Te Hanga Tōku Kainga

Overview

A relief-friendly lesson revising Tōku Kainga through listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students will describe where people and places are located in and around a home, then create and present a short description using sentence patterns that prepare them for senior NCEA language-learning tasks.

Learning intentions

• WALT use vocabulary for rooms, places and objects in a home.
• WALT describe location using kei, i and familiar location phrases.
• WALT ask and answer questions about a home.
• WALT prepare a short, meaningful spoken and written description.

Success criteria

• I can name at least six places or features of a home.
• I can use Kei hea...? and answer with a location phrase.
• I can write four or more accurate sentences about my home or an imagined home.
• I can speak clearly and respond appropriately to a classmate.

Curriculum links

• Communicating in Te Reo Māori through spoken interaction and short prepared texts.
• Understanding and using vocabulary, sentence structures and language features in familiar contexts.
• Developing intercultural awareness through discussion of homes, whānau and places.
• Building foundations for senior NCEA tasks involving effective communication in familiar situations.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Welcome and language warm-up Greet students in Te Reo Māori and display the learning intentions. Open with the welcome and visual hook slides showing an interesting home layout and ask: He aha ngā wāhi o tēnei whare? Students think, pair and share any words they already know.

2. 5–13 minutes – Retrieve and model vocabulary Use the vocabulary and pronunciation slides to revise words such as te rūma moe (bedroom), te kīhini (kitchen), te rūma noho (living room), te wharepaku (bathroom), te rūma kai (dining room), te karāti (garage), te māra (garden) and te tomokanga (entrance). Say each word, students repeat, then check meaning with quick pointing, drawing or acting.

3. 13–22 minutes – Teach location patterns Model the question and answer:

• Kei hea te kīhini?
• Kei te taha o te rūma noho.
• Kei hea te māra?
• Kei muri i te whare.

Add familiar phrases including i roto i (inside), i mua i (in front of), i muri i (behind), i te taha o (beside) and kei waenganui i (between). Students repeat, then complete oral substitution practice using the sentence-pattern and guided-practice slides.

4. 22–34 minutes – Paired information-gap task Distribute the Tōku Kainga floor-plan and language practice worksheet. Students work in pairs. Partner A describes the floor plan using location phrases while Partner B points to or labels the correct place. They then swap roles and complete the short written sentences. Encourage students to use the support word bank and ask for clarification with Tēnā, kōrero anō or He aha te tikanga o...?

5. 34–44 minutes – Create a personal description Students independently design a simple floor plan of their own home or an imagined home. They write four to six sentences, for example:

• Kei te taha o te kīhini te rūma kai.
• Kei muri i te whare te māra.
• Kei roto i te karāti te motokā.

Use the independent writing and speaking task slides to show the task steps and success criteria. Students practise reading their description quietly, then rehearse with a partner.

6. 44–48 minutes – Share and peer feedback Invite several volunteers, or select pairs to present to one another. Listeners identify one location phrase they hear and give feedback using: He pai te... and Ka taea te whakapai ake i... Students may present from their plan rather than memorising.

7. 48–50 minutes – Exit check and closure Return to the plenary and reflection slide. Students write or tell the teacher one room word, one location phrase and one complete sentence they can now use. Collect the worksheet or quickly scan responses before dismissal.

Resources

• the Tōku Kainga teaching deck
• the Tōku Kainga floor-plan and language practice worksheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pens or pencils
• Optional mini-whiteboards
• A classroom dictionary or approved Te Reo Māori reference resource
• Seating arranged in pairs

Assessment

• Listen during paired questioning for accurate use of Kei hea...?, kei and location phrases.
• Check the worksheet for vocabulary recognition, comprehensible sentence structure and appropriate location language.
• Use the final spoken or written response to identify students needing further support with vocabulary, pronunciation or word order.

Differentiation

• Provide the worksheet word bank and sentence frames: Kei te ___ te ___ and Kei ___ te ___ for students who need support.
• Allow students to use a labelled floor plan, read from notes or record their response rather than speak from memory.
• Pair students thoughtfully; model pronunciation slowly and accept developing accuracy where meaning remains clear.
• Extend confident students by requiring six sentences, two different location phrases and one extra detail using He nui, He iti, He pai or Kei te....