Te Uiui Rangatira

Overview

Lesson 2 of 15 in Ngā Rangatira, Ngā Kōrero. Students practise asking and answering purposeful questions about Māori leaders through pronunciation modelling, an information-gap speaking task, and short written responses. The lesson supports senior secondary learners to communicate with increasing accuracy, fluency and cultural respect.

Learning intentions

• WALT ask and answer purposeful questions about a person.
• WALT use who, what, where, when, why and how question forms in te reo Māori.
• WALT respond in complete sentences using accurate pronunciation.
• WALT ask follow-up questions to gain more detailed information.

Success criteria

• I can form accurate questions using appropriate question words and sentence patterns.
• I can answer in complete sentences, not just single words.
• I can pronounce key words clearly and take turns respectfully.
• I can ask a probing follow-up question using he aha ai, me pēhea or he aha te take i…ai.

Curriculum links

• Communicating in te reo Māori: interacting in spoken language and conveying information about people and events.
• Using language knowledge: selecting accurate sentence structures, question forms, vocabulary and pronunciation.
• Understanding Māori culture: learning about Māori leaders through appropriate, respectful language and context.
• Key competencies: participating and contributing; managing self; relating to others; using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Whakatau and retrieval

Welcome students in te reo Māori and briefly revisit the previous lesson’s vocabulary about leadership and identity. Display the learning intention and success criteria in the learning intention and retrieval slides. Students each say one Māori leader they know and one detail they remember, using a complete sentence where possible.

2. 5–13 minutes – Model the question patterns

Use the question-word teaching slides to introduce and model:

• Ko wai…? — Who…?
• He aha…? — What…?
• Kei hea…? — Where…?
• Āhea…? — When…?
• He aha te take…? — Why…?
• Me pēhea…? — How…?

Colour-code the question word, sentence frame and information required on the board. Model natural pronunciation and intonation. Students repeat chorally, then individually, and identify whether each question seeks a person, place, time, reason or method.

3. 13–22 minutes – Guided pronunciation and sentence practice

Give students time to rehearse with a partner. Student A chooses a leader from the slide examples; Student B asks two questions using the displayed patterns. Students then swap roles. Model corrections positively, focusing on vowel length, wh pronunciation, word stress and rising intonation. Invite students to improve one response by adding a reason or additional detail.

4. 22–40 minutes – Information-gap interview

Distribute the Māori leaders information-gap interview worksheet. Give each student a different information card or section so no one has all the answers. Students take turns interviewing one another, asking at least six questions across the six question types and recording answers in complete sentences.

Encourage natural interaction rather than reading mechanically. With four students, form two pairs for the first round, then regroup for a second round with a new partner. The teacher listens, notes accurate language and records one useful correction for each student.

5. 40–50 minutes – Probing questions and language focus

Display the probing-question and language-focus slides. Students choose one interesting answer from their interview and ask a deeper follow-up question, such as He aha te take i whai mana ai ia?, Me pēhea tana ārahi i te iwi? or He aha te pānga o āna mahi ki Aotearoa?

Briefly connect this to the unit’s developing language knowledge, including sentence negation and a/o category usage where relevant to students’ responses. For example, students may say Kāore ia i ārahi mā te kaha tinana; i ārahi ia mā te māia me te whakaaro nui. Correct only errors that affect meaning or the lesson focus.

6. 50–57 minutes – Mini oral presentation

Each student gives a 30–45 second report about one leader, including the leader’s name, one significant detail and one answer to a probing question. Listeners write one follow-up question and ask it after each presentation. Students should use complete sentences and appropriate pronunciation.

7. 57–60 minutes – Exit reflection

Return to the plenary and self-assessment slide. Students rate themselves against the success criteria and state one question form they can use confidently and one they need to practise. Collect the completed worksheet and invite one final spoken example from the group.

Resources

• the complete questioning lesson slide deck
• the Māori leaders information-gap interview worksheet
• Whiteboard or visualiser
• Coloured pens or highlighters for question patterns
• Timer
• Teacher observation notes
• Māori leader information cards prepared within the worksheet
• Optional bilingual dictionary or approved class vocabulary list

Assessment

• Formative observation during pair interviews: accuracy of question formation, pronunciation, turn-taking and complete-sentence responses.
• Review the worksheet for coverage of the six question types and meaningful answers.
• Assess the mini presentations against the success criteria, noting one strength and one next step for each student.

Differentiation

• Provide colour-coded question frames, a vocabulary bank and pronunciation models; allow students to rehearse before speaking publicly.
• Pair students strategically and permit brief planning notes or keyword prompts during the interview.
• For EAL learners and students needing additional support, use fewer required question types initially, provide translations of instructions and accept recorded rehearsal before live presentation.
• For advanced learners, require two probing questions, a contrast or negation sentence, and accurate use of a/o possessive categories where appropriate.