Tuhi Aromatawai

Overview

Today students begin a written assessment draft for the unit “Exploring the NZ Land Wars”, using accurate te reo Māori, key place names, and academic expressions. They also embed tikanga, mātauranga Māori, and iwi perspectives in a coherent structure.

Learning intentions

• Students will draft a written response in te reo Māori that uses correct macrons and 10+ relevant Māori terms.
• Students will incorporate Land Wars place names and concepts accurately to support their ideas.
• Students will apply appropriate Māori academic expressions to show a clear argument or explanation.
• Students will reflect tikanga and mātauranga Māori, acknowledging iwi perspectives in their writing.

Success criteria

• I can write a first draft that clearly answers the prompt using te reo Māori.
• I can include 10+ Māori terms accurately, including correct macrons.
• I can use Māori academic expressions (e.g., introductions, reasons, contrasting ideas, concluding statements).
• I can show awareness of tikanga, mātauranga Māori, and/or iwi perspectives in at least two places in my draft.

Curriculum links

• NCEA te reo Māori: writing for purpose, audience, and context using extended text structures.
• NCEA te reo Māori: demonstrating knowledge of Māori language features (macrons, vocabulary, sentence-level control).
• NCEA te reo Māori: communicating understanding of Māori concepts and perspectives relevant to the unit topic.
• NCEA (Years 11–13) skills: clear development of ideas, grammar control, and editing for accuracy.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 3 min — Settle and unpack task

• Teacher reads the assessment focus for “Land Wars” and reminds students this is a draft to be edited, not a final submission.
• Students identify the required elements on the slide/handout: Māori terms (10+), place names, academic expressions, tikanga/mātauranga/iwi.

2. 7 min — Language focus: academic expressions and macrons

• Mini-lesson: teacher models 2–3 useful Māori academic sentence starters (e.g., explaining, comparing, concluding) and highlights where macrons commonly occur.
• Students quickly circle two macron words they often miss and one academic expression they will use today.

3. 10 min — Planning: structure and word bank

• Students use a simple draft plan: introduction (context), body (2–3 points with evidence/ideas), and conclusion (restate stance/summary).
• Teacher circulates with a checklist, prompting students to choose at least 10 Māori terms from their phrase bank and at least 2 place names relevant to the unit.

4. 15 min — Draft writing (quiet focus time)

• Students write their first draft in te reo Māori, aiming to reach the minimum structure before perfecting.
• Dyslexia-friendly option: allow students to dictate short sections to a speech-to-text tool, then edit for macrons.

5. 7 min — Self-check using bilingual writing checklist

• Students complete a rapid check: Māori terms count (10+), place names present, academic expression used, and macrons present in key words.
• Students mark what is “good to keep” and what needs one improvement before the next lesson.

6. 3 min — Exit reflection

• Students submit a short “next steps” note: one accuracy goal (e.g., macrons), one content goal (e.g., iwi perspective), and one language goal (e.g., academic expression).
• Teacher reviews common gaps to shape the next lesson.

Resources

• Bilingual writing checklist (te reo Māori success criteria with English prompts)
• Māori phrase bank for academic expressions and transitions
• Land Wars place name list with macrons (teacher-provided)
• Māori terms bank from the unit (with correct spelling)
• Draft planning template: intro–body–conclusion
• Te reo spell-check tools and/or Māori-friendly editing software installed or available
• Example paragraph model showing tikanga/mātauranga/iwi reference (teacher model)
• Dyxlexia-friendly reading options: audio version of the task sheet or teacher read-aloud recording
• Student dictionaries/glossaries (printed or offline)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes drafting progress against the checklist (Māori terms, place names, academic expressions, macron accuracy).
• Self-assessment: students complete the bilingual checklist and record one next-step improvement.
• Summative readiness: draft provides evidence of meeting early writing requirements for the final assessment.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a shortened prompt version, sentence stems, and a “minimum required” checklist (e.g., at least 10 Māori terms, 2 place names, 1 tikanga reference).
• Support (EAL): allow key supporting notes in English during planning, then require the final draft sections to be in te reo Māori; provide an extra bilingual transition list.
• Extension (advanced): require comparative analysis with traditional Māori historical methods by adding one paragraph that contrasts ways knowledge was recorded/shared (e.g., whakapapa, oral histories, tikanga-guided transmission) with other historical approaches; include at least 2 additional Māori terms beyond the 10+ target.
• Dyslexia/SEN: offer text-to-speech for the task sheet, speech-to-text for drafting, larger-font checklists, and a structured editing routine (spell-check first, then macrons, then sentence clarity).

Extension (optional)

• Students add an extra “comparative methods” mini-section (3–4 sentences) in te reo Māori comparing traditional Māori historical methods used to preserve and interpret Land Wars knowledge with a different historical method (without naming sources if not required). They must include at least 2 academic expressions and 2 more Māori terms, with macrons checked before completion.