Working Together

Overview

Students explore kotahitanga as working together with unity, care and shared purpose. Through a cooperative decision-making challenge, they practise listening, sharing roles, building on ideas and reaching an agreement as a group of three.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain what kotahitanga means in a classroom and community.
• WALT use respectful communication to collaborate with others.
• WALT make a group decision and explain how each person contributed.
• WALT reflect on how collaboration can help people achieve a shared goal.

Success criteria

• I can explain kotahitanga using my own words.
• I can listen, take turns and respond respectfully.
• I can contribute an idea and build on someone else’s idea.
• I can help my group reach and explain a fair decision.

Curriculum links

• Social Sciences — Economic Activity: understanding how people make decisions and work together in everyday contexts.
• Social Sciences — Geography: considering how people, families and communities develop strategies and act together.
• Key Competency — relating to others: interacting effectively with diverse people in a range of contexts.
• Key Competency — participating and contributing: being actively involved in group learning and shared decision-making.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Hook and connect. Teacher displays an image of three people trying to move one large object in different directions, then opens the hook and discussion slides and asks, “What happens when everyone pulls in a different direction?” Students discuss what they notice, share examples of successful teamwork and learn that kotahitanga means unity, togetherness and working towards a shared purpose.

2. 8–18 min · Build understanding. Teacher introduces the words kotahitanga, collaboration, contribute, listen, agreement and shared goal, using simple explanations and gestures from the kotahitanga vocabulary slides. Students suggest behaviours that show kotahitanga and help create a class definition: “We work together, respect one another and contribute to a shared goal.” Teacher explicitly models inviting an idea, disagreeing kindly and summarising another person’s thinking.

3. 18–25 min · Establish group roles. Teacher gives the three students role cards from the Group Role Cards and explains that roles help everyone participate; rotate roles during the activity so each student experiences different responsibilities. Students read or listen to their role, practise one respectful sentence stem—“I agree because…”, “I would like to add…” or “Can you explain…?”—and set a group promise.

4. 25–43 min · Cooperative challenge. Teacher presents the scenario on the cooperative challenge slides: “Our class has a small budget to improve one shared area. Choose one option: a quiet reading corner, a native plant garden or a games-and-activity space. Agree on one choice and plan three actions to make it happen.” Students use the kotahitanga decision-making worksheet to record each person’s ideas, identify similarities and differences, discuss benefits, and reach one agreed decision. Teacher observes without taking over, prompting with questions such as, “Whose idea have we heard?”, “How can we combine those ideas?” and “What would be fair if we disagree?”

5. 43–53 min · Share and respond. Teacher reopens the sharing and response prompts and invites the group to present its decision, reasons and three actions. Each student must speak for part of the presentation. Students listen, identify one example of kotahitanga and ask one clarifying question or give one respectful response.

6. 53–60 min · Reflect and assess. Teacher displays the final reflection prompt in the plenary and exit prompt: “How did our group show kotahitanga, and what will we do better next time?” Students complete the reflection section of the kotahitanga decision-making worksheet independently, then share one strength and one next step. Teacher revisits the success criteria and acknowledges specific collaborative behaviours.

Resources

• the kotahitanga collaboration slide deck
• the kotahitanga decision-making worksheet
• the Group Role Cards
• Whiteboard and pens
• Pencils or coloured pencils
• Timer
• Optional picture symbols for key vocabulary

Assessment

• During discussion, note whether each student listens, takes turns, contributes an idea and responds respectfully.
• Check the worksheet for three individual contributions, evidence of discussion and a clearly explained shared decision.
• Use the final reflection to identify each student’s understanding of kotahitanga and one next teaching step.

Differentiation

• Support emerging speakers with picture vocabulary, gestures and sentence starters. Allow students to rehearse an answer with the teacher or a partner before sharing.
• Provide the worksheet in a dyslexia-friendly format: clear sans-serif font, large spacing, short instructions, uncluttered sections and the option to draw or dictate ideas.
• Read all slide and worksheet text aloud, offer speech-to-text or scribing, and accept oral, drawn or written responses.
• For a group needing more structure, pause after each decision stage and model one example. Use a visible timer and repeat the three-step routine: listen, add an idea, agree.
• Challenge confident learners to combine two proposed options, justify how their decision is fair, or explain how the same collaborative behaviours could support a whānau, sports team or local community.

Extension

• Students create a short “Kotahitanga in action” comic or poster showing a shared problem, respectful discussion and a group solution.
• Students design three class guidelines for collaboration and explain why each guideline helps people participate and contribute.
• Students plan how their chosen improvement could include people with different needs, preferences or strengths.