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Matariki Cultural Dramatization Worksheet

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Matariki Cultural Dramatization Worksheet

Read the short pūrākau below, then use its details to plan and reflect on a respectful dramatic retelling. You may write in English, te reo Māori, or both. Treat this as one retelling; iwi and hapū may share different kōrero about Matariki.

A short pūrākau for performance

In one retelling, Tāwhirimātea, atua of the winds and weather, was angered when his siblings separated Ranginui and Papatūānuku. He sent fierce winds and storms across the sky. Tāne gathered the stars and placed them in the heavens. When Tāwhirimātea saw Matariki, he became angry and hurled his eyes into the sky. They became the stars of Matariki. Each year, Matariki appears in the winter sky. People gather to remember those who have passed, celebrate with others, and look ahead with hope. This retelling is one version; kōrero differ between iwi and hapū.

Understand the kōrero

Use evidence from the pūrākau. Think about how actions, mood and setting could be shown on stage.

1.Which event directly causes Tāwhirimātea to become angry in this retelling?

His siblings separate Ranginui and Papatūānuku.
Matariki disappears from the sky.
Tāne asks him to gather stars.

2.Put these events in order by writing 1, 2 and 3 beside them: Tāwhirimātea hurls his eyes into the sky; Tāne places stars in the heavens; Tāwhirimātea sees Matariki and becomes angry.

3.True or false: This pūrākau says every iwi tells exactly the same version of the Matariki story. Explain your choice using a detail from the passage.

4.Match each te reo Māori word or phrase to its meaning.

atua
kōrero
whānau

extended family
deity
story or account

Plan a dramatic retelling

Work independently or with a group. Choose a short moment from the passage. Share roles fairly: performer, narrator, movement director, sound-maker, or visual designer. Keep the retelling respectful and acknowledge that it presents one version of the kōrero.

5.Choose one moment to dramatise. What should the audience understand about the characters or events in that moment?

6.Write a three-beat storyboard using words, simple sketches, or both: beginning, key action, ending. Include one stage direction for movement, sound, or stillness.

Sketch three small panels for your beginning, key action and ending. Add labels or arrows if useful.

7.Suggest one sound, movement, or prop that could help an audience sense the storm without making fun of the atua or the kōrero. Explain why it fits.

8.Write two short lines for a narrator: one that introduces the chosen moment and one that connects it to Matariki today. Use at least one te reo Māori word accurately.

9.A performer is not comfortable speaking on stage. Name a meaningful alternative role and explain how it still contributes to the group’s retelling.

10.After rehearsing, name one choice your group would keep and one respectful improvement you would make. Explain how each could help the audience understand the kōrero.