Kei Hea te Wāhi?

Overview

In this second lesson of Te Kura, Tōku Ao, students develop reading skills by interpreting labelled school maps, signs and short sentences. They revisit familiar school-place vocabulary and practise asking and answering Kei hea…? and Kei…, with attention to meaning, pronunciation and confidence when reading aloud.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• read and understand key information in simple maps, signs and sentences
• identify where places are located in and around the school
• ask and answer Kei hea…? and Kei…
• read short sentences aloud with appropriate pronunciation and phrasing

Success criteria

• I can locate named places on a school map.
• I can match a place with the correct sentence or sign.
• I can ask Kei hea…? and answer using Kei….
• I can read a short Māori sentence aloud clearly enough for a partner to understand.

Curriculum links

• Te Reo Māori introduction: developing knowledge and practices that support access to Te Reo Māori learning in the senior secondary years.
• Learning area structure: flexible entry points recognise that students begin language learning with different prior knowledge.
• Learning area structure: the sequence supports progression through Novice and Emergent pathways.
• Te Reo Māori as one of the languages supported within the Learning Languages area.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and recall. Display a colourful, slightly unfamiliar school map using the map hook slide and ask, “Kei hea te whare pukapuka?” Teacher elicits known place names and models Kei hea…?; students independently point to or name any places they recognise, then share with a partner.

2. 5–12 min · Pre-teaching positional and directional vocabulary. Revisit school vocabulary such as te akomanga (classroom), te whare pukapuka (library), te wharekai (canteen), te tari (office), te wharepaku (toilet), te whare takaro (gym) and te māra (garden). Teach and gesture i te taha mauī o (to the left of), i te taha matau o (to the right of), i mua i (in front of), i muri i (behind), i waenganui i (between), ki te raki o (north of), ki te tonga o (south of), ki te rāwhiti o (east of) and ki te uru o (west of). Model Kei hea te whare pukapuka? Kei te raki o te wharekai. Students repeat and identify relationships using a simple classroom diagram.

3. 12–20 min · Model passage and guided reading. Give students the passage below and read it aloud once. Clarify key vocabulary, then read it again while students underline landmark names and circle positional phrases.

   He kura kei te tāone. Ko te tomokanga kei te tonga o te kura. Kei waenganui te marae me te tari. Kei te raki o te tari te whare pukapuka. Kei te taha matau o te whare pukapuka te wharekai. Kei muri i te whare pukapuka te whare takaro. Kei te taha mauī o te tomokanga te akomanga. Kei te rāwhiti o te akomanga te māra.

   Ask students to identify the starting landmark and explain two relationships by pointing to the relevant phrases in the passage.

4. 20–29 min · Independent aerial-view map drawing. Students read the passage again and draw an aerial-view map from the information. Instruct them to: (a) draw a clear boundary for the school; (b) place the tomokanga at the south; (c) place the marae and tari in the middle; (d) place each remaining landmark using the positional and directional clues; (e) add a title, labels and simple symbols; and (f) add a north arrow and, if useful, a key. Students may annotate the passage or make a rough plan before drawing.

5. 29–38 min · Pair-checking and revision. Partners swap maps and use the passage to check each landmark. The checker asks Kei hea…? and explains at least three placements using Kei te… or Kei… o…. Partners compare maps, identify any missing or misplaced landmarks, and revise their own maps in a different colour. Teacher circulates, checking comprehension and accurate use of positional language.

6. 38–45 min · Plenary and exit check. Display three location questions based on the passage. Students write answers in complete sentences, then answer one orally with a partner or to the class. Finish with a brief self-assessment: students show fingers from 1–3 to indicate how confidently they can read location information, place landmarks and use directional language.

Resources

• the complete 45-minute lesson slide deck
• the model passage and reading-to-map worksheet
• blank paper or grid paper for aerial-view maps
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Pens, pencils and coloured pencils
• Teacher copy of the passage and an accurately completed map
• Optional bilingual dictionary or class word bank
• Optional ruler and compass template

Assessment

Use the following checklist while reviewing students’ maps, written responses and pair explanations:

• Comprehension: identifies the landmarks and interprets the relationships described in the passage.
• Accurate landmark placement: places the tomokanga, marae, tari, whare pukapuka, wharekai, whare takaro, akomanga and māra consistently with the passage.
• Directional language: uses or explains positional and directional phrases such as i mua i, i muri i, i te taha o, ki te raki o and ki te tonga o accurately.
• Labels: labels each landmark clearly and uses appropriate Te Reo Māori names.
• Map conventions: includes a clear title, aerial-view layout, north arrow, and helpful symbols or key.
• Pair explanation: answers Kei hea…? questions and justifies placements with evidence from the passage.

Record whether each criterion is secure, developing or requires support, and use the pair-check revisions and exit responses as evidence of progress.

Differentiation

• Support learners with a version of the passage that includes a vocabulary gloss, highlighted landmark names, a visible positional-language word bank, a compass diagram and sentence frames such as Kei hea te ___? Kei te ___ o te ___.
• Read the passage aloud, chunk it into sentences, and allow students to annotate, sequence landmark cards or use a partially completed map before drawing independently.
• Pair students strategically and assign roles such as reader, landmark placer and checker; allow rehearsal before explaining a placement aloud.
• For students with reading, processing or speech needs, enlarge the text, reduce the number of landmarks, provide extra time, allow oral or recorded responses, and accept a labelled map with supported explanation.
• Extend confident students by asking them to write an additional location sentence, add a new landmark without contradicting the passage, or create a short passage for another pair to map.