Understand what a historical perspective is and use the P·E·E framework to describe and explain a perspective.
- A Define "perspective" and explain how it is different from "bias."
- A Identify two different perspectives on the same event and describe what each group believed.
- M Explain why a group held a particular perspective, using at least one piece of specific evidence.
- M Complete a full P·E·E paragraph for one historical scenario.
- E WHAKAHŌHONU: Explain why two perspectives were irreconcilable — what deeper value or worldview clash made agreement impossible?
Lesson 1: What Are Historical Perspectives?
He aha te tirohanga? — Building the foundational skill of historical empathy
Ngā rauemi — Resources for this lesson:
📄 PEE Graphic Organiser (print 1 per student) 📄 Vocabulary Cards (print 1 set per pair) 📄 Newspaper Headline Cards (print 1 set per group of 3)Whakatūwhera — He Mihi / Cultural Opening 5 min
Ko wai au? — Who am I? In te ao Māori, this question is answered through whakapapa — through knowing your connections, your ancestors, where you came from. History is the same. Every person in the past asked "who am I?" and answered through their identity, their community, their values. When we study history, we try to understand those answers.
Today we ask: why did different groups of people — standing at the same moment in history — see things so differently? Why did the rangatira who signed Te Tiriti see it differently from the British governor? Why did a protester at the 1981 Springbok Tour see the same match differently from the person who just wanted to watch rugby?
"He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata."
What is the greatest thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people. — History is always a story of people, and each person saw the world through their own eyes.
Kuputaka — Key Vocabulary 8 min
Students copy these into their history glossary. Pronunciation guide included — practise each word as a class.
A point of view shaped by who you are — your identity, values, experiences, and goals. Every person has a tirohanga. Tirohanga is not the same as bias.
Specific, real proof from sources — a letter, a law, a photograph, a speech — that shows a perspective existed. Without tūāhuatanga, a perspective is just an opinion.
The surrounding circumstances — time, place, culture, social position — that shaped how a person saw the world. Horopaki explains why a perspective made sense to the people who held it.
The ability to understand why people in the past acted as they did — from within their context, not ours. We do not have to agree with them; we must understand them.
A structured position supported by evidence and reasoning. In history, we build a kōkiri — an argument — about why a group held their perspective.
When two perspectives are so different that they cannot be resolved — because they come from fundamentally different worldviews. Excellence requires understanding this.
🔧 Te Anga PEE — The P·E·E Framework 10 min
This is your tool for the entire assessment. Every answer you write — from now until you submit — uses this structure. Learn it well.
Name the group and state their view. Use specific language: "Māori rangatira believed..." / "The British Crown maintained that..."
Pronoun check: name the group, not "they" or "people."
Specific proof from a source. Not "people wrote letters" — instead: "In a 1863 memorandum to the Colonial Office, Governor Grey stated..."
Specificity check: could you find this source if you searched?
Explain WHY they held this view — what values, identity, or context shaped it. This is where Merit and Excellence live.
Depth check: does this explain the root cause, not just the surface reason?
Ngā Mahi — Activities
1He kōrero — The Blind Men and the Elephant 8 min
Read aloud: Six blind men each touch a different part of an elephant and disagree completely about what it is — "It's a wall!" / "No — a rope!" / "A tree trunk!" Each describes what they touched accurately. None is lying. All are partially correct.
- Who was "right"? What makes this a trick question?
- Could any one person have described the elephant accurately by themselves? What was missing?
- How does this apply to history? Why do historians need multiple perspectives to understand an event?
2Waihangatia — Building the Vocabulary 7 min
Use the Vocabulary Cards (one set per pair). Match each card to its definition, then check your answers with another pair.
Then complete this sentence on your PEE Graphic Organiser (top box):
This sentence will be in the introduction of many students' internal assessments. Make it precise now.
3Ngā Rauemi — Newspaper Headline Cards 15 min
In groups of three, receive the Newspaper Headline Cards. Each card shows a different headline about the 1981 Springbok Tour from a different publication or community perspective.
Task: For each headline, apply P·E·E on your graphic organiser:
- P — Who wrote this headline, and what is their perspective on the tour?
