Karanga And Welcome

Overview

In lesson 13 of Language, Identity, Connection, students learn that karanga is a significant cultural practice connected with welcome, relationships, place, and tikanga. They distinguish learning about karanga from performing it, then use a storyboard or puppet scene to narrate a respectful visit without imitating karanga.

Learning intentions

• WALT understand the broad purpose of karanga.
• WALT explain why roles, permission, relationships, and place matter.
• WALT describe respectful ways to observe and learn about cultural practices.
• WALT compare welcome practices carefully, without assuming they are the same.

Success criteria

• I can state the broad purpose of karanga.
• I can explain why people need appropriate roles, permission, and cultural direction.
• I can describe respectful observer behaviour.
• I can narrate a visit without performing or imitating karanga.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge: giving and following instructions respectfully, acknowledging relationships and place.
• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — Giving instructions in te reo Māori requires culturally appropriate language: respect, relationships, and collective responsibility.
• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — Novice 1 and 2: understanding and using basic cultural norms and politeness conventions.
• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages — Classroom language: following clear classroom instructions such as E tū and Kaua e haere mai.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and boundary-setting. Teacher opens the introduction and learning-intention slides, welcomes students, and explains that today they are learning about karanga, not practising or performing it. Students listen, then show thumbs up, sideways, or down to the statement: “Karanga is a classroom call-and-response game.”

2. 5–13 min · Approved explanation. Teacher plays the locally approved audio/video explanation using the approved-resource slide, pausing to clarify that karanga is a culturally significant form of calling and welcoming, connected with people, place, relationships, and tikanga. Students listen for one purpose and one respectful behaviour, recording or drawing these on the karanga learning and storyboard sheet.

3. 13–20 min · Misconception check and discussion. Teacher uses the misconception-check slides to revisit key ideas: “Anyone can perform karanga whenever they want”; “Roles and permission matter”; “Watching quietly and listening can be respectful learning.” Students discuss answers with a partner and explain their reasoning using respectful language. Teacher corrects misunderstandings without asking students to reproduce karanga sounds or calls.

4. 20–27 min · Sequence a respectful visit. Teacher models a simple visit sequence: people prepare; visitors approach appropriately; everyone acknowledges relationships and place; people listen and follow guidance; the visit concludes respectfully. Students work in groups of four, using the group role cards to share responsibilities and arrange the picture or sentence prompts on the karanga learning and storyboard sheet. Groups may use drawing, oral rehearsal in English, or short written captions.

5. 27–39 min · Create a narrated welcome scene. Teacher offers each group mural paper or puppets and displays the creation instructions and respectful-language checklist. Students create either a welcome mural or puppet scene that narrates a visit without imitating karanga. Their scene should show who is involved, where the visit takes place, how people listen and follow direction, and one respectful observer behaviour. Students may narrate in English and include familiar te reo Māori classroom language, such as E tū, only where appropriate.

6. 39–45 min · Share and exit reflection. Teacher invites two or three groups to share their scene, then returns to the comparison and plenary slides. Briefly compare karanga with Spanish-speaking welcome practices, explaining that practices vary across Spanish-speaking regions and communities and are not equivalent to karanga. Students complete the final boxes on the karanga learning and storyboard sheet: “One thing I understand” and “One respectful way to observe.”

Resources

• Locally approved explanation of karanga, with audio and visual access
• the Karanga and Welcome teaching deck
• the karanga learning and storyboard sheet
• Mural paper and coloured pencils or markers
• Simple puppets or paper figures
• the group role cards
• Board or display screen
• Headphones or quiet listening space, if required

Assessment

• Listen during the misconception check for accurate understanding of purpose, permission, roles, and the difference between observing and performing.
• Use the respectful-language checklist while groups plan and create: students speak about the practice carefully, avoid imitation, and acknowledge people, place, and guidance.
• Collect the completed storyboard or written reflection. Check that each student can state a broad purpose and describe respectful observer behaviour.

Differentiation

• Provide a visual sequence, icons, orally read instructions, and the option to draw rather than write. Use a clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, short lines, and allow students to listen to worksheet text read aloud for dyslexia-friendly access.
• Replay the approved explanation, provide headphones or a quiet listening space, and pair students with a supportive peer. Students may contribute as an observer, illustrator, narrator, or materials manager rather than presenting.
• Offer sentence starters: “Karanga is connected with…”, “Permission matters because…”, and “A respectful observer…”. Accept oral, drawn, puppet-based, or written responses.
• For students ready for greater challenge, ask them to explain how relationships and place shape the visit, or compare two approved Spanish-speaking welcome examples while identifying regional differences and avoiding claims that they are equivalent to karanga.

Extension

• With teacher guidance, students research one locally approved source about karanga or another welcome practice and record the source, one new learning, and one question.
• Students revise their mural or puppet narration to make the roles, place, permission, and respectful observer behaviour clearer.