Unit #4: Our Learning Journey

Curriculum Area

Aotearoa New Zealand Histories | Te Takanga o Te Wā
Curriculum Level: Level 2
Year Level: Year 3
Duration: 30 minutes
Class Size: 27 students

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Lesson 10 of 10: Reflection and Sharing – Our Learning Journey

Unit Title: Māori Legends and Wildlife

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Lesson Overview

In this final session of the unit, ākonga (students) will reflect on their learning through discussion and storytelling. They'll revisit key Māori pūrākau (legends) explored in the unit, make connections to kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the environment), and express how their perspectives on wildlife and conservation have evolved throughout the journey.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Recount key Māori legends and their messages.
• Share their favourite legend and explain why they chose it.
• Reflect on how Māori values such as kaitiakitanga have shaped their view of wildlife conservation.
• Participate in a shared korero (discussion) connecting personal growth to cultural stories.

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Success Criteria

Students can:
✔ Talk about one Māori legend and one New Zealand native animal they have learned about.
✔ Describe what they understand by kaitiakitanga.
✔ Identify one thing they can do to care for wildlife or nature.
✔ Listen respectfully to peer contributions and respond with kindness and interest.

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Te Ao Māori Integration

• Emphasising kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationships), and oral storytelling traditions.
• Legends included throughout this unit include Māui and the giant fish, the legend of the huia, and taniwha guardians of forests and rivers.
• Students will be encouraged to speak or include te reo Māori words they remember during sharing.

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Materials Needed

• Talk Circle Mat or Whāriki
• Large sheet of paper or whiteboard with "What We Learned" brainstorm space
• Artwork or booklets students have created in previous lessons (to support memory recall)
• Paper koru reflection cards (cut-outs shaped like koru spirals)
• Markers or crayons
• Soft ceremonial object (like a carved tokotoko or smooth stone) for talking circle

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Lesson Breakdown

⏱️ Time Guide

Activity	Duration
Karakia + Warm Welcome	3 mins
Talk Circle Reflection	10 mins
Favourite Legend Pair Share	6 mins
Koru Reflection Cards	6 mins
Class Brainstorm: What We Learned	4 mins
Waiata + Karakia Whakamutunga	1 min

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Detailed Activities

🧘‍♀️ 1. Karakia + Warm Welcome (3 mins)

Begin with a familiar karakia timatanga (opening blessing) to ground and centre the group. Teachers greet the class with excitement, acknowledging they’ve come to the final chapter of their learning journey together.

Suggested Karakia Timatanga:
"Whakataka te hau ki te uru..."

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🪑 2. Talk Circle Reflection (10 mins)

Form a large circle on the floor, sitting cross-legged on the whāriki. Introduce the pono kōrero (honest storytelling) space, using a small taonga—a smooth stone or carved object—as the talking piece.

Prompt with:

• “What is something you remember from the Māori legends we’ve learned?”
• “What did the story teach you about nature or animals?”
• “How do you think Māori people show care for animals and the land?”

Each student gets a chance to speak or pass. The object is passed around the circle one by one.

Note: equip neurodiverse learners with visuals or allow answer folders if speaking aloud isn’t comfortable.

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🤝 3. Favourite Legend Pair Share (6 mins)

Pair students up. Each pair takes turns:

1. Sharing their favourite legend from the unit.
2. Describing their favourite native animal learned about and why it's important to protect it.

Optional scaffolding prompt: "I liked the story of ____ because it taught me ____."

Let a few confident students (perhaps buddies or helpers) share back with the class if time allows.

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🌀 4. Koru Reflection Cards (6 mins)

Hand out the spiral koru cards (symbolising growth and reflection). Students quietly decorate their koru with:

• A picture or small symbol representing their learning
• One word or sentence they learned (can be in English or Te Reo, such as manaaki, kaitiaki)

Allow crayons or markers. Play soft waiata in the background for atmosphere (e.g., ‘Tutira Mai’).

Finished koru can be used to create a class koru collage in the next session or displayed on a reflective poster of the unit journey.

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🧠 5. Whole-Class Brainstorm: "What We Learned" (4 mins)

Together, record key terms and ideas on a whiteboard or poster:

• Legends remembered
• Māori values learned
• Native animals studied
• Ways to protect nature

Teacher scribes while encouraging student input.

Suggested mind map structure: TREE with roots (values), trunk (stories), branches (wildlife) and leaves (our actions).

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🎶 6. Waiata + Karakia Whakamutunga (1 min)

End the lesson and unit with a short waiata—perhaps the class’s favourite from the unit—and a closing karakia.

Example:

Waiata: “He Honore” or “Tutira Mai”
Karakia: “Karakia Whakamutunga” (a simple thank-you prayer)

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Assessment for Learning

Informal observation and sufficiency of student reflection shared:

• Listening for use of new vocabulary (e.g., Aoraki, mana, taonga, huia)
• Depth of thought in reflecting on conservation
• Inclusion of Te Ao Māori values in discussions

Note: Teachers may record anecdotal notes or voice memos post-session to help identify students' learning progress and next steps.

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

• Which students connected deeply with the values of kaitiakitanga?
• How have students shifted from knowledge of legends to applying their messages?
• What cross-curricular links (e.g. science, visual art) emerged, and how might the next unit build from that?

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Extension or Homework (Optional)

Invite students to retell a legend to whānau at home or draw a comic version. Encourage whānau to write a short note on what they discussed to return and share with the class in a future session.

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Ka pai tō mahi!

You've completed a rich inquiry into storytelling, tangata whenua values, and our natural world—beautifully layered together for ākonga to grow as learners, listeners, and guardians.

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Prepared for Level 2 of Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum
Te Takanga o Te Wā – Understanding how people view and shape the world through time