Overview

This 45-minute lesson is the third in a sequence titled "Life Before Colonisation," designed for Year 6 students in New Zealand. Students will explore traditional Māori food sources, focusing on hunting, fishing, and gathering practices, and the significance of these foods in Māori culture within a historical context.

This lesson plan aligns closely with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum for Social Sciences (Aotearoa New Zealand Histories strand), incorporating key competencies and values.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the variety of traditional Māori food sources: hunting, fishing, and gathering native plants.
2. Explain how these food sources were vital to Māori survival and culture before colonisation.
3. Identify the significance of these practices within te ao Māori (Māori world view).
4. Develop skills in enquiry, communication, and critical thinking through exploration and discussion.

Curriculum Links

• Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand Histories
  Achievement Objective (Level 3 & 4):

  • Understand how Māori met their needs and wants through their use of natural resources before European arrival.
  • Understand the significance of traditional practices and resources to Māori identity and cultural wellbeing.

• Key Competencies

  • Thinking: analysing and understanding context and cultural significance.
  • Relating to others: engaging respectfully with different perspectives and ideas, particularly Māori world views.
  • Using language, symbols and texts: interpreting information from images, oral histories, and texts about Māori food sources.

• Values

  • Manaakitanga (respect and care for others and the environment)
  • Whanaungatanga (building relationships and a sense of belonging).

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Lesson Breakdown (45 minutes)

Time	Activity Description	Purpose	Resources
0-5 mins	Introduction & Context Setting - Begin with a karakia (Māori prayer) to acknowledge the cultural significance. - Brief discussion to recall what students already know about Māori life before colonisation.	Activate prior knowledge and set a respectful learning tone.	Karakia, whiteboard
5-15 mins	Interactive Presentation: Traditional Māori Food Sources - Show images and artefacts (or images) of food sources: birds hunted (kiore, kererū), seafood (fish, shellfish), plants (harakeke, fernroot). - Discuss hunting, fishing, and gathering methods. - Emphasise sustainable practices and seasonal harvesting.	Build knowledge about traditional food sources and methods in an engaging way.	Visual cards/posters, artefact replicas or images
15-25 mins	Group Activity: Food Source Sorting & Discussion - Students in small groups classify food sources into hunting, fishing, gathering. - Each group discusses the importance and challenges of their category. - Groups share insights with the class.	Develop collaboration, classification, and speaking/listening skills aligned with key competencies.	Sorting cards, worksheets
25-35 mins	Storytelling & Cultural Significance - Teacher or guest shares a pūrākau (traditional story) related to Māori food gathering/hunting/fishing. - Discuss with students the cultural values reflected (e.g., respect for nature, tapu/noa concepts).	Integrate oral tradition and reinforce cultural significance beyond survival.	Story text, audio recording, or guest speaker
35-40 mins	Reflective Writing or Drawing - Students draw or write about their favourite traditional Māori food source and why it was important.	Encourage personal connection and expression, literacy skills, and deeper understanding.	Paper, pencils, crayons
40-45 mins	Wrap-up and Sharing - Invite some students to share their reflections. - Summarise key learning points, linking to rangatiratanga (self-management) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship). - End with a karakia or waiata (song).	Consolidate learning and close respectfully.	None

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Assessment / Evidence of Learning

• Formative:

  • Observation during group sorting and discussion for understanding of food categories and significance.
  • Participation in story discussion, showing respect and making cultural connections.
  • Reflective drawing/writing demonstrating personal understanding and engagement.

• Summative suggestion for unit:

  • Students create a mini-project or presentation on Māori food sources combining images, stories, and explanations, demonstrating knowledge and respect for tikanga Māori.

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Teaching Notes

• Connect with local iwi/hapū knowledge if possible to enrich the storytelling aspect.
• Use te reo Māori vocabulary throughout where appropriate (e.g., kai, manu, ika, hīnaki, rākau, mura).
• Emphasise sustainability and the tikanga involved in gathering food to meet both physical and spiritual needs.
• Scaffold vocabulary and support with visuals for ELL or learning support students, following the "Te Mātaiaho" English literacy guidance for comprehension and oral language development.

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Example Vocabulary to Teach

• Hunting: manu like kererū (wood pigeon), kiore (rat)
• Fishing: ika (fish), pāua (abalone), pāpaka (crab)
• Gathering: harakeke (flax), fernroot, puha (cabbage), hue (gourds)

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Curriculum Support Reference

This lesson supports the delivery of the Social Sciences learning area under Aotearoa New Zealand Histories in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh. It integrates the Values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, and key competencies such as thinking and relating to others, fostering critical and respectful engagement with Māori cultural knowledge and history. Explicit teaching of vocabulary and text comprehension aligns with updated English curriculum guidance (Te Mātaiaho) to support understanding of cultural texts and oral narratives .

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Summary

This lesson provides a balance of interactive knowledge building, cultural storytelling, and reflective activities that are age-appropriate and curriculum-aligned for Year 6 students learning about Māori life before colonisation and traditional food sources. It foregrounds Māori knowledge systems and values, enhancing students' understanding and respect for Aotearoa New Zealand's history and culture.

If you want, I can also provide a printable PDF version formatted for easy use in classrooms.