Mapping Mokoia Island

Overview

In this lesson, students locate Mokoia Island on a simple map and use a hands-on mapping activity to show where it sits and what it means to Te Arawa people. Students share ideas, practise map skills, and listen respectfully to cultural storytelling.

Learning intentions

• WALT locate Mokoia Island on a map using simple directions and map features.
• WALT describe why Mokoia Island is significant to Te Arawa people using age-appropriate language.
• WALT work collaboratively to create a class map representation of Mokoia Island and surrounding landmarks.

Success criteria

• I can point to Mokoia Island and explain where it is on the map.
• I can use words like near, far, above, below, left, right, and beside.
• I can contribute an idea about the importance of Mokoia Island to Te Arawa people.
• I can follow class routines for respectful discussion and shared materials.

Curriculum links

• NZ Curriculum (Te Matauranga ā Iwi): Cultural understandings and connections to place and people.
• Social Sciences learning: Understanding how places are shaped by people and how people belong to places.
• Geographic inquiry: Using simple maps, directions, and representations to describe location.
• Key competencies: Thinking (mapping and reasoning), Participating and contributing (group work), Relating to others (respectful discussion).

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 mins: Hook and place connection Teacher shows a large, simple image-map (teacher-made) of the local area/region with Mokoia Island marked but covered by a sticky note. Students do a quick “think-pair-share” about what a map helps us do.

2. 4–9 mins: Teacher modelling—find and talk Teacher uncovers the Mokoia Island marker and models how to locate it using direction words. Students hold up a finger to follow the route from a labelled point (e.g., lake/shore/nearby landmark) to the island. Teacher prompts: “What words help you explain where it is?” Teacher also briefly shares the legend connection: Mokoia Island’s meaning to Te Arawa people, focusing on respectful listening and place-based identity.

3. 9–18 mins: Hands-on mapping activity (groups of 3) Each group receives a mat/map base, cut-out island pieces, and a small set of direction arrows/cards. Students:

• Place the island correctly on the map base.
• Choose 2–3 direction words and say a location sentence (e.g., “It is beside…”, “It is near…”, “It is to the left of…”).
• Add one label card: “Mokoia Island” and one meaning card sentence starter (teacher-provided), such as “Te Arawa people connect it to…” Teacher circulates with guiding questions and checks respectful turn-taking.

4. 18–24 mins: Map gallery walk—quick share Groups display their map on the floor/wall. Two students per group act as “map explainers” while others do a quiet gallery walk. Listener task: choose one thing they heard that helped them locate Mokoia Island or understand its significance.

5. 24–28 mins: Whole-class debrief and refine language Teacher uses a visual checklist on the board (without naming it as a test) to capture strong location sentences and map language. Teacher corrects misunderstandings gently: “Let’s try saying it using left/right and near/beside.”

6. 28–30 mins: Exit reflection (ticket out the door) Students complete an oral or drawn exit response:

• “Mokoia Island is…” (students choose one location word)
• “It is important because…” (students share one idea they heard)

Resources

• Teacher-made large simple map with Mokoia Island marked (sticky-note cover to reveal)
• Group map mats (paper or laminated) showing simplified surrounding landmarks
• Cut-out pieces for Mokoia Island and 2–3 labelled surrounding features
• Direction arrows/cards (left, right, near, beside, above, below)
• Label cards: “Mokoia Island” and sentence starter for significance (teacher-provided)
• Whiteboard or chart paper for shared language
• Coloured markers or crayons for quick labels
• Student clipboards or paper slips for exit tickets
• Timer and visual routine cards for sharing and cleanup

Assessment

• Teacher observes during group mapping: correct placement and use of location words.
• Teacher listens to student sentences: whether they can explain where Mokoia Island is and share a respectful significance statement.
• Exit tickets (draw or oral) show individual understanding of location vocabulary and one significance idea.

Differentiation

• Support for students needing it: sentence stems (“It is beside…”, “It is to the left of…”) and a “first finger path” technique from labelled starting points.
• Support for language learners: provide picture cues on label cards (island icon, connection icon) and allow responses using one-word + pointing.
• Extension for confident students: ask for a fuller explanation sentence (“It is near… so that means…”) and encourage adding one extra label about the surrounding place.
• Behaviour/participation for a boy-heavy class: clear roles in groups (placer, reader, speaker) and short, timed tasks with quick movement to the gallery walk.