- E — What specific words in the headline reveal their perspective? (circle them on the card)
- E — Why might this group have seen the tour this way? What was their context?
4Tō ake wā — Your Own Experience 10 min
Apply the skill to something you know personally. Choose a recent shared event at school (a rule change, a school trip, a sports result, a teacher decision).
On your graphic organiser (bottom section), write a P·E·E paragraph for two different groups who experienced that event differently.
Aromatawai — Formative Assessment 5 min
Exit Ticket (individual)
On a sticky note or the back of their worksheet, students write:
- "A perspective is not the same as a bias because..."
- "One thing I am still confused about is..."
Teacher action: Read before Lesson 2. Students who confuse "perspective" and "bias" need targeted feedback before Case Study lessons begin.
He kitenga — What to Watch For
- Students giving P·E·E with no "why" in the second E — prompt: "Why did they think that? What was their situation?"
- Students describing groups too broadly ("New Zealanders") — prompt: "Which New Zealanders? What made this group different from others?"
- Students with strong personal connections to 1981 or sport — affirm their knowledge and invite them to share context that enriches the class discussion.
🏫 He Kōrero mā te Kaiako — Teacher Notes
Students conflate "biased" with "has a perspective." This is the most common reason students fail to reach Merit. Address it in vocabulary time: a perspective is a coherent worldview shaped by identity. Bias is when a source distorts or selects facts to mislead. Every person has a perspective. Not every source is biased.
In case studies, always introduce the Māori perspective first. This counters the default of treating Māori views as "other" or "alternative." The Māori perspective on land, sovereignty, and identity is the foundational layer on which all NZ history sits.
Some students may have whānau who were involved — on either side. Acknowledge this: "This is recent history that affected real people, some of whose descendants may be in this room. That's why it's important to engage respectfully and think carefully about perspectives." This is a strength, not a complication.
Activities 1–4 total ~40 minutes. If the class runs slow, cut Activity 4 (own event) and assign it as homework. Activity 2 (vocab) and Activity 3 (headlines) are essential — do not cut these. The PEE framework in Activity 3 is the direct preparation for the internal.
🏡 Hononga ki te Kāinga — Whānau Connection
Ask someone at home: "Can you think of a time when you and someone else experienced the exact same event very differently? Why did you see it differently?"
This question opens conversations about history in the whānau context. Students often learn about the 1981 Tour, the NZ Wars, or the Dawn Raids from family members who lived through them. These oral histories are legitimate historical evidence.
Whakaaro — Reflection
History is not a single story — it is a conversation between many voices, each shaped by who they were and what they needed. To be a historian is to listen to all those voices and try to understand them on their own terms. Today you built the most important skill in this standard: the ability to step outside your own tirohanga and see the world through someone else's eyes.
This is not just a history skill. In Aotearoa, where we share this whenua across many cultures, this capacity for whakaaro aroha — historical empathy — is a civic necessity, not just an academic exercise.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to develop NCEA Level 2 historical thinking skills — examining how and why different groups held distinct perspectives on significant events in Aotearoa New Zealand's past, and constructing analytical essays using the PEE (Point–Evidence–Explanation) framework.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can identify the values, beliefs, and circumstances that shaped the perspectives of different historical groups.
- ✅ Students can construct a well-evidenced analytical essay that moves beyond description to explain why perspectives were irreconcilable.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide PEE sentence frames and perspective analysis templates for entry-level access. Students new to historical essay writing benefit from annotated exemplars showing the difference between describing and explaining a perspective. Extend capable writers by asking them to explain the enduring significance of the perspective clash — why does it still shape Aotearoa today?
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key historical vocabulary (perspective, corroboration, reliability, significance, agency) with visual glossaries. Allow oral explanation of perspective analysis before written essay drafts. Sentence starters and argument frames lower the language barrier without reducing the historical thinking demand.
Inclusion: Essay writing is cognitively demanding — chunk the process across multiple sessions with formative checkpoints. Neurodiverse learners benefit from explicit essay structure guides and colour-coded paragraph planning. Oral history discussion forums are a valid alternative assessment pