Video Activity: The Legends of Māui
Video Activity: The Legends of Māui · Years 7–10
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Understand and apply key concepts from te ao Māori to learning and life
- Engage with te reo Māori vocabulary and cultural frameworks with accuracy and respect
- Connect Māori values and concepts to contemporary issues and personal identity
- Recognise the significance of Māori cultural knowledge as a living, relevant system
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I can explain at least three te ao Māori concepts accurately in my own words
- I use te reo Māori vocabulary with correct meaning and appropriate context
- I can connect a Māori concept to a real contemporary situation or personal experience
- My engagement with this material demonstrates genuine curiosity and cultural respect
Video Companion · Video Activity: The Legends of Māui
Use this handout before, during, and after viewing.
Before You Watch
Brainstorm: What do you already know about Māui? Where have you heard or seen stories about him? Note down key events or qualities you associate with the character.
While Watching
Observe: (1) What powers or abilities does Māui have? (2) What challenges does he face? (3) How do other characters respond to him? (4) What values or lessons does the story communicate?
After Watching
Discuss: What makes Māui a compelling character? In what ways does he challenge traditional ideas of a "hero"? How does the story explain aspects of the natural world?
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Character and values
What qualities does Māui demonstrate across the legends? Which of his actions show positive values, and which show he is a flawed character? Why might this complexity be intentional?
2. Explaining the world
Māui legends explain phenomena like fire, the length of days, and the shape of Aotearoa. How do these explanations reflect Māori understandings of the relationship between people and the natural world?
3. Cultural significance
Why do you think these stories have been kept alive and retold across hundreds of years? What would be lost if they were forgotten?
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Level 3–4: Understand how Māori cultural practices, values, and whakapapa shape identity and community; recognise the significance of te Tiriti o Waitangi and the contribution of Māori culture to Aotearoa New Zealand's national identity.
Level 3–4: Use te reo Māori to express cultural concepts, identity, and relationships with accuracy and respect; understand the significance of Māori language as a taonga and its role in sustaining mātauranga Māori.
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 engages directly with te ao Māori as its subject — the values, practices, language, and worldview that have sustained Māori communities across centuries of challenge and change. Mātauranga Māori is not a supplement to this learning: it is the source. Students approaching this material are invited to engage with it not as outside observers studying a foreign culture, but as people in relationship with a living knowledge tradition that shapes the place they live, the language they may speak, and the obligations they carry as tāngata o Aotearoa — people of this land.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided
- Te ao Māori concepts glossary — key terms and their meanings
- Whakapapa framework — for understanding relationships and connections
- Contemporary application guide — connecting traditional concepts to modern contexts
📚 Teacher Resource Notes
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Materials: This resource can be printed or used digitally. No additional materials required unless specified.
Differentiation: Provide sentence starters or word banks for students who need scaffold support. Extend capable learners by asking them to find a real-world NZ example that connects to this resource's theme. Support ELL students by pre-teaching key vocabulary before the activity.
Prior knowledge: Students should have completed the relevant lesson before using this resource, or it can serve as a standalone introduction.
Curriculum alignment
- Social Studies — Understanding: Students understand how systems thinking helps us analyse complex social, economic, and environmental challenges and identify leverage points for change.