Roles and Responsibilities

Overview

This 45-minute lesson (Lesson 5 of 5) in the Year 6 unit Life Before Colonisation focuses on understanding roles and responsibilities within Māori society before European colonisation. Students will explore traditional Māori gender roles, leadership structures, and the importance of collaboration, reflecting the cultural values embedded in pre-colonial Māori communities.

This lesson aligns fully with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (2023/2024) for Social Sciences and Aotearoa New Zealand Histories learning areas, particularly emphasising knowledge, values, and competencies relevant to Year 6 students.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the various roles and responsibilities Māori men and women traditionally held in their communities.
• Explain leadership roles such as rangatira and their significance within the hapū/iwi structure.
• Describe how collaboration and shared responsibilities were central to Māori social organisation.
• Demonstrate respect for Māori concepts of whanaungatanga (relationships) and manaakitanga (care and hospitality).

Curriculum References

• Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand Histories

  • Achievement Objective: Understand how early Māori lived and organised themselves in communities before colonisation (Year 6).
  • Content Knowledge: Roles within Māori society; leadership and governance; collaborative community networks.
  • Key Competencies: Participating and contributing, relating to others.
  • Values: Respect, responsibility, diversity.

• Learning Languages (integrated through te reo Māori vocabulary)

  • Use and understand key tikanga Māori terms related to roles and responsibilities.

These objectives also support the Social Sciences vision in the Curriculum Refresh for learners to engage with the culture and histories of tāngata whenua, fostering confidence and connection to Aotearoa’s past .

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Materials Needed

• Chart paper/whiteboard and markers
• Visual aids: images or illustrations of Māori whare, hapū activities, traditional dress etc.
• Role cards describing different roles in Māori society (e.g., rangatira, kaumātua, tohunga, tohunga whakairo, women’s roles such as kaitiaki of food gathering)
• Small group activity worksheet
• Te reo Māori vocabulary list: rangatira, hapū, iwi, whānau, tohunga, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga
• Countdown timer or clock

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Lesson Outline (45 minutes)

1. Introduction and Recap (5 minutes)

• Briefly review the key themes from previous lessons in the unit Life Before Colonisation (e.g., traditional Māori life, community structure).
• Introduce today’s focus: exploring the roles and responsibilities within Māori society.
• Use a simple kura/hapū/iwi diagram on the board to illustrate community layers.

2. Whole-Class Discussion: Roles in Māori Communities (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a guided conversation: "Who do you think did what in a traditional Māori village before colonisation?"
• Prompt with key aspects:
  • Men’s roles (e.g., hunters, warriors, leaders)
  • Women’s roles (e.g., food gathering, weaving, caring for children)
  • Leadership roles: rangatira (chiefs), kaumātua (elders), tohunga (experts in various arts and knowledge).
  • Importance of collaboration: how everyone’s work fitted together to support wellbeing.
• Introduce key te reo Māori vocabulary as part of the discussion.

3. Small Group Activity: Role Card Sort (15 minutes)

• Divide class into 5 groups (5 students per group).
• Give each group a set of role cards with descriptions of traditional roles and responsibilities.
• Task: Match roles to descriptions and discuss why those roles were important.
• Encourage students to discuss how these roles helped the whole community.
• Groups prepare a short 1-minute summary of their findings.

4. Group Presentations & Class Reflection (10 minutes)

• Each group briefly presents their matched roles and explains what they learned about the responsibilities in those roles.
• Teacher guides reflection:
  • How do leadership and collaboration work together in Māori society?
  • Why is it important for a community that everyone contributes?
  • How do these traditional roles reflect Māori values like whanaungatanga and manaakitanga?

5. Closing Discussion: Connecting Past and Present (5 minutes)

• Discuss how some roles and responsibilities continue today in Māori communities and New Zealand society.
• Invite students to share ways they experience collaboration in their own whānau or classroom.
• Highlight the ongoing importance of respect and working together.

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Assessment and Reflection

• Formative Assessment: Teacher observes group discussions and presentations for understanding of Māori roles and collaboration. Use targeted questions to deepen thinking.
• Exit Ticket (optional): Students write/draw one role in Māori society and explain why it was important.
• Teacher Reflection: Note student engagement with te reo vocabulary and understanding of leadership and gender roles to inform future social studies planning.

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Extension / Enrichment Ideas

• Invite a local kaumātua or storyteller to share whakapapa or traditional tales about leaders and community roles.
• Create a class mural depicting a traditional hapū and its members performing their roles.
• Incorporate digital tools: students create a simple digital poster or slideshow about a role they found interesting, using tablets or computers.

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This lesson plan is designed to inspire curiosity and respect for Māori social structures, firmly anchoring student learning in the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum’s vision and principles for culturally responsive teaching and learning about Aotearoa New Zealand histories .

If you would like, I can also prepare complementary learning resources such as role cards or a vocabulary list to support this lesson further. Just ask!