Who Were the Māori

Overview

In this lesson, students explore who the Māori people are and learn that Māori are tangata whenua (first people) of Aotearoa New Zealand. Students hear and retell a short pūrākau-linked idea about origins and arrival, and begin to notice important values and traditions.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain that Māori are tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand.
• WALT identify that Māori have pūrākau (stories) about their origins and arrival.
• WALT describe a few aspects of Māori language, traditions, and values in simple terms.
• WALT retell key parts of a short story using classroom words and pictures.

Success criteria

• I can say who the Māori are (tangata whenua).
• I can tell you that Māori have pūrākau about origins and arrival.
• I can name one Māori language word or phrase I learned and use it appropriately.
• I can retell the main idea of the story with a sequence of 2–3 pictures or sentences.

Curriculum links

• History (New Zealand: where we come from): learning about origins and arrival, and that Māori have pūrākau about their beginnings.
• History: students retell the stories they have learnt.
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi connections through learning that Māori are tangata whenua and through respectful engagement with Māori knowledge and traditions.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and tikanga reminder. Teacher greets students and briefly reminds them how to listen respectfully and show care when learning about people and their stories; students practise “look, listen, think” and sit ready.

2. 5–12 min · Hook: Who are the Māori? Teacher shows an image set (people/whenua symbols/labels like “tangata whenua”) and says: “Māori are tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand.” Students turn-and-talk: “What does tangata whenua mean?” using teacher-provided sentence stems.

3. 12–22 min · Teacher read-aloud (pūrākau-linked). Teacher reads a short, age-appropriate Māori story or pūrākau-inspired explanation that focuses on “origins and arrival” without complex details; students listen and point to a class story chart with 2–3 big picture steps (beginning, travelling/arriving, now/today).

4. 22–30 min · Language, traditions, and values. Teacher teaches 3 simple items using clear repetition and respectful use, for example:

• “tangata whenua” (first people)
• “pūrākau” (story)
• “manaakitanga” (showing care/respect) Teacher models appropriate responses (e.g., “Thank you for sharing,” “I’m listening.”). Students do a matching activity: coloured cards with the word on one side and picture/meaning on the other.

5. 30–38 min · Retell in pairs (picture sequence). Teacher hands out a 3-box retell sheet with picture prompts and a word bank; students work in pairs to retell the main idea using the sequence boxes (first, next, then) and one or two sentence frames.

6. 38–43 min · Share and class feedback. Teacher invites 4–6 pairs to share their retell; students listen for the success criteria (tangata whenua, pūrākau, and one value/language word). Teacher gives quick “2 stars and a wish” feedback focused on clarity and respectful listening.

7. 43–45 min · Exit ticket (quick check). Students draw one picture that shows “origins/arrival” or “story,” then write or copy one sentence: “Māori are tangata whenua and they have pūrākau.”

Resources

• Image cards showing tangata whenua / Aotearoa / story sequence (beginning, arrival, today)
• Teacher story text or picture book (age-appropriate, Māori stories focused on origins/arrival)
• Big class story chart (2–3 steps) and sticky notes
• Word/meaning matching cards for tangata whenua, pūrākau, manaakitanga
• Pair retell sheet with 3 picture boxes and a small word bank
• Coloured pencils/markers
• Sentence stems for talk (e.g., “I think tangata whenua means…”, “The story is about…”)
• Listening/participation cues chart (class-generated or teacher-prepared)

Assessment

• Observation during turn-and-talk and matching: listens respectfully and uses learned vocabulary accurately.
• Retell sheet: checks for inclusion of the main idea (tangata whenua, pūrākau, and at least one value or language word).
• Exit ticket sentence and drawing: confirms understanding of key concepts and ability to retell simply.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters, picture prompts only, and a smaller word bank for students needing extra help.
• Support: model one retell example before pair work; use gestures and pointing on the story chart.
• Extension: ask students to add one extra detail from the story chart (e.g., what the people did, or a second value word) and share an additional sentence during the pairing share.
• Language/speech needs: allow students to retell using pictures first, then add a single copied word or short phrase; accept answers in home language where appropriate while encouraging participation in class words.

Extension (optional)

SKIP