Whakapiri Kai Adventure

Overview

In this 45-minute lesson designed for Year 0, Year 1, and Year 2 students, children will work in small groups to collaboratively prepare simple dishes using illustrated recipes presented in Te Reo Māori. Students will rotate through cooking stations, narrating their actions in Te Reo Māori to build oral language fluency focused on kai (food) vocabulary. The lesson focuses on hands-on learning, cooperation, and oral language use, aligned closely with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, emphasizing oral language development, collaborative skills, and vocabulary building within authentic contexts.

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Learning Objectives

Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh Phase 1 (Years 0–3):

• Oral Language & Communication: Use precise nouns and verbs relating to everyday contexts, including food and cooking, to describe actions and objects in Te Reo Māori.
• Algorithmic Thinking & Sequencing: Follow step-by-step instructions (recipes) to complete tasks collaboratively.
• Collaboration: Work effectively in small groups, taking on roles and responsibilities toward a common goal.
• Vocabulary Development: Use and understand kai-related vocabulary in Te Reo Māori—naming ingredients, describing actions, and discussing outcomes.
• Success Criteria:
• I can follow recipe steps using Te Reo Māori.
• I can describe what I am doing using cooking-related vocabulary in Te Reo Māori.
• I can work cooperatively with my group to prepare kai.

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Curriculum References

Learning Areas:

• Te Reo Māori: Oral Language – Vocabulary acquisition and oral expression within authentic contexts.
• Health & Physical Education: Collaboration and working in groups.
• English: Speaking and Listening – communication skills within groups.
• Mathematics & Statistics: Algorithmic thinking – following and giving instructions in sequence.

Key Competencies:

• Using Language, Symbols & Texts: Narrating cooking steps and describing actions; reading picture-based recipes.
• Relating to Others: Working collaboratively, sharing responsibilities.
• Managing Self: Taking responsibility for assigned roles and following safety procedures.

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Resources

• Illustrated, picture-based recipe cards in Te Reo Māori with simple step-by-step photos.
• Pre-cut ingredients for dishes (e.g., fruit salad, sandwich making, or simple vegetable wraps).
• Cooking utensils appropriate for young learners (plastic knives, mixing bowls, spatulas).
• Kitchen stations set up for each recipe.
• Visual aids displaying key vocabulary (e.g., kirīmi (cream), tīhi (cheese), rīwai (potato), tapatapahi (to cut), whakawhiti (to stir)).
• Video camera or tablet for optional extension filming activity.

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Lesson Plan

Introduction (7 minutes)

• Karakia/Whakatau: Begin with a brief welcoming karakia to set the learning tone.
• Activate Prior Knowledge: Review important kai vocabulary with the whole class using flashcards or a shared big book.
• Explain WALT and Success Criteria:
• WALT: We are learning to follow recipes and describe cooking processes in Te Reo Māori while working collaboratively.
• Share success criteria visibly on a board or chart.

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Warm-Up Activity (5 minutes)

• Whole-Class Oral Language Prep:
• Teacher models simple cooking commands and vocabulary in Te Reo Māori: “Tapatapahi te rīwai” (Cut the potato), “Whakawhiti te rēmana” (Stir the lemon), “Tangohia te tīhi” (Take the cheese).
• Students repeat commands chorally and then with a partner, practicing pronunciation and action.

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Main Activity: Collaborative Cooking (25 minutes)

Structure:

• The class is divided into groups of 4-5 students.
• Each group rotates through 2-3 cooking stations.
• Each station has an illustrated recipe card with photo prompts and simple verbal/written instructions in Te Reo Māori.

Group Roles (Differentiation Strategy):

• Kaihautū (Leader) – Guides steps and speaks instructions.
• Kaiwhakatikatika (Prep Helper) – Handles ingredients with supervision.
• Kaiwhakakotahi (Mixer/Assembler) – Combines ingredients or performs stirring/spreading.
• Kaimātai Reo (Language Monitor) – Encourages using Te Reo Māori words and phrases.

Teacher Role:

• Circulate to scaffold language use, support procedural understanding, and check safety.
• Use think-alouds modeling how to narrate the process in Te Reo Māori.

Narration Sample Phrases:

• “Kei te tapatapahi mātou i te rīwai.” (We are cutting the potato.)
• “Ka whakaranu mātou i te rēmana me te huka.” (We will mix the lemon and sugar.)
• “Kāore te tīhi i konei, me tiki tātou i ētahi atu.” (The cheese is not here, we need to get some more.)

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Group Presentations (5 minutes)

• After completing their dishes, each group presents their kai to the class.
• Using learnt vocabulary, students describe together what they did, focusing on process and ingredients in Te Reo Māori.
• Teacher encourages positive feedback and corrects pronunciation gently.

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Cool Down & Reflection (3 minutes)

• Review what was learnt: key verbs/actions and kai vocabulary.
• Ask students to share their favourite step or ingredient using simple Te Reo Māori phrases.
• Close with a simple waiata or karakia about kai as a positive communal activity.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For students needing extra support:
• Provide photo cards with each step clearly illustrated.
• Assign roles with less fine-motor demands (e.g., narration or fetching ingredients).
• Use verbal prompts and immediate modelling.
• Allow students to demonstrate actions rather than read aloud.
• For advanced learners:
• Encourage using descriptive adjectives (e.g., māmā, reka, hōhonu).
• Create their own short recipe in Te Reo Māori for a simple dish to share in the next lesson.
• Participate in filming a cooking tutorial in Te Reo Māori for other classes.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment: Teacher observes and listens to students’ use of Te Reo Māori vocabulary and their ability to follow recipe steps independently or with scaffolding.
• Success criteria check: Use a simple checklist: Did the student:
• Follow at least 3 steps of a recipe?
• Use at least 3 verbs or nouns from the cooking vocabulary correctly?
• Participate cooperatively in their group?

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Extension Ideas

• Create a digital or physical recipe book of the dishes made, including the Te Reo Māori vocabulary and photo sequences.
• Organise a video project where groups film their cooking, narrating everything in Te Reo Māori to share with other classes or whānau.
• Explore cultural kai stories or whakataukī related to food and share them in small groups.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Strategies

• Use picture-based recipe cards with minimal text.
• Provide verbal instructions alongside written ones repeatedly.
• Allow choice of demonstration or oral narration instead of reading aloud.
• Maintain a calm, low-stress environment encouraging repeated practice in manageable chunks.

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This lesson plan ensures rich oral language opportunities embedded in engaging, hands-on, te ao Māori contexts, while promoting cooperative skills and explicit step-by-step instruction following, in line with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Years 0-2 learners. It honours diverse learning needs and places te reo Māori at the heart of meaningful learning about kai.

If you would like, I can also provide sample recipe cards or visual vocabulary mats to complement this plan.