Kai Information Page

Overview

In this tenth lesson of the Matariki Reading and Writing unit, students bring together ideas from the “Eating Well” page and earlier learning about Matariki kai. They plan, illustrate, write and share a clear information page for an audience, using simple sentences and relevant images.

Learning intentions

• WALT create and present an informative page about Matariki kai and healthy kai.
• WALT organise information so it is clear for a reader or listener.
• WALT use words, pictures and oral language to communicate ideas.
• WALT listen respectfully and give helpful feedback.

Success criteria

• I can include a connection to a Matariki star.
• I can include at least three examples of kai.
• I can use words and pictures to make my page clear.
• I can read my page clearly to an audience.

Curriculum links

• English — creating, presenting and responding to informative texts.
• English — developing oral language, reading and writing through structured teaching and meaningful texts.
• English — exploring New Zealand texts, including bicultural voices and kupu Māori.
• Key competencies — participating and contributing; using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Review the criteria. Teacher revisits the “Eating Well” page and models a simple information page, using the review and success-criteria slides to discuss the title, star connection, three kai examples, picture labels and clear reading. Students help identify what makes the model page easy to understand, then orally rehearse a possible star connection with a partner.

Invite students to use respectful language when discussing Matariki and kai. Explain that kai can be everyday healthy food and food connected with whānau, whenua and celebration. Clarify that students may choose kai they know and can explain without claiming that one food belongs to every whānau.

2. 10–15 min · Plan ideas. Teacher displays the prompt “Which Matariki star can connect to my kai page?” and briefly revisits the class star and kai cards. Students choose one star connection, select at least three kai examples, and tell their plan to a partner before writing.

Provide the Kai Information Page planning and writing sheet for students who need a structured starting point. Students may draw first, use the word bank, or orally rehearse sentences such as “I connect my page to ___ because ___” and “One healthy kai is ___.”

3. 15–40 min · Create the illustrated page. Teacher conferences with individuals while students complete their pages in journals or on the worksheet: title, star connection, three or more kai examples, simple information sentences, and illustrations or labels. Use the page-making instruction slides to keep the steps visible and pause for a halfway check.

Students write or copy key words, add drawings, and reread each sentence to check that it makes sense. Encourage precise, accessible information, for example, “Rongo-mā-Tāne connects with food and cultivated plants,” or “Water helps our bodies.” Students may include kupu Māori they have learned, with pronunciation support from the teacher.

4. 40–55 min · Paired presentations. Teacher models facing the listener, holding the page so it can be seen, pointing to the information and reading at an appropriate pace. Students present their pages in pairs, taking turns as speaker and listener; each listener uses the Kai Information Page planning and writing sheet or a teacher-provided checklist to identify the star connection and kai examples.

Students read their page clearly, then answer one friendly question from their partner. Listeners show active participation by looking, listening and responding respectfully. If reading the whole page is difficult, students may present selected sentences while the teacher or partner supports the rest.

5. 55–60 min · Peer feedback and close. Teacher displays the feedback and reflection slides and models kind, specific feedback: “I noticed…” and “Next time you could…”. Students give one positive comment and one useful suggestion, then quietly check their own page against the success criteria.

Collect pages for the writing portfolio and briefly celebrate the range of kai, ideas and connections shared.

Resources

• the Matariki kai information-page lesson deck
• the Kai Information Page planning and writing sheet
• Student journals or writing books
• Star and kai picture cards
• “Eating Well” class page or enlarged copy
• Pencils, crayons, coloured pencils and erasers
• Success-criteria checklist
• Optional device or audio recorder for recorded reading

Assessment

• During planning and writing, listen for accurate star connections, at least three kai examples and orally rehearsed complete sentences.
• Conference briefly with selected students, checking whether their page communicates information through words, pictures and labels.
• Observe paired presentations and peer feedback; retain the completed page and checklist as portfolio evidence.

Differentiation

• Support learners with the structured worksheet, picture cards, a word bank, sentence frames, shared writing and oral rehearsal before writing.
• Provide a scribe, speech-to-text or recorded reading for students whose writing or decoding needs make independent presentation difficult.
• Pair oral presenters thoughtfully and allow students to read to a familiar partner or teacher before presenting to the wider audience.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach key words with pictures and gestures, accept labelled drawings alongside short sentences, and invite home-language discussion before English rehearsal.
• Extend confident writers by adding a short explanation of how one food is sourced, such as from a garden, tree, farm, sea or shop, and by including a reason why it supports wellbeing.