Reflecting & Celebrating

Context

Year Levels: 0-3 (Akomanga Rimu Years 0-2 focus)
Subject: Music
Unit: Pohutukawa Christmas Celebration
Lesson: 8 of 9
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 26 students
School Values: GREAT - Give it a go, Respect, Excellence, Attitude, Teamwork

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Learning Objectives

Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for the Arts learning area (Level 1), this lesson supports students to:

• Understand & Appreciate the cultural significance of the Pohutukawa tree and Christmas through music and related arts.
• Reflect on their learning journey in the unit, expressing preferences and thoughts.
• Create collaboratively by contributing to a class book that documents their learning via art, recipes, and reflections.
• Demonstrate key competencies:
  • Managing self through personal reflection and contribution
  • Relating to others through sharing and listening
  • Participating and contributing via teamwork in producing the class book
  • Using language, symbols, and texts by communicating through drawings, words, and music-related symbols
  • Thinking critically about their favourite activities and songs

These align strongly with the Level 1 Arts Achievement Objectives focusing on exploring and expressing ideas and the competency development outlined in the curriculum.

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Lesson Outline

1. Welcome & Warm-up (10 min)

• Teacher gathers students in a circle setting in the classroom/learning space.
• Begin with a short waiata (song) related to Pohutukawa or Christmas, reconnecting students musically to the unit’s theme.
• Prompt a brief group discussion:
  "What was your favourite song or activity this term?"
  Encourage a few students to share one thing they loved.
• Reinforce school values by highlighting Give it a go and Respect as students share.

2. Reflection Time: Talking and Drawing (15 min)

• Each student receives a reflection sheet with three sections:
  1. Favourite song or musical activity
  2. A drawing or painting of their Pohutukawa or Christmas artwork
  3. A simple sentence or phrase about what they learnt
• Teacher and aides circulate to support writing and drawing, encouraging self-expression and use of language symbols.
• For non-writers or beginners, teacher or peers scribe their reflections as they explain aloud.

3. Sharing and Celebrating (15 min)

• Form small groups (5–6 children) to share their drawings and sentences.
• Each group selects one or two favourite reflections or art pieces to share with the whole class.
• Emphasise Relating to others and Participating and contributing competencies by praising listening and sharing behaviours.

4. Class Book Creation (15 min)

• Introduce the idea of a class book combining all the students’ contributions: art, recipes (real or imagined), favourite song titles, and reflections.
• Students glue or tape their reflection sheets into a large album or on an allocated wall display sheet for the class book.
• Teacher or aides photograph images of artworks or singing moments from earlier lessons to include as photo pages.
• Discuss how this book tells the story of their Pohutukawa Christmas Celebration learning adventure at Norsewood and Districts School.

5. Closure & Celebration Song (5 min)

• End with a class singing of their favourite Christmas song from the unit, reinforcing the sense of achievement and connection.
• Reinforce the school value Excellence by praising their hard work throughout the unit.
• Outline the next steps: Lesson 9 will wrap up the unit fully.

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Resources Needed

• Large reflection sheets pre-divided into three sections
• Coloured pencils, crayons, or paint
• Glue sticks, tape
• Class book album or large display paper
• Photos/artwork from previous lessons
• Audio device for playing waiata
• Copies of favourite song lyrics for singing along

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Assessment & Evidence

• Formative assessment through observation of student participation in group discussions and sharing (Key Competencies: Relating to others, Participating and contributing).
• Reflective voice and representation documented in the class book with drawings and sentences (Demonstrating Understanding and Using language, symbols, and texts).
• Teacher notes on students’ ability to identify and talk about their favourite experiences and musical activities, showing awareness of cultural significance and personal engagement aligned with Level 1 Arts objectives and competencies.
• Documentation of the completed class book as a learning artefact that showcases individual and collective learning journeys.

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Pedagogical Considerations

• Inclusive teaching: Use of multiple modes (oral, visual, kinesthetic) to express reflections ensures accessibility for all learners including those developing literacy skills.
• Encouragement of manaakitanga and aroha through respectful listening and celebration of all contributions aligns with local kura values GREAT, empowering tamariki to elevate themselves and each other.
• Embedded literacy opportunity: Writing or dictating reflections supports structured literacy development integrated with meaningful context of music and culture.
• Culturally responsive: Recognition and celebration of Pohutukawa and Christmas within the context of Aotearoa New Zealand stories and practices support bicultural curriculum aspirations.
• Competency development is scaffolded through supported reflection and teamwork, consistent with Next Generation curriculum expectations for lifelong learning skills.

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This lesson plan empowers both the teacher and students to reflect deeply on their creative and cultural learning in an engaging and meaningful way, culminating in a tangible artifact—a class book—that honours their journey as an interactive and community-sharing celebration. This approach embraces Norsewood and Districts School's values and the refreshed curriculum’s vision for a GREAT Learning Adventure.