📚 Unit Plans → 🌍 Literacy Fundamentals: Structured Literacy & Phonics → 📖 Lesson 5: Culture & Systems Integration → 📄 Cultural Identity Deep Dive
Years 7–10 Reo Pākehā / English
🧺 Te Kete Ako

Cultural Identity Deep Dive

Cultural Identity Deep Dive · Years 7–10

Year LevelYears 7–10
TypeStudent handout — classroom resource

Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions

  • Read and interpret texts for meaning, purpose, and author intent
  • Identify and analyse language choices, text structure, and rhetorical techniques
  • Write clearly and purposefully for a specific audience using appropriate conventions
  • Evaluate the credibility and perspective of texts and sources

Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria

  • I can identify the author's purpose and explain how the text achieves it
  • I can point to specific language choices and explain their effect on the reader
  • My writing is clear, focused, and uses appropriate conventions for the form
  • I can evaluate a source's credibility with reference to specific textual evidence
← Back to Handouts

🪞 Cultural Identity Deep Dive

Exploring who we are through culture, whānau, and belonging

What is Cultural Identity?

🌟 Your Identity is Multi-Layered

Cultural identity is the sense of belonging you feel to a group or culture. It's shaped by many things: your family history, where you live, the languages you speak, the traditions you practice, and the values you hold. No two people have exactly the same cultural identity — even within the same family.

In Aotearoa, we are a diverse nation with many cultures living together. Understanding our own cultural identity — and respecting the identities of others — helps us build a more inclusive society.

The Layers of Identity

Think of identity like an onion — it has many layers, each one important:

🧑 Personal

Your unique personality, interests, and beliefs

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Whānau/Family

Traditions, stories, and values from your family

🏘️ Community

Your neighbourhood, school, sports teams, groups

🇳🇿 National

Being a New Zealander, shared history and symbols

🌏 Global

Connection to world cultures through media, travel, heritage

Key Vocabulary | Ngā Kupu Matua

Cultural identity / Tuakiri ahurea
The sense of belonging to a particular culture or group
Heritage / Whakapapa
What is passed down from previous generations
Tradition / Tikanga
Customs and practices passed through generations
Belonging / Whai wāhi
The feeling of being part of something bigger
Diversity / Kanorau
The variety of different cultures, identities, and perspectives
Tūrangawaewae
Place to stand; where you feel you belong

📖 Reading Passage: "Where I Stand"

Aroha's Story

Aroha had always felt like she lived between two worlds. Her father was Ngāti Porou from the East Coast, and her mother had immigrated from Samoa as a teenager. Growing up in South Auckland, Aroha was surrounded by friends from dozens of different backgrounds — Filipino, Indian, Tongan, Pākehā, and more.

"Sometimes people ask me 'What are you?' like I have to pick just one thing," Aroha told her class during a Social Studies presentation. "But I don't think identity works that way. I'm Māori and Samoan. I'm a South Aucklander. I'm a netball player and a kapa haka performer. I'm a daughter and a big sister. All of these things together make me who I am."

Aroha explained that her family celebrates both Māori and Samoan traditions. At tangi, they follow Māori tikanga. At family gatherings, Samoan food and language fill the house. "My nana taught me to weave, and my other grandmother taught me to dance the siva. Both of these skills connect me to my ancestors."

She also spoke about the challenges. "When I was younger, I sometimes felt like I wasn't 'Māori enough' or 'Samoan enough.' I didn't speak either language fluently. But I've learned that cultural identity isn't about being perfect or ticking boxes. It's about connection, about respect, about learning and growing."

Aroha's message to her classmates was clear: "Don't let anyone tell you what your identity should be. Explore your heritage. Ask your grandparents questions. Learn the stories. And respect the journeys of others, because everyone's identity is a work in progress."

At the end of her presentation, Aroha performed a short section of her pepeha, connecting herself to her mountains, rivers, and ancestors from both sides of her family. The class responded with applause and the words "Tēnā koe, Aroha."

Comprehension Questions

📝 Retrieval (Finding Information)

  1. What are Aroha's two cultural backgrounds?
  2. Where did Aroha grow up?
  3. Name two skills Aroha learned from her grandmothers.
  4. What did Aroha perform at the end of her presentation?

🔍 Inference (Reading Between the Lines)

  1. Why do you think Aroha felt "between two worlds" when she was younger?
  2. What does Aroha mean when she says "identity isn't about ticking boxes"?
  3. How do you think Aroha's classmates felt after her presentation? What evidence supports your answer?
  4. Why might asking grandparents questions be important for understanding cultural identity?

💭 Evaluation (Making Judgments)

  1. Do you agree with Aroha that "everyone's identity is a work in progress"? Explain your thinking.
  2. Why is it important to respect other people's cultural journeys?
  3. What challenges might someone face if they have a multicultural identity like Aroha's?

🌱 Connection (Relating to Yourself)

  1. What parts of your identity do you feel most connected to?
  2. Have you ever felt like you needed to "prove" your identity to others? How did that feel?
  3. What questions would you like to ask your family members about your heritage?

✍️ Reflection Activity

Your Identity Layers

Think about your own layers of identity. Complete the following:

Personal: Three words that describe who I am as an individual...

Whānau/Family: Traditions or values I've learned from my family...

Community: Groups I belong to that shape who I am...

Cultural Heritage: Cultural backgrounds I connect with...

Tūrangawaewae: A place where I feel I truly belong...

📝 Extended Writing Task

Write Your Own "Where I Stand" Piece

Inspired by Aroha's story, write a personal piece (300-500 words) exploring your own cultural identity. Consider:

  • What cultural backgrounds shape who you are?
  • What traditions, foods, languages, or practices connect you to your heritage?
  • Have you ever felt caught "between worlds" like Aroha?
  • What would you want others to understand about your identity?
  • How has your understanding of your identity changed over time?

Remember: Your identity is unique. There are no wrong answers.

🗣️ Class Discussion

Think-Pair-Share Questions

  1. In Aotearoa, we often say we are a "multicultural society." What does this mean in practice? What are the benefits and challenges?
  2. How can we show respect for cultures different from our own?
  3. Why is it important for schools to celebrate cultural diversity?
  4. How might someone's cultural identity affect their experience at school?

Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment

English — Te Reo Pākehā

Level 3–4: Read and interpret a range of texts for meaning and purpose; identify author intent, text structure, and language choices; write clearly for specific audiences and purposes using appropriate conventions.

Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi

Level 3–4: Understand how texts construct knowledge and perspective; evaluate the credibility and purpose of different sources; communicate ideas and findings effectively in written and oral forms.

Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts

Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?

Aronga Mātauranga Māori

In te ao Māori, language — reo — is a taonga: a treasure that carries culture, identity, and whakapapa across generations. The ability to speak clearly, to argue persuasively, to read critically, and to write with purpose are not simply academic skills — they are forms of mana in action. Māori oratory (whaikōrero) has always valued precision, evidence, and the ability to locate one's argument within a broader cultural and ancestral context. Students who develop strong literacy skills are developing the same capacities that made great orators powerful: the ability to be heard, understood, and taken seriously in any room they enter.

Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided

This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. Related materials are linked in the unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.

Curriculum alignment