Promises and Service

Overview

Students build a timeline connecting the New Zealand Wars, the First World War and the Māori Battalion. They then investigate whether British promises to Māori were honoured, broken or contested by examining selected historical evidence and creating a short exhibition label.

Learning intentions

• WALT place key events in chronological order and identify continuity and change.
• WALT explain how war affected Māori and other people in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• WALT interpret letters, photographs, newspaper reports and museum collection records.
• WALT use evidence to evaluate whether promises were honoured, broken or contested.

Success criteria

• I can place important events on a timeline and explain one connection between them.
• I can distinguish between a promise, a lived experience and an outcome.
• I can use specific evidence from at least two sources.
• I can write an exhibition label that includes a judgement and a question for further research.

Curriculum links

• New Zealand History and Global History — change in New Zealand from the 1920s to 2000, including ANZAC memory, commemoration and national identity.
• World War One and Aftermath — evaluating differing historians’ interpretations of Gallipoli and the ANZAC legend.
• English — planning and drafting: synthesising notes using key words, phrases and annotations.
• English — planning: organising ideas logically into paragraphs or sections.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Teacher displays the question, “When a government makes a promise, how can historians decide whether it was kept?” and uses the opening question and image to show a striking, respectful image connected with Māori military service. Students complete a quick think-pair-share, recording one idea about promises, war or commemoration.

2. 7–17 min · Build the timeline. Teacher briefly explains that the New Zealand Wars, the First World War, Gallipoli, the Māori Pioneer Battalion and later Māori Battalion service occurred in different contexts, and clarifies that the Māori Battalion was formed in the Second World War, not the First World War. Students work in five groups to arrange event cards on a shared timeline using the continuity and change timeline strips, then add one note about impact on people.

Suggested events: New Zealand Wars, 1840 and differing understandings of the Treaty promises, First World War begins, Gallipoli landings, Māori Pioneer Battalion service, First World War ends, Second World War begins, 28 Māori Battalion formed, and later ANZAC commemoration. Emphasise that Māori experiences and responses were diverse.

3. 17–25 min · Model historical enquiry. Teacher models one source, such as a recruitment statement or newspaper report, thinking aloud: “What promise is suggested? What does this source show people experienced? What happened afterwards?” Teacher demonstrates how to note the source type, creator, audience, date and a possible limitation on the source-analysis model and prompt slide. Students help classify the model evidence as promise, experience or outcome.

4. 25–43 min · Group evidence investigation. Teacher gives each group a small source set containing a letter, photograph, newspaper report and museum collection record, alongside the evidence investigation and exhibition-label worksheet. Students read, observe and annotate the sources, sorting notes into “promise”, “experience” and “outcome”. They identify whose voice is present, whose may be missing, and whether the evidence suggests the promise was honoured, broken or contested. The teacher circulates, checks interpretations and prompts students to support claims with precise evidence.

5. 43–53 min · Exhibition label writing. Teacher displays the required label structure on the group task and writing frame slides: title; two-sentence historical context; judgement about the promise; two pieces of evidence; and one question for further research. Groups draft a 70–100-word label on the worksheet. Students use cautious historical language such as “This source suggests…”, “However…”, and “The evidence is limited because…”.

6. 53–60 min · Gallery share and exit check. Teacher invites groups to read their labels or display them for a rapid gallery walk, then returns to the opening question using the discussion and plenary slides. Students complete the final worksheet prompt: “Was the promise honoured, broken or contested? Give one piece of evidence and explain why this question needs further research.”

Resources

• the complete enquiry slide deck
• the evidence investigation and exhibition-label worksheet
• the continuity and change timeline strips
• Teacher-prepared source sets: letters, photographs, newspaper reports and museum collection records
• Event cards for the shared timeline
• Large paper or whiteboard timeline
• Highlighters and pens
• Display space or digital gallery

Assessment

• Listen during timeline sorting for accurate sequencing and explanations of continuity and change.
• Check group worksheets for source identification, categorisation, corroboration and recognition of missing or limited perspectives.
• Use the exhibition label and exit response to assess whether students make an evidence-based judgement and propose a worthwhile research question.

Differentiation

• Provide a simplified source set, enlarged text, audio reading or highlighted key passages for students who need literacy support.
• Give sentence starters: “The promise was…”, “This source shows…”, “This evidence suggests…”, and “A limitation is…”.
• Pair readers strategically and assign roles such as reader, evidence finder, timeline organiser and label editor.
• Extend confident students by comparing two sources that disagree, explaining why their creators may have differed, and commenting on how ANZAC commemoration has shaped national identity.
• Handle war, colonisation and loss respectfully; allow students to pass during personal-response discussion and remind groups to critique evidence and policies rather than make assumptions about Māori communities.