Reading Biography Models

Overview

Lesson 3 of 15 in Ngā Rangatira, Ngā Kōrero. Students read two short biographies of significant Māori leaders, retrieve evidence, identify biography structure, sequence key events, and notice tense markers, descriptive language, linking words, and a/o categories in context.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify the structure and language features of a biography in te reo Māori.
• WALT retrieve key facts and evidence from a text.
• WALT explain how events and facts are connected.
• WALT notice how tense markers, descriptive language, linking words, and a/o categories contribute to meaning.

Success criteria

• I can locate and record accurate evidence from a biography.
• I can identify the introduction, key events, achievements, and conclusion.
• I can sequence important events and explain how they are connected.
• I can identify examples of tense markers, descriptive language, and linking words.

Curriculum links

• Reading and responding to a range of written texts in te reo Māori, including identifying main ideas, supporting details, and text structure.
• Understanding how language features, vocabulary, and grammatical structures shape meaning.
• Producing spoken and written responses that communicate information clearly.
• Te ao Māori: exploring the lives, contributions, and perspectives of Māori leaders.
• Key competencies: managing self, participating and contributing, relating to others, and using language, symbols, and texts.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Whakatau and visual hook Open with the biography hook slide. Ask: He aha ngā mea me mōhio tātou mō te tangata rangatira? Students make quick predictions about what information a biography should include. Share the WALT and success criteria.

2. 5–13 minutes – Activate prior knowledge and model structure Display the biography structure and language features slides. Briefly introduce the common structure: kupu whakataki (introduction), ngā tino kaupapa (key events), ngā whakatutukitanga (achievements), and whakakapi (conclusion). Model how to identify one fact and underline the evidence in a short paragraph.

3. 13–25 minutes – Teacher-guided first reading Distribute the biography reading and evidence worksheet. Read Biography A aloud while students follow, then reread selected sentences together. Pause to clarify vocabulary using the glossary and ask retrieval questions such as: Nō hea ia? I whānau mai ia i hea? He aha tana mahi? Students highlight evidence and record answers.

4. 25–37 minutes – Pair reading and sequencing Students work in two pairs to read Biography B, first silently and then aloud to one another. They label each paragraph by function and number the major events in chronological order on the worksheet. Circulate and prompt students to justify answers with Kei hea te taunakitanga? (“Where is the evidence?”).

5. 37–47 minutes – Language noticing investigation Return to the language-noticing slides. Students find examples in both texts of tense markers such as i, e…ana, and kua, linking words such as ā, nō reira, i muri mai, and nā te mea, and descriptive phrases such as he rangatira māia. Invite students to notice a/o relationships in phrases such as te whānau o… and te mahi a…. Discuss why each feature has been used.

6. 47–55 minutes – Compare, explain, and report Each pair chooses one similarity and one difference between the biographies. They prepare a short oral response using the frame: He ōrite ngā kōrero nā te mea… He rerekē te āhua o te tuhinga nā te mea… Pairs report to the class, referring to specific evidence. Advanced students compare the writers’ style, such as the amount of description, use of quotations, or formality.

7. 55–60 minutes – Individual exit response Students complete the final section of the biography reading and evidence worksheet independently: identify one section of a biography, copy one supporting fact, and explain how a linking word connects two ideas. Finish with a brief oral self-assessment: Ka taea e au te… Students identify one skill to practise in the next lesson.

Resources

• the biography hook, structure, modelling, language-noticing, discussion, and plenary deck
• the biography reading and evidence worksheet
• Two age-appropriate biographies of Māori leaders, approximately 180–220 words each
• Printed or digital glossary for key vocabulary
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Whiteboard and markers
• Audio recordings of both biographies, if available
• Timer

Assessment

• Listen for accurate retrieval and evidence-based answers during guided and pair reading.
• Check worksheet responses for correct text structure, chronological sequencing, and identification of language features.
• Use the individual exit response to assess whether each student can explain how facts are connected, not merely locate them.

Differentiation

• Provide chunked versions of the biographies, a bilingual glossary, line numbering, and sentence starters such as I whānau mai ia… and I muri mai, ka…
• Use teacher-guided reading and audio support for students who need help with decoding, pronunciation, or processing speed. Allow students to hear a paragraph before reading it independently.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach essential names, places, and verbs with visuals; accept oral explanations before requiring a written response.
• Extend advanced learners by comparing the biographies’ style and viewpoint, identifying omitted information, and rewriting one paragraph with different tense markers or more precise descriptive language.