Unit #4: Fire Beneath Us

Curriculum Alignment

Level: NZ Curriculum Level 4
Learning Area: Social Sciences — Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories
Strand: "Understand how people pass on and sustain culture and heritage for different reasons and that this has consequences for people."
Related Curriculum Areas:

• English (Literacy — Informational Writing)
• The Arts (Visual Arts)
• Te Ao Māori (Mātauranga Māori)

Overview

This three-part series of integrated lessons explores the historical and cultural significance of the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. Students will develop skills in inquiry, report writing, artistic expression, and explore Māori perspectives related to the natural world and tīpuna (ancestors).

The unit blends factual understanding with empathy, allowing Year 7-8 students to explore the eruption's impact from multiple lenses: scientific, journalistic, artistic and iwi-based. Teachers are encouraged to guide students toward making connections with their local environment and iwi mātauranga.

Each session runs for 36 minutes, specifically timed to suit the energy levels and attention span of a group of 15 learners.

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Lesson 1 – Witness the Eruption

Focus Area: Historical Inquiry & Informational Report Writing
Time: 36 minutes
Key Understanding: Students will explore the eruption of Mount Tarawera, using historical and cultural sources to construct a foundational knowledge base.

Learning Intentions:

• Students will describe the timeline and causes of the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption.
• Students will begin to build a collection of notes to support their own informational report.
• Students will define basic vocabulary related to volcanoes, rongoā (traditional knowledge), and geographical features.

Success Criteria:

• Can summarise key facts about the eruption.
• Can identify at least 2 different sources of information and extract useful data.
• Begins to structure their own report scaffold or plan.

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Lesson Breakdown:

Time	Activity
0:00–0:05	Mihi & Whanaungatanga – Begin with a karakia and short round of pepeha sharing. Introduce the session's purpose: “He ahi i raro i te whenua – fire beneath the land.” Identify Mount Tarawera on a map.
0:05–0:12	Visual Storytelling – Watch a short video dramatisation: “Eruption: Tarawera 1886” (from NZ On Screen or school archive). Choose a version that includes Māori perspectives. Students jot ‘wow’ facts or feelings while watching.
0:12–0:22	Group Decode – In small groups of 3, students receive printed excerpts from historical records (e.g., missionary accounts, iwi oral histories, newspaper articles from the 1880s). Each group identifies: What happened? Who was affected? How did they react?
0:22–0:30	Research Station Rotation – 3 stations:

• Station 1: Earth science articles on volcanic eruptions
• Station 2: Ngāti Rangitihi pūrākau (legend and oral history accounts)
• Station 3: Aotearoa timeline activity (matching key dates and events pre-/post-eruption) | | 0:30–0:35 | Info Report Planning Begins – Teacher models a mind-map of report ideas on board. Students start to organise what they might include under headings: What? When? Who? Why Important? | | 0:35–0:36 | Reflective Exhale – One-word “feeling response” from each student around the room.|

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Lesson 2 – Aftershock & Expression

Focus Area: The Arts – Visual Arts & Emotional Reflection
Time: 36 minutes
Key Understanding: Students will creatively respond to the eruption, interpreting emotional, cultural, and environmental impact through visual media.

Learning Intentions:

• Students will visualise and represent the eruption from a chosen perspective (e.g., tangata whenua, settler, tamariki).
• Students will understand how art can act as a record of emotional and social history.

Success Criteria:

• Can explain their art choices using vocab related to mood, symbolism, and colour.
• Final art pieces represent a strong emotional or historical understanding.

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Lesson Breakdown:

Time	Activity
0:00–0:04	Tautoko Time – Begin with calming background music. Show images of pre- and post-eruption landscapes + hand-drawn sketches by people post-1886 eruption.
0:04–0:09	Wānanga – Students explore: How might Māori have seen the eruption as a tohu (sign)? What did it mean spiritually, not just scientifically? Introduce motif of “mountain ancestors” and respect for te taiao.
0:09–0:25	Art Creation – Students choose one visual response task:

• Paint the eruption as if you were there (Expressionist Style)
• Design a symbolic kōwhaiwhai panel showing the revival of life post-eruption.
• Use charcoal to sketch before-and-after scenes from a child’s viewpoint. | | 0:25–0:32 | Gallery Walk – Quiet, respectful viewing of each other’s work. Students rotate around room and leave sticky notes with positive feedback. | | 0:32–0:35 | Shared Whakaaro – Students sit in small circle and share: “What did my artwork help me understand?” | | 0:35–0:36 | Karakia Whakamutunga – Final moments dedicated to gratitude for learning and remembrance. |

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Lesson 3 – Tell Our Stories

Focus Area: Informational Report Drafting & Oral Sharing
Time: 36 minutes
Key Understanding: Students will complete their written informational reports and prepare to share key insights with others. This session blends writing with tikanga Māori by recognising oral contributions and reciprocity in storytelling.

Learning Intentions:

• Students will write and edit an informational report using structured headings.
• Students will present findings that honour both scientific and indigenous perspectives.

Success Criteria:

• Report has a clear introduction, structured paragraphs, and vocabulary relevant to volcanoes and Māori worldviews.
• Student presents tidily and can answer peer questions.

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Lesson Breakdown:

Time	Activity
0:00–0:05	Ngā kupu rerehua – The Language of Writing – Students are introduced to useful sentence starters (e.g., “One result of the eruption was…”, “From the viewpoint of iwi…”, “This event matters today because…”)
0:05–0:22	Writing Workshop – Students write their full reports (either handwritten or typed). Writer’s check-points:

• Have I included both geographical and cultural impacts?
• Did I describe, explain, and reflect?
• Did I cite where my ideas came from? | | 0:22–0:30 | Paired Peer Publishing – Students swap reports and give 2 stars and a wish. Then, prepare a quick oral summary: “Here are 3 things I’d like to share from my learning…” | | 0:30–0:34 | Whai Wā Kōrero (Presentation Time) – Selected students (or volunteers) present their reports aloud. Classmates ask questions using sentence starters like “I wonder…” or “Can you tell me more about…” | | 0:34–0:36 | Final Reflection – Use the “Head, Heart, Hands” tool:
• Something I learned (head)
• Something I felt (heart)
• Something I might do (hands) |

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Assessment Opportunities

✔ Informational report (summative)
✔ Art piece with reflective note (formative)
✔ Oral sharing / group collaboration (formative)

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Suggested Student Resources (Non-linked but suggested for teacher use)

• Diary of Sophia Hinerangi, tourist guide and eruption survivor (available in local archives)
• Ngāti Rangitihi oral histories, collected through iwi or local museum
• Te Papa Tongarewa education kits on Aotearoa geohazards
• Storyboards / original film from NZ On Screen – Eruption drama series (optional)
• Ministry of Education history video series for junior curriculum

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

After completing this unit, consider:

• How did students engage differently with scientific vs cultural sources?
• Which activities sparked the most curiosity?
• How might students connect this event to natural disasters in their own lifetimes?

Kia kaha, kia maia, kia mānawanui – Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.