🌅 Karakia & Psychological Safety
"Kia tau ngā manaakitanga a te mea ngaro" – May the unseen blessings rest upon us.
Opening Protocol (8 minutes)
- Mihi tūhono: Kaiako acknowledges that talking about emotions can be hard. Emphasise manaakitanga, confidentiality, optional participation.
- Safe space agreements: Co-construct quick tikanga (listen with aroha, no fixing, uphold privacy, use "I" statements).
- Breathing anchor: Lead a short Ngā Hau E Whā grounding – four breaths for the winds, connecting hinengaro and wairua.
- Opt-in supports: Point out trusted adults, the chill-out zone, and the school's displayed support pathway before the lesson begins.
🎯 Learning Intentions & Success Criteria
By the end of this lesson, ākonga will be able to:
- Describe taha hinengaro within Te Whare Tapa Whā and why it underpins overall hauora.
- Label a wide range of emotions using precise vocabulary in te reo Māori and English.
- Analyse how emotions manifest in tinana, hinengaro, and whānau relationships.
- Identify personal feelings triggers and early warning signs.
- Map trusted support pathways for themselves and their peers.
Success Criteria – Ākonga will demonstrate:
- ✓ Completion of the Kare-ā-roto kōrero chart with three nuanced emotions.
- ✓ Contribution to the Hinengaro Balance Map linking emotions to other pou.
- ✓ Shared support pathway with at least two trusted people/services.
- ✓ Reflection that honours personal limits and next steps.
Kupu / Vocabulary: taha hinengaro, kare-ā-roto, emotional literacy, trigger, coping, regulation, support pathways, hauora.
Media Anchor (8 mins)
Video: The Significance of Te Whare Tapa Whā
- How does nutrition influence not just taha tinana, but also taha hinengaro and wairua?
- What one nutrition change can you test safely and consistently this week?
Activity 1: Mood Check & Agreements (10 minutes)
Ngā Kare-ā-roto Temperature Check
5 min individual + 5 min huiPrivate Mood Snapshot (5 minutes)
- Distribute the Kare-ā-roto Check-In card and remind ākonga they may complete it privately, from a fictional scenario, or through a teacher conference.
- Ākonga circle where they are on the mauri continuum (mauri moe → mauri tau → mauri oho → mauri ora) and jot one word describing how they feel right now.
Class Agreements Hui (5 minutes)
Facilitation prompts:
- "What do we need from each other so this kōrero feels safe?" (examples: confidentiality, listening, body breaks)
- "What are signs someone might need awhi? What can we do?"
- Record agreements on chart paper, visible all week.
Activity 2: Emotion Language Lab (18 minutes)
Kupu Kare – Expanding Emotional Vocabulary
Mini-ako + station rotationMini-ako (4 minutes)
Introduce the idea that language shapes how we understand emotions. Share a bilingual emotion spectrum (e.g., hōhā, manahau, pōuri, hohou rongo).
Emotion Stations (10 minutes)
Station A: Emotion Wheels
Pairs sort feelings into the five zones (joy, fear, anger, sadness, energy). They must add one te reo term per zone using the bilingual wheel.
Station B: Body Signals
Trace outlines noting physical cues (e.g., tight shoulders, butterflies) for selected emotions.
Station C: Thought Patterns
Sort example self-talk statements into "helpful" vs "unhelpful" responses; rewrite unhelpful ones collectively.
Whole-Class Synthesis (4 minutes)
- Create a large Class Emotion Lexicon anchor chart with contributions from each station.
- Highlight cultural concepts like whakamā, whakamanawa, whakaaro pai.
Activity 3: Hinengaro Balance Map (20 minutes)
Linking Emotions to Te Whare Tapa Whā
Group mapping + gallery walkResources: Large format Hinengaro Balance Map (new handout), sticky notes, markers.
- Small groups (10 minutes): Choose one emotion experienced today. On the map, record:
- Tinana: What happens in the body?
- Hinengaro: What thoughts/beliefs surface?
- Whānau: Who/what relationships are impacted?
- Wairua: Does it affect purpose, values, or connection to whenua/faith?
- Protective & risk factors (5 minutes): Add green sticky notes for supports (kai, sleep, karakia, trusted adults) and orange notes for drains (social media spiral, exams).
- Gallery walk (5 minutes): Groups circulate, silently reading each map and leaving mana-enhancing feedback ("I notice…", "A next step could be…").
Activity 4: Support Pathways Hui (10 minutes)
From Feeling to Action
Pair share + whole groupIntroduce the Tautoko Support Pathways Map showing four levels of support: self-support, peer/whānau, school-based, and wider community or professional support.
Guided Kōrero Prompts
- "When I feel ______, my early warning sign is…"
- "One tikanga-friendly strategy that helps me regulate is…"
- "A person or service I trust is… because…"
- Pair plan a code word/emoji to use if they ever need support from each other.
Close by reiterating the school pastoral contact process and any approved external supports your kura has chosen to display. Offer optional written card submission for anyone seeking follow-up.
Whakamutunga – Closing the Loop (7 minutes)
Silent Reflection (3 minutes)
Ākonga complete the reflection section on the Kare-ā-roto Check-In card: "Today I learned… / One support I will lean on…"
Karakia Whakamutunga (2 minutes)
Use "Whakairia" or school karakia to settle wairua, acknowledging emotions released.
Exit Strategy (2 minutes)
Students choose one of three exit options: share aloud, pass quietly, or check-in privately with kaiako/counsellor. Provide follow-up sign-up sheet.
🏠 Homework / Extension
Required: Emotion Journaling (10 minutes each evening)
Using the Hinengaro Daily Journal, record one emotion each day, its trigger, body cues, and a support action.
- Bring the journal to Lesson 7 for the stress toolkit activity.
- If journaling feels unsafe, students can instead create an audio note or visual art reflection.
Optional: Whānau Wānanga (15 minutes)
Share the class agreements with whānau. Invite them to add one strategy that supports hinengaro wellbeing at home.
🧰 Teacher Preparation & Notes
- Trauma-informed practice: Have a guidance counsellor or trusted adult on standby. Remind students they can step out.
- Pronunciation: Practise emotion kupu with correct macrons (provide audio support if available).
- Resources to prep: Kare-ā-roto Check-In cards, bilingual emotion wheel posters, Hinengaro Balance Maps, Tautoko Support Pathways Maps, and Hinengaro Daily Journals.
- Data privacy: Any written reflections should be stored securely or returned to ākonga.
📋 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.
Curriculum alignment
- Health & Physical Education: Understand that wellbeing is a dynamic state determined by physical, social, mental/emotional, and spiritual dimensions of health.
- Social Sciences: Understand how people participate individually and collectively to support community wellbeing.