Growing Positive Connections

Overview

This 60-minute lesson for Year 5 students in New Zealand, delivered in a Māori-medium context, explores the theme of Relationships through a lens aligned with Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Students will understand different types of relationships (whānau, hoa, hapori), appreciate the importance of respect and empathy (whakaute me te aroha), and learn strategies for positive communication (te whakawhiti kōrero āhua pai).

Curriculum Alignment

This lesson closely follows the Te Marautanga o Aotearoa framework, particularly drawing on:

• Hauora and Whanaungatanga strands within Humanities focusing on understanding self, others, and community relationships.
• Key values: Whakaute (Respect), Aroha (Empathy), Manaakitanga (Caring).
• Communication skills developed under Ngā āhuatanga reo (Features and structures of language) and Te whakamahi rautaki ki te whai māramatanga (Comprehending and creating texts).
• Competencies developed include Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Whakawhiti kōrero (communication skills).
• The learning objectives reflect phases of language and social learning progressions in years 4-6 from the Te Mātaiaho English resource, focusing on expressing ideas, understanding perspectives, and engaging empathetically with others.
• Promotes positive social wellbeing as a critical foundation for learning, reflecting the science of learning elements in the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Mātaiaho principles .

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify and describe different types of relationships: family (whānau), friends (hoa), and community (hapori).
2. Explain the importance of respect (whakaute) and empathy (aroha) in relationships.
3. Demonstrate strategies for positive communication (āhua pai te whakawhiti kōrero), including active listening and respectful language.
4. Reflect on their own role in fostering positive relationships within their whānau and hapori.

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Duration: 60 minutes

Class Size: 25 Year 5 students

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard or large chart paper and markers
• Prepared cards or visuals depicting types of relationships and feelings
• Storybook or a simple narrative in te reo Māori illustrating respectful communication and empathy (e.g., a local pūrākau or contemporary story relevant to tamariki)
• Paper and colouring materials for students
• Speaking and listening sentence stems in te reo Māori (e.g., “I feel...”, “I think...”, “It is important to…”)

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Lesson Plan Detail

1. Whakawhanaungatanga – Warm-up and Introduction (10 minutes)

Purpose: Build connection and introduce topic

• Begin with a brief karakia or waiata to set a positive tone.
• Pose a kōrero autouru (guided discussion):
  • "He aha ngā momo hononga kei roto i tō tātou ao? (What kinds of relationships exist in our lives?)"
• Record responses on the board in te reo Māori (whānau, hoa, hapori).
• Use visuals/cards to show these relationship types.
• Discuss the importance of these relationships in tamariki lives.

2. Pūrākau / Storytelling – Understanding Respect and Empathy (15 minutes)

Purpose: Develop understanding of respect and empathy through story

• Read a short pūrākau/story in te reo Māori demonstrating a situation involving respect and empathy in relationships (could be a whānau or school context).
• Pause periodically to ask comprehension questions such as:
  • “Me pēhea tāu whakaaro mō tēnei pūrākau?” (What do you think about this story?)
  • “Nā wai i whakaatu te aroha? Me pēhea te whakaatu i te whakaute?” (Who showed empathy? How was respect shown?)
• Highlight respectful actions and empathetic feelings using sentence stems.

3. Whakarite Mahere – Role-play Activity: Positive Communication Strategies (20 minutes)

Purpose: Practice respectful and empathetic communication

• Divide class into groups of 4–5.
• Each group receives a scenario card depicting a typical social situation where positive communication is needed (e.g., resolving a small disagreement, welcoming a new student, helping a friend).
• Provide students with sentence stems in te reo Māori to support their role-plays, such as:
  • “Kei te mōhio au kei te pēhea koe.” (I understand how you feel.)
  • “Me pēhea tātou e āwhina ai?” (How can we help?)
  • “Aroha mai, āwhina mai koa.” (Please show empathy/help.)
• Allow time to plan then role-play for the class.
• After each role-play, discuss what worked well and how feelings were respected.

4. Whakaaro Whaiaro – Reflective Drawing and Sharing (10 minutes)

Purpose: Personalise learning and express understanding

• Ask students to draw a picture of a relationship that is important to them and include one thing they will do to show respect and empathy in that relationship.
• Invite volunteers to share their drawings and explanations with the group using simple sentences in te reo Māori or paired discussion.

5. Whakakapi – Consolidation and Assessment (5 minutes)

Purpose: Summarise learning and assess understanding

• Quick oral quiz or kahoot-style questions in te reo Māori capturing key concepts about respect, empathy, relationship types, and communication strategies.
• Teacher observes and notes students’ use of vocabulary and comprehension of concepts for formative assessment.
• End with a karakia or whakataukī reinforcing positive relationships, e.g.,
  "Mā te aroha ka ora ai te whānau, mā te whakaute ka pua te hapori."

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Assessment Ideas

• Formative: Observations during discussions and role-plays, listening for students’ use of correct and respectful language.
• Reflective drawings: Assesses personal connection to relationships and understanding of respect and empathy.
• Oral questions: Checks comprehension of key vocabulary and concepts.
• Self-assessment: Students can express one thing they learnt and one behaviour they will practise to improve their relationships.

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Extension Ideas

• Invite whānau members to share stories about important relationships in their lives.
• Create a class kete of pūrākau and whakataukī about respect and relationships to display in the classroom.
• Develop a kete of communication sentence stems for ongoing use across learning areas.

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This plan integrates holistic cultural learning and literacy development, embeds language acquisition in authentic social contexts, and supports tamariki to grow their identities and competencies as confident communicators and caring members of Aotearoa New Zealand whānau and hapori .