Ways We Remember

Overview

In this second lesson of Remembering Aotearoa Together, students compare how five significant New Zealand days are celebrated or remembered. They build on prior learning about shared identity by investigating each event’s purpose, people, timing and practices, while recognising that experiences and perspectives can differ.

Learning intentions

• WALT compare how Waitangi Day, Anzac Day, Matariki, the King’s Birthday and Labour Day are celebrated or remembered.
• WALT find key information in a short text and explain it to others.
• WALT use respectful language to compare events and consider different perspectives.
• WALT use Māori words meaningfully and pronounce them carefully.

Success criteria

• I can find key information about who, when, why and how an event is marked.
• I can compare two events using “both” and “different”.
• I can explain that celebrations and commemorations may have different purposes.
• I can ask or answer a respectful question about another person’s perspective.

Curriculum links

• Social Sciences — Civics and Society: New Zealand days of commemoration and how commemorations and celebrations contribute to a shared identity.
• Social Sciences — Civics and Society: comparing how people mark significant days and recognising similarities, differences and differing perspectives.
• English — reading for meaning, speaking to communicate ideas, and writing or recording clear comparisons.
• Learning Languages — meaningful use and pronunciation of words such as Matariki, whānau, tikanga and te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and notice. Teacher uses the opening image sequence to show or play brief, age-appropriate visuals of a dawn service, a Waitangi ceremony, a Matariki gathering, a civic celebration and a Labour Day community event. Students silently notice one detail, then share what they think people might be doing and why; accept ideas without presenting one interpretation as the only viewpoint.

2. 5–10 min · Connect and model. Teacher introduces the WALT and success criteria, then think-alouds how to retrieve “who, when, why and how” from a short information card. Explain that some days are celebrations, some are commemorations, and some include both; briefly introduce these key ideas:

• Waitangi Day relates to the first signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Anzac Day remembers those affected by war.
• Matariki connects with the Māori lunar calendar, remembrance and new beginnings.
• The King’s Birthday celebrates the reigning sovereign.
• Labour Day recalls the struggle for an eight-hour working day. Students rehearse the words Matariki, whānau and tikanga, and identify which details they should listen or look for.

3. 10–14 min · Form groups and read. Teacher places students in five groups of three and assigns each group one event information card. Provide the group role cards to establish reader, meaning finder and reporter roles. Students read together, using reciprocal reading: predict, clarify, ask a question and summarise.

4. 14–27 min · Investigate and prepare. Teacher distributes the event comparison organiser and supports groups to locate and record who, when, why and how, modelling how to highlight only key words. Students complete their section, discuss whose perspectives may be included or missing, and prepare a short oral explanation. Offer audio cards or headphones where available.

5. 27–35 min · Jigsaw teaching and compare. Teacher forms new groups so each event is represented, returning to the comparison prompt slides for the sentence stems “Both events…” and “They are different because…”. Students teach their event, listen to others, and record at least one similarity and one difference between two events on the organiser.

6. 35–41 min · Purpose discussion and oral rehearsal. Teacher asks, “What is this day for?” and “How might different people experience or mark it?” Clarify that people may participate, observe, question or choose not to take part for different reasons. Students orally rehearse two comparison sentences with a partner before writing or recording them, using “both”, “different”, “celebrates” or “remembers”.

7. 41–45 min · Share and assess. Teacher uses the closing reflection prompt and invites students to share one respectful question. Students write or record two comparison sentences and complete a brief peer “two stars and a wish” response about a partner’s explanation.

Resources

• the Ways We Remember slide deck, including visuals, key information, prompts and plenary
• the event comparison organiser
• Resource 3: dual-language Māori-English Matariki and te Tiriti information cards
• Accessible event information cards for all five events
• Age-appropriate images or brief video clips
• the group role cards
• Headphones and audio versions of texts
• Pencils, highlighters and recording devices
• Speech-to-text tools, where available

Assessment

• During reading, check whether students can retrieve accurate information under “who, when, why and how”; question groups and clarify misconceptions.
• Collect the completed organiser and listen for oral explanations. Use an emerging/developing/secure rubric for retrieving information, comparing events and communicating ideas.
• Review the written or recorded comparison and respectful question. Note which texts, images and audio supports helped comprehension for future planning.

Differentiation

• Provide chunked texts, one idea per line, highlighted keywords, paired reading and audio versions. Use a clear dyslexia-friendly font, uncluttered spacing and no justified text.
• Offer a partially completed organiser and sentence starters: “Both ___ and ___…”, “They are different because…”, and “People might feel differently because…”.
• Allow students to explain orally, draw and label, use speech-to-text, or record their response instead of writing it independently.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach remember, celebrate, commemorate, purpose, whānau and tikanga with images and gestures; pair students strategically and accept home-language discussion before English reporting.
• Extension students compare three events and explain how each event’s purpose influences the way it is marked, including how different people may interpret the event.