Governance in Māori Ways

Overview

In this lesson, students explore how Māori communities were governed before colonisation, focusing on leadership, decision-making, and community responsibilities. They compare these ideas with Western voting systems to understand why governance can look different across cultures.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe key features of Māori governance and community decision-making.
• WALT compare Māori governance approaches with Western voting systems.
• WALT explain how people’s roles, relationships, and values shape governance.

Success criteria

• I can identify examples of Māori leadership and how decisions were made within whānau, hapū, and iwi.
• I can explain at least two ways Māori governance differed from “one person, one vote”.
• I can use evidence from notes, images, or short readings to support my comparison.

Curriculum links

• New Zealand Curriculum: Social Sciences focus on how societies are organised, how people make decisions, and change over time.
• Key idea: Understand how governance and citizenship take different forms in different cultures and time periods.
• Values link: Manaakitanga and respect for others’ beliefs and practices while discussing governance.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min | Starter: Think–Pair–Share Students discuss: “What does it mean to govern?” They share ideas in pairs, then the class builds a simple list on the board (e.g., make decisions, organise people, resolve disagreements).

2. 5–10 min | Lesson focus and vocabulary for understanding Teacher introduces the unit question: “What makes governance fair?” Students are told today they will learn about Māori governance principles and compare them with Western voting.

3. 10–22 min | Māori governance snapshot (guided input) Teacher shares a short, age-appropriate explanation using examples such as whānau, hapū, and iwi roles, collective responsibility, and how leaders were expected to act with obligation to others. Students take brief notes under two headings: “Who has roles?” and “How do decisions happen?”

4. 22–35 min | Source sorting: Similarities and differences In groups of 3–4 (30 students → about 8 groups), students receive 6–8 scenario cards or image prompts (printed). Examples include: community meetings, leadership discussions, building consensus, and Western-style ballots. Task: Sort cards into two columns: “Māori governance ideas” and “Western voting ideas”, then write one reason for each card choice.

5. 35–48 min | Comparison writing: Two differences + one similarity Students choose one similarity and write two clear differences using sentence starters:

• “In Māori governance, …”
• “In Western voting, …”
• “A similarity is …” Teacher circulates and checks that students are describing processes (how decisions are made), not judging which system is “better”.

6. 48–57 min | Class discussion: Fairness and values Whole-class share-out. Teacher prompts with respectful questions:

• “What values seem important in each system?”
• “How might outcomes be different if decisions require consensus?”
• “How do relationships and responsibilities affect governance?”

7. 57–60 min | Exit ticket Students complete an exit ticket with one sentence: “One way Māori governance was different from voting is…” Collect for next lesson planning.

Resources

• Short teacher-prepared reading or fact sheet (1 page max) on Māori governance before colonisation (age appropriate).
• Printed scenario cards and/or image prompts showing decision-making situations (mixed examples of collective discussion and voting).
• Board/slide with two column headings: “Māori governance ideas” and “Western voting ideas”.
• Student note sheet with table: Who has roles? How do decisions happen?
• Sentence starters for comparison writing.
• Exit ticket slips.
• Group roles (e.g., reader, recorder, spokesperson, timekeeper).
• Optional: simple timeline strip for context (used only for orientation, not detail).

Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observes group sorting and listens for accurate descriptions of decision-making processes.
• Formative: Comparison writing is checked for two differences explained clearly and respectfully.
• Summative-for-learning: Exit ticket shows each student’s ability to state one difference using evidence from today’s activity.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starters and a partially completed comparison frame (one similarity filled in).
• Use fewer scenario cards for some groups (e.g., 4–5 instead of 6–8).
• Extension:
• Challenge students to add a “values” statement: “The values behind this process seem to be…”
• Ask for an example of how governance might change when communities’ needs change (a short add-on sentence).
• EAL support:
• Pre-teach key terms using visuals: governance, decision, leader, community, agreement/consensus, roles.
• Allow students to record notes with diagrams or word banks.
• SEN support:
• Offer a colour-coded card sort and a simplified writing template with word banks.
• Permit oral responses to be transcribed by the teacher or group recorder.