Māori Voices in ANZAC

Overview

In this 45-minute lesson designed for Years 3-4 students in New Zealand, students will explore the Māori perspective on the ANZAC story. This lesson is Lesson 10 of the 12-lesson unit "ANZAC Stories and Sacrifices." Students will deepen their understanding of Māori as tangata whenua and their important contributions as soldiers during the ANZAC campaigns, alongside the cultural impacts of these contributions.

This lesson plan aligns closely with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, specifically addressing the Social Sciences learning area and integrating key competencies and values from the curriculum.

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Learning Objectives

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

• Describe who the Māori are as tangata whenua (people of the land) and their role in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history (NZ Curriculum Social Sciences, Level 2).
• Identify key contributions of Māori soldiers in the ANZAC campaigns.
• Recognise and discuss the cultural impact and significance of Māori participation in ANZAC, including concepts like mana, whānau, and iwi.
• Show respect for different perspectives by discussing Māori stories and viewpoints related to ANZAC (developing relating to others competency).
• Use English language skills to express thoughts and opinions about the Māori ANZAC stories (NZ Curriculum English Level 2, with support for cultural identity).

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Curriculum Links

Learning Area: Social Sciences (Aotearoa New Zealand Histories)

• Level: 2 (Years 3-4)
• Achievement Objectives:
  • Understand representations of the past in different sources (oral histories, stories, symbols).
  • Identify significant events and people in New Zealand history, with a focus on Māori experiences.
• Key Competencies: Relating to others, Using language, symbols, and texts, Managing self.
• School Values: Respect, Diversity, Community and Participation.

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Resources Needed

• Visual images of Māori soldiers in WWI (photos or drawings suitable for Years 3-4).
• Story or pūrākau (Māori story) related to Māori ANZAC soldiers, told in simple language.
• Large paper and coloured markers for group work.
• Short video or audio clip of a waiata (Māori song) related to remembering soldiers (optional).
• Printed role cards for a simple role-play depicting Māori soldier stories.
• Whiteboard or chart to record key ideas.

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Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Description
5 min	Introduction and Connections	Recap the previous lessons briefly, recalling what ANZAC stands for and who the ANZAC soldiers were. Introduce today's focus: understanding the Māori perspective—Māori as tangata whenua and key participants in ANZAC. Show an image of Māori soldiers to engage interest. Draw a map showing Aotearoa to emphasize 'people of the land.'
10 min	Story Time: Māori ANZAC Stories	Read aloud a simple, age-appropriate Māori ANZAC story or pūrākau, emphasising the bravery and cultural identity of Māori soldiers. Pause for questions and encourage students to share feelings/reflections. Reinforce key vocabulary: tangata whenua, mana, whānau, iwi, ANZAC. Optionally play a short waiata about remembrance to create an emotional connection.
12 min	Group Activity: Contributions and Culture	Divide class into groups (4-5 students). Provide each group with a role card describing a Māori soldier’s contribution or a cultural practice linked to army life or remembrance (e.g., weaving, haka, letters home). Groups discuss and create a simple poster illustrating the contribution or cultural aspect. Teacher circulates, prompting deeper thinking and empathy.
10 min	Group Presentations and Class Discussion	Each group presents their poster and explains what they learnt about Māori contributions or cultural practices related to ANZAC. Facilitate a whole-class discussion, prompting students to consider how these stories help us understand New Zealand’s history and the importance of culture during war. Support use of respectful language when sharing different viewpoints.
5 min	Reflection and Wrap-up	Ask students to share one new thing they learned about the Māori perspective on ANZAC. Capture their responses visibly on a whiteboard or chart. Summarise the lesson’s key points and emphasise respect for the stories of all peoples involved in ANZAC. Preview what will be covered in the final lesson.

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• Provide additional scaffolding for English language learners, using visual aids, modeling sentence starters, and support vocabulary related to the topic (from Te Mātaiaho guidance on English learning progression).
• Encourage students to share their own whānau stories if applicable, to deepen personal connection.
• Use multimodal texts (visual, oral, role-play) to cater to diverse learning styles.
• Make space for varied interpretations and opinions, fostering a safe classroom environment for sharing.

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Assessment for Learning

• Formative: Observe student participation in group discussions and presentations; note understanding of concepts such as tangata whenua and Māori contributions.
• Self-Assessment: At reflection time, students express what they learned in their own words.
• Teacher Notes: Use questioning during presentations to probe deeper understanding and respect for different perspectives, aligned with curriculum emphasis on relating to others and critical thinking.

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Alignment with NZ Curriculum Refresh

• This lesson supports the key competencies of Relating to others (students listen, share ideas, and respect diverse views on history) and Using language, symbols, and texts (communicating Māori perspectives through stories and presentation).
• It embeds the principles of Treaty of Waitangi (acknowledging biculturalism and Māori knowledge), Cultural diversity, and the High expectations principle by encouraging all students to engage meaningfully with NZ history.
• The content intersects with English domain (teaching literacy through oral storytelling and discussion) and Social Sciences (understanding history and cultural identity) as described in the curriculum framework.
• Activities encourage development of critical thinking by recognizing different perspectives and advancing empathy for historic experiences.

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This lesson plan combines rich, culturally meaningful content with well-paced, interactive activities that respect the cognitive and social developmental stage of Years 3-4 students, inspiring a deeper appreciation of Aotearoa New Zealand’s history from a tangata whenua perspective.

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If you would like, I can help generate supporting materials such as the Māori ANZAC story script, role cards, or poster templates to accompany this lesson!