He Mihi, He Hononga

Overview

Students learn and practise greetings, terms of address, and a simple mihi to acknowledge people and relationships. The lesson builds whanaungatanga through respectful spoken interaction, while allowing students to use a fictional or chosen identity and place rather than disclose personal whakapapa or iwi connections.

Learning intentions

• Year 4: WALT use common greetings, names and wellbeing questions in a short exchange.
• Year 5: WALT use appropriate terms of address and link a person to a chosen or familiar place.
• Year 6: WALT deliver a short, coherent mihi that acknowledges identity, place and relationships.
• WALT listen respectfully and respond appropriately in a formal classroom context.

Success criteria

• I can pronounce and use a greeting appropriately.
• I can ask and answer questions about my name, place and wellbeing.
• I can choose the correct form of address: tēnā koe, tēnā kōrua or tēnā koutou.
• I can take part respectfully without needing to share private whakapapa or iwi information.

Curriculum links

• Mihi — using greetings and introductions to acknowledge relationships in formal situations.
• Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge — mihi as acknowledgement of places, people and space in formal and informal contexts.
• Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge — introductions and greetings establish whanaungatanga, whānau, aroha and manaakitanga.
• Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge — using greetings and farewells appropriately in different contexts.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm welcome. Open with the opening question and greeting visual and greet the class: “Tēnā koutou katoa. Kei te pēhea koutou?” Explain that a mihi helps people acknowledge one another and build connection. Students respond chorally, then silently choose a colour or gesture to show how they are feeling.

2. 5–15 min · Explicit teaching and pronunciation. Use the language and pronunciation slides to model each phrase, with an English gloss:

• Kia ora — hello/thank you
• Tēnā koe — greeting to one person
• Tēnā kōrua — greeting to two people
• Tēnā koutou — greeting to three or more people
• Ko wai koe? — who are you?
• Ko wai tō ingoa? — what is your name?
• Ko [name] ahau — I am [name]
• Nō hea koe? — where are you from?
• Nō [place] ahau — I am from [place]
• Kei te pēhea koe? — how are you?
• Kei te pai ahau — I am well/good

Model pronunciation slowly: vowels are consistent—a as in “father”, e as in “bed”, i as in “see”, o as in “or”, u as in “food”. Explain that macrons show a long vowel. Students echo in short phrases, focusing on clear sounds rather than speed.

3. 15–23 min · Guided pair practice. Distribute the mihi sentence-frame worksheet. Model a conversation with a confident student or teaching assistant: “Tēnā koe.” “Tēnā koe.” “Ko wai tō ingoa?” “Ko Maia ahau. Ko wai tō ingoa?” “Ko Hemi ahau.” “Nō hea koe?” “Nō Ōtautahi ahau.” “Kei te pēhea koe?” “Kei te pai ahau. Kia ora.”

Students practise with a partner, reading the frames first and then looking up as they speak. Year 4 students use the core frames; Year 5 add a chosen place; Year 6 include a respectful closing such as Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

4. 23–32 min · Movement game: “Whakawhiti kōrero”. Display the movement-game instructions. Arrange students in two facing lines. Partners greet, ask one question and answer, then one line moves one place to the right when the teacher says “Hīkoi”. Round 1 uses names, Round 2 uses places, and Round 3 uses wellbeing. Students must use tēnā koe for one partner; pause to practise tēnā kōrua and tēnā koutou when addressing pairs or groups. Students may use chosen names and imaginary places.

5. 32–44 min · Differentiated mihi task. In groups of four, students prepare and rehearse a short mihi using the differentiated mihi planning section.

• Year 4: greeting, name and wellbeing: “Tēnā koutou. Ko ___ ahau. Kei te pai ahau.”
• Year 5: add a chosen place: “Nō ___ ahau.”
• Year 6: create a four- to six-line mihi acknowledging a chosen place, a person or group, and the class: “Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko ___ ahau. Nō ___ ahau. E mihi ana ahau ki a koutou.”

One student may be speaker, one pronunciation coach, one encourager and one timekeeper; rotate roles. Students may present as an individual, pair or group. Teacher circulates, listens for accurate terms of address and gives immediate feedback.

6. 44–48 min · Share and formative assessment. Invite several volunteers from different year levels to present. Peers show one finger for a clear greeting, two for a question and three for a respectful response. Ask: “Ko wai ka taea te whakamahi tēnā kōrua? Āhea whakamahi ai tātou i tēnā koutou?” Students self-assess on the worksheet by circling “I can do this”, “I am practising” or “I need help”.

7. 48–50 min · Closing reflection. Gather students respectfully. Ask them to complete: “I strengthened whanaungatanga when I …” Take two responses, then close with a brief karakia, or invite a student to lead if this follows local tikanga. Finish with “Kia ora koutou katoa.”

Resources

• the complete mihi teaching deck
• the mihi sentence-frame worksheet
• Whiteboard and pens
• Space for two facing lines
• Timer
• Teacher pronunciation notes
• Optional speaker or pūrere for a short waiata familiar to the class

Assessment

• During echo practice and pair work, listen for clear vowel sounds, correct use of koe/kōrua/koutou, and complete responses.
• During the movement game, note whether students initiate and sustain a short exchange without relying entirely on the worksheet.
• Collect or review the worksheet and self-assessment; use the final presentations to identify students ready for a longer mihi and students needing further modelling.

Differentiation

• Support: provide picture cues, colour-code question and answer frames, allow rehearsal with the teacher, and pair learners thoughtfully. Accept pointing, choral response or a recorded response before independent speaking.
• For EAL learners and students needing additional support, pre-teach the English meanings, use gesture and repetition, reduce the number of lines, and avoid correcting every error during fluent communication.
• Year 4 students may read all frames. Year 5 students should substitute their own chosen details. Year 6 students should speak with fewer prompts and include a respectful acknowledgement.
• Culturally respectful practice: explain that mihi can acknowledge people, places and space, but do not require students to reveal whakapapa, iwi, marae or personal family information. Use fictional identities, local places or teacher-provided examples where appropriate, and follow local tikanga and whānau guidance.