Rotorua Voices Project

Overview

Year 9 students will engage with New Zealand’s history and identity by creating an audio recording as a tour guide for a significant visitor attraction within 100km of Rotorua. This project integrates social sciences with oral language skills, promoting cultural understanding, critical thinking, and communication competencies outlined in the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum.

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Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Social Sciences (Aotearoa New Zealand Histories focus)

• Understand how and why people’s perspectives influence interpretations of places and events (Level 5)
• Explain how interconnections and events influence people’s lives and identities
• Explore cultural significance and innovations in local contexts

Learning Area: English

• Use language and oral communication skills to engage diverse audiences and adapt language features to purpose and context (Years 7–10)
• Structure texts and use tone, pace, and volume effectively in spoken presentations

Key Competencies Addressed:

• Thinking: Critically analysing historical and cultural information
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Producing oral texts with effective communication techniques
• Managing self: Planning, organising, and managing the project timeline and presentation
• Relating to others: Discussing and sharing ideas during group activities
• Participating and contributing: Using community and cultural knowledge respectfully

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Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Investigate a Rotorua area attraction for its cultural, natural, historical, and social significance
• Recognise and express the multi-cultural diversity connected to the site’s identity and history
• Plan and deliver an engaging audio tour as a host, focusing on clear communication techniques
• Reflect on the role of place and history in New Zealand’s national and local identity
• Collaborate and provide peer feedback on communication effectiveness

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Lesson Plan (55 minutes)

1. Introduction and Context (10 mins)

• Begin with a brief class discussion: What makes a tourist attraction popular and meaningful?
• Introduce the Rotorua region’s unique features (cultural significance of Māori sites, geothermal phenomena, and multicultural community influences)
• Present specific examples (e.g., Te Puia, Whakarewarewa, Redwoods Forest) — highlighting cultural and natural uniqueness, history, innovations, identity-building
• Explain the audio tour project: students will be “tour guides” creating an engaging audio recording to inform and entertain visitors about a chosen location

Curriculum links: Social sciences under exploring how places contribute to identity and history; English oral language techniques【4:2-6†New Zealand Curriculum.html】

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2. Group Research and Brainstorm (15 mins)

• Students form small groups (3-4) and select or are assigned an attraction within 100km of Rotorua
• Provide curated resources for research (fact sheets about cultural significance, history, natural features, innovations, and multicultural aspects)
• Task: Identify key points about:
  • The cultural story and significance of the site
  • Unique natural or geographical features
  • Historical events or social importance
  • Innovations connected to the place (e.g., geothermal uses, tourism development)
  • Presence and contributions of diverse cultural groups
• Groups note ideas on a graphic organiser to structure their audio script

Curriculum links: Managing self to organise research; Thinking competency to analyse significance; Using community knowledge【4:16-17, 6:3-4†New Zealand Curriculum.html】

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3. Script Planning and Oral Language Focus (10 mins)

• Teacher models how to prepare a concise, engaging audio script for a tour guide:
  • Use descriptive and emotive language
  • Employ variation in tone, pace, and volume for effect
  • Include cultural respect and appropriate greetings (e.g., incorporating te reo Māori phrases)
• Groups draft a short script (1-2 minutes approx.) based on research notes
• Encourage planning who will say what, emphasising clear articulation and engagement

Curriculum links: English language structure and oral presentation skills; using language, tone and volume effectively【9:15-18, 15:6-7†Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】

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4. Practice and Peer Feedback (15 mins)

• Groups rehearse their audio tour segments, practicing delivery using tone and expression
• Students swap groups for peer listening and constructive feedback focusing on:
  • Clarity and confidence of speaking
  • Use of engaging language and cultural awareness
  • Effectiveness of explaining significance and uniqueness of the site
• Teacher circulates to guide and support, offering formative feedback

Curriculum links: Relating to others and participating and contributing through collaborative learning and feedback; self-management【6:11-15†New Zealand Curriculum.html, 15:12-15†Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】

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5. Wrap-Up and Next Steps (5 mins)

• Discuss how the audio project connects to learning about New Zealand’s history, identity, and cultural diversity
• Outline homework/project continuation: recording the final audio at home or in school, incorporating peer and teacher feedback
• Encourage reflection on the key competencies they used today and how they can develop them further

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Assessment Criteria (Project)

Criterion	Description	Curriculum Alignment
Cultural Significance	Accurately and respectfully presents the cultural importance of the site	Social sciences, Tikanga Māori
Natural Uniqueness	Describes natural features that make the site distinctive	Science and Social Sciences
Historical and Social Context	Explains the site’s role in local and national history and identity-building	Social sciences
Multicultural Diversity	Highlights the multicultural aspects and contributions relevant to the site	Social sciences, Key competencies
Oral Communication	Uses clear speech, expressive tone, appropriate volume, and engaging language	English (Oral Language)
Structure and Organisation	The audio tour has a logical sequence with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion	English, Managing self

Teachers can use a rubric aligned to these criteria for formative and summative assessment of students’ recorded audio tours.

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Resources

• Fact sheets on selected Rotorua tourist sites (cultural, historical, natural info)
• Audio recording tools (smartphones, tablets, school audio apps)
• Graphic organisers for script planning
• Sample audio clips of tour guides for modelled speech

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By blending the refreshed NZ curriculum competencies with a creative oral history project anchored in local identity and multicultural understandings, this lesson will engage Year 9 students in meaningful, authentic learning linked directly to their environment and Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique stories.

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If you would like, I can also prepare support materials such as graphic organisers, peer feedback forms, or a rubric tailored to the curriculum!