Tūrangawaewae Belonging

Overview

In this lesson students explore the Big Idea that everyone has a place where they belong, using the concept of Tūrangawaewae and Te Whare Tapa Whā. They will contribute ideas to build a classroom whare and explain what each wall represents.

Learning intentions

• WALT understand that tūrangawaewae means a place where we belong.
• WALT recognise that belonging helps us feel safe, connected, and valued at home, school, and in our community.
• WALT identify the four parts of Te Whare Tapa Whā (taha wairua, taha hinengaro, taha tinana, taha whānau) and give examples for each.
• WALT contribute to a classroom whare by describing what each wall represents for our class community.

Success criteria

• I can explain in my own words what tūrangawaewae means.
• I can name the four parts of Te Whare Tapa Whā and match them to examples.
• I can say one thing that helps me belong at school and where it goes in the whare.
• I can listen to others and share my ideas respectfully.

Curriculum links

• Outdoor Education (Year 2): applying respectful and sustainable practices during outdoor activities supports connectedness and care for shared spaces.
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Outdoor Education: nature-based learning inspires a lifelong connection to the environment (using our school/community as belonging spaces).
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Outdoor Education: applying respectful and sustainable practices links to how we care for people and places so everyone belongs.
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Year 2 Outdoor Education sequence emphasis on respectful participation, identity and connection in community learning contexts.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome & hook. Teacher shows a simple prompt: “A place where I belong is…” and briefly shares their own example. Students turn-and-talk, then share one idea with the class.

2. 5–15 min · Teach: Tūrangawaewae. Teacher introduces tūrangawaewae as “a place where we belong” and links it to feeling safe, valued, and connected. Students listen and repeat key phrases in a call-and-response (e.g., “Belonging is…”).

3. 15–25 min · Teach: Te Whare Tapa Whā. Teacher explains the whare has four walls:

• Taha wairua (spiritual/wellbeing): hopes, values, and ways we show respect
• Taha hinengaro (mind/feelings): thoughts, emotions, and learning
• Taha tinana (body): being active, keeping healthy, rest
• Taha whānau (family/connection): friendships, whānau, teachers, and community Students match teacher-given scenarios to the correct wall using mini-cards (e.g., “I feel calm when…”, “I play safely with…”, “I rest when…”).

4. 25–45 min · Build the classroom whare. Teacher prepares a large classroom “whare” outline with four wall sections and a roof section labelled “belonging”. Students work in small groups to decide what belongs on each wall for our class.

• Each group chooses 1–2 sticky notes and places them on a wall with a short sentence: “In our class, belonging looks like when…”
• Teacher circulates, prompting students to use the four wall names and to explain their thinking.
• Class briefly discusses one or two examples per wall to ensure understanding.

5. 45–55 min · Share & consolidate. Teacher facilitates a quick whole-class “gallery walk” where students point to one sticky note and say which wall it belongs to and why. Students receive sentence starters if needed (e.g., “This belongs on taha hinengaro because…”).

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket. Students complete a one-question check: “Today I learned that tūrangawaewae means…” and draw one belonging example for one wall (their choice).

Resources

• Large paper or cardboard outline of a whare with four labelled wall sections (taha wairua, hinengaro, tinana, whānau)
• Sticky notes and markers/coloured pencils
• Scenario cards (short statements suitable for Year 2–3)
• Mini-card set for wall-matching activity (one per student/group)
• Sentence starters on a small chart (for sharing and matching)
• Teacher prompt cards: “A place where I belong is…”
• Optional: simple class values list (e.g., kindness, respect, safety) written in child-friendly language

Assessment

• Teacher observation during the wall-matching task: do students correctly identify which wall fits each example?
• Teacher check-ins while groups place sticky notes: can students explain “what it represents” in simple terms?
• Exit ticket review: identify students who can define tūrangawaewae and connect at least one belonging example to a wall.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and picture cues for each wall (icons for feelings, body, connection, values).
• Support: allow students to contribute through drawing or selecting from provided examples if writing is challenging.
• Extension: invite students to add a “how we show it” idea (e.g., “taha tinana—show it by…”) or suggest improvements to make belonging stronger for everyone.
• EAL/SEN: use repeated phrases, model one example, and allow responses with partner support before whole-class sharing.