Media Storytelling Intro

Year Level

Year 6 (Ages 10-11)

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

20 students

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Learning Objectives

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

• Understand and articulate the concept of storytelling across multiple media forms: stage productions, movies, books, and radio.
• Identify and appreciate storytelling techniques used by Māori storytellers, including those in contemporary media by Taika Waititi.
• Recognise cultural narratives' impact in media storytelling.
• Collaborate and participate respectfully in group discussions reflecting on diverse perspectives.
• Begin to connect storytelling methods across different media to their own experiences and cultural understandings.

These objectives align with New Zealand Curriculum Level 3 Drama (Year 6) and English learning objectives around oral language, presenting, and critical literacy with cultural responsiveness and engagement with multimodal texts.

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Curriculum Links

The Arts: Drama

• Explore and express ideas through drama and storytelling using verbal and non-verbal communication (Level 3 Achievement Objectives).
• Experiment with voice, movement, gesture, and role to create storytelling.
• Understand how stories can be communicated through various media forms.

English

• Oral Language: Develop well-structured explanations and narratives for different purposes, including expressing feelings and cultural viewpoints.
• Presenting to Others: Adapt presentations to meet audience needs and contexts, showing awareness of different perspectives.
• Critical Analysis: Make connections between texts and cultural contexts, including Māori and Pacific storytelling traditions.
• Communicating Ideas and Information: Use expressive language features and non-verbal communication techniques to engage listeners effectively.

Key Competencies

• Thinking: Analyzing and understanding storytelling elements.
• Relating to others: Engaging respectfully in discussions.
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Communicating ideas effectively across media.
• Managing self: Participating cooperatively in group settings.

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Resources Needed

• Video clips or audio samples of storytelling from:
  • A stage play or theatre excerpt.
  • A movie scene by Taika Waititi or similar Māori media stories.
  • An excerpt from a popular children’s book.
  • A radio story segment.
• Projector / audio equipment.
• Printed images or posters representing each media form.
• Whiteboard or chart paper.
• Markers.
• Student reflection sheets for jotting down thoughts.

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Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Description	Purpose/Notes
0-5 min	Connect & Hook	Start with a short interactive question: “What is a story? Where do you find stories?” Facilitate quick brainstorming.	Elicit prior knowledge. Engage interest.
5-15 min	Introduction: Storytelling Across Media	Show brief clips/audio samples from stage, movies, books, and radio storytelling.	Demonstrate diverse media where stories are told. Stimulate sensory and cultural awareness.
15-20 min	Group Discussion: Māori Storytelling & Taika Waititi	Present examples of charismatic Māori storytelling including Taika Waititi’s storytelling style. Discuss Māori cultural narratives’ impact on storytelling.	Highlight cultural significance, norms, and contemporary storytelling. Encourage connection to local identity and culture.
20-30 min	Media Exploration Stations	Divide class into 4 groups (5 students each). Each group explores one media type (using images/posters/video/audio). They note stories and storytelling features (voice, movement, visuals, sound, cultural elements).	Hands-on exploration deepens understanding of media forms and storytelling techniques.
30-40 min	Group Sharing & Class Discussion	Groups present their media type’s storytelling features back to the class. Discuss similarities and differences. Teacher facilitates linking to the learning objectives.	Promote oral language skills, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.
40-45 min	Reflection & Wrap Up	Individually, students write or draw one new thing they learned about storytelling and one way stories help us understand culture. Optionally share a few reflections aloud.	Encourages metacognition and personal connection to learning.

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Assessment & Feedback

Formative Assessment

• Observation of students’ participation in group discussions (respectful listening, contributions).
• Quality of group sharing and ability to identify storytelling methods tied to media type.
• Individual reflections demonstrating understanding of storytelling's cultural impact (including Māori perspectives).

Success Criteria

• Students can explain the role of storytelling in different media.
• Students identify at least one storytelling feature unique to a media form.
• Students appreciate the cultural narratives in storytelling, referencing Māori storytellers such as Taika Waititi.
• Students show respect and interest in others’ ideas during discussions.

Teachers can scaffold as needed, especially supporting vocabulary and cultural terms, plus allow diverse expression modes (oral, visual, written) in reflections.

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Classroom Considerations

• Use culturally responsive pedagogy reflecting te ao Māori and students’ own cultures.
• Be mindful of diverse communication needs and support non-verbal expression.
• Encourage risk-taking and creativity in sharing and storytelling.
• Use waiata or Māori proverbs to open/close if culturally appropriate.

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This lesson lays a solid foundation for the next in the unit, building students’ ability to analyse and create stories using varying media and cultural storytelling traditions.

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Would you like me to suggest lesson plans for the subsequent parts of the unit?