Whānau is the Māori word for family. Families come in all shapes and sizes — what matters most is the love, support, and connection between people. Every family is special!
🧺 Te Kete Ako
Whānau & Family Structures
Whānau & Family Structures · 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
👪 Types of Families
👨👩👧👦
Nuclear Family
Parents and children living together
👴👵👨👩👧
Extended Family
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins
👨👧👦
Solo Parent
One parent with children
👨👩👧👦👨👩👦
Blended Family
Step-parents and step-siblings
👵❤️👧
Grandparent Family
Grandparents raising grandchildren
🤝
Foster or Whāngai
Children cared for by others
🌿 Whānau in Te Ao Māori
- Whānau — immediate and extended family
- Hapū — sub-tribe, group of whānau
- Iwi — tribe, many hapū together
- Whakapapa — genealogy, family connections
- Tuākana-teina — older sibling helps younger
- Whāngai — customary Māori adoption
👨👩👧 Roles in Families
- Māmā — mother
- Pāpā — father
- Tuahine — sister (of a male)
- Tungāne — brother (of a female)
- Kuia — grandmother / elderly woman
- Koroua — grandfather / elderly man
- Mokopuna — grandchild
💝 What Makes a Strong Whānau
- ❤️ Aroha — love, compassion
- 🤝 Manaakitanga — caring for each other
- 💪 Kotahitanga — unity, working together
- 🗣️ Communication — talking and listening
- 🙏 Respect — for all family members
✏️ Activities
Draw or describe your whānau:
- Who is in your whānau?
- What do you do together?
- What makes your family special?
My family is special because:
👩🏫 Teacher Notes
- Social Studies: Identity, culture, relationships
- Health: Relationships
Note: Be sensitive — family structures vary widely and some students may have complex situations.
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 hauora resource to build holistic wellbeing knowledge, connecting te ao Māori perspectives on hauora with personal, social, and environmental dimensions of health.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can explain key hauora concepts using their own words and personal examples.
- ✅ Students can connect te ao Māori frameworks (e.g. Te Whare Tapa Whā) to real wellbeing contexts.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters, graphic organisers, and entry-level tasks to scaffold access. Offer extension challenges for capable learners to address a range of readiness levels.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key vocabulary (hauora, wairua, tinana, hinengaro, whānau). Allow students to draw or respond in their home language as a first step.
Inclusion: Hauora topics can be sensitive — create a safe learning environment. Neurodiverse learners benefit from choice in how they demonstrate wellbeing understanding. Use accessible, non-threatening language.