People, Place and Change

Overview

Lesson 3 of 6 in Whenua: Our Living Place. Students investigate how human decisions have changed a local place, using maps, photographs, oral histories and environmental evidence while recognising mana whenua perspectives and communicating with care.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify changes to a local place over time.
• WALT explain causes and consequences of changes to whenua.
• WALT compare evidence from maps, photographs, oral testimony and the environment.
• WALT communicate respectfully about difficult histories and consider whose voices are present or absent.

Success criteria

• I can identify at least two changes to a local place and place them on a timeline.
• I can explain a cause and a consequence of one change.
• I can compare two sources and comment on their reliability or perspective.
• I can use respectful language and identify a voice or experience missing from the evidence.

Curriculum links

• Tikanga ā-Iwi: inquiry into place, power, continuity and change, including mana whenua experience.
• Pūtaiao: human impacts on environments, mauri and living things.
• Pāngarau: using scale, distance, timelines, percentages and graphs to compare change.
• Te Reo Māori and Ngā Toi: respectful questioning, reporting kōrero, photography and visual storytelling.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 minutes – Whakatau and hook Open with the opening before-and-after image and ask: “What has changed here? Who might experience these changes differently?” Establish that whenua is more than land: it holds relationships, histories, responsibilities and mauri. Remind students that some histories and kōrero are sensitive.

2. 7–15 minutes – Model reading evidence Display the source comparison and vocabulary slides. Model comparing a historical map with a recent aerial photograph. Think aloud using taunaki (evidence), panoni (change), pānga (impact) and tirohanga (perspective). Demonstrate the source reliability questions: Who created it? When and why? What does it show? Whose voice is absent?

3. 15–32 minutes – Collaborative source investigation Place students in five groups of five and distribute the place-change investigation sheet. Give each group a source set containing an iwi-approved historical map, aerial photograph, local photograph, short oral testimony or transcript, and environmental observation. Students annotate their sources, record two changes, identify possible causes and consequences, and complete a brief reliability check. Assign roles such as reader, evidence finder, recorder, tikanga monitor and reporter.

4. 32–43 minutes – Place-based transect or photo survey Take students to a safe nearby location, or use teacher-selected photographs if leaving the classroom is not suitable. Students observe land use, access, species, signs of human impact and features that may affect mauri. They record or sketch three observations on the place-change investigation sheet. Follow tikanga for visiting the site: stay together, do not disturb the environment, and do not photograph people, wāhi tapu or sensitive places without permission.

5. 43–53 minutes – Hui: compare perspectives Return to the classroom and open the hui discussion prompts. Groups give a one-minute oral report using the structure: “Our evidence shows… We think this change happened because… Its impacts may include…” Peers offer one warm feedback comment and one question. Lead a hui asking: “Whose voices are present? Whose voices might be missing? What further evidence would we need?” Explain that whānau interviews require informed consent, agreed questions, privacy and permission before recording or sharing kōrero.

6. 53–60 minutes – Individual synthesis and exit reflection Students complete the final section of the place-change investigation sheet by adding one event to an annotated timeline and writing a cause, consequence and remaining question. Close with the plenary reflection slide: “How can people make decisions that care for whenua and community wellbeing?” Collect sheets for formative assessment.

Resources

• the People, Place and Change teaching deck
• the place-change investigation sheet
• Iwi-approved maps, archives, photographs and oral-history transcripts
• Recent aerial photographs or a school-approved mapping/GIS tool
• Clipboards, pencils, coloured pens and sticky notes
• Tablets or cameras for an optional photo survey
• Teacher-selected local environmental observation site
• Agreed whānau interview questions and consent information for follow-up
• Audio or video with captions/transcripts where available

Assessment

• Check group source reliability responses for accurate identification of creator, purpose, evidence and missing perspectives.
• Assess annotated timelines and explanations for a clear change, cause and consequence.
• Use oral reports and peer feedback to assess respectful communication, use of evidence and awareness of multiple perspectives.

Differentiation

• Provide multimodal sources, captioned audio or video, enlarged maps and transcripts. Pre-teach vocabulary with visual examples and sentence starters such as “This source suggests…” and “A possible consequence is…”.
• Offer a partially completed timeline, a reduced source set or paired reading for students requiring support. Allow students to report through writing, speaking, labelled drawing, photography or a recorded presentation.
• For EAL learners, provide bilingual vocabulary support, rehearsal time and mixed-ability grouping; accept diagrams and oral explanations alongside written responses.
• Extend confident learners by comparing bias across two sources, estimating percentage change in land use, or explaining how a decision may affect mauri, access, species and community wellbeing differently.