Samoan Culture Intro

Year Level

Year 9 (Ages 13-14)

Duration

30 Minutes

Class Size

30 students

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand the significance of culture and personal identity.
• Explore what defines Samoan culture including key elements like language, traditions, and values.

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Learning Objectives (Aligned to NZ Curriculum - Learning Languages)

• Students will explore how language expresses cultural identity (Learning Languages Curriculum Level 4, focusing on understanding cultural practices and perspectives).
• Develop intercultural understanding through discussion of Samoan cultural values and traditions (Key Competency: Relating to Others).
• Recognise that languages/modes of communication reflect identity and social contexts (Language learning area statement).
• Express ideas orally and collaboratively about culture, developing vocabulary related to cultural identity (Oral Language Skills from English Curriculum strands).

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Success Criteria

• I can explain why culture is important to identity.
• I can identify and describe key elements of Samoan culture.
• I can contribute ideas respectfully in a group discussion.
• I can listen and respond to information about another culture.

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Key Competencies Focus

• Relating to Others: Engaging respectfully with peers and sharing cultural perspectives.
• Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Understanding and communicating cultural concepts.
• Managing Self: Demonstrating curiosity and responsibility in learning about culture.

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Resources

• Images, artefacts or multimedia clips showcasing Samoan cultural traditions (dance, fale (house), tapa cloth, language samples).
• Word wall or digital display with key Samoan cultural vocabulary.
• Printed or projected WALT and success criteria.
• Dyslexia-friendly formatted handout with simple text and images (clear font, good contrast, plenty of spacing).
• Whiteboard and markers.

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Lesson Outline

1. Warm-Up / Engagement (5 minutes)

• Begin with a welcoming greeting in Samoan: “Talofa lava” and explain this means hello/friendship.
• Ask students: What makes up your culture? Guide students to think broadly (language, food, family, traditions, beliefs).
• Write key words on the board from student responses to create a shared mind map of what defines culture.

2. Introduction to Samoan Culture (10 minutes)

• Show images/artifacts/videos of Samoan culture: traditional dress, language examples, ceremonies (fa‘a Samoa), family roles and values.
• Briefly explain the significance of:
  • Language as a cultural identity marker.
  • Important Samoan values like Fa’aaloalo (respect), Aiga (family), and Lotu (faith).
  • Traditions such as the fiafia (celebration), tatau (tattooing).
• Use clear, simple language and visual supports for ELL and dyslexic students.
• Encourage questions and short responses to engage different abilities.

3. Collaborative Discussion: Why Culture Matters (10 minutes)

• In small groups of 4-5, students discuss: Why is culture important to people? How does it shape identity?
• Provide sentence starters on a handout for support, e.g., "Culture is important because...", "In Samoan culture, ... is special because...", "Language helps us to..."
• Circulate, support vocabulary, and scaffold discussion.
• Invite one or two groups to share key ideas with the class.

4. Reflection & Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

• Revisit the WALT and ask students to self-assess using the success criteria.
• Ask: What is one new thing you learned about Samoan culture today?
• Explain next lesson will dive deeper into Samoan language and traditions.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For ELL or language learners: Use visual aids, explicit vocabulary teaching, and sentence starters.
• For students with dyslexia: Provide dyslexia-friendly texts (large fonts, coloured paper if helpful), audiobooks or text-to-speech tools on Samoan culture, extra processing time, and oral explanations.
• For students needing extension: Challenge them to compare Samoan cultural values to their own family/cultural traditions, or to think about how culture affects behaviour globally.

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Extension Activities

• Create a personal cultural identity map showing their own culture’s important symbols and values.
• Research and present on a specific aspect of Samoan culture (e.g., traditional food, dance, tattoo).
• Write a reflective paragraph on the importance of cultural diversity in New Zealand society.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative: Teacher observation of group discussions, contributions, and responses.
• Self-assessment: Students measure their learning against success criteria through exit questions.
• Informal feedback given to guide language and cultural understanding development.

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Curriculum Alignment Summary

Aspect	Reference Source & Notes
Learning Languages – Culture	Exploring cultural practices and perspectives as a communication context (NZ Curriculum, Learning Languages)
Language & Identity	Language as expression of identity – "Ko tōu reo, ko tōku reo, te tuakiri tangata" (NZ Curriculum ethos)
Oral Language Skills	Speaking and listening for different purposes, ideas, emotions (English Curriculum for Year 9)
Key Competencies – Relating to Others	Respectful interaction, exploring cultural identity, collaboration (NZ Curriculum pages 12-13)

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This highly targeted, culturally responsive lesson plan reflects the New Zealand Curriculum framework for Languages at Year 9. It integrates cultural awareness and language development, with universal design teaching strategies to support diverse learners and ensure engagement and success in a brief 30-minute session.