Whānau Hopes and Dreams

Overview

In this 60-minute English lesson, students revisit a Matariki journal page and learn that Hiwa-i-te-rangi is associated with dreams, wishes and hopes for the coming year. Through shared talk, teacher modelling, drawing and oral sharing, students practise listening, speaking, using new vocabulary and responding respectfully to a culturally significant text. Acknowledge that understandings and names for Matariki may vary between iwi and whānau.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain what a wish or hope is.
• WALT identify Hiwa-i-te-rangi and its connection with hopes for the coming year.
• WALT listen and respond respectfully when others share ideas.
• WALT use a simple sentence to share a personal hope.

Success criteria

• I can explain that a hope or wish is something I would like to happen.
• I can identify Hiwa-i-te-rangi as connected with hopes and dreams.
• I can share a hope for myself, my whānau, my community or the environment.
• I can listen respectfully while someone else is speaking.

Curriculum links

• English — Comprehension: identifying basic features of stories and poems in response to questions.
• English — Comprehension: reading and understanding simple sentences.
• English — Composition: using simple sentences, capital letters and punctuation to make writing clear.
• English — Reading and comprehension: following the subject across consecutive sentences when a pronoun, synonym or noun phrase is used.
• Local curriculum values: whānau, belonging and respectful participation.
• Key competencies: relating to others; managing self.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Revisit and connect. Display the Matariki journal page and read the “What do you wish for?” page aloud, then open the opening and revisiting slides. Students turn and talk about what a wish might be, using the picture or words on the Hiwa-i-te-rangi journal page to support their thinking. Explain that students may choose to share aloud, draw privately or simply listen.

2. 10–25 min · Shared discussion. Use the Hiwa-i-te-rangi discussion slides to introduce Hiwa-i-te-rangi as the whetū connected with hopes and dreams for the coming year, using the class’s local Matariki learning where appropriate. Ask: “What is a hope?”, “Who or what might we hope for?” and “How can we listen respectfully?” Students contribute ideas, notice similarities and differences, and practise the words hope, wish, dream, whānau, community and environment.

3. 25–40 min · Model hope statements. Think aloud while modelling a drawing and sentence: “I hope my whānau have a happy year.” Show how to begin with a capital letter, leave spaces and finish with a full stop. Model alternatives such as “I hope our garden grows” and “I wish for kind friendships.” Students orally rehearse a statement with a partner, choosing a prompt from the sentence-modelling and oral rehearsal slides.

4. 40–55 min · Draw and share. Give each student the Hiwa-i-te-rangi journal page and invite them to draw a hope for themselves, their whānau, their community or the environment. Students may use the frames “I hope…” or “I wish…” and dictate their sentence to an adult if needed. In pairs or groups of four, students share their drawing and sentence; listeners show respect by looking, waiting, and responding with “Thank you for sharing” or “I heard you say…”. Keep sharing optional and provide a quiet or private drawing space.

5. 55–60 min · Reflect and close. Return to the reflection and closing slide and revisit the success criteria. Students complete the sentence orally or to the teacher: “Hiwa-i-te-rangi reminds us to think about…” Invite a few volunteers to share one respectful learning reflection, then collect the journal pages.

Resources

• the Matariki and Hiwa-i-te-rangi teaching deck
• the Hiwa-i-te-rangi journal page
• Star card
• Hope prompt cards
• Pencils, crayons and felt-tip pens
• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Optional quiet drawing space and adult scribing support

Assessment

• During discussion, listen for students explaining that a hope or wish is something they would like to happen and identifying Hiwa-i-te-rangi.
• Observe whether students use relevant vocabulary, take turns, listen without interrupting and respond respectfully.
• Review drawings and oral or dictated sentences for a meaningful hope, an understandable simple sentence, and developing use of a capital letter and full stop.

Differentiation

• Offer sentence frames: “I hope ___.”, “I wish for ___.” and “I hope my whānau ___.” Accept a wish for self, whānau, community or the environment.
• Use the star card, gestures, pictures and repeated oral rehearsal to support learners developing English, speech and language, or vocabulary.
• Allow students to draw without sharing publicly, share with a trusted adult, or dictate their sentence. Provide pre-drawn symbols or scribing for students with fine-motor or writing needs.
• For students ready for greater independence, encourage them to write their own sentence and explain how their hope could help people or the environment.

Extension

• Students add a second sentence explaining why their hope matters: “This matters because…”
• Students create a class display by grouping hopes for self, whānau, community and the environment.