Indigenous Leadership Styles

Lesson Overview

Year Level: Year 6
Unit: Indigenous Leadership Explorations (Lesson 6 of 10)
Curriculum Area: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) – Civics and Citizenship
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 30 students
Lesson Focus: Students will explore different leadership styles by investigating Maori and Pasifika leaders. They will participate in a gallery walk, engage in explicit teaching on leadership styles, and reflect on which approach resonates with them.

Australian Curriculum Links

Year 6 – HASS (Civics and Citizenship):

• ACHASSK135 – The roles and responsibilities of leaders in Australia and other countries, including the influence of Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders.
• ACHASSK137 – The rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups in shaping a community.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:
✅ Identify leadership styles used by Maori and Pasifika leaders.
✅ Understand key leadership concepts, including transformational and servant leadership.
✅ Analyse how leadership styles influence communities.
✅ Reflect on their personal connection to different leadership styles.

Success Criteria

Students will demonstrate success by:
✔️ Participating in the gallery walk and recording key observations.
✔️ Accurately explaining at least two leadership styles.
✔️ Using key vocabulary (‘rangatira’ and ‘tūhonohono’) in discussions.
✔️ Reflecting on a leadership style that resonates with them and justifying their choice.

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Lesson Structure

1. Tuning In – Gallery Walk (15 minutes)

🟢 Preparation:

• Print and display profiles of at least six Indigenous leaders from Maori and Pasifika communities around the classroom. Include images, key achievements, and quotes.
• Provide sticky notes for students to record their thoughts.

🟢 Activity:

• Students silently walk around the room, reading leader profiles.
• On sticky notes, they write one question or observation for at least three leaders and place them on the profile.
• At the end, they return to their seats and briefly discuss their reactions with a partner.

🔹 Teacher Tip: If space allows, play traditional Maori or Pasifika instrumental music softly to create an immersive experience.

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2. Explicit Teaching – Leadership Styles (15 minutes)

🟠 Direct Instruction:

• Introduce transformational leadership (leaders who inspire and create change) and servant leadership (leaders who serve their community before themselves).
• Write key vocabulary on the whiteboard:
  • ‘Rangatira’ – Maori term for a leader who uplifts their people.
  • ‘Tūhonohono’ – The concept of weaving people together through leadership.
• Discuss real-world examples using the leader profiles from the gallery walk.

🟠 Class Discussion:

• Which leader from the gallery walk showed transformational leadership?
• Can you find an example of servant leadership in action?

🔹 Teacher Tip: Instead of reading definitions, show short video clips or stories illustrating these leadership styles.

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3. Active Engagement – Leadership Sort (15 minutes)

🔵 Small Group Task:

• Divide students into groups of five.
• Provide each group with a set of leader profile cards (from the gallery walk).
• Groups sort each leader under transformational leader or servant leader based on what they learned.
• They must justify their choices.

🔹 Extension Option: Have groups create their own definitions of the two leadership styles using examples from their own lives.

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4. Reflection – My Leadership Style (15 minutes)

🟣 Personal Reflection Task:

• Ask students: Which leadership style do you connect with more—transformational or servant leadership? Why?
• Students write a short journal entry (6-8 sentences) discussing their personal view on leadership and how they might apply these styles in their lives.

🟣 Pair-Share:

• In pairs, students share their reflections and provide positive feedback to each other.

🔹 Teacher Tip: If time allows, ask a few students to share their responses with the class.

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Differentiation Strategies

🔹 Support: Provide a simplified vocabulary sheet with definitions and illustrations for students who need extra scaffolding.
🔹 Extension: Challenge fast finishers to research another Indigenous leader and determine their leadership style.

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Assessment Opportunities

✅ Observing student engagement in discussions and group activities.
✅ Checking sticky notes for quality of observations and questions during the gallery walk.
✅ Reviewing journal entries for understanding and personal reflection.

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Resources Needed

📌 Printed leader profiles (6-8 different Maori and Pasifika leaders).
📌 Sticky notes.
📌 Whiteboard and markers.
📌 Vocabulary word bank.
📌 Optional: Short video clips on leadership styles.

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Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson)

📝 What worked well?
📝 What could be improved?
📝 How did students respond to the new vocabulary and leadership concepts?

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Wrap-Up and Next Lesson

📌 In Lesson 7, students will explore Indigenous leadership in Australia, comparing styles with leaders they examined today.

🎉 Teacher Wow Moment: This lesson isn’t just about learning leadership styles—it invites students to reflect on their own leadership potential while valuing Indigenous perspectives. Enjoy the journey! 🚀