Te Ao Māori is not just a subject we study — it is the lens through which we understand ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the world. This 6-8 lesson unit establishes the cultural foundation that enriches all learning. Students explore whakapapa (genealogy), tikanga (values and practices), mātauranga Māori (Indigenous knowledge systems), Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the contemporary vitality of te ao Māori through five linked lessons.
"He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata."
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, people, people.
The unit is designed for Years 7–8 with differentiated scaffolding. It assumes no prior te reo Māori fluency — te reo terms are defined in context throughout. All five lessons link to each other and to existing handouts in this unit's resource folder.
🎬 Video: Rangatahi Voices from Koroneihana
RNZ captures rangatahi reflecting on Kīngitanga today — perfect for launching kōrero around collective identity, whakapapa, and responsibilities to whānau, hapori, and whenua.
Before: Revisit key kupu for Kīngitanga, whakapapa, manaakitanga. Ask ākonga to name a leader or kaitiaki who anchors their whānau.
During: Pause at 0:45, 1:55, 2:55 to capture quotes and values that resonate. Track how each rangatahi links identity to place, whakapapa, or future roles.
After: Think-Pair-Share — "Which responsibility from the video sits closest to your own whānau?" Link to the Lesson 1 whakapapa map tasks.
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga — Learning Intentions
By the end of this unit, ākonga will be able to:
- Articulate their own whakapapa connections and explain why place and ancestry matter to identity
- Describe mātauranga Māori as a valid and sophisticated knowledge system, distinct from but complementary to Western science
- Analyse Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a living document with contemporary relevance for all New Zealanders
- Apply te ao Māori values (kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga) to a real challenge in their own community
- Engage respectfully with cultural practices including karakia, pepeha, and traditional arts
Paearu Angitu — Success Criteria
- I can explain at least two core concepts from te ao Māori (e.g., whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga) with a real example
- I can describe how mātauranga Māori contributes to knowledge that Western frameworks alone can miss
- I can use evidence from Te Tiriti to support a position on partnership or historical agency
- I can identify connections between traditional Māori knowledge and a contemporary issue
Entry / On-level / Extension
- Entry (Years 7–8, or students new to te ao Māori): Focus on Lessons 1–2 (whakapapa and tikanga). Use scaffold cards for key concepts. Accept oral or visual responses for the identity portfolio. Pair with bilingual buddies for te reo tasks.
- On-level: Complete all five lessons. Produce a multimedia identity portfolio and a community action proposal. Include peer feedback cycles before final submission.
- Extension (Years 9–10 or confident learners): Research one contemporary issue (e.g., climate, health equity, urban Māori identity) through both mātauranga Māori and Western frameworks. Present a synthesis with evidence from both systems. Write a submission-style argument using Te Tiriti obligations as the framework for critique.
Inclusion and Accessibility
- ELL / ESOL learners: Provide bilingual concept cards (English / Te Reo Māori). The whakapapa framework is cross-cultural — allow students to connect to their own ancestral identity systems first. Accept home-language drafts before English outputs.
- Neurodiverse learners / ADHD: Post the driving question for each lesson visually. Use the identity portfolio as a running anchor task across all five lessons. Accept audio recordings, visual timelines, or concept maps alongside written evidence.
- Mātauranga Māori lens: This unit IS the cultural frame, not an add-on. Treat te ao Māori knowledge as primary, not supplementary. Kaumātua or whānau connections add authenticity — invite them as learning partners where possible.
Social Sciences / Tikanga-ā-Iwi — Level 4
"Understand how the ways in which leadership of groups is acquired and exercised have consequences for communities and societies."
Social Sciences, Level 4 — Identity, Culture and Organisation
"Understand how cultural practices vary but reflect similar purposes."
Social Sciences, Level 4 — Culture and Heritage
Te Reo Māori — Level 4
"Communicate information, experiences, and ideas for a range of purposes in familiar contexts."
Te Reo Māori, Level 4 — Communication
Key Competencies
- Thinking: Students reflect on their own identity and cultural positioning, developing awareness of diverse worldviews and knowledge systems
- Relating to Others: Whakapapa and whānau connections emphasise relationships, collective identity, and responsibility to others
- Participating & Contributing: Community engagement with kaumātua, participation in cultural practices, and contributing to collective learning
- Using Language, Symbols & Texts: Te reo Māori acquisition, understanding of cultural symbols, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary texts
- Lesson 1: Whakapapa & Personal Identity Lessons 1–2
- Lesson 2: Tikanga & Values in Action Lesson 3
- Lesson 3: Mātauranga Māori as Knowledge Lesson 4
- Lesson 4: Cultural Expression & The Arts Lessons 5–6
- Lesson 5: Contemporary Te Ao Māori & Te Tiriti Lessons 7–8
Weekly Overview
| Lessons | Lesson | Big Question | Key Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Whakapapa & Identity | "Ko wai au? Ko wai koe?" | Personal whakapapa exploration, community connections map, pepeha construction |
| 3 | Tikanga & Values | "He aha tō tikanga?" | Tikanga case studies, values mapping, kawa o te whare protocols |
| 4 | Mātauranga Māori | "He aha te mātauranga Māori?" | Dual-knowledge comparison, rongoā or navigation inquiry, kaitiakitanga project design |
| 5–6 | Cultural Expression | "Toku reo, toku ohooho" | Haka analysis, waiata creation, contemporary Māori artist research, craft workshop |
| 7–8 | Contemporary Te Ao Māori | "He whakatōhea tātou katoa" | Te Tiriti analysis, community action initiative, capstone presentations |
This unit is grounded in the concept of whakapapa — not just genealogy, but the principle that everything has a relational genealogy. Ideas have whakapapa. Knowledge systems have whakapapa. Understanding where things come from, and how they connect, is the foundation of te ao Māori epistemology.
