Nau Mai Ki Te Kura

Te Reo Māori — Year 10

Curriculum Area: Learning Languages
Te Marautanga o Aotearoa: Te Reo Māori, Tau 10 / Level 5

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Lesson Overview

Context: This 20-minute lesson will support Year 10 students in developing confidence and accuracy in greeting and welcoming visitors in te reo Māori. The learning focuses on mihimihi and tikanga associated with formally welcoming manuhiri (visitors) to kura. It is grounded in whanaungatanga and manaakitanga, fostering personal and cultural connections.

Purpose: Enable ākonga to engage with authentic language for expressing greetings and introducing themselves in a culturally appropriate manner, using key structures that are reusable in formal and informal contexts.

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Big Idea / Ngā Ariā Nui

Language reflects values and identity. Greeting others using te reo Māori builds and maintains respectful relationships within and beyond the whānau, kura, and hapori.

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Significant Learning / Akoranga Hirahira

• Use appropriate structures to greet and welcome people in formal settings.
• Demonstrate understanding of cultural practices related to how we welcome manuhiri.
• Build confidence to communicate orally in authentic situations.

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Learning Outcome / Putanga Ako

Ākonga will:

• Use a scaffolded mihimihi structure to introduce themselves and greet manuhiri appropriately.
• Recognise and use cultural protocols associated with welcoming visitors.
• Reflect on the significance of te reo me ōna tikanga when welcoming others to kura.

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Vocabulary / Reo Hou

Māori	English
Mihimihi	Personal introduction
Manuhiri	Visitor/s
Nau mai	Welcome
Haere mai	Come here / welcome
Ko wai koe?	Who are you?
Kei hea tō kainga?	Where is your home?

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Materials Needed

• Ataata / short video example of mihimihi
• Visual prompt cards with sentence starters
• Mini pōwhiri scenario props (eg. cloak, woven mat, small taonga)

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Lesson Structure (20 minutes)

⏱️ 0–3 min — Whakawhanaungatanga

Quick warm-up using a karakia or short whakataukī:

“He tangata takahi manuhiri, he marae puehu.”
A person who disregards visitors will have a desolate marae.

Kaiako prompts:

• What does the whakataukī teach us?
• Why is it important to correctly welcome people into our space?

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⏱️ 3–8 min — Input & Modelling: How to greet a visitor

Kaiako shares a sample mihimihi. Breakdown sentence structure slowly:

1. Tēnā koe e te manuhiri.
2. Ko Kyra tōku ingoa.
3. Nō Waitahanui ahau.
4. He akonga au nō Te Kura o Waitahanui.
5. Nau mai, haere mai ki tō mātou kura.

Instructional Notes:

• Model pronunciation.
• Write on the board/chart for visual anchoring.
• Emphasise structure that can be reused and remixed based on context.

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⏱️ 8–12 min — Guided Practice: He Mihimihi Pīrori

Activity: "Mihimihi Dice Roll" Game
Ākonga roll a custom 6-sided die with different mihimihi sentence starters (e.g. Ko ___ tōku ingoa, Nō ___ ahau). They take turns filling in personal details and speaking aloud to the group.

Supports unexpected pairings, encourages listening and improvisation.

Extension: Add adjectives or pepeha elements for advanced learners.

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⏱️ 12–16 min — Mini Role Play: Nau Mai, Haere Mai!

Ākonga pair up and simulate greeting a visitor to kura.

• One ākonga takes the role of kaikaranga/kaiwhaikōrero.
• One is the manuhiri arriving for a kura visit.

Role play includes:

1. Basic greeting/mihimihi
2. A gesture of welcome (step back and raise hand, offer seat)
3. Statement of where they are from

Differentiation Tip: Support more whakamā learners with prompt cards.

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⏱️ 16–20 min — Reflect & Close

Quick reflection round:

• "What felt easy/difficult in that role?"
• "Why do you think this mahi is important?"
• “Where else could we use these phrases?”

Tāpae the session with the saying:

“Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori.”
Language is the life essence of Māori prestige.

End with a waiata tautoko or brief karakia whakawātea.

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Next Steps / Mahi Kainga (optional)

• Write or audio-record your personalised mihimihi to share with whānau.
• Interview a kaumātua or whānau member about their mihimihi and its meaning.

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Assessment & Observations

Kaiako looks for:

• Pronunciation clarity and phrase structure.
• Confidence in delivery and contextual use of mihimihi.
• Cultural understanding evident in tone and body language.

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Kaiako Notes

Although this is a short session, it aligns with principles of ako — both kaiako and ākonga learn together. Incorporating cultural artefacts or having a past student video-exemplar can give authenticity. The game-based structure maintains energy and engagement in a small group and leads well into broader kaupapa such as pōwhiri or whaikōrero.

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💭 He whakaaro mō ngā kaiako hou i Te Ao Māori:

"Ka mōhio ana te tamaiti nō hea ia, ka mōhio ia ki tana haerenga."

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Let this be a seed for a unit on whanaungatanga and communicating in formal spaces. This is not just language learning — this is cultural identity in practice.