Unit 1 Lesson 5: Traditional Arts & Storytelling

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Focus Pātai for this wānanga

How do traditional arts and kōrero tuku iho function as knowledge technologies?
How can digital tools amplify, not replace, mātauranga Māori?
What responsibilities do we carry when sharing or archiving iwi and whānau stories?

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Learning Intentions

Analyse Māori art forms and oral traditions as repositories of knowledge.
Plan a contemporary project that preserves or revitalises mātauranga.
Collaborate with whānau/hapori partners to ensure tikanga-led outcomes.

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Success Criteria (ākonga-facing)

I can explain how a chosen art form or pūrākau encodes mātauranga.
I can prototype a creative project that honours tikanga and includes whānau voices.
I can articulate how my project serves our community today.

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Te Mātaiaho Threads

Tangata Whenuatanga – whakapapa-informed practice, intergenerational stewardship.
Ngā Toi | Arts – creating, presenting, and responding to cultural taonga.
Hauora & Citizenship – sustaining wellbeing through cultural agency and community service.

Effective from: Term 1 2026 · Review: 15 Haratua 2026

👩‍🏫 Teaching Instructions – Contemporary Te Ao Māori Project Wānanga

Bring together artefact photos, audio recorders, and digital devices. Encourage ākonga to rotate between traditional knowledge stations and the project studio. The checklist below supports pacing and tikanga.

Kaiako Checklist:

Before learning: Use kōrero starters to confirm whose knowledge will be highlighted and what permissions are required.
During learning: Move between stations (Ngā Toi, Pūrākau, Digital Toolkit, Project Studio) capturing notes.
After learning: Guide groups through the project pitch cards and schedule whānau feedback opportunities.

Haerenga Ako – Lesson Flow (90 minutes)

1. Taonga Station Walk (25 mins)

Carousel through stations highlighting whakairo, tukutuku, ta moko/kirituhi, raranga, taonga pūoro.
At each, identify what knowledge is stored, how it’s accessed, and who safeguards it.

2. Pūrākau & Oral Histories (20 mins)

Listen to curated excerpts (Waka Huia, kaupapa podcasts, whānau recordings).
Analyse how storytellers structure memory: repetition, metaphor, waiata, call-and-response.

3. Digital Toolkit Lab (15 mins)

Purpose: Explore tools that can host or enhance mātauranga safely.

🔒 Digital Tikanga Checklist:

Global Permission: Do not post whakapapa or taonga to public clouds (TikTok/YouTube) without direct whānau permission.
Data Sovereignty: Use platforms where you own the content (StoryMap, local files) rather than those that claim ownership.
Context: Ensure stories are not separated from their meaning or used for commercial gain.

4. Project Studio (30 mins)

In groups, choose a mātauranga focus and draft a project blueprint (purpose, audience, taonga, platform, tikanga).
Assign roles (kaiarotake, kaitito kōrero, kaiwhakatangi, kaituku raraunga, kaitohu tikanga).

🚀 Project Pitch Sprint (15 mins)

Pitch Card

Groups complete a one-page pitch: kaupapa, taonga, digital/analogue outputs, tikanga protections, whānau partners, success measures.

Feedback Carousel

Rotate pitches. Peers provide mana-enhancing feedback: “He mea mīharo…”, “Hei whakapai ake…”, “He pātai mā mātou…”.

Whānau Permission Script

"Kia ora [Name], we are learning about preserving knowledge in class. I would love to interview you about [Topic/Ancestor] for my project. I will check with you before sharing anything. Is this okay?"

📊 Mātainuku & Mātairea – Aromatawai

Mātainuku Evidence – Ākonga Can…

Explain how chosen taonga, art forms, or pūrākau encode knowledge and values.
Document insights from whānau interviews or oral histories with accurate referencing.
Outline tikanga considerations to protect knowledge throughout the project.

Mātairea Evidence – Ākonga Can…

Produce a project pitch integrating traditional and contemporary approaches.
Identify community partners and plan how outputs will serve them.
Reflect on their role as knowledge carriers with a personal action statement.

Moderation tag: U1L5-taonga-project

Differentiation & Wellbeing

Offer choice of medium (digital, visual, oral, performance-based).
Provide alternative pathways for students with sensitive whakapapa stories (opt-in sharing).
Check in about time commitments outside kura; adjust project scope where needed.

🧺 Whānau & Hapori Partnerships

Kōrero ki te Whānau

Send home project summary + consent form outlining kaupapa, intended outputs, and how whānau will be credited.
Invite whānau to contribute artefacts, stories, or feedback at checkpoints.
Offer a flexible sharing format (hui, digital gallery, printed booklet) decided alongside whānau.

Next Steps

Schedule presentation/launch date and confirm tikanga (karakia, waiata, acknowledgements).
Upload whānau feedback to moderation folder tagged U1L5-whānau.
Plan reflection circle after the showcase to review impact and ongoing responsibilities.

Whakaaro – Closing Reflection

We conclude the unit by pledging to carry mātauranga with integrity. Each ākonga shares one commitment for continuing their project or supporting whānau knowledge after the showcase.

“He taonga tuku iho te mātauranga – knowledge is a treasured inheritance.”

🎬 Media Anchor

Use this clip to examine how contemporary performance and storytelling carry mātauranga into modern spaces.

Pause and discuss: What cultural values are encoded through movement, language, and performance in this clip?
Transfer task: Add one storytelling technique from the clip into your project pitch card.

Curriculum alignment

NZC (2007) · Social Studies · Level 4: “Understand how people pass on and sustain culture and heritage for different reasons and that this has consequences for people.”