Years 8-11
Strongest teaching range
Perspective and source work
Primary curriculum fit
Teacher-only planning note
Good Treaty perspective work is not a free-for-all. Students need to stay accountable to source
evidence, historical context, and the power relations shaping who gets heard. Where possible, bring
in local iwi or hapū context so perspective is lived and grounded rather than generic.
Strong fit
Interpreting past experiences, decisions, and actions; make informed
ethical judgements about people's actions in the past, basing them on historical evidence and
taking account of the attitudes and values of the times.
How this handout aligns
The source-comparison grid and continuity / change prompts help students interpret how the same
broad Treaty history can be told differently depending on evidence, position, and purpose.
Historical interpretation
Evidence
Continuity and change
Useful when kaiako want students to explain why historical meaning shifts
across time and source type.
Strong fit
Examining historical, cultural, and social context and identifying
explicit and implicit perspectives in a range of texts.
How this handout aligns
The voice / evidence / purpose / consequence lenses support students to move beyond summary into
interpretation of how texts create meaning.
Perspective
Text studies
Evidence-based writing
Strong bridge between social studies and English-rich analysis of historical
texts.
Aotearoa lens
Treaty teaching in Aotearoa should show that Te Tiriti remains a living
relationship shaped by language, interpretation, and public memory.
How to teach this well
Do not let students confuse "different perspective" with "anything goes". Model how strong
interpretation stays anchored to sources and context while still noticing power, omission, and
mana.
Te Tiriti
Mātauranga Māori
Public memory
Best used when building toward source essays, seminars, or local-history
comparison work.
Puna Kōrero — Sources
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Learning Media.
Ministry of Education. (2021). Te Mātaiaho: The Refreshed New Zealand Curriculum. Ministry of Education.
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. (2021). Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners. Teaching Council.