Ngā Wāhanga o te Whare

I would like my lesson to focus on the following: The Marae Atea, The Tekoteko on the Wharenui, The Koruru and the Maihi of the Wharenui, what they are and their importance. We are using the Marae, Te Herenga Waka as a reference. Here are some kōrero that we are using: The Marae Ātea is the open meeting area in front of the wharenui, which in contemporary times is a place where tikanga Māori are accorded their ultimate expression. The Marae Ātea, the space outside the front of the meeting house, is the domain of Tūmatauenga, the god of war. Speeches that takes place on the marae ātea are allowed to be forceful, representing the nature of Tū. In Māori mythology, Tū or Tūmatauenga (Tū of the angry face) is the God of war, hunting, food cultivation,fishing and cooking. as the God of war, all war parties were dedicated to him and he was treated with the greatest respect and awe.

The Tekoteko On the marae at Victoria University of Wellington - Te Tumu Herenga Waka the Tekoteko is named Kupe. Traditionally the Tekoteko stood at the top of the whare, and symbolically they stood to watch over the area out in front of the marae called the marae ātea. The marae ātea is the realm of Tūmatauenga, the God of War, the God of Humanity and also the God that created the Whare Tangata, when he cut the sinews that joined Papatūānuku causing her awa o ngā Atua to flow. Here, he is the watchful eye over his people, and knows that we must work hard to keep the whare safe and working for the betterment of the whole people as a collective.
Everyone in the house has to work in order to keep our whare flowing and know that we in the whare have a responsibility to keep our Tekoteko safe or he will fall.

The Koruru Traditionally our eyes travel to the Koruru which always sits beneath the tekoteko. This is the face of tipuna keeping watchful eye upon the domain of Tūmatauenga. Koruru usually have the eyes of the Ruru, big and round. There are three Koruru in our whare (kura) who are they? Can you name them? Each one has a different job to do in taking care of the Tekoteko, ensuring that what the Tekoteko does not see they show him. Keeping him in touch with all the business of the whare (Kura).

The Maihi The maihi on the Herenga Waka Marae tells a story of Kupe, in his journey to Aotearoa, looking for his grandsons Toi and Whatonga who become lost. He chased the Wheke o Muturangi which lead Kupe to the Moana o Raukawa or known as The Cook Strait. These are traditionally seen as the outstretched arms of our tipuna. For our Whare (kura) structural purpose, these two maihi one,could be our secretary and receptionist and the other The Board of Trustees. They are the Manaaki people ensuring that all of the school community have what they need to be able to do their work with ease. They take care of the manuhiri who arrive to our school or to ask for help until they can be taken care of. The maihi are the open welcoming arms of our school community and will always be the smiling and welcoming face at the door of the whare. An important role of manaakitanga.

Here are the discussion questions we would like our students to focus on:

Who or what would be the the best representation of a Tekoteko for Onslow College’s Whare? Tell us a little bit about it/him/her and their role Can you name at least 2 Koruru of Te Herenga Waka? Take some time to discover this person. What do you think his/her job description would look like? Think about your own marae maihi and what stories they tell. If you don’t have a marae, be creative and think about what story would you put on the maihi? Who are the two Maihi workers in our Kura community? Tell us about their role

Overview

Students investigate the marae ātea, tekoteko, koruru and maihi of Te Tumu Herenga Waka, using the provided kōrero as a cultural and language resource. They then apply their understanding to Onslow College’s own whare or an imagined marae, explaining how people, roles, stories and values are represented.

Learning intentions

Students will:

explain the purpose and significance of the marae ātea, tekoteko, koruru and maihi
use key kupu and ideas from te reo Māori to discuss identity, responsibility and relationships
interpret the cultural stories connected with Te Tumu Herenga Waka
collaborate respectfully and communicate an informed response
use digital tools to record and share learning through Google Classroom

Success criteria

I can describe the role of the marae ātea, tekoteko, koruru and maihi.
I can explain how these parts of the wharenui connect with people, whakapapa, tikanga and manaakitanga.
I can name at least two koruru associated with Te Herenga Waka and suggest their responsibilities.
I can justify a representation for Onslow College’s tekoteko or maihi using evidence from the kōrero.

