He Kohinga Tae

Overview

In this 40-minute beginner lesson, ākonga learn and use four colour words in te reo Māori: whero (red), kākāriki (green), kōwhai (yellow), and kikorangi (blue). They apply the words during a classroom colour hunt, record what they find, and work together to create a labelled colour collage.

Learning intentions

• WALT learn and say four colour words in te reo Māori.
• WALT use the sentence pattern “He ___ tēnei.”
• WALT listen and respond to simple questions about colour.
• WALT work together to create and label a colour collage.

Success criteria

• I can say whero, kākāriki, kōwhai, and kikorangi.
• I can say “He ___ tēnei” to describe an object.
• I can find and record objects that match each colour.
• I can help create a collage with labels in te reo Māori.

Curriculum links

• Te Reo Māori introduction — Novice 1 and 2: building a strong connection between te reo Māori and the cultural values carried within the language.
• Te Reo Māori introduction — identity, culture, and worldview: learning language through meaningful, collaborative classroom experiences.
• Te Reo Māori introduction — Emergent 1 and 2: using language to share ideas and participate in both informal and formal contexts.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and colour hook. Display the colour hook slide showing four brightly coloured objects and ask, “He aha tēnei tae?” Model listening respectfully, then introduce the learning intention and success criteria. Students look, notice, and share colour ideas in English or te reo Māori before repeating the focus words.

2. 5–12 min · Listen and repeat. Use the colour teaching slides to introduce one colour at a time: whero, kākāriki, kōwhai, and kikorangi. Say each word clearly, invite choral repetition, and use actions such as pointing to a matching colour card. Students repeat, practise pronunciation with a partner, and show the correct colour when the teacher says the word.

3. 12–17 min · Build the sentence. Return to the sentence pattern slide and model holding up a red object while saying, “He whero tēnei.” Repeat with the other colours. Explain that tēnei means “this” and that the sentence tells us, “This is red/green/yellow/blue.” Students practise with objects at their table, taking turns to point, listen, and say the sentence with teacher support.

4. 17–27 min · Classroom colour hunt. Give each student the colour hunt recording sheet and explain the hunt using the colour hunt instruction slide. Students work as a small group to find safe classroom objects matching each colour, recording a drawing or brief description in the appropriate section. At each find, students practise saying, “He ___ tēnei.” The teacher circulates, prompts with “He aha tēnei tae?” and records observations of listening, pronunciation, and sentence use.

5. 27–36 min · Collaborative colour collage. Show the collage instructions slide. Provide coloured paper and invite the five students to work together, placing torn or cut pieces into one collage with four colour areas. Students choose where pieces belong, say the colour word as they add each piece, and attach or copy the labels whero, kākāriki, kōwhai, and kikorangi. Encourage turn-taking and positive group language such as “Tēnā koe” when receiving materials.

6. 36–40 min · Share and check learning. Use the sharing and review slide to revisit the four words. Each student points to one part of the collage and says, “He ___ tēnei.” Ask students to show a thumbs-up, sideways, or down for each success criterion, then complete a brief oral exit check: the teacher shows one colour and each student either says the word independently or repeats it after a model.

Resources

• the colour hook, teaching, hunt, collage, and review slides
• the colour hunt recording sheet
• Four colour cards labelled whero, kākāriki, kōwhai, and kikorangi
• Safe classroom objects for the colour hunt
• Coloured paper, scissors, glue, and large backing paper
• Pencils, crayons, or felt-tip pens
• Display space for the completed collage

Assessment

• During repetition and partner practice, note which students recognise and pronounce each colour word.
• During the hunt, listen for students responding to “He aha tēnei tae?” and using “He ___ tēnei.”
• Use the collage share and oral exit check to identify students who can independently use a colour word, those needing a model, and the next word or sentence to revisit.

Differentiation

• Support learners with colour cards, gestures, repeated modelling, and the sentence frame “He ____ tēnei.” Accept pointing, matching, or repeating as valid early participation.
• Pair a confident speaker with a learner who needs support, while ensuring each student has a turn to speak.
• For EAL and learners requiring additional support, use real objects, visual labels, large print, and reduced choices of two colours at a time.
• Extension learners can describe several objects in a row, ask a partner “He aha tēnei tae?”, or add another familiar colour if it has already been taught.

Extension

• Invite advanced learners to lead a mini colour hunt for a partner using the question “He aha tēnei tae?”
• Ask them to create an additional collage label or sentence for a new colour known by the class.