Kiwi Cultures Te Ao

Unit: Exploring Kiwi Cultures

Lesson 1 of 4: Introduction to Kiwi Cultures

Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 18 preschool students (Year: Preschool, New Zealand)
Learning Area: Social Sciences
Curriculum Alignment: New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) - Social Sciences, pūrākau-based cultural introduction, language and culture recognition, exploring identity through culture .

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, preschool students will be able to:

Understand what culture means in simple terms: language, food, traditions (including stories and celebrations).
Recognise that New Zealand has many cultures, focusing on Māori, Pākehā, and Pacific peoples as examples of local diversity.
Express simple ideas about their own culture or family traditions.
Engage with cultural stories and visuals to build their identity and belonging.

These objectives connect with NZC Social Sciences Level 1 - "Understanding how individuals and groups participate in society" and relate to Key Competency: "Relating to others" and "Participating and contributing" .

Key Competencies Addressed

Relating to others: Sharing ideas and listening to others’ experiences of culture.
Participating and contributing: Encouraging students to express their own cultural identity and learn about others.
Thinking: Learning through stories, pictures, and conversations about culture.
Using language, symbols, and texts: Engaging with oral stories, visual images, and basic cultural symbols.

Resources Required

A selection of colourful picture books and storybooks that introduce culture (Māori legends, Pacific Island stories, and stories about New Zealand families).
Visuals/posters displaying:
- Māori symbols (e.g. koru), language greetings (e.g. “Kia ora”), and cultural foods (e.g. hangi).
- Pacific symbols and language greetings.
- Pākehā and other culture visuals (e.g. gardens, kiwi fruit).
A simple cultural artefact or clothing item for touch and show (e.g., a woven flax item or a garland).
Printed word cards or simple labels with language greetings and food names from the cultures represented.
A quiet and comfortable storytelling area arranged to engage young learners.

Lesson Plan Breakdown

1. Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)

Greet the class warmly using a simple Māori greeting: “Kia ora whānau!”
Introduce the unit: "We are going to learn about Kiwi cultures – stories, language, food, and traditions of people here in Aotearoa New Zealand."
Show images of three main cultural groups: Māori, Pacific peoples, and Pākehā.
Briefly explain “culture” as the special ways people live, talk, eat, and celebrate.

Teaching tip: Use clear, simple sentences, visuals, and welcoming body language to support oral language learning for preschool children, some of whom may be multilingual or learning English.

2. Storytime: Exploring Culture Through Story (10 minutes)

Read a simple story that features a Māori legend or a Pacific Island story relevant to young children (for example, a gentle story featuring taniwha, pūrākau, or a story about family gatherings).
Show full-colour pictures while reading aloud with expression and pauses for questions.
Name and explain key cultural items or words in the story (e.g., “This is a koru – it means new life and growth” / “This is a hangi – a way to cook food in the ground”).

Activity notes:

Pause to ask children to point to pictures they like or recognise.
Use repeated phrases so children join in (e.g., “Kia ora!” or “Hangi is yummy!”).
Encourage students to share if they know any words or foods from the story.

3. Visual and Sensory Exploration (8 minutes)

Show artefacts or images of cultural items (woven flax, a garland, feathers).
Pass around a safe cultural artefact for children to touch and describe (simple prompt: “What do you feel? Is it soft? Rough?”).
Match simple word cards with pictures (e.g., word card “Kia ora” next to koru picture; “Hangi” next to food picture).
Play a greeting game where students say “Kia ora” or “Talofa” (Pacific greeting) to each other.

Teaching tip: Focus on oral language and sensory experience to engage children’s holistic learning and cultural expression .

4. Group Reflection and Sharing (5 minutes)

Sit in a circle; ask children to share one thing they liked from the story or activity.
Teacher models a simple sentence frame: “I like ___ because ___.” For example, “I like the story because it has animals.”
Encourage sharing about their family or culture with parental support if possible.

5. Closing and Cultural Song/Goodbye (2 minutes)

Sing a simple New Zealand greeting song, including “E tōku rā” or “Kia ora, kia ora” with actions.
Reinforce the idea that all cultures are special and we celebrate diversity.

Assessment and Reflection

Formative assessment: Teacher observes children’s participation in storytime, their ability to respond to questions, share ideas, and use greetings.
Next steps: Use ongoing observations to plan for Lessons 2-4, gradually introducing more cultural elements such as food tasting, traditional dress, and family stories.
Provide feedback verbally and celebrate all contributions to build confidence.

NZ Curriculum References

Social Sciences Key Concepts: Identity, culture, belonging (Learning area statement, NZC).
Level 1 Social Sciences Achievement Objectives: Understanding how people’s cultures shape their identity and community participation .
Key Competencies: Relating to others, Participating and contributing, Thinking, and Using language, symbols, and texts.
English/NZ Curriculum Foundation Reading & Oral Language: Supporting oral language development through storytelling and vocabulary building .

Notes for Teachers:

Use expressive reading and interactive questioning to engage this age group's oral language and comprehension successfully.
Scaffold participation by providing sentence starters, gestures, and modelling cultural respect and curiosity.
Celebrate multilingual backgrounds and encourage students and whānau to share cultural knowledge across lessons.
Maintain attention span awareness: intersperse sitting activities with movement or sensory engagement to keep young learners focused.

This lesson plan aligns perfectly with the NZ Curriculum’s rich, culturally responsive learning area of Social Sciences while being tailored to preschool developmental needs.

If you want teaching extensions or creative activity ideas for the next lessons in this series, I can provide those as well.

Teaching Instructions