Best for
Whakawhanaungatanga, oral language, Te Reo Māori foundations, and Unit 1 openings where students need a clear scaffold before speaking in front of others.
Te Reo Māori • Whanaungatanga • Years 5-10 • Identity-safe starter
Pepeha Builder
Use this handout to help ākonga build a pepeha or place-based introduction that is respectful, safe, and grounded in Aotearoa contexts. It keeps mātauranga Māori visible while making it clear that students do not have to disclose iwi, hapū, or family details they do not know or do not wish to share.
Free classroom starter, premium localisation path
This version is ready to print and use tomorrow. If you need a junior version, bilingual prompts, a school mihi format, or a rohe-specific adaptation, Te Wānanga can reshape the scaffold without flattening the mātauranga Māori lens.
- Add local place names, school references, or iwi-specific guidance.
- Create support, core, and stretch versions for mixed-readiness classes.
- Save your adapted version for later in My Kete or Creation Studio.
Kaiako planning snapshot
- Use length: 25-40 minutes for drafting and rehearsal, or two shorter sessions if you want time for whānau follow-up.
- Grouping: Whole-class modelling first, then individual planning with pair rehearsal or teacher conferencing.
- Prep: Decide what counts as safe sharing in your class before asking students to name people, places, or whakapapa connections.
- Teaching move: Say explicitly that a pepeha can be adapted and that local variation matters across iwi, hapū, whānau, and rohe.
Resources already provided
- Identity-safe guidance for students who do not know every detail
- Chunked line-by-line planning scaffold
- Rehearsal prompts and final draft space
- Support, core, and stretch pathways
- Curriculum companion for kaiako planning and reporting
If the lesson mentions planning prompts, speaking rehearsal, or a printable final draft sheet, those supports already exist on this page.
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga / Learning Intentions
- We are learning how a pepeha helps express identity, belonging, and connection to place.
- We are learning how to build an introduction that respects mātauranga Māori and local variation.
- We are learning how to rehearse a short spoken introduction with confidence.
Paearu Angitu / Success Criteria
- I can explain what a pepeha does and why it matters in Aotearoa.
- I can draft an introduction using details I am comfortable and allowed to share.
- I can rehearse my lines orally, visually, or with a partner before presenting.
Curriculum integration / Te Marautanga alignment
Use the companion page to make the curriculum link explicit around pepeha structure, oral introductions, whanaungatanga, and the acknowledgement of people and place in Aotearoa classrooms.
Why this matters in Aotearoa
A pepeha is more than an icebreaker. It helps students think about relationships to whenua, people, community, and identity through a mātauranga Māori lens. It can also strengthen whanaungatanga when introduced with care.
Not every student will know iwi, hapū, marae, or migration details. Some students are adopted, whāngai, in blended families, recently arrived, or navigating private histories. Good teaching makes room for safe, truthful, and respectful alternatives.
Use this safely and respectfully
- Ask whānau before using specific iwi, hapū, marae, or ancestral details in a public task.
- If you do not know a detail, use a place, kura, community, or support person connection instead of guessing.
- Different iwi and hapū organise pepeha differently, so avoid teaching one single formula as the only correct version.
Build your introduction one part at a time
1. Place
What mountain, river, sea, suburb, town, or rohe helps tell your story?
Ko ______________________________ te maunga / te awa / te moana.
2. People
Who are the people or communities that hold you up?
Ko ______________________________ tōku whānau / hapori / kura.
3. Place of belonging
What place do you feel connected to now, even if it is different from where your ancestors came from?
Kei ______________________________ ahau e noho ana.
4. Your closing line
Finish with the name you would like to use in class.
Ko ______________________________ tōku ingoa.
My full draft
Write your draft below. You may use te reo Māori only, English support notes, or a bilingual version if that helps you rehearse.
Rehearsal and delivery
Voice practice
Circle one goal for today: clear pronunciation, steady pace, eye contact, or calm breathing.
Partner feedback
What helped your partner feel connected to your introduction?
Alternative response mode
If speaking live is not the best fit today, record an audio version, draw a place map, or rehearse only the first two lines with support.
Support, core, and stretch pathways
Support
Keep one line visible at a time, use word banks or place cards, and orally rehearse before writing so the task stays chunked and manageable.
Core
Complete a four-line draft and rehearse it with a partner or kaiako before sharing with the class.
Stretch
Add a mihi opener, explain one line in English, or compare how your class version may differ from a local iwi or whānau version.
Neurodiversity and inclusion note: offer oral rehearsal, visual cue cards, teacher scribing, and quiet presentation options before expecting a polished whole-class delivery.
Teach this tomorrow
Print or share
- One copy per learner
- Optional class word bank or pronunciation model
Decide before class
- What details students should never feel forced to share
- Whether you are using a localised or classroom-general scaffold
Good progress looks like
- Students understand that pepeha is about respectful connection, not performance only
- Drafts are accurate, safe, and spoken with growing confidence
Natural continuation
- Move into whakapapa mapping, mihi, or local place inquiry
- Adapt it in Te Wānanga for your kura or bilingual programme
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi
Level 3–4: Understand how cultural identity, whakapapa, and tikanga shape people's place in their community and the world; recognise and respect the significance of te Tiriti o Waitangi and the contribution of Māori culture to Aotearoa New Zealand's national identity.
Te Reo Māori — Language and Culture
Level 3–4: Use te reo Māori to express identity, whakapapa, and cultural concepts with accuracy and respect; understand the significance of place names, personal names, and whakapapa as cultural knowledge systems.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
Pepeha is one of the most important forms of self-introduction in te ao Māori — not because it names who you are as an individual, but because it locates you within a web of relationships: your maunga, your awa, your waka, your hapū, your iwi, your tīpuna. This is a profoundly different understanding of identity from the Western "tell me about yourself." In Māori thought, you are not separate from your land, your water, your ancestors, and your people — you are constituted by them. A pepeha that is learned by heart is not just a skill: it is an act of claiming your place in the world.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Support Materials
- Whakapapa Family Tree Template (whakapapa-family-tree-template-unit1.html) — build the whakapapa behind your pepeha
- Te Ao Māori Cultural Concepts Word Search (te-ao-maori-cultural-concepts-word-search-unit1.html) — vocabulary for te ao Māori concepts
- Unit 1 Whakapapa Poster Template (unit-1-whakapapa-poster-template.html) — present your pepeha visually
- Unit 1 Guided Inquiry Project (unit-1-guided-inquiry-project.html) — extend pepeha into a deeper cultural inquiry
Curriculum alignment
- Identity, Culture, and Organisation: Understand how cultural identity shapes participation in society — whakapapa, tikanga, and mana as foundations of Māori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.