Curriculum links

Te Reo Māori introduction: learning te reo Māori as a living expression of identity, community and connection.
Te Reo Māori introduction: strengthening connections with whānau, community and mana whenua, honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Te Reo Māori introduction: weaving cultural knowledge into everyday learning.
Te Reo Māori introduction: developing understanding of tikanga, mātauranga Māori, the Māori worldview, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga.
New Zealand Curriculum key competencies: thinking; relating to others; participating and contributing; managing self; using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (80 minutes)

0–8 min · Whakatau and visual hook. Open with the opening image and inquiry question and invite students to silently consider: “He aha te mea e tiaki ana i te whare?” Introduce the learning intentions, establish respectful discussion expectations, and pronounce the key kupu together. Students make a quick prediction about what the figures and structures of a wharenui communicate.
8–23 min · Kōrero and guided noticing. Use the Te Herenga Waka teaching slides to present the marae ātea, tekoteko, koruru and maihi in sequence. Read or paraphrase the supplied kōrero, clarifying that the marae ātea is associated with Tūmatauenga and forceful speech, Kupe is the tekoteko at Te Herenga Waka, the koruru represent watchful tipuna, and the maihi are outstretched welcoming arms. Students complete the matching and short-response section of the wharenui meaning and evidence worksheet as the teacher checks understanding.
23–35 min · Pair inquiry: the koruru. Display the koruru inquiry prompt and place students in pairs. Students use teacher-provided class information or an approved Google Classroom source to identify at least two koruru of Te Herenga Waka, record their names, and infer a possible “job description” for each. Each pair must support its inference with one detail from the kōrero; students who are absent can complete the same task asynchronously.
35–52 min · Jigsaw interpretation. Form groups of four, allocating each student one focus: marae ātea, tekoteko, koruru or maihi. Students first explain their focus to the group, then collaborate to complete a four-part meaning map on the wharenui meaning and evidence worksheet. Groups discuss how the concepts of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, responsibility and collective wellbeing are expressed. Circulate, prompting students to distinguish between a physical feature, its story and its role.
52–68 min · Apply to our kura. Revisit the design challenge and discussion prompts. Students individually choose one response: identify the best tekoteko representation for Onslow College’s whare, or design and explain the story of its maihi. They must describe who or what is represented, its role, the values it protects or demonstrates, and how it connects to the school community. Students may write, create a labelled digital sketch, or record a two-minute spoken explanation in Google Classroom.
68–76 min · Hui and peer feedback. In groups of three, students share their response. Peers use the prompts “He aha te kaha o tō whakaaro?” and “He aha te taunakitanga?” to give one strength and one question. Students revise one sentence, label or spoken idea after feedback. Invite two or three students to share contrasting interpretations with the class.
76–80 min · Exit reflection. Display the plenary and exit questions. Students submit a short Google Classroom response: “Ko te mea nui kua ako au ko…”, followed by one explanation of how a wharenui feature represents people, values or responsibilities.

Resources

the Marae Ātea and Wharenui inquiry slide deck
the wharenui meaning and evidence worksheet
Teacher-provided kōrero about Te Herenga Waka
Google Classroom and Google Docs or Slides
Images or teacher-approved photographs of Te Tumu Herenga Waka
Projector or interactive display
Headphones and speech-to-text tools, if required

Assessment

Listen for accurate use of marae ātea, tekoteko, koruru, maihi, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga during pair and group talk.
Check worksheet responses for understanding of purpose, symbolism and evidence, not simply labels.
Use the final Google Classroom response to assess whether students can explain a connection between a wharenui feature, Māori values and collective responsibility.

Differentiation

Provide a dyslexia-friendly worksheet: clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, short text blocks, strong headings and key kupu in bold. Offer audio versions of the kōrero, text-to-speech, speech-to-text and permission to submit an audio response.
Support learners with a labelled image bank, bilingual kupu bank, sentence starters such as “Ko te mahi a te ___ he…” and a partially completed meaning map. Allow students to work with a trusted peer or teacher-led group.
For EAL learners, pre-teach concepts using images and allow initial thinking in English before shaping the final response with te reo Māori kupu. Do not require students to disclose personal iwi or marae connections.
Extension learners can compare how the four features work together as one system, justify an alternative representation using multiple pieces of evidence, or research an iwi variation in design and explain why interpretations may differ.

Extension

Create a polished digital proposal for Onslow College’s whare, including a labelled design, pepeha or narrative explanation, and the values it would embody.
Record a short bilingual presentation explaining how the proposed tekoteko or maihi would support manaakitanga and the wellbeing of the kura.

Teaching Instructions