Missionaries and Impacts

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Level: Years 5 - 8 Achievement Objectives:

• Understand significant events and people in New Zealand’s history and how they have shaped the nation.
• Recognise and explore diverse perspectives including Māori and Pākeha worldviews.
• Use inquiry and critical thinking to make connections between people, events and ideas over time.

Key Competencies Developed:

• Thinking: Critically examining historical events and impacts.
• Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Learning about written and oral histories.
• Relating to Others: Understanding different cultural perspectives and histories.
• Participating and Contributing: Engaging respectfully with Māori perspectives.

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Identify who the Christian missionaries were that arrived in New Zealand in the early 1800s.
• Understand the role missionaries played in teaching Māori about Christianity and other skills.
• Recognise how missionaries influenced Māori education, literacy, and cross-cultural relationships.

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Success Criteria (Optional)

• Students can name at least two missionaries who came to New Zealand.
• Students can explain one key benefit missionaries had for Māori communities.
• Students show respect when discussing the impacts on Māori culture and identity.

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Lesson Activities (2 Minutes Total)

1. Introduction and WALT (20 seconds)

• Teacher briefly explains the lesson topic: missionaries in New Zealand in the 1800s.
• Present the WALT and link to New Zealand history and Māori perspectives.

2. Quick Story: Who Were the Missionaries? (40 seconds)

• Teacher shares a short story or example about missionaries like Reverend Samuel Marsden or Henry Williams.
• Highlight that missionaries came to share the Christian faith but also brought reading, writing, and farming skills.

3. Learning Through Discussion (40 seconds)

• Ask students to think-pair-share: "What good things might missionaries have taught Māori besides religion?"
• Possible answers: Reading and writing (literacy), farming techniques, new tools, ways of recording knowledge.

4. Reflection and Summary (20 seconds)

• Teacher summarises that missionaries helped Māori people learn new skills but reminds students to consider both positive and challenging effects of these changes.
• Affirm the importance of understanding different viewpoints in history.

5. Assessment – Informal check (e.g., thumbs up/down or quick verbal) (10 seconds)

• Quick show of hands about whether students understand who missionaries were and what they contributed.

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Differentiation Strategies (Optional)

• Provide key vocabulary (e.g., missionary, literacy, Christianity) with simple definitions and pictures.
• Use oral storytelling to support learners who find reading challenging, including dyslexia-friendly language and fonts.
• Pair stronger readers with peers for discussion and support.

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Extension Activities (Optional)

• Research and present about an individual missionary or a specific skill they introduced to Māori communities.
• Create illustrated timelines showing key missionary arrivals and their impact on Māori education.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Options (Optional)

• Use large, clear fonts such as Arial or Comic Sans on flashcards or slide presentations.
• Keep sentences short and use bullet points for key facts.
• Use visuals and symbols to represent important ideas (e.g., open book for literacy, cross for Christianity).

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This lesson is designed to provide a brief but meaningful introduction to a key aspect of New Zealand’s history while fostering respect for cultural diversity and encouraging critical thinking about historical impacts. It closely follows the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum focus on Aotearoa New Zealand histories within the Social Sciences learning area, targeting Years 5 to 8 students and developing essential competencies like thinking and relating to others.