Story of Māhaki

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is Lesson 2 of 6 in the unit "Exploring Māhaki Pāwerawera's Legacy" and is designed for Years 0-2 students in New Zealand. The focus is on exploring the lineage and stories of Māhaki, understanding his family connections and significant events shaping his legacy. The lesson aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, especially the Social Sciences learning area and early literacy development.

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Learning Objectives

Curriculum Links

• Social Sciences Years 0-2: Explore how people and events in Aotearoa New Zealand’s past connect to identity and place (Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories)
• English Years 0-2: Develop oral language skills to recount and retell stories with structure and expression (Te Mātaiaho English)
• Key Competencies:
  • Thinking — making connections and summarising
  • Using language, symbols and texts — retelling stories and creating family trees
  • Relating to others — sharing knowledge within the classroom community
  • Managing self — focusing and engaging with activities

Specific Learning Intentions (WALT & Success Criteria)

• WALT: Explore the lineage and tales of Māhaki.
• Success Criteria:
  • I can retell the story of Māhaki, including who he was connected to.
  • I can summarise important events in Māhaki’s family history.
  • (Extension) I can create a simple family tree showing the ancestors of Māhaki.

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Lesson Plan

Time	Activity	Description	Resources	Teaching Notes
0-5 mins	Welcome and Context Setting	Gather students on the mat. Briefly introduce Māhaki Pāwerawera, explaining that today they will explore his story and family. Anchor with a simple, inviting question, e.g., "Do you know what a family tree is?"	Picture of Māhaki (illustration or photo if available), simple visual of a family tree	Use clear, simple language. Relate to students’ own family as a hook.
5-20 mins	Storytelling: The Story of Māhaki	Tell the story of Māhaki, including key family members and significant events using expressive oral storytelling with visual aids (story map or pictures). Pause to check understanding and invite student questions.	Story map with pictures showing Māhaki and key family, props or puppets for engagement	Use intonation, expression, and gestures as recommended for oral literacy development. Check for understanding often. Encourage shared retelling.
20-30 mins	Group Activity: Summarise and Share	In small groups (4 groups of 4), children discuss the story and make a simple oral summary with teacher prompts. Each group shares a key part of Māhaki’s story, focusing on who he is related to and important events.	Teacher prompts on cards, group seating	Scaffold language by providing sample sentences such as "Māhaki was…", "His family included…", "An important event was…" Encourage turn-taking.
30-40 mins	Extension Activity: Create a Family Tree	Provide each student with a simple family tree template where they can place pictures or names of Māhaki and his ancestors. Assist students to glue or draw connections. More advanced learners can add details or illustrate their tree.	Family tree templates, pictures/names of family members, glue sticks, crayons	Use this activity to differentiate learning. Encourage storytelling as students place members on the tree.
40-45 mins	Reflection and Conclusion	Regroup and invite some students to share their family trees or a summary sentence about Māhaki’s story. Recap the day’s learning and connect it to future lessons. Affirm all contributions.	Whole group space	Use positive reinforcement. Emphasise that learning about whakapapa (family lineage) helps us understand who we are.

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Assessment

• Teacher observation during group discussions and sharing to check each student’s ability to recount key aspects of Māhaki’s story.
• Review of family trees to assess understanding of lineage concepts.
• Use oral and visual evidence to inform next lesson planning, using NZC progress outcomes on storytelling and social sciences understanding.

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Resources

• Story map visual summarising Māhaki’s lineage and key events (can be teacher-made)
• Simple pictorial family tree templates customised for Māhaki’s ancestors
• Props, puppets or pictures representing family members for storytelling

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Curriculum Alignment Details

• Aotearoa New Zealand's Histories (Social Sciences):
  Understanding how past events and people connect to identity and community; recognising the importance of whānau and whakapapa .
• English (Te Mātaiaho English in NZC):
  Building oral language skills with emphasis on storytelling, recounting using appropriate structure, intonation, and expression for Years 0-2【8:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】.
• Key Competencies:
  Engagement with peers through sharing stories (Relating to Others), summarising and reflecting (Thinking), using language to retell and create family representations (Using Language, Symbols, and Texts)【6:New Zealand Curriculum.html】.

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Extension Ideas for Advanced Learners

• Add more detailed ancestors to the family tree with descriptions.
• Invite students to dramatise parts of Māhaki’s story using props or puppets.
• Encourage children to compare Māhaki’s family with their own and share similarities and differences.

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This lesson carefully sequences storytelling, oral language development, and hands-on family tree creation to engage young learners emotionally and cognitively, consistent with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum’s vision of culturally rich, inclusive, and competency-based learning.

If you require, I can also provide a matching maths/statistics lesson plan for your term 5 focus tailored to your Entrance tamariki.

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Please let me know if you want me to prepare other lessons for this unit or further contextualise for your school setting!