check-in exit ticket slips by circling red, amber or green and writing or drawing one feeling kupu they can remember. Invite volunteers to say one phrase before collecting the slips.

Resources

• the feelings and speaking practice slide deck
• the feelings matching and speaking worksheet
• the traffic-light check-in exit ticket slips
• Whiteboard and pens
• Projector or interactive display
• Pencils and colouring pencils
• Optional classroom microphone or speaking object

Assessment

• Listen during echo practice and partner exchanges for accurate pronunciation of the feeling kupu.
• Use the worksheet and pair performance to check whether students can ask “Kei te pēhea koe?” and answer with “Kei te ___ ahau.”
• Review exit slips to identify students needing further support with vocabulary, macrons or the sentence pattern.

Differentiation

• Support learners with picture cues, gesture, repeated modelling and a visible sentence frame: “Kei te ______ ahau.”
• Allow students to point, draw or read from the worksheet rather than disclose a personal feeling; this supports emotional safety and respects different ways of communicating.
• Pair learners strategically and rehearse pronunciation privately before asking them to speak to another pair.
• Extend confident learners by adding Kei te pēhea ia? (“How is he/she feeling?”) and answering, “Kei te ___ ia,” while reminding them not to assume another person’s feelings without checking.