Unit 2: Master Primary Source Library
Curated entry points and prompts for teaching decolonised Aotearoa history using evidence and multiple perspectives
How to use this library
- Select 3–5 sources that match your lesson focus and learners.
- Use the analysis framework to teach sourcing and perspective: 5-Step Analysis.
- Pair sources where possible: Māori voice + Crown/settler voice + later reflection/analysis.
- Localise carefully with your community: avoid pan-tribal claims; seek guidance for local kōrero.
- Teach with care for trauma-informed practice when topics include violence, injustice, or dispossession.
Scaffolded pathways (choose one)
- Teacher-curated sources (short extracts, visuals, captions)
- Guided questions and vocabulary support
- One strong comparison activity
- Students select from a short menu of sources
- Teach credibility and bias checks explicitly
- Small-group synthesis: “What do we notice across sources?”
- Students locate and justify sources (with guardrails)
- Stronger referencing and triangulation
- Produce a public-facing output (display, podcast, submission)
Core collections (reliable starting points)
He Tohu (foundational documents)
Digital exhibits for key nation-shaping documents.
Use for: Treaty/Tiriti texts, framing questions, museum-style interpretation.
NZHistory
Accessible, classroom-friendly history overviews and media.
Use for: timelines, key events, linking to photos and documents.
Te Ara Encyclopedia
Broad background knowledge to support comprehension of primary sources.
Use for: context before source analysis (avoid “research without background”).
Waitangi Tribunal
Reports and findings on Treaty breaches and impacts.
Use for: evidence of breaches, summaries, and structured findings.
National Library and Papers Past
Newspapers, documents, images, and digitised collections.
Use for: historical newspapers and public debate as primary evidence.
DigitalNZ
Aggregated cultural heritage collections (images, audio, objects).
Use for: photo analysis, posters, media artefacts.
Suggested classroom source sets (mix and match)
Set A: Treaty/Tiriti and interpretation
- Te Tiriti and Treaty texts (use He Tohu for access and framing)
- Short background reading (Te Ara or NZHistory) for context
- Waitangi Tribunal summaries to discuss interpretation and impacts
Prompt: How does translation shape power, and who gets to decide what words mean?
Set B: Protest and resistance (20th century)
- Land march / hīkoi coverage (NZHistory entries + photos)
- Bastion Point / Takaparawhau materials (NZHistory + documentary clips where appropriate)
- Newspaper reports from Papers Past or archived news (compare framing)
Prompt: How do different sources frame protest, and what is missing from each account?
Set C: Local history (rohe-based)
- Local museum archive items (photos, letters, maps)
- Local iwi or hapū public publications (use respectfully and in context)
- Oral histories with permission (or publicly shared recordings)
Prompt: What changes when history is told from the place where you live?
Critical lenses (for senior classes and extension)
Scholarly critique and debate
- Use Māori scholarship and public lectures to examine “settlement finality”, constitutional transformation, and what justice could look like.
- When citing, prefer original talks/reports and reputable interviews; avoid paywalled academic articles unless your school has access.
- Search prompts: “Moana Jackson constitutional transformation”, “Matike Mai Aotearoa report”, “Treaty justice full and final critique”.
📚 Curriculum alignment (NZC Social Sciences)
Builds historical thinking: sourcing, perspective-taking, evidence use, and understanding how interpretations of events differ across time and communities.