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Whakataukī Character Exploration

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Whakataukī Character Exploration

Read the whakataukī and their explanations below. Then use the dairy-farm scenario to explore the values and character traits they express.

Whakataukī and their ideas

Whakataukī are traditional Māori sayings that share ideas about people, preparation, and working together. • He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. — What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people. • Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu. — With feathers, the bird can fly. The saying suggests that having the right support or resources can help someone succeed. • Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. — My strength is not that of an individual, but that of the collective. It recognises the strength people gain by working together. • Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui. — Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.

The farm team’s challenge

After a windy night, Wiremu, Ana, and Mei help prepare the dairy farm for the day. Some feed buckets have blown over, and the team needs to get them ready before the cows are fed. Wiremu gathers the buckets, Ana checks that they are clean, and Mei asks for help carrying the heavier ones. They finish the job by sharing the work and encouraging one another.

1.What is a whakataukī? Choose the best answer.

A Māori proverb or saying
A list of farm tools
A kind of bird
A greeting used only at meals

2.Match each whakataukī to the idea it expresses. Write the correct letter beside each one. 1. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. 2. Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu. 3. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. 4. Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui. A. Be strong, brave, and steadfast. B. People are the most important thing. C. Support or resources can help someone succeed. D. A group can achieve strength together.

1. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
2. Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu.
3. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
4. Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui.

D. A group can achieve strength together.
B. People are the most important thing.
C. Support or resources can help someone succeed.
A. Be strong, brave, and steadfast.

3.Which whakataukī best fits the way Wiremu, Ana, and Mei shared the work? Explain your choice using one detail from the scenario.

4.True or false: Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu suggests that support or resources can help someone succeed.

TrueFalse

5.Fill in the missing words: Kia kaha, kia , kia manawanui. The saying encourages people to be strong, brave, and steadfast.

6.Ana checks that the buckets are clean before they are used. Which positive character trait does this action show? Give one reason.

7.In He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata, what does the repeated phrase he tangata emphasise?

People are important.
The saying is about counting.
People should work alone.
The saying is about birds.

8.Imagine the team finds one bucket that is too heavy for one person. Describe a helpful action that would fit the message of Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.

9.Choose one of the four whakataukī in this worksheet. Explain how its idea could help a group solve a challenge at school, home, or in the community. Include one specific example.

10.Write a short original saying in English, te reo Māori, or both that encourages people to show a positive character trait. Then name the trait your saying promotes.