Te Koroneihana: Stories and Design

Overview

Students investigate Te Koroneihana as a significant Māori Kingitanga event and develop a short bilingual-informed response. They connect researched information to a personal or community response, then create and annotate a kōwhaiwhai design whose meaning is carefully linked to their kōrero rather than presented as universally fixed.

Learning intentions

• WALT research and explain the significance of Te Koroneihana using reliable sources.
• WALT write a clear two-paragraph kōrero for a familiar audience.
• WALT connect visual design choices to ideas in our writing.
• WALT speak respectfully about Māori knowledge, tikanga and iwi-specific meanings.

Success criteria

• I can explain what Te Koroneihana is and why it matters, using information from a reliable source.
• I can write two organised paragraphs: one about significance and one about a personal or community response.
• I can select and annotate a kōwhaiwhai design to show a symbolic connection to my kōrero.
• I can explain my choices without claiming that a symbol has one fixed or universal meaning.

Curriculum links

• Te Reo Māori cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge: instructions and explanations use respectful language, acknowledge relationships and place, and reflect collective responsibility.
• Te Reo Māori Emergent 1 productive skills: presenting matters of personal relevance through kōrero ā waha.
• Te Reo Māori Emergent 1 productive skills: preparing and writing short texts on familiar topics and using reference tools ethically.
• English Years 9–10: working with texts, selecting and evaluating information, developing ideas, and communicating clearly for an audience; oral communication through purposeful discussion and explanation.
• Visual arts: developing practical knowledge and communicating ideas through pattern, symbolism and design.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Pūrākau hook and framing. Display an image representing a large community gathering and ask, “Why might a community gather to remember, affirm or celebrate leadership?” Open with the hook and learning intentions. Students make a quick individual prediction, then share one respectful idea with a partner. Explain that Te Koroneihana refers to the annual commemoration and celebration connected with the Māori Kingitanga, and that today’s focus is learning from sources rather than speaking on behalf of iwi or whānau.

2. 4–11 min · Source orientation and cultural safety. Use source guidance and cultural safety slides to introduce the teacher-provided source pack, which may include information from Kingitanga, iwi, museum, educational or other reputable Māori-led sources. Model checking who created a source, whose perspective it represents, and whether a claim is supported. Make explicit that meanings of koru, koiri, mangopare, pūhoro and ngutu kākā can vary by artist, iwi, context and knowledge-holder; students must not claim sacred, iwi-specific or definitive meanings without an appropriate source. Students choose two research prompts: What is Te Koroneihana? What is its historical or contemporary significance? Who participates and why? What values, relationships or responsibilities are visible? What source supports my claim?

3. 11–19 min · Paired research and kōrero planning. Distribute the Te Koroneihana research and writing scaffold. Pairs read selected source-pack extracts or reliable teacher-approved sources and record two supported facts, one important value or relationship, and one question or uncertainty. Students paraphrase rather than copy, noting the source title or organisation. Check understanding by asking pairs to explain one claim and identify its evidence.

4. 19–28 min · Two-paragraph writing. Model the structure using writing model and paragraph prompts. Students draft:

• Paragraph 1: “Te Koroneihana is significant because… It connects to… This matters to Māori communities because… According to [source],…”
• Paragraph 2: “My connection or response is… This makes me think/feel… In my whānau, community or place… I can show respect and responsibility by…” Encourage precise vocabulary, linking words such as nā te mea, hei tauira, no reira and engari, and English where needed to communicate accurately. Students may write mainly in English while incorporating accurate Te Reo Māori terms, or write a supported bilingual response.

5. 28–36 min · Kōwhaiwhai design and annotation. Demonstrate a simple repeating pattern and remind students not to copy a sacred or iwi-specific design without permission. Students select one design—koru, koiri, mangopare, pūhoro or ngutu kākā—and create a repeating or standalone design beside their writing. They annotate with: “I selected ___ because…”, “In this context, I understand it to suggest…”, and “My source/artist/iwi reference is…”. If no reliable source confirms a meaning, students describe their own visual choices—such as repetition, movement, balance or growth—as a personal interpretation, not a universal definition.

6. 36–40 min · Share and exit assessment. In pairs, students read one significant sentence and explain their design connection using peer-share and reflection prompts. Collect the worksheet or photograph completed work. Students complete an exit response: “One supported fact I learned is… One respectful question or limitation is… My design connects to my kōrero by…”.

Resources

• the complete Te Koroneihana teaching deck
• the Te Koroneihana research and writing scaffold
• Teacher-provided source pack with Māori-led and reputable sources
• Projector or interactive display
• A3 or A4 paper, pencils, black fine-liners and colouring materials
• Examples of kōwhaiwhai patterns with provenance clearly labelled
• Classroom dictionaries and approved reference tools

Assessment

• During research, listen for accurate paraphrasing, source awareness and respectful language; ask, “What is your evidence?”
• Check drafts for two distinct paragraphs, a clear explanation of significance, a personal or community response, and appropriate connective language.
• Assess the design annotation for a justified connection and careful distinction between sourced knowledge and personal interpretation. Use the exit response to identify misconceptions for the next lesson.

Differentiation

• Provide a reduced source pack, highlighted evidence, a bilingual word bank, sentence starters and an audio reading for learners requiring literacy or language support.
• Allow speech-to-text, scribing, typed work or oral recording; provide a quiet workspace and chunk the worksheet into one prompt at a time for students with SEN.
• Pair students strategically and assign roles such as reader, evidence finder and summariser, while ensuring each student produces an individual response.
• Extend confident writers by comparing two sources’ perspectives, incorporating a carefully attributed quotation, or explaining how audience and context influence their design interpretation.
• Invite Māori students to draw on whānau knowledge only if they choose; do not position any student as a spokesperson for iwi, hapū or Māori communities.

Homework

If unfinished, complete the two paragraphs and design annotations using the teacher-approved source pack. Students should add the source or knowledge-holder informing any specific cultural claim and bring the work to the next lesson for peer feedback.