Why Te Reo Māori Matters

Overview

In this first lesson of a four-lesson unit, students explore the past, present, and future of te reo Māori through short, accessible sources. They retrieve and record key information, consider source trustworthiness, and discuss reasons schools should teach te reo Māori before planning a persuasive letter to the Prime Minister or Minister of Education.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify key information about te reo Māori from different sources.
• WALT record source details and explain why a source may be trustworthy.
• WALT discuss reasons for a position using relevant evidence.
• WALT identify the audience and purpose of a future persuasive letter.

Success criteria

• I can record at least two accurate facts about te reo Māori.
• I can name the source of information and give one reason it is trustworthy.
• I can explain one reason schools should teach te reo Māori.
• I can identify who our letter is for and what we want that person to do.

Curriculum links

• Writing to persuade: introducing a preferred position and organising reasons and evidence clearly.
• Writing to persuade: supporting a stated position with clear reasons, relevant evidence, and trustworthy sources.
• Writing to persuade: using emotive language that is compelling but respectful.
• English learning supports manaakitanga, respectful participation, critical literacy, and confident communication in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Engaging hook. Teacher displays the question “Why might a language matter to a whole country?” and plays a short, age-appropriate video clip featuring te reo Māori in everyday life from the introduction and hook slides. Students complete a quick think-pair-share: “Where have I heard or seen te reo Māori?”

2. 5–12 min · Establish context. Teacher explains that te reo Māori is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand and introduces the unit outcome: a persuasive letter asking a government leader to support the teaching of te reo Māori in schools. Use the context and unit-purpose slides to clarify the audience, purpose, and respectful use of evidence. Students record the intended audience and purpose on the source-and-evidence worksheet.

3. 12–23 min · Source stations. Teacher provides three short sources through the source-reading slides: a brief historical text about the decline and revitalisation of te reo Māori, a present-day text about its use in education and public life, and a future-focused text about language revitalisation. Include the source title, author or organisation, date where available, and format. Students work in groups of three, reading or viewing one source at a time and recording the main idea, two key facts, and source details on the worksheet. Rotate sources after three minutes, allowing a brief transition between each.

4. 23–30 min · Trustworthy sources. Teacher models checking a source by asking: “Who created it? What evidence does it provide? What is its purpose? Is the information current and appropriate?” Display the checklist on the source-checking slides. Students compare one source with a partner and complete the sentence: “I think this source is trustworthy because…” They identify any information that needs checking rather than treating every digital source as reliable.

5. 30–39 min · Collaborative discussion. Teacher displays the discussion question on the discussion slides: “What are the strongest reasons schools should teach te reo Māori?” Groups use their recorded facts to discuss possible reasons, such as protecting taonga and identity, strengthening belonging, supporting understanding of Aotearoa’s history, and ensuring future generations can use the language. Students must refer to at least one source and use respectful discussion stems: “The evidence suggests…”, “I agree because…”, and “Another perspective is…”. Each group shares its strongest reason.

6. 39–45 min · Plenary and exit check. Teacher revisits the unit purpose using the plenary slides and asks students to complete the final section of the worksheet. Students write: “Schools should teach te reo Māori because…”, add one supporting fact and its source, and identify whether their future letter should be addressed to the Prime Minister or Minister of Education. Invite two or three students to share responses.

Resources

• the complete lesson slide deck
• the source-and-evidence worksheet
• Three teacher-selected short texts and video excerpts from reliable New Zealand organisations
• Projector or interactive display with audio
• Headphones or quiet viewing space if needed
• Group tables and pens
• Teacher source notes with titles, authors or organisations, dates, and access information

Assessment

• During source work, check whether students can distinguish a main idea from a detail and accurately record source information.
• Listen for students using evidence and respectful discussion stems; question students who state opinions without support.
• Collect the exit response to identify who can connect a reason, relevant evidence, and a trustworthy source. Use responses to form groups and plan modelling for Lesson 2.

Differentiation

• Provide a vocabulary bank with terms such as te reo Māori, taonga, revitalisation, identity, evidence, and trustworthy, with pronunciation support where appropriate.
• Offer shortened texts, audio versions, highlighted key sentences, and a partially completed worksheet for students needing reading, attention, or writing support.
• Pair students strategically and allow oral recording of ideas before writing. Provide sentence stems: “One important fact is…”, “This source is trustworthy because…”, and “Schools should…”
• Encourage confident readers to compare the purpose and limitations of two sources and explain which would be most useful in a persuasive letter. Ensure discussion remains respectful and does not require Māori students to speak for te reo Māori or Māori communities.