Enrichment Suggestion (LF_Te_Ao_Māori): Introduce the concept of Taonga Tuku Iho (treasures handed down). Wealth in a Māori sense isn't just money in the bank; it's land, knowledge, and relationships that allow future generations to thrive.
Draw a simple diagram on the board: A tap pouring water into a bucket. The bucket has some small holes in the bottom.
Ask students: "How can you fill the bucket? You can turn up the tap (earn more), OR you can plug the holes (spend less). Which is harder?"
Imagine a fruit tree (Rākau).
"Generational Wealth" is like planting an orchard for your grandchildren. You might not eat the fruit today, but they will never go hungry.
Question: What are "roots" in the real world? (Land, House, Business, Knowledge).
Some things look like wealth (big car, flashy clothes) but are actually reducing wealth. This is "looking rich" vs "being wealthy".
In Te Ao Māori, wealth isn't just financial. Let's map other forms of "Pūtake" (Roots) that support us.
Whanaungatanga (Relationships). Who has your back when things are tough?
Mātauranga (Knowledge). Knowing your language, history, and tikanga.
Waiora (Health of Environment). Clean water, fertile soil, healthy kai.
We'll look at Māori Economics in more detail, exploring how trade and exchange worked before money arrived.
Use this clip to build shared language for discussing why wealth and income outcomes diverge over time.
Students will engage with this resource to critically examine economic systems — understanding how wealth, power, and resources are distributed in Aotearoa New Zealand, and exploring indigenous and alternative economic frameworks that prioritise collective wellbeing, mana, and tino rangatiratanga over individual accumulation.
Scaffold support: Provide structured comparison frameworks (e.g., two-column tables: "current system vs alternative") for entry-level access. Offer extension tasks asking students to research a specific Māori economic enterprise (e.g., Ngāi Tahu Holdings, Tainui Group Holdings) and evaluate how it balances commercial success with cultural values.
ELL / ESOL: Economic concepts (equity, redistribution, exploitation, surplus value, collective ownership) need concrete grounding — use local NZ examples and visual infographics. Allow oral discussion of economic justice issues before written analysis. Draw connections to students' home countries' economic systems as valid comparative frameworks.
Inclusion: Economic discussions can touch on students' lived experiences of poverty, precarity, or privilege — create a safe, non-judgmental space. Neurodiverse learners benefit from concrete case studies rather than abstract theory. Frame economic justice as a systems problem, not a personal failing — this reframe is both accurate and inclusive.
Mātauranga Māori lens: The Māori economy before colonisation was not "primitive" — it was a sophisticated system of reciprocal exchange (utu), collective resource management (rāhui, kaitiakitanga), redistribution through manaakitanga, and wealth measured in relationships and obligations rather than individual accumulation. Colonisation deliberately disrupted these systems through land confiscation and the introduction of individual title. Contemporary Māori economic development — through iwi corporations, Māori land trusts, and social enterprises — represents a reclamation of rangatiratanga in the economic sphere. The concept of ōhanga Māori (Māori economy) offers a genuinely alternative framework for thinking about justice, sufficiency, and collective flourishing.
Prior knowledge: Students benefit from basic familiarity with how markets and governments work. No specialist economics knowledge required — the unit builds this progressively through accessible case studies.
High-quality resources from official New Zealand education sites to extend and enrich this learning content.
Official financial capability resources for New Zealand schools. Aligned to NZC.