Sharing Our Voices

Curriculum Area

Social Sciences | Aotearoa New Zealand Histories
Levels 3–4 of the New Zealand Curriculum

---

Unit: Power and Environment in Aotearoa

Lesson 25 of 25
Lesson Title: Project Presentations – Sharing Findings
Time: 50 minutes
Class Size: 30 students
Focused Year Groups: Year 5–8

---

Big Idea

Power is exercised in environmental decision-making in Aotearoa. This lesson helps students reflect on the enduring impacts of environmental change and the power dynamics involved, while also considering mana whenua perspectives, kaitiakitanga (guardianship), and colonisation's impact on land use and access.

---

Learning Objective

Students will confidently present their research project findings, showcasing their understanding of historical and contemporary environmental issues in Aotearoa New Zealand, and making connections to themes of power, identity, and whenua (land).

---

Success Criteria

By the end of this session, students will:

• Present their project clearly and confidently to peers
• Communicate how power has influenced or shaped an environmental issue in Aotearoa
• Include historical and mana whenua perspectives in their explanation
• Engage respectfully with peers’ presentations through active listening and feedback

---

Resources Needed

• Device/projector for student slides or visual media
• Printed display posters (if applicable)
• Group feedback sheets (with sentence stems for oral/written responses)
• Timer/clock
• Chairs arranged in presentation format
• Whakataukī reference sheets to support cultural connection

---

Lesson Structure

⏱️ 1. Karakia and Whanaungatanga Check-In (5 minutes)

Begin with a short karakia to ground the group, support the Catholic and Māori values of your classroom, and honour the kaupapa of this unit.

• Invite any student volunteers to lead (students may recite chosen karakia).
• Follow with a short whakawhanaungatanga moment: "What are you most proud of in your project?" Invite one or two students to share aloud.

---

⏱️ 2. Setting the Scene – Presenting With Purpose (5 minutes)

Remind the class that this is the final session in a long inquiry journey. They are now the kaitiaki of knowledge—sharing their voices is an act of mana.

• Revisit the purpose: What did we want to learn about power and the environment in Aotearoa?
• Introduce a whakataukī to inspire the session:

  “Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.”
  (With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.)

  • Link this to how every student’s project contributes to collective learning.

---

⏱️ 3. Student Presentations (30 minutes)

Each student (or pair/group if applicable) presents their project for up to 2 minutes.
Presentations may include:

• Slide deck or digital video
• Poster or visual display
• Oral storytelling or dramatic performance
• Timeline or diorama

Suggested presentation topics may include:

• The history and impacts of a local river or forest
• Māori-led environmental activism (e.g., Ihumātao, Pūtiki Bay)
• Government land decisions and power shifts
• The ecology and history of the Port Hills

💡 Teacher Tip: Use a random name sorter or class job chart to call presenters respectfully and efficiently.

---

⏱️ 4. Peer Feedback Circle (5 minutes)

After all presentations, give time for students to reflect using their Peer Feedback Sheets, containing sentence starters like:

• “This presentation helped me understand…”
• “I hadn’t realised that…”
• “The most powerful moment for me was…”
  Use either:
• A gallery walk where students display projects and circulate
• A quicker partner-pair share, rotating every minute for 3 rounds

---

⏱️ 5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 minutes)

Bring the class together in a circle or prayerful space. Ask:

• “How has our understanding of power + whenua changed over the term?”
• “What responsibilities do we now hold as kaitiaki in our own communities?”
  Encourage them to offer responses either oral or written—the emphasis is on reflection and closure.

Conclude with a Catholic value-linked prayer such as a prayer for wisdom, creation, and stewardship, gently linking back to Pope Francis' Laudato Si' messages on caring for our common home.

---

Assessment Opportunities

Key Competencies Assessed:

• Participating and contributing
• Relating to others
• Thinking
• Using language, symbols and texts

Formative Evidence:

• Clarity and depth of presentation content
• Use of historical and bicultural perspectives
• Engagement with peers’ presentations

Summative Check:

• Teacher notes + peer feedback sheets used to inform a final rubric
• Emphasis on understanding, communication, and connection, not perfection

---

Follow-Up or Extension

• Invite another class/whānau in to view and celebrate the mahi
• Publish selected projects in the school newsletter or digital platform
• Begin connection to next inquiry—e.g., student action plans or letters to local council

---

Final Words to the Teacher

This lesson is a celebration—not only of gained knowledge, but also of voice, tūrangawaewae (a place to belong), and critical thinking in the context of Aotearoa’s unique environment and whakapapa. You've walked this inquiry journey with your students—this is their chance to stand proud and speak their truth.

He waka eke noa – We are all in this together.