Whakapapa Poster Template — He Tauira Tūāhua Whakapapa
Tūhono i ngā whakapapa · Presenting your whakapapa as a visual story · Years 7–9
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Present whakapapa in a clear, visually structured poster format.
- Understand that whakapapa posters communicate identity, belonging, and connection — not just genealogy.
- Make deliberate design choices that reflect tikanga and cultural values.
- Share whakapapa with an audience using appropriate cultural framing.
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- Poster includes at least 3 generations of whakapapa with names, relationships, and connections to place.
- Design choices are explained with reference to cultural values (colour, layout, imagery).
- At least one story or significant event connected to the whakapapa is included.
- Student can speak to the poster for at least 2 minutes using it as a prompt.
He Mahere · Poster Planning Grid
Complete this planning grid before you begin designing your poster. Good planning makes the final product much stronger.
Which generations? Which branch (maternal/paternal/both)? What do I feel comfortable sharing publicly?
Is there a significant ancestor, event, place, or achievement I want to highlight?
Colours, symbols, layout style, images, patterns, te reo Māori text?
Headings, place names, relationship terms (māmā, pāpā, tupuna, etc.)
He Tauira Anga · Whakapapa Structure Template
Use this template as a starting point for the structure of your poster. Adapt it to suit your whakapapa and design choices. Write names in the boxes and connections on the lines.
Generation 3 — Tīpuna Kēkē (Great-grandparents) — optional
Generation 2 — Tīpuna / Koro & Nanny (Grandparents)
Generation 1 — Māmā & Pāpā (Parents)
Ko au / Me
Ngā Wāhi Hononga · Places of Connection
Ngā Mātāpono Hoahoa · Design Principles
For each design element, explain the choice you made and the value it reflects.
| Design Element | My choice | Why / What value does it reflect? |
|---|---|---|
| Colours | ||
| Layout / structure | ||
| Images / symbols | ||
| Te reo Māori used |
He Mahere Whakahua · Presentation Planning
You will speak to your poster for at least 2 minutes. Plan what you will say.
How I will open (consider beginning with a pepeha):
The key story or connection I will share:
How I will close (what do I want my audience to understand or feel after hearing this?)
Āwhina ā-Hoa · Peer Review of Poster
After sharing your poster, ask a classmate to complete this section. Reviewer's name:
One specific strength of this poster:
One design suggestion to make it even stronger:
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Understand whakapapa as a system of knowledge and identity. Communicate cultural understanding to others through appropriate and respectful formats.
Make design choices that communicate meaning. Reflect on how design choices communicate cultural values and identity, and how visual communication can honour the mana of those represented.
Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts
What does it mean to make your whakapapa visible to others? What responsibilities come with sharing this knowledge publicly? What felt important to include — and what did you choose to keep private, and why?
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
In Māori tradition, the display of whakapapa is a significant act — it asserts identity, claims connection to land and people, and positions the person within their community and history. The visual representation of whakapapa in carving, weaving, and painted form on wharenui walls is not decorative: it is a statement of who we are and where we come from. A whakapapa poster made by a rangatahi is participating in this tradition — making visible what connects them, honouring those who came before, and offering that knowledge to others. The care taken in its presentation reflects the mana of those represented within it.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided
- whakapapa-family-tree-template-unit1.html — detailed family tree template to gather the whakapapa data for this poster
- pepeha-builder-template-unit1.html — pepeha structure to use as an opening for the poster presentation
- unit-1-guided-inquiry-project.html — inquiry process for researching whakapapa and connecting it to place and identity
- te-ao-maori-values-matching-game-unit1.html — values vocabulary that can inform the cultural framing of the poster
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.