Te Ao o Tangaroa

Overview

Students explore Tangaroa as an atua connected with the moana, waterways and life beneath the surface. They listen to a concise pūrākau about his whakapapa and significance, then work collaboratively to create and share a visual explanation using simple te reo Māori.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify who Tangaroa is and describe his connection to the moana.
• WALT retell key events from a pūrākau using images and simple te reo Māori.
• WALT explain why Tangaroa is important to Māori understandings of the natural world.
• WALT listen respectfully and contribute to a group kōrero.

Success criteria

• I can say that Tangaroa is an atua associated with the moana and its creatures.
• I can identify Ranginui, Papatūānuku and Tāne in the pūrākau.
• I can use at least two te reo Māori words or sentence frames to explain my learning.
• I can show respect for mātauranga Māori and the stories shared.

Curriculum links

• Te Reo Māori introduction — engaging with mātauranga Māori and Māori worldviews.
• Emergent 1 teaching sequence — Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge: using respectful, clear and purposeful language.
• Emergent 1 teaching sequence — Pāhekoheko: communicating information in a relevant context.
• Emergent 1 teaching sequence — Kōrero ā waha: presenting information of personal and shared importance.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Whakatau and visual hook. Teacher welcomes students with “Tēnā koutou katoa” and displays an image of the moana from the Tangaroa introduction deck, asking, “He aha ngā mea kei roto i te moana?” Students think, pair and share ideas, using “Kei roto i te moana …” where possible.

2. 4–10 min · Pūrākau and explicit teaching. Teacher tells the following age-appropriate summary in English with key te reo Māori phrases, using the story and images in the Tangaroa introduction deck: “In many Māori traditions, Tangaroa is an atua connected with the moana, ngā ika and other creatures of the water. Tangaroa is one of the children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. When their children separated their parents, Tāne pushed Ranginui and Papatūānuku apart. Tangaroa remained connected with the waters and became an important atua for understanding and caring for the moana.” Students listen, identify the names they hear and show a quiet signal when they hear a key word.

3. 10–14 min · Check understanding. Teacher revisits the pūrākau with four questions from the Tangaroa introduction deck: “Ko wai a Tangaroa?”, “Ko wai ngā mātua o Tangaroa?”, “Ko wai i wehe i a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku?”, and “He aha te take he mea nui a Tangaroa?” Students answer in pairs before selected students share. Teacher clarifies that pūrākau may be told in different ways by different iwi and hapū, and that the class is learning one introductory account.

4. 14–23 min · Group follow-up activity. Teacher places students in five groups of four or five and distributes the Tangaroa kōrero-and-visual explanation worksheet. Each group completes one visual sequence: Tangaroa’s whakapapa, his connection to the moana, important sea life, or ways people can care for Tangaroa’s domain. Students draw or label their idea and prepare a 30-second presentation using the frames “Ko Tangaroa …”, “He atua a Tangaroa mō …”, and “Me tiaki tātou i te moana nā te mea …”. Teacher circulates, supports pronunciation and checks that explanations are respectful and connected to the learning.

5. 23–28 min · Kōrero ā waha. Teacher invites each group to present, using the sharing prompts in the Tangaroa introduction deck. Students listen to each presentation and identify one new fact. After each group, the class responds, “Ka pai!” or asks one respectful question beginning “He aha …?”

6. 28–30 min · Exit reflection. Teacher returns to the learning intention on the final slide and asks students to complete one sentence orally with a partner: “Kua ako au ko Tangaroa …” Students then share a word, fact or action that shows why Tangaroa and the moana are important.

Resources

• the Tangaroa introduction deck
• the Tangaroa kōrero-and-visual explanation worksheet
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Pencils, coloured pencils and felt pens
• Five large sheets of paper or group workspaces
• Teacher pronunciation notes for key names and phrases
• A respectful image of the local moana, awa or coastline, if available

Assessment

• Listen during pair kōrero and check whether students can identify Tangaroa, his parents and his connection with the moana.
• Use questioning to distinguish recall from understanding: students should explain not only who Tangaroa is, but why he is significant.
• Collect or photograph group worksheets and note whether students use accurate key vocabulary, respectful collaboration and a clear oral explanation.

Differentiation

• Provide visual word cards or a word bank for Tangaroa, atua, moana, ngā ika, Ranginui, Papatūānuku, Tāne and tiaki.
• Offer sentence frames, partner rehearsal and the option to draw before speaking for students developing confidence in te reo Māori or oral language.
• Read the pūrākau in short sections, repeat names clearly and allow students to respond in English first before adding a te reo Māori phrase.
• Extend confident speakers by inviting them to add “Ki ōku whakaaro …” or explain one practical way the class can care for the moana.