Our Māori Roots

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is the first of six in the unit "Exploring Māori History in Kaikohe," designed for Year 2-3 students. It introduces the significance of Māori history in Kaikohe, focusing on heritage, identity, and the importance of the local Marae. The lesson aligns closely with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, particularly the Social Sciences learning area and literacy development for years 2-3.

Learning Outcomes & Curriculum Links

WALT (We Are Learning To):
Understand the importance of our local Māori history.

Success Criteria:

Identify at least 2 key historical facts about Māori in Kaikohe.
Demonstrate understanding of heritage and identity related to local Māori history.

Curriculum Links:

Social Sciences, Phase 1 (Years 0-3): Understand how they and others view the world and the significance of family and local tangata whenua (people of the land).
Key Competencies: Participating and contributing; Relating to others; Using language, symbols, and texts.
English Learning Area: Developing oral language through storytelling, recounting, and presenting (including use of narrative elements and visual supports) .

Differentiation & Accessibility

Visual Aids: Use pictures, diagrams, a map of Kaikohe, and photos of the local Marae to support ESL and all learners.
Oral Support: Text-to-speech reading option for key texts; puppets and props to aid narrative comprehension.
Hands-On Learning: Physical artefacts or replicas related to Kaikohe Māori heritage.
Support for Dyslexia: Provide large print and clear fonts with associated audio narration of reading material; reduce cognitive load through chunked instructions.

Resources

Large map of Kaikohe highlighting the Marae.
Photos/images of local Marae and Māori historical figures.
Worksheets with simple fact boxes and picture clues.
Puppets or stories props for oral storytelling.
Audio device or app for text-to-speech support.
Whiteboard/flip chart for brainstorming.

Lesson Plan Breakdown

Time (mins)	Activity	Description	Pedagogical Strategies
0-5	Welcome and WALT Introduction	Greet students; show the WALT and Success Criteria on the board. Briefly explain today's focus on "Our Māori Roots" and Kaikohe.	Engaging hook; clear learning intentions; visual display.
5-15	Story Time: Māori History in Kaikohe	Teacher reads a short, illustrated story about key Māori historical facts related to Kaikohe and its Marae. Use puppets or props to bring story alive.	Narrative storytelling with visual/kinetic cues; scaffolding oral language.
15-25	Visual Exploration & Discussion	Show pictures and map of Kaikohe. Discuss heritage, identity and local Marae. Use guiding questions (e.g., Why is Marae important? Who are the tangata whenua?).	Inquiry based learning; questioning to prompt critical thinking; use of visuals for ESL support.
25-35	Worksheet Activity: Key Facts Match	Students work in pairs or small groups to match facts and images on a worksheet (differentiated by abilities). ESL/dyslexia learners use picture-supported text materials.	Collaborative learning; differentiated task; concrete to abstract connection.
35-40	Sharing & Reflection	Each pair shares with the class one historical fact they learned. Teacher writes responses on a chart under ‘Our Māori Roots’. Reinforce success criteria.	Peer sharing; formative assessment; reinforcing learning goals.
40-45	Extension Opportunity & Exit Ticket	For advanced learners: Introduce extension task to research a local Māori figure for upcoming lessons. Exit ticket: "Name 2 things you learned about Māori history today."	Extending curiosity; assessing understanding; setting stage for future inquiry.

Assessment & Success Monitoring

Use the exit ticket to assess if students identified two key historical facts.
Observe group discussions and worksheet completion for engagement and understanding.
Verbal sharing provides informal assessment of oral language skills and knowledge acquisition.

Notes on Inquiry and Integration

Encourage students’ curiosity using inquiry questions about identity and place, linking to Social Sciences curriculum's aim to "explore how people pass on and sustain culture and heritage" .
This lesson seeds further inquiry-based learning across the unit, with visits to local Marae and integration with English through reading and oral storytelling, supporting a holistic curriculum approach.
Teacher to incorporate students’ prior knowledge and lived experiences to connect with local Māori perspectives, building a solid foundation for identity and belonging learning strands for Phase 1.

This lesson plan applies best practices from the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, ensuring that teaching is inclusive, culturally responsive, and literacy rich, with clear progression in knowledge and competencies appropriate to Year 2-3 learners. It draws upon explicit teaching of vocabulary, oral language development, collaborative learning, and inquiry principles that will "wow" teachers by combining technology (text-to-speech), hands-on methods, and structured engagement strategies.

If you wish, I can also provide a sample worksheet or storytelling script to accompany this plan. Would you like that?

Teaching Instructions