Strong Hauora

Overview

This 60-minute Health and PE session builds students’ understanding of hauora and how movement supports it. Students take part in enjoyable movement activities and explain how those activities strengthen different parts of Te Whare Tapa Whā (taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha whānau, taha wairua).

Learning intentions

• WALT: We Are Learning To take part in enjoyable movement activities and describe how this strengthens our hauora.
• WALT: We Are Learning To Eliminate unhealthy habits that weaken hauora and Evaluate movement activities for their benefits to hauora.

Success criteria

• I can identify the four elements of Te Whare Tapa Whā: taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha whānau, taha wairua.
• I can describe Tōku Whare by sharing what I value in my hauora and what keeps it strong.
• I can Identify creative, regular, and enjoyable movement activities and explain how they strengthen one or more parts of my hauora.
• I can Evaluate which movement choices help my hauora and Eliminate unhealthy choices (such as being inactive or using screen time as an excuse to avoid movement).

Curriculum links

• Health Education (Self-care): recognising how nutrition, movement, rest, and hygiene practices support body systems and healthy development.
• Health Education (Self-care): understanding everyday habits that impact emotional and physical development.
• Physical Education (Choreographed movement): travelling, jumping, turning, holding stillness in response to cues.
• Physical Education: actions and pathways combined to show different speeds and levels in a movement sequence.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome & success criteria tease. Teacher greets students and introduces the session as “hauora through movement”; students repeat the WALT in their own words and point to the four Te Whare Tapa Whā words on the board.

2. 5–12 min · Hauora focus (Te Whare Tapa Whā). Teacher draws a simple “house” on chart paper with four sections; students do a quick turn-and-talk: “What does taha tinana mean?” Teacher confirms with examples (body, energy, strength), then asks pairs to suggest one idea for each section.

3. 12–22 min · Warm-up game: Moving for all parts. Teacher sets stations with small cue cards: “Jump” (taha tinana), “Big breathe and relax” (taha hinengaro), “Partner push-pull high fives” (taha whānau), “Quiet thankful pose” (taha wairua). Students rotate every 2 minutes, following safe spacing and teacher cues for different speeds (fast/slow).

4. 22–40 min · Main movement: Create and perform a short sequence. Teacher models a 20–30 second sequence: travel (walk to a spot) → turn → 2 jumps → 1 partner action (choose) → hold stillness. Students work in groups of 3–4 to create their own sequence using at least 3 movement types and a stillness cue; they choose one “hauora focus” element to emphasise (e.g., taha tinana).

• Teacher circulates with prompts: “How does this movement help your hauora?” and “Which part of the whare are you strengthening?”

5. 40–47 min · Evaluate & Eliminate (choice sorting). Teacher shows picture cards (inactive sitting, rushing to screens, choosing a fun movement, water break, stretching, warm-up first). Students sort into two columns: “Helps my hauora” and “Weakens my hauora.” Teacher specifically asks: “What can we Eliminate so we can stay strong?” Students share one example, and teacher records one class rule (e.g., “We Eliminate excuses to be inactive”).

6. 47–55 min · Tōku Whare (quick written or drawn explanation). Teacher gives each student a “Tōku Whare” template: four short boxes. Students complete:

• One value that strengthens their hauora (one box)
• One movement activity they enjoy (one box)
• One way they will Evaluate movement benefits (e.g., “This helps my body/feelings/friends/thanks”) Dyslexia-friendly option: students can draw symbols and use sentence starters or teacher-scribed words.

7. 55–60 min · Share & exit check. Volunteers share their movement + hauora link. Teacher closes with one whole-class chant: “Move for tinana, breathe for hinengaro, connect for whānau, and feel wairua.” Students complete a 1-question exit ticket verbally or on a sticky note: “Name one movement that strengthens your hauora.”

Resources

• Te Whare Tapa Whā house poster (four sections)
• Cue cards for movement (jump, breathe, partner, thankful pose)
• Picture card set for Evaluate/Eliminate sorting
• “Tōku Whare” template (one per student)
• Coloured markers/pencils (including thick pens for some learners)
• Timer for station rotations
• Floor space markers (cones/tape) for safe boundaries
• Sentence starter cards (for writing support)
• Optional: visual schedule cards for the lesson

Assessment

• Teacher observation during movement stations: can students link the movement to at least one Te Whare Tapa Whā element?
• Evaluate/Eliminate sorting check: can students explain why a choice helps or weakens hauora?
• Exit ticket: students name one movement activity and one hauora effect (taha tinana/hinengaro/whānau/wairua).

Differentiation

• Support for mixed ability and attention needs:
• Use a visual timer and clear “start/stop” signals; give brief instructions one step at a time.
• Provide a “job card” (timekeeper, movement leader, recorder) so wriggly students have an active role.
• Pre-teach one example sequence and allow practice before performance.
• Support for reading/writing:
• Sentence starters: “This movement helps my ____ because ____.”
• Allow drawing/symbols for each box; teacher can scribe key words for learners needing extra support.
• Challenge/extension for advanced learners:
• Add a “speed and level” requirement: include both a fast and a slow part, and a low and a high movement (for example, bend lower then stand tall) while still holding stillness.
• Behaviour and engagement strategies:
• Positive reinforcement for staying on task (e.g., “I noticed you stopped safely on the cue—well done”).
• Offer movement breaks of 20–30 seconds during transitions for students who need regulation.

Dyslexia-friendly reading options

• Use large, high-contrast cue cards and picture cards instead of long text during Evaluate/Eliminate.
• Provide sentence starter strips with key words highlighted (e.g., taha tinana, taha hinengaro).
• Allow audio/teacher read-aloud of instructions and template directions.
• Let students answer using drawings, symbols, and short spoken phrases that the teacher can capture.