📖 Unit Overview

Unit 1: Te Ao Māori - Cultural Identity & Knowledge Systems

A comprehensive 6-8 week journey exploring Māori worldviews, values, and knowledge systems as the foundation for all learning. This unit establishes cultural identity and understanding of Te Ao Māori as a valid and essential knowledge system.

Year Levels: Years 7-10 (differentiated)

Duration: 6-8 weeks (20-25 hours)

Learning Areas: Social Studies, Te Reo Māori, The Arts

📋 NZC Curriculum Alignment

This unit addresses achievement objectives across multiple learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum.

🌏 Social Studies / Tikanga-ā-Iwi

SS 4-1 Identity, Culture & Organisation

Understand how the ways in which leadership of groups is acquired and exercised have consequences for communities and societies.

Unit Connection: Explores tikanga, rangatiratanga, and traditional Māori leadership structures.

SS 4-2 Culture & Heritage

Understand how cultural practices vary but reflect similar purposes.

Unit Connection: Throughout unit - whakapapa, tikanga, traditional arts, and contemporary expressions.

🌿 Te Reo Māori

TRM 4-1 Communication

Communicate information, experiences, and ideas for a range of purposes in familiar contexts.

Unit Connection: Greetings, pepeha (introductions), whakataukī, and cultural protocols throughout unit.

TRM 4-2 Cultural Knowledge

Demonstrate understanding of the significance of te reo Māori to Māori culture and identity.

Unit Connection: Lessons 2-3 explore language as cultural foundation and identity marker.

🎨 The Arts / Ngā Toi

TA 4-1 Understanding the Arts in Context

Explore and describe the influences of people, places, and times on the making and use of art works.

Unit Connection: Weeks 3-4 focus on haka, waiata, carving, weaving, and contemporary Māori arts.

💡 Key Competencies / Ngā Pūkenga Matua

🤔 Thinking

Students reflect on their own identity and cultural positioning, developing awareness of diverse worldviews and knowledge systems.

🤝 Relating to Others

Whakapapa and whānau connections emphasize relationships, collective identity, and responsibility to others.

🌱 Participating & Contributing

Community engagement with kaumātua, participation in cultural practices, and contributing to collective learning.

🗣️ Using Language, Symbols & Texts

Te Reo Māori language acquisition, understanding of cultural symbols, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary texts.

Unit Content & Weekly Structure

He Taonga - Our Cultural Foundation

Te Ao Māori is not just a subject we study - it is the lens through which we understand ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the world. This unit establishes the cultural foundation that will enrich all learning across every subject at Mangakōtukutuku College.

"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, people, people.

Unit Overview & Learning Vision

Duration & Structure

Time: 6-8 weeks (adaptable to school terms)
Year Levels: 7-10 (differentiated activities)
Frequency: 4-5 lessons per week
Integration: Connects to all subject areas

Learning Vision

Develop strong cultural identity and pride
Understand mātauranga Māori as valid knowledge system
Connect traditional wisdom to contemporary life
Build foundation for lifelong cultural learning

Weeks 1-2: Whakapapa & Personal Identity

"Ko wai au? Ko wai koe?" - Who am I? Who are you?

Learning Focus

Students explore the concept of whakapapa (genealogical connections) as the foundation of identity in Te Ao Māori. They investigate their own connections - to whānau, to place, to knowledge traditions - and understand how these relationships shape who we are.

Key Concepts

Whakapapa: Genealogical connections and relationships
Whakatōhea: Collective identity and belonging
Mauri: Life force and spiritual essence
Whakatōhea: Collective responsibility

Learning Activities

Personal whakapapa exploration project
Te Reo Māori greetings and introductions
Traditional Māori names and their meanings
Community connections mapping

Authentic Assessment

Personal Identity Portfolio: Students create a multimedia presentation about their whakapapa connections, including family/whānau interviews, place-based research, and reflection on how these connections influence their learning and goals.

Weeks 3-4: Cultural Expression & Traditions

"Toku reo, toku ohooho, toku reo, toku mapihi mauri" - My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul

Learning Focus

Students engage with traditional and contemporary forms of Māori cultural expression, understanding how arts, language, and performance carry deep meaning and connect us to our ancestors and each other.

Traditional Arts Focus

Haka: Powerful expression and cultural resistance
Waiata: Song traditions and storytelling
Carving & Weaving: Traditional craft knowledge
Ta Moko: Traditional and contemporary significance

Learning Experiences

Haka analysis and performance (using existing handout)
Contemporary Māori artists research project
Traditional craft workshops with community
Waiata creation and performance

Cross-Curricular Connections

Arts: Visual design principles in traditional patterns and contemporary Māori art

Music: Traditional rhythm, harmony, and modern adaptations of waiata

Physics: Sound waves and acoustics in haka and traditional instruments

Weeks 5-6: Te Tiriti & Historical Experiences

"He whakatōhea tātou katoa" - We are all in this together

Learning Focus

Students explore Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a living document and examine both historical and contemporary Māori experiences, understanding how the past shapes present opportunities and challenges.

Historical Understanding

Te Tiriti Partnership: Original intent and ongoing significance
Māori Agency: Leadership and resistance through time
Urban Migration: 20th century experiences like Dawn Raids
Cultural Survival: How traditions were maintained

Contemporary Connections

Current Treaty settlement processes
Contemporary Māori leadership in politics, business, arts
Modern expressions of tino rangatiratanga
Youth activism and cultural pride movements

Resources Integration

This section utilizes and enhances existing handouts: Treaty analysis and Dawn Raids impact, while creating new contemporary leadership profiles and community connection projects.

Weeks 7-8: Mātauranga Māori in Action

"Mā te huruhuru ka rere ai te manu" - Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly

Learning Focus

Students explore how traditional Māori knowledge (mātauranga Māori) applies to contemporary challenges and opportunities, understanding its relevance in science, technology, environmental management, and community development.

Traditional Knowledge Applications

Kaitiakitanga: Environmental guardianship and sustainability
Rongoā: Traditional medicine and holistic health
Astronomy: Traditional navigation and star knowledge
Agriculture: Traditional growing and land management

Contemporary Integration

Māori entrepreneurs and business innovation
Environmental science and climate change responses
Technology development with cultural protocols
Community development and social innovation

Capstone Project

Community Action Initiative: Student groups identify a real issue in their community and develop a solution that integrates mātauranga Māori with contemporary approaches. Projects are presented to community members, whānau, and local leaders.

Aromatawai - Assessment & Evaluation

Authentic Assessment Approaches

Portfolio Development: Personal learning journey documentation
Community Presentations: Sharing learning with whānau and local groups
Peer Teaching: Students teaching younger learners
Cultural Protocols: Demonstrating appropriate cultural practices
Action Projects: Real-world application of learning

Success Indicators

Cultural Pride: Increased confidence in Māori identity
Knowledge Integration: Connecting mātauranga across subjects
Community Connection: Engaging with local cultural networks
Critical Thinking: Analyzing contemporary issues through cultural lens
Leadership: Taking initiative in cultural learning spaces

Whakamutunga - Unit Reflection

This unit establishes Te Ao Māori as the foundation for all learning at Mangakōtukutuku College. Students complete this journey with a strong sense of cultural identity, deep appreciation for mātauranga Māori, and clear understanding of how traditional knowledge enriches contemporary learning and life.

"Mā te huruhuru ka rere ai te manu" - With cultural knowledge as our feathers, our students can soar.