Sounds and Meaning

Overview

This 30-minute lesson is designed for Year 13 New Zealand adult students with diverse backgrounds and varying cognitive levels, including those with mental health and disability considerations. It focuses on exploring the different sounds and instruments used in haka—their meanings and purposes—through a culturally responsive, accessible, and kinaesthetic learning approach aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh.

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: The Arts (Music)

Purpose Statement: To develop understanding of music’s cultural significance, expression, and the skills to respond to and create music, especially acknowledging te ao Māori perspectives.
Key Competencies:
- Managing Self: Students engage with content at their pace.
- Participating and Contributing: Honouring cultural practices fully.
- Relating to Others: Understanding Māori worldviews through music.

Progress Outcome Focus (Years 11–13)

Exploring music in contexts to understand cultural expression and identity.
Using listening practices to identify musical elements, their purposes, and symbolic meanings.

Achievement Objectives

Understand and evaluate music from different cultural perspectives, including Māori traditional music.
Identify and explain the meaning behind musical elements and instruments within cultural contexts.

Learning Intentions (WALT)

WALT (We Are Learning To): identify the different sounds and instruments used in the haka.
WALT: explore what these sounds and instruments mean in te ao Māori.
WALT: understand how these musical elements support the haka’s message and expression.

Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

Recognise and name at least three musical or vocal elements in the haka.
Explain the purpose of these sounds—whether to signal strength, unify, or express whakapapa (ancestry).
Share their thoughts on how these sounds enhance the haka’s message.

Resources

Recording(s) of traditional haka performances emphasizing different instruments and vocal techniques.
Visual aids illustrating instruments (e.g., pahu drum, poi, vocal styles like wero calls).
Accessible, dyslexia-friendly printed summary cards with key terms and simple explanations.
Audio replay device with volume control for accessibility.

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Details & Strategies
0–5 mins	Introduction & Context	- Brief, clear explanation of haka as a cultural expression. - Use images/videos of haka. - Use easy language, short sentences, and allow pauses for processing.
5–15 mins	Listening Activity	- Play 2–3 short haka recordings (2-3 minutes each). - Ask students to listen carefully for different sounds and instruments. - Pause to discuss what they heard after each clip. - Use guiding questions: "What sounds could you hear? What do you think they mean?" - Include playing the pahu (drum), vocal chants, and stamping.
15–20 mins	Group Discussion	- In small groups or pairs, students identify sounds and explain their purpose using keywords from printed cards. - Teacher circulates, supports learners needing help. - Encourage sharing simple opinions or feelings about the sounds (e.g., "The drum sounds strong. It makes me feel brave.") - Include visuals/icons for students with language difficulties.
20–28 mins	Whole-Class Reflection	- Groups share brief findings. - Teacher summarises linking sounds to cultural meanings: - Drums (e.g., pahu): heartbeat, strength. - Vocalisations: storytelling, challenge, unity. - Stamping: power and presence. - Reinforce link to expression and identity in te ao Māori. - Use metaphors students relate to, e.g., "like the heartbeat of the people."
28–30 mins	Wrap-Up & Extension	- Recap WALT and success criteria. - Invite any questions or words to revisit. - Extension: For advanced students—research another Māori instrument used in ceremonies and present its significance next class. - Suggest listening to online haka performances reflecting modern adaptations.

Differentiation Strategies

Learner Needs	Strategy
Students with limited English	Use simple language, visuals, and key vocabulary cards; allow peer support.
Dyslexia-friendly	Provide large-font handouts with clear spacing; avoid complex sentences.
Cognitive delays or mental health	Keep activities short and varied; frequent breaks if needed; use repetition and modelling.
Diverse cultural backgrounds	Explicitly connect haka sounds to universal emotions (strength, connection) for relatability.
Advanced learners	Digital research task on Māori taonga pūoro (traditional instruments) or create a simple sound map.

Assessment

Formative: Observation of group discussions and whole-class sharing.
Informal: Teacher notes on students’ ability to identify sounds and explain meanings.
Self-assessment: Students tick success criteria checklist.
Extension: Presentation or report on a Māori instrument researched.

Vocabulary and Dyslexia-Friendly Supports

Use audio clips for hearing difficult words.
Illustrated glossary handout featuring words like pahu, wero, poi, and simple definitions.
Sentence starters to help express ideas: "I heard...", "This sound shows...", "The instrument means..."
Encourage using drawing or symbols for communication when verbalisation is hard.

Cultural Responsiveness

Emphasise tikanga (customs) around haka and respect for Māori traditions.
Use te reo Māori greetings and simple haka phrases.
Connect with values of mana, whakapapa, and whanaungatanga throughout discussion.

This lesson plan meets New Zealand Curriculum goals by integrating cultural identity, music learning, and relational competencies in a manageable and accessible format suitable for diverse adult learners, while actively encouraging engagement and multiple modes of communication and understanding .

Teaching Instructions