He Whakapono Tātai

Overview

In this lesson, students explore ethics and values in Te Hāhi Mihingare by analysing how Māori spirituality and Anglican faith can be blended. The teacher models a synthesis process using think-alouds, then provides guided practice with structured questioning and immediate feedback.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain how values and ethics in Te Hāhi Mihingare can be expressed through blended spiritual understandings.
• WALT identify key features of Māori spirituality and Anglican teaching as they appear in a specific context.
• WALT practise ethical reasoning by justifying a viewpoint using evidence from a source and course learning.

Success criteria

• I can describe at least two shared values (e.g., dignity, community, responsibility, compassion) and how they show up in Te Hāhi Mihingare contexts.
• I can explain how Māori spirituality and Anglican faith are synthesised rather than simply added side-by-side.
• I can use evidence from notes/text/study prompts to support an ethical judgement and acknowledge alternative perspectives.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho English — Text specifications: include texts representative of New Zealand’s bicultural literary heritage and texts from around the world, and analyse how key ideas shape understanding.
• Te Mātaiaho English — Language Studies: Visual and digital texts (Practices): apply ethical practices such as checking information and citing sources accurately when using any digital materials.
• Te Mātaiaho English — Text specifications: include seminal texts that have a lasting impact on how people understand key ideas from different cultures and times.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Opening and purpose. Teacher welcomes students and writes the unit question: “He aha te Whakapono?”; explains today’s focus on synthesis of Māori spirituality and Anglican faith through ethics and values. Students record a quick “today I wonder…” question in their books.

2. 5–15 min · Activate prior learning. Teacher revisits learning from Lessons 1–5: definitions of spirituality, faith, ethics/values, and examples of how traditions can influence behaviour. Students do a quick think-pair-share: “What values guide people in different faith traditions?” Teacher captures 4–6 ideas on the board.

3. 15–30 min · Explicit teaching with modelling (think-aloud). Teacher introduces a short case study prompt relevant to Te Hāhi Mihingare (teacher-prepared handout). Examples may include practices around community support, tikanga in worship spaces, leadership, or care for whānau. Teacher models “synthesis analysis” using a think-aloud, following this structure on the board:

• Identify ethical question in the scenario (What should people prioritise, and why?).
• Spot Māori spirituality signals (e.g., relational responsibility, respect for the living land/ancestors, communal obligations).
• Spot Anglican faith signals (e.g., teachings on love, justice, service, prayer, sacraments/communal worship—adapted to context).
• Explain how they blend (not “either/or”): “What changes about how people practise ethics when both traditions shape the behaviour?”
• Make a justified judgement, naming evidence from the prompt.

Students follow along, highlighting “Māori spirituality signals” and “Anglican faith signals” in the case study.

4. 30–45 min · Guided practice with structured questioning (immediate feedback). Teacher moves students into groups of 3–4 with a second scenario prompt (slightly different ethical focus). Teacher provides sentence frames on the board to structure responses:

• “In this scenario, the ethical issue is…”
• “A Māori spirituality value shown is…”
• “An Anglican faith value shown is…”
• “These combine by…”
• “My ethical judgement is… because evidence shows…” Teacher circulates and uses rapid checks: “What evidence tells you that?” “Where do you see blending rather than separate ideas?” Students answer in writing (short paragraph) and submit to teacher at the end of the segment.

5. 45–55 min · Whole-class sharing and teacher feedback. Teacher selects 2–3 group responses (volunteer or strategic). Gives immediate feedback using “glow and grow”: one strength (glow), one precise improvement (grow). Students compare feedback to their own work and revise one sentence if needed.

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket. Students complete a 3-question exit ticket:

• Name one value ethically linked to Te Hāhi Mihingare and explain how it can be practised.
• Identify one sign of synthesis (a specific ‘because’ statement).
• Write one question you still have about blending traditions respectfully.

Do Now

• Students write a quick "today I wonder..." question related to the unit question to activate curiosity and focus.

Bible Provide

• Provide selected Bible passages that relate to Anglican faith values discussed, such as love, justice, and service, to support textual evidence in ethical discussions.

Skills Needed

• Critical thinking and ethical reasoning.
• Ability to identify and analyse cultural and religious signals.
• Collaborative discussion and written communication.

Teaching Strategies

• Think-aloud modelling to demonstrate synthesis analysis.
• Think-pair-share to activate prior knowledge.
• Structured questioning and sentence frames to scaffold student responses.
• Immediate feedback with "glow and grow" to support learning and revision.
• Group work to encourage peer learning and discussion.

Resources

• Teacher-prepared case study handout (Scenario A and Scenario B), age-appropriate and non-graphic.
• Student notebooks or worksheets for highlighting and writing.
• Sentence frames and synthesis analysis prompts on a slide or board.
• Coloured pencils/highlighters (two colours for “Māori spirituality signals” and “Anglican signals”).
• Timer.
• Any allowed course text/extracts printed for offline use (to support accurate source use).
• Rubric-style checklist (optional, teacher-provided) aligned to the success criteria.

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observations during modelling and circulation during guided practice, focusing on evidence-based synthesis statements.
• Formative: collect Scenario B written responses and provide immediate feedback using “glow and grow”.
• Summative-in-mini: exit ticket checked for synthesis understanding and ethical justification.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a pre-highlighted version of the sentence frames; offer a mini-example response model for the first scenario; allow students to use bullet points before turning into sentences.
• Support for learners needing scaffolds: give a glossary of ethics/value terms (e.g., compassion, responsibility, respect, fairness) with brief definitions.
• Extension: for students ready to go further, ask them to identify a possible alternative interpretation of the scenario and explain why they still chose their ethical judgement.
• EAL/SEN: allow responses to be partially sentence-framed; encourage drawing or diagramming “signals” before writing. Provide quiet time for planning before sharing.