Puletasi Changes

Year 3 Social Sciences: Sustaining Samoan Identity — Lesson 3

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Lesson Duration:

45 minutes
Class size: 20 students

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Lesson Title:

The Evolution of the Puletasi

Lesson Description:

Students will explore how the traditional Samoan puletasi has changed over time due to fashion trends and cultural exchanges. Through hands-on activities, image analysis, and storytelling, students will develop an understanding of cultural identity and its evolution, aligned with New Zealand Curriculum Refresh social sciences expectations.

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Curriculum Links (New Zealand Curriculum Refresh):

Learning Area: Social Sciences (Years 1-3)
Achievement Objective:

• Understand how cultural practices and traditions develop and change over time
• Recognise how culture contributes to people’s identity and sense of belonging
• Develop inquiry and communication skills through gathering and analysing information from multiple sources

Key Competencies:

• Participating and Contributing
• Thinking
• Using Language, Symbols and Texts

Values: Diversity, Respect, Cultural Identity

Principles: Inclusion, Cultural Responsiveness, and Sustainability

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WALT (We Are Learning To):

• Understand how the Samoan puletasi has evolved over time
• Recognise how cultural exchanges and fashion trends influence traditional clothing
• Share our ideas through discussion and creative expression

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Success Criteria:

Students will be able to:

• Identify differences between early and modern puletasi styles
• Explain why these changes happened using simple cultural ideas
• Express thoughts about the importance of maintaining cultural identity

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Resources Needed:

• Printed images of puletasi from different time periods (early versions, mid-20th century, current styles)
• Samoan cultural storybook or recorded oral story about puletasi
• Drawing paper, coloured pencils or markers
• Display board or digital slideshow (projector/screen)
• Simple sentence strips with key vocabulary and dyslexia-friendly font (e.g., Arial, large size, clear spacing)

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Lesson Outline:

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation
5 mins	Intro & Activate Prior Knowledge	Briefly discuss with students what they know about the puletasi. Use images to show a modern puletasi. Ask: “What do you notice? Do you think it has always looked like this?”	Use sentence starters on strips (“I see…”, “I wonder…”) to support language development.
10 mins	Exploration & Image Analysis	Show images of puletasi from different decades. Students work in pairs to observe details (colour, fabric, length, patterns). Teacher guides with questions: “What is the same? What is different?” Record key observations on a visible chart.	Pair students with varied abilities to support peer learning; provide dyslexia-friendly printed images; use verbal summaries for each image.
10 mins	Story Time: Puletasi’s Journey	Share a Samoan cultural story or oral history about the puletasi, highlighting cultural exchanges and fashion influence. Facilitate brief discussion on what they learned.	Offer audio recordings of the story; provide story summary visuals; encourage non-verbal responses like drawing if preferred.
15 mins	Creative Drawing & Reflection	Students draw their own puletasi design combining traditional and modern elements inspired by what they’ve learned. Share with a partner or small group explaining their choices.	Provide templates for those needing structure; allow more advanced students to write a few sentences about their design; use vocabulary cards for spelling support.
5 mins	Wrap-up & Self-Assessment	Using a thumbs-up/thumbs-sideways/thumbs-down system, students indicate how well they think they met the learning goal. Teacher briefly summarizes key points and connects to next lesson.	Visual cues support self-assessment; allow oral or non-verbal responses.

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Differentiation Strategies:

• For Diverse Learners:

  • Provide multi-sensory input (visual, auditory, kinesthetic).
  • Use supporting visuals and sentence starters to aid language and comprehension.
  • Pair learners strategically for peer support.
  • Allow alternative ways to respond (drawing, talking, role-play).

• For Dyslexic Learners:

  • Use dyslexia-friendly fonts and clear layouts for printed texts.
  • Break information into small chunks with visuals.
  • Support oral storytelling and discussion rather than heavy reading.
  • Provide audio support where possible.

• For Advanced Learners:

  • Extend task by inviting students to research or discuss how puletasi compares to other Pacific traditional dress.
  • Challenge students to create a timeline of changes with labels.
  • Encourage use of higher-level descriptive vocabulary in explanations.

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Assessment:

Formative assessment through observation of participation in discussion, image analysis, and creative drawing. Collect drawings with short explanatory notes for evidence of understanding evolution and cultural influence. Check for use of vocabulary and ideas during partner sharing.

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Reflection and Next Steps:

Connect today’s learning to the following lesson about the importance of the puletasi in celebrations and family identity in Samoa, deepening the understanding of sustaining cultural identity.

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This lesson embraces hands-on learning, accommodates diverse needs, and aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh focus on cultural identity, social sciences inquiry, and key competencies.