Hua Rākau me Rīwai

Overview

This 45-minute lesson invites Year 0–2 students in New Zealand to engage practically with Te reo Māori vocabulary related to fruits and vegetables through an interactive farmers market role-play. Students will collaborate in small groups to set up market stalls using real fruit and vegetables, engage in buying and selling conversations in Te reo Māori, and share stories about the origins of these foods.

Alignment with New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

The lesson aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh's Phase 1 expectations for Years 0–3, focusing on oral language development, interpersonal communication, cultural identity, and understanding through hands-on experiences. It supports conceptual and procedural fluency in language learning, scaffolded for diverse learners, and offers opportunities for vocabulary building, conversational practice, and narrative sharing in a culturally responsive manner.

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Learning Objectives

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Use at least 8 fruit and vegetable names in Te reo Māori in simple conversations.
• Engage confidently in buying and selling role-play scenarios using Te reo Māori.
• Share brief stories or ideas about where food comes from, expressing connection to kai (food).

Success Criteria

• I can name and use at least 8 different fruit or vegetable names in Te reo Māori.
• I can have a simple conversation at a market, asking for and offering items.
• I can work with others to create a market stall and share a short story about kai origins.

Curriculum Strands and Competencies

• Ngā Pūmanawa Whakapāho (Communication Skills): Expressing and sharing ideas orally in Te reo Māori using newly learned vocabulary.
• Tikanga ā Iwi and Ngā Tikanga-A-Kura: Connecting to cultural practices such as kai and stories behind food.
• Thinking: Using role-play to think creatively and problem-solve how to conduct conversations.
• Managing Self & Relating to Others: Collaborating in pairs and groups, using social language skills in Māori.
• Language Learning & Identity: Developing sense of belonging and identity through language about food.

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Resources

• Real fruit and vegetables (or realistic replicas).
• Market stall props (tables/cards).
• Visual price tags with symbols.
• Conversation prompt cards featuring key phrases and vocabulary.
• Colour-coded role badges (e.g., kai seller, customer).
• Audio recordings of market conversations for dyslexia-friendly support.
• Paper, markers for optional poster-making.

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Lesson Structure and Timing

1. Getting Started (10 minutes)

• Engagement Warm-up: Introduce the lesson’s theme with a waiata or chant about kai (food), highlighting the names of fruits and vegetables in Te reo Māori.
• Vocabulary Review: Show real fruit and vegetables one by one, practising correct pronunciation, and naming them in Te reo Māori (e.g., rīwai - potato, āporo - apple, kāroti - carrot, kēkē - pumpkin, pārāoa - breadfruit).
• Use picture and physical prompts together.
• Introduce the WALT and success criteria clearly in Te reo Māori with English support as needed.
• Differentiate by allowing students to repeat after you, and encourage mixed-ability pairings.

2. Market Stall Role-Play Setup (10 minutes)

• Divide students into groups of 4–5.
• Each group creates a market stall using the fruits and vegetables provided.
• Assign roles with colour-coded badges: sellers and buyers.
• Provide conversation prompt cards and visual price tags to guide conversations.
• The teacher models a simple buying and selling conversation in Te reo Māori using gestures and a dialog example.
• Dyslexia-friendly audio examples are played for students to hear conversational rhythm and pronunciation repeatedly.

3. Interactive Role-Play Activity (15 minutes)

• Groups rotate between stalls, practising buying and selling.
• Encourage students to use at least 8 fruit/vegetable names in their conversations.
• Prompt students to ask questions like "He aha tēnei?" (What is this?), "E hia te utu?" (How much is it?), and statements like "Kei te hiahia au i tētahi āporo" (I want an apple).
• The teacher circulates offering support, scaffolding conversation, and encouraging use of learned vocabulary.

4. Story Sharing (5 minutes)

• After role-play, groups share a short story or fact they create about where their foods come from ("Nō hea mai tēnei rīwai?").
• This ties in understanding of origin and context in a culturally meaningful way.

5. Reflection and Extension (5 minutes)

• Gather the class for shared reflection, asking: "He aha ngā hua rākau i pai ki a koutou?" (Which fruits/vegetables did you like?).
• Explain the extension activity: creating a market advertisement poster in Te reo Māori with prices and special offers, to be worked on in subsequent lessons.
• Highlight individual and group achievements, affirm success criteria, and encourage perseverance.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Diverse Learners: Mixed-ability pairs, with stronger speakers supporting peers.
• Prompt Cards: Large font, visual symbols support comprehension and recall.
• Audio Support: Recordings of market dialogues for repeated listening, aiding dyslexic and auditory learners.
• Role Badges: Colour-coded badges assist identification and ease role clarity.
• Teacher Modelling: Frequent modelling of language and gestures to support comprehension.
• Open-Ended Speaking: Encourage students to use vocabulary creatively beyond scripted lines.

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Extension Activities

• Design a colourful, simple market advertisement poster in Te reo Māori, showing fruit/vegetable names, prices, and offers.
• Encourage students to invent catchy phrases or waiata to promote their stalls.
• Publish posters on classroom walls or a digital slideshow as a celebration of learning.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observation during role-play to assess correct use of vocabulary and participation in conversational exchanges.
• Anecdotal Notes: Feedback on students’ confidence and ability to engage with buying and selling language structures.
• Success Criteria Check: Students self-assess their use of at least 8 fruit and vegetable names in conversations.
• Peer Feedback: Students can compliment each other on use of Te reo Māori and role participation.

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This lesson capitalises on the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh’s emphasis on active, meaningful language learning through social interaction, cultural connectedness, and responsiveness to diverse learner needs, providing an engaging and inclusive environment for young learners to thrive in Te reo Māori oral language acquisition.