The unit treats mātauranga Māori not as "cultural enrichment added to a Western curriculum" but as a primary knowledge system with its own logic, rigour, and scope. Students who understand this distinction can participate meaningfully in Aotearoa's bicultural future.
Kaitiakitanga (environmental guardianship), manaakitanga (care and hospitality), and whanaungatanga (relatedness and connection) are the three values woven through every lesson. They are not abstract principles — they are practices with specific forms in specific contexts. The unit teaches what they look like in action.
A note on tikanga: always contact your school's kaumātua or local iwi before inviting students to perform haka or engage with sacred taonga. This unit provides the framework — local cultural knowledge partners provide the legitimacy.
Formative Assessment (throughout)
- Portfolio entries: After each lesson, students add one page to their identity portfolio — drawing on, or extending, the lesson's key activity
- Kōrero pairs: Two-minute structured discussions at the start of each lesson — "what stayed with you?" — builds oral language and checks understanding
- Exit tickets: Three questions: one thing I now know, one thing I want to know more about, one question I have for a community member
Summative Assessment: Community Action Initiative (Lessons 7–8)
Student groups identify a real issue in their school or community and develop a response that integrates mātauranga Māori with contemporary approaches. Groups present to an audience (whānau, local leaders, or peers from other year groups).
Presentation must include:
- Identification of the issue and its whakapapa (how it came to be)
- Analysis using both mātauranga Māori and at least one other knowledge framework
- A proposed response grounded in kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, or whanaungatanga
- Pepeha opening and karakia — following tikanga of the presenting group
Alternative Assessment Pathways
- Multimedia portfolio: Personal whakapapa map, cultural values analysis, and contemporary connections — submitted digitally or as a physical tūāhua (display)
- Research investigation: Deep inquiry into one traditional practice or knowledge domain, with cross-system comparison
- Oral examination: 5-minute kōrero with kaiako, following a structured rubric. Appropriate for students for whom writing is a barrier
Cultural safety first: If you are not of Māori descent, partner with your school's Māori staff, kaumātua, or local iwi rūnanga before starting. Students who whakapapa Māori may have deep personal connections to this content — create space for that, and for those who feel disconnected from their cultural identity too.
What to print before Lesson 1: Whakapapa map template (Lesson 1 handout), pepeha sentence frames, and te reo Māori term cards (one set per table). The handouts folder for this unit contains all required materials.
Known misconception: Students often conflate "Te Ao Māori" with "history." This unit treats te ao Māori as contemporary, living, and evolving — not a relic. Counter the history frame early and often by using current examples (Koroneihana video, contemporary Māori leaders, current Treaty settlements).
Pastoral care note: Whakapapa exploration may surface difficult family situations (absent parents, adoption, iwi disconnection). Prepare flexible scaffolding: students who don't know their whakapapa can explore the whakapapa of a chosen mentor, ancestor, or place instead.
Handouts in this unit: Treaty of Waitangi analysis, Dawn Raids comprehension, and haka analysis handouts already exist in the resources folder. Check links before printing.
🔗 Unit Progression & Next Steps
The unit begins with the self and widens to Te Tiriti and living tradition. Each lesson adds a layer of te ao Māori understanding:
- 📖 Lesson 1: Ko Wai Au? — Students explore their own identity and pepeha as a foundation for understanding belonging, whakapapa, and whanaungatanga.
- 📖 Lesson 2: Mātauranga Māori — Traditional Knowledge Systems — Investigate what traditional knowledge systems offer that Western frameworks alone can miss.
- 📖 Lesson 3: Haka & Cultural Expression — Examine haka and cultural expression as living transmission of values, history, and identity.
- 📖 Lesson 4: Te Tiriti o Waitangi — Analyse Te Tiriti and use its text as evidence for a position on partnership and historical agency.
- 📖 Lesson 5: Traditional Arts & Storytelling — Explore how traditional arts and pūrākau carry and pass on mātauranga across generations.
The unit bridges to a contemporary issue students care about, connecting traditional Māori knowledge to the world they live in now.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ I can explain at least two core concepts from te ao Māori (e.g., whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga) with a real example.
- ✅ I can describe how mātauranga Māori contributes to knowledge that Western frameworks alone can miss.
- ✅ I can use evidence from Te Tiriti to support a position on partnership or historical agency.
- ✅ I can identify connections between traditional Māori knowledge and a contemporary issue.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Entry-level learners: Provide a concept-and-example template (name the concept, define it, give one real example from the lesson) and sentence starters for the Te Tiriti position. Begin from the student's own pepeha, which they already hold.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key kupu (whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, mātauranga, rangatiratanga) with visuals; allow home-language thinking time; pair the Te Tiriti text with a plain-language summary alongside the original.
Accelerated learners: Compare a mātauranga Māori and a Western explanation of the same phenomenon and evaluate what each reveals; extend the contemporary-issue connection into a researched argument citing Te Tiriti.
Neurodiverse / Inclusion: Offer choice in how cultural expression is engaged (perform, analyse, or design); keep tasks in predictable stages; provide quiet processing time before whole-class kōrero.