🌍 What Are Values?
Values are the principles and beliefs that guide how we live, make decisions, and treat others. Different cultures emphasize different values, and understanding this helps us work together in diverse communities.
🧺 Te Kete Ako
Value Systems Comparison
Value Systems Comparison · Years 7–10
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Investigate a significant question using evidence from multiple sources
- Analyse and evaluate information to form and support a reasoned position
- Connect learning to real-world contexts, including Aotearoa New Zealand settings
- Communicate understanding clearly and accurately for a specific audience
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I use at least two sources and can evaluate their credibility
- My position is clearly stated and supported by specific evidence
- I can connect my learning to at least one real-world Aotearoa context
- My communication is clear, organised, and appropriate for the audience
Key Cultural Value Systems
🌿 Te Ao Māori Values
Core Māori values include:
- Whanaungatanga — relationships, kinship, connection
- Manaakitanga — hospitality, kindness, respect
- Kaitiakitanga — guardianship, protection of resources
- Aroha — love, compassion
- Kotahitanga — unity, working together
- Mana — prestige, authority, spiritual power
🌺 Pacific Values
Pacific cultures often emphasize:
- Fa'a Samoa / Faka Tonga — the "way" of the culture
- Tapu & Noa — sacred and ordinary
- Tautua — service to family and community
- Respect for elders — wisdom of experience
- Collectivism — community before self
🏮 East Asian Values
Influenced by Confucianism:
- Filial piety — respect for parents
- Harmony — avoiding conflict
- Education — high value on learning
- Hard work — diligence and effort
- Face — reputation and dignity
🗽 Western Values
Influenced by Enlightenment thinking:
- Individual freedom — personal choice
- Equality — equal rights for all
- Democracy — voice in decisions
- Innovation — progress and change
- Achievement — personal success
Comparison at a Glance
| Value Dimension | Collectivist Cultures | Individualist Cultures |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | "We" — defined by group membership | "I" — defined by personal traits |
| Decision Making | Consult family/community | Make own choices |
| Success | Family/group achievement | Individual achievement |
| Conflict | Avoid to keep harmony | Address directly |
| Elders | Highly respected, obeyed | Respected but can disagree |
⚠️ Important Note
These are generalizations. Individuals within any culture vary greatly. Never assume someone's values based on their background — ask and listen!
🇳🇿 NZ Curriculum Values
Values in the NZ Curriculum
Schools are encouraged to foster these values:
- Excellence — aiming high and persevering
- Innovation — thinking creatively
- Diversity — respecting and valuing differences
- Equity — fairness for all
- Community — contributing to society
- Ecological Sustainability — caring for our environment
- Integrity — honesty and ethical behavior
- Respect — for self, others, and human rights
✏️ Activities
Activity 1: My Top 5 Values
From the values discussed, choose your personal top 5 and explain why:
- _________________ because _________________
- _________________ because _________________
- _________________ because _________________
- _________________ because _________________
- _________________ because _________________
Activity 2: Values in Conflict
Sometimes values clash. How would you handle this scenario?
"Your family values loyalty and expects you to support a relative's new business. But you value honesty and the business seems to be doing something unethical."
My response:
👩🏫 Teacher Notes
Curriculum Links
- Social Studies: Understand how cultural practices reflect beliefs and values
- Religious Studies: Ethics and world views
- Health: Relationships, identity
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi
Level 3–4: Investigate social, cultural, environmental, and economic questions; gather and evaluate evidence from diverse sources; communicate findings and reasoning clearly for different audiences and purposes.
English — Communication
Level 3–4: Read, interpret, and evaluate information texts; write clearly and purposefully for specific audiences; apply critical thinking skills to evaluate sources and construct well-reasoned responses.
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
This resource sits within a kaupapa that recognises mātauranga Māori as a living knowledge system with its own frameworks, values, and ways of understanding the world. The New Zealand Curriculum calls for learning that reflects the bicultural partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which means every subject area has an obligation to engage authentically with Māori perspectives — not as cultural decoration but as substantive contributions to how we understand our topics. The concepts of manaakitanga (care for others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationship and belonging), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) provide a values framework applicable across all learning areas, and all are relevant to the work in this handout.
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.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to explore the intersection of STEM disciplines and mātauranga Māori — understanding how Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science share complementary ways of knowing the world.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can identify connections between mātauranga Māori and STEM concepts in this resource.
- ✅ Students can explain how dual knowledge systems strengthen understanding of natural phenomena.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide concept maps or sentence frames to scaffold access for students at the entry level. Offer extension tasks exploring specific mātauranga Māori knowledge domains (e.g., tohu āhua rangi, rongoā, whakapapa o te taiao) in greater depth.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key vocabulary in both te reo Māori and English — including domain-specific STEM terms. Bilingual glossaries and visual anchors support comprehension. Allow students to demonstrate understanding in their preferred language.
Inclusion: Tasks are designed for a range of readiness levels. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured, chunked activities with clear success criteria. Use hands-on, inquiry-based formats where possible. Affirm the value of different ways of knowing.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Mātauranga Māori encompasses astronomy, ecology, navigation, agriculture, and medicine — systems of knowledge developed over centuries. This unit treats mātauranga Māori as epistemically equal to Western science, not supplementary. Bring kaitiakitanga as a guiding ethic: knowledge is held in relationship, not extracted.
Prior knowledge: Students benefit from baseline understanding of the relevant STEM domain. No specialist te reo Māori knowledge required — glossaries provided. Best used after introductory lessons or as a standalone exploration.
Curriculum alignment
- Nature of Science — Knowledge: Science is a way of investigating, understanding, and explaining our natural, physical world; mātauranga Māori offers complementary systems of knowledge that enrich scientific understanding.
- Identity, Culture, and Organisation: Understand how different knowledge systems — including mātauranga Māori — shape how communities relate to the natural world.