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Māori Gardening Vocabulary

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Māori Gardening Vocabulary

Help plan a community garden by learning and using Te Reo Māori gardening words. Read each meaning carefully, notice the macrons, and use the word bank when invited. Answers may use the Māori words shown on this sheet. Word bank: māra, tipu, whakatō, keri, wai, otaota, hoe, rake, seed, flower, soil.

Word detectives

Use this word bank throughout the worksheet: māra — garden; tipu — plant / grow; whakatō — plant or sow; keri — dig; wai — water; otaota — weeds; hoe — spade or hoe; rake — rake. Māori words can have more than one English meaning depending on how they are used.

1.Match each Te Reo Māori word to its English meaning. Write the matching letter beside each word: 1. māra 2. keri 3. wai 4. otaota 5. hoe 6. whakatō. Meanings: A. weeds B. water C. garden D. dig E. spade or hoe F. plant or sow.

1. māra
2. keri
3. wai
4. otaota
5. hoe
6. whakatō

D. dig
A. weeds
B. water
C. garden
E. spade or hoe
F. plant or sow

2.Which listed tool would be most useful for digging a planting hole? Choose one.

A watering can
A spade
A rake

3.Select every word that names a gardening action: keri, wai, whakatō, tipu, māra, otaota.

keri
wai
whakatō
tipu
māra
otaota

Put the words to work

Read each sentence for clues. The word in brackets gives the English meaning you need.

4.Complete the sentence with one word from the word bank: Kei te au i ngā kākano. (I am planting the seeds.)

5.Complete the sentence with one word from the word bank: He tēnei. (This is a garden.)

6.Ari says, “Kei te tipu ngā tipu.” What does this mean in English?

7.True or false? “Otaota” means weeds in the word bank.

TrueFalse

Dig a planting hole

Water seedlings

Remove weeds

8.Match each garden task description in the grid with the best word from the word bank. Use each word once: keri, wai, otaota. Which word goes with digging? Which word describes what is being removed? Which word is used for water?

9.Choose the best word to complete this instruction: “Me whakamahi te ______ hei keri.” (Use the ______ to dig.)

hoe
māra
tipu

10.Write one short Te Reo Māori sentence about a garden task. Use at least two words from the word bank. Example structure: Kei te ______ au i ngā tipu ki te māra. (I am ______ plants in the garden.)