Whakataukī | Proverb
"He tangata, he tangata, he tangata"
It is people, it is people, it is people.
This lesson explores how all societies are fundamentally about people - their needs, relationships, and collective decision-making.
🎯 Learning Objectives
Knowledge
- Identify key components that make societies function
- Recognize diversity in societal structures worldwide
- Understand the role of Indigenous governance systems
Skills
- Collaborative inquiry and discussion
- Systems thinking and analysis
- Cultural perspective-taking
Values
- Respect for diverse ways of organizing society
- Appreciation for Indigenous knowledge systems
- Commitment to inclusive decision-making
📋 Lesson Structure
🌅 Opening (10 minutes)
Whakataki | Introduction
Teacher Action: Welcome students and share the whakataukī. Ask: "What makes a society work?"
Think-Pair-Share: "What is a Society?"
- Think (2 min): Students individually brainstorm what they think makes a society
- Pair (3 min): Share ideas with a partner, create combined list
- Share (5 min): Pairs contribute ideas to class mind map on board
Cultural Connection: Introduce the concept that there are many ways to organize societies, and we'll be learning from Indigenous and diverse global examples.
🏗️ Main Activity: Society Gallery Walk (25 minutes)
Setup
Pre-arranged stations around the room with information about different societies:
- Station 1: Traditional Māori iwi governance systems
- Station 2: Contemporary Indigenous governance (e.g., Iroquois Confederacy)
- Station 3: Democratic societies (e.g., ancient Athens, modern NZ)
- Station 4: Collaborative communities (e.g., kibbutzim, intentional communities)
- Station 5: Traditional Pacific Island governance
- Station 6: Student choice - research a society that interests them
Gallery Walk Process
Individual Exploration (15 minutes):
- Students visit 3-4 stations, spending 3-4 minutes at each
- Use graphic organizer to record: How do they make decisions? How do they solve problems? What values guide them?
- Encourage questions and curiosity rather than judgment
Group Synthesis (10 minutes):
- Form groups of 4 students who visited different stations
- Share most interesting discoveries
- Identify common elements across different societies
- Prepare one insight to share with class
Teacher Role: Circulate, facilitate conversations, ask probing questions, ensure respectful discussion of all cultures.
🤔 Reflection & Connection (10 minutes)
Class Debrief
Groups share one key insight. Teacher records themes on board.
Key Questions for Discussion:
- "What surprised you about how different societies organize themselves?"
- "What common needs do all societies seem to address?"
- "How do Indigenous governance systems compare to what you're familiar with?"
- "What questions do you now have about creating societies?"
Exit Ticket
Students complete on sticky note or digital form:
- One thing that interests you about designing societies
- One question you want to explore in this unit
- Rate your excitement level for this project (1-10) and why
🔄 Closure & Next Steps (5 minutes)
Preview: "Next lesson we'll form groups and begin planning our ideal societies. Think about: What kind of society would you want to live in? What values would guide it?"
Connection to Y8 Systems Unit: "This project builds on everything we learned about power, government systems, and Indigenous governance. You'll use those tools to design something completely new."
Cultural Closing: Return to whakataukī - "He tangata, he tangata, he tangata" - remind students that good societies center the wellbeing of people.
📚 Resources & Materials
Required Materials
- Society exploration graphic organizer
- Gallery walk station materials
- Sticky notes for exit tickets
- Whiteboard/chart paper for mind mapping
Connected Resources
Extension Activities
- Research a society not covered in gallery walk
- Interview community elder about traditional governance
- Create visual map of their own community's decision-making
📊 Assessment & Differentiation
Formative Assessment
- Gallery walk graphic organizer completion
- Quality of group discussion participation
- Exit ticket responses showing engagement
- Questions asked during exploration
Differentiation Strategies
- Visual learners: Infographic stations, mind mapping
- Kinesthetic learners: Gallery walk movement, hands-on organizers
- Advanced learners: Additional research station, leadership in group discussions
- Support needed: Partner with strong reader, simplified graphic organizer
🌿 Cultural Authenticity & Safety
Te Ao Māori Integration
- Whakataukī opens and closes lesson with meaningful connection
- Māori governance systems presented with respect and accuracy
- Indigenous knowledge positioned as valuable and sophisticated
- Avoid treating Indigenous systems as "exotic" or "primitive"
Community Partnership
Consider inviting local iwi representative or community elder to share about traditional governance systems. Ensure proper protocols and acknowledgment.
Cultural Safety
- Present all societies with equal respect and curiosity
- Avoid deficit language when discussing different systems
- Encourage questions while maintaining respectful tone
- Acknowledge that students may have personal connections to featured societies
🌐 External Resources & Further Exploration
Explore these carefully curated external resources to deepen understanding of governance systems and democratic processes. These links provide interactive experiences and authentic perspectives from the communities themselves.
🦅 Haudenosaunee Confederacy Official Site
Authentic resource sharing cultural information in historical and contemporary contexts through Indigenous eyes. Excellent for understanding the world's oldest democracy.
Indigenous Governance🏛️ iCivics: Lessons from Antiquity
Interactive lessons about direct democracy in Athens and Roman republic, with games that help students understand how ancient systems influenced modern democracy.
Interactive Learning🗳️ NZ Elections: Teaching Voting
Comprehensive resources aligned with NZ Social Sciences Curriculum for teaching about MMP voting system and democratic participation in Aotearoa.
NZ Democracy🗺️ Native Land Digital
Interactive mapping resource to learn about Indigenous territories, languages, lands, and governance systems worldwide with respectful, community-informed content.
Interactive Maps📚 NMAI Haudenosaunee Guide
National Museum of the American Indian's comprehensive educator guide supporting understanding of Haudenosaunee governance and the Great Law of Peace.
Educator Guide🎓 NZ Parliament Education
Learning resources supporting students' understanding of Parliament, democracy, representation and leadership, with bilingual resources highlighting Māori participation.
Parliamentary Education🎯 Using External Resources Effectively
- Preview before sharing: Teachers should review resources to ensure appropriateness for their students
- Guided exploration: Provide specific questions or tasks when directing students to external sites
- Cultural respect: Emphasize that Indigenous resources represent living cultures and contemporary governance systems
- Critical thinking: Encourage students to compare multiple perspectives and sources
- Connection to lesson: Always link back to core learning objectives about society exploration