Keeping Stories Alive

Overview

Students explore why communities preserve important stories and how stories are kept in school, whānau and parish life. Through teacher modelling, shared discussion and an individual response, students compare what is similar and different about these ways of remembering and passing on stories.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to explain why we preserve stories in our community.
• We are learning to identify ways our school, whānau and parish keep stories.
• We are learning to discuss what is the same and different about these ways.

Success criteria

• I can name one way stories are kept in my school, whānau and parish.
• I can explain that stories help people remember, belong and learn.
• I can say one way two communities preserve stories in the same way.
• I can say one way two communities preserve stories differently.

Curriculum links

• Social Sciences — History: religious beliefs and culture, including the importance of religion, sacred places and festivals.
• Social Sciences — History: Protestant religious rules and practices, explored through the ways beliefs and traditions are remembered.
• Health and Physical Education — Relationships: Self and others, respecting that people belong to different families, homes and communities.
• The refreshed curriculum emphasis on meaningful contexts, communication, participation and respectful relationships.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · I DO: Hook and purpose. Teacher displays the opening question and image showing a family photograph, a school celebration display and a parish Bible or church celebration image. Ask: “What might these objects help people remember?” Explain that communities preserve stories so people can remember the past, understand who they are, learn important values and share them with others. Students quietly notice, think and share one idea with a partner.

2. 4–9 min · I DO: Teacher modelling. Teacher models a think-aloud using a familiar school story, such as the school’s founding, a significant event or a school waiata: “Our school keeps this story in a book, on a display, through photos and by people telling it.” Add a simple example to the school column on the three-column community stories worksheet. Clarify that a parish may preserve stories through Scripture, prayer, church celebrations, artwork, symbols, music and people retelling faith stories. Students listen and identify the reason the story is kept.

3. 9–16 min · WE DO: Build the class table. Teacher displays the three-column table instructions and draws a large table with the headings School | Whānau | Parish. Invite students to suggest ways each community keeps stories. Prompt with: “Do we use books, photos, objects, songs, celebrations, special places or people’s voices?” Record short words or sketches in each column. Use inclusive language: whānau may preserve stories through kōrero, whakapapa, photographs, treasured objects, recipes, waiata and gatherings; each parish community may use its own traditions. Students contribute ideas, listen for similarities and help decide where each example belongs.

4. 16–23 min · WE DO: Compare. Teacher circles examples that appear in more than one column and models comparison: “School, whānau and parish can all use stories told by people. A school may use a noticeboard, while a whānau may use a special object.” Ask: “What is the same?” and “What is different?” Record one shared idea and one difference on the comparison prompts. Students rehearse a sentence with a partner: “Both ___ and ___ preserve stories by .” or “ is different because ___.”

5. 23–28 min · YOU DO: Individual response. Teacher directs students to complete the three-column community stories worksheet. Students draw or write one example in each column, then complete two comparison sentences. They may use an example from their own experience or a class example; no student has to share private family information. Circulate, ask “How does this help people remember?” and scribe responses where needed.

6. 28–30 min · Plenary and check. Teacher invites two or three students to share one same and one different idea, then returns to the final reflection prompt: “Why should we keep community stories?” Students respond orally or show thumbs: “Stories help us remember, belong and learn.” Collect worksheets as evidence of learning.

Resources

• the community stories teaching deck
• the three-column community stories worksheet
• Whiteboard or large chart paper
• Markers
• Teacher-selected school photograph or historical display
• Optional photograph or object representing a whānau story
• Optional Bible, parish newsletter, hymn book or image of a parish celebration
• Pencils and colouring materials

Assessment

• During modelling and discussion, listen for students identifying a method of preserving stories and a reason for preserving them.
• Check the class table and partner sentences for accurate examples in the school, whānau and parish columns, and for respectful comparison language.
• Use the completed worksheet as an exit assessment: students should show three ways stories are kept, one reason stories matter and one similarity or difference.

Differentiation

• Support oral language with picture prompts, gestures and sentence starters: “We keep stories by…”, “Both…”, and “Different because…”. Pre-teach preserve as “keep safe and pass on”.
• Provide a partially completed table, word/picture choices and the option to draw rather than write. Scribe dictated ideas or allow students to explain their answers orally.
• For EAL learners, pair with a supportive peer, invite home-language discussion and accept culturally relevant examples from their family or community.
• Ensure students can choose a non-personal example if family or parish experiences are unfamiliar. Extend confident students by explaining how the method of preservation affects who can access or remember the story.