Uncovering Pukekohe Racism

Overview

Students investigate the experiences of Māori workers and whānau in Pukekohe market gardens, where racial discrimination and segregation affected employment, housing, schooling, public facilities and everyday life. They use a range of historical evidence to distinguish fact, perspective and interpretation, then explain how racism operated and why remembering this history matters today.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain what happened to Māori in Pukekohe and the wider context of the market-gardening industry.
• WALT identify how racism was experienced through laws, institutions, workplaces and community attitudes.
• WALT compare different historical sources and consider whose voices are represented.
• WALT use evidence to make a supported historical judgement.

Success criteria

• I can describe at least three ways racism affected Māori in Pukekohe.
• I can use specific evidence from more than one source.
• I can explain how a source’s purpose and perspective shape what it tells us.
• I can write a balanced conclusion about the significance of this history.

Curriculum links

• History: investigate experiences of discrimination and the ways people and communities respond to injustice.
• History: examine perspectives, evidence, continuity and change, and the causes and consequences of historical events.
• Social Sciences: understand how people’s participation in society is shaped by social, cultural and institutional practices.
• Key competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (120 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Establish a safe learning space. Teacher displays the learning intention and explains that the lesson examines racism, exclusion and harm without reproducing racist language; students silently respond to: “How can unfair treatment become part of everyday life?” using the opening question slide. Students write an initial response, then share only what they are comfortable sharing with a partner; no student is expected to speak from personal experience.

2. 10–28 min · Build historical context. Teacher uses the Pukekohe context slides to locate Pukekohe, explain the importance of market gardening, and introduce Māori seasonal workers and whānau, including the movement of people for employment and the unequal conditions they encountered. Clarify that experiences varied, and avoid presenting all Māori experiences as identical. Students create a brief timeline and glossary on the Pukekohe investigation worksheet, recording key terms such as discrimination, segregation, prejudice, institution and resistance.

3. 28–55 min · Source investigation. Teacher models how to read one source by asking: Who created it? When? Why? What does it show? What might be missing? Then provide source extracts and images through the source investigation slides and direct students to the evidence table on the Pukekohe investigation worksheet. In five groups of five, students examine a different source set, such as oral-history testimony, a newspaper report, a photograph, a government or council record, and a later historical account. They identify two details, the perspective, and one limitation for each source.

4. 55–65 min · Check understanding. Teacher pauses for a whole-class evidence check, correcting misconceptions and carefully distinguishing documented experiences from generalisations. Ask: “What is the difference between an individual racist act and discrimination supported by an organisation or system?” Students add one example of interpersonal racism and one example of institutional racism to their worksheet, using evidence from the investigation.

5. 65–88 min · Jigsaw discussion. Teacher reorganises students into mixed groups so each new group contains one member from each source set. Display the jigsaw discussion prompts and remind students to challenge ideas, not people. Students teach one another what their source shows, then complete a cause-and-consequence organiser: conditions that enabled racism; experiences and impacts for Māori; responses by individuals, whānau and communities; changes and continuities over time.

6. 88–108 min · Historical judgement. Teacher introduces the question on the extended-response prompt slide: “How did racism operate in Pukekohe, and why is this history significant?” Model a paragraph structure: claim, evidence, explanation, link to significance. Students independently write a response of two well-developed paragraphs on the Pukekohe investigation worksheet, using at least three pieces of evidence from two different source types. Students may use the extended response planning frame before writing.

7. 108–120 min · Plenary and exit assessment. Teacher returns to the opening question using the reflection and plenary slides and invites students to revise or deepen their first response. Students complete the final section of the Pukekohe investigation worksheet: “One thing I now understand about racism in Pukekohe is… The evidence that best supports this is… One question I still have is…” Collect responses at the door.

Resources

• the Pukekohe racism investigation slide deck
• the Pukekohe investigation worksheet
• Five teacher-prepared source sets: oral history, newspaper report, image, official record and historical account
• Projector or interactive display
• Printed or digital copies of source extracts
• Large paper or whiteboards for group organisers
• Highlighters and pens
• the extended response planning frame

Assessment

• Listen to group explanations and check whether students distinguish evidence, perspective and limitation.
• Review worksheet evidence tables and cause-and-consequence organisers during the lesson; question students who make unsupported generalisations.
• Assess the two-paragraph response for accurate understanding, relevant evidence, explanation of impact and a justified conclusion.

Differentiation

• Provide selected, shorter source extracts, a partially completed evidence table, a vocabulary bank and sentence starters such as “This source suggests…” and “A limitation is…”.
• Read difficult extracts aloud, offer text-to-speech or speech-to-text, and allow students to record an oral explanation before writing.
• Pair EAL learners with supportive peers and pre-teach key terms using simple definitions and visual examples.
• Extend confident students by asking them to compare an oral-history source with an official record and explain how power influenced what was recorded.
• Maintain a culturally safe environment: do not ask Māori students to represent Māori experiences, require disclosure, or debate whether racism occurred. Acknowledge that the lesson concerns real harm and provide a quiet alternative task or pastoral follow-up where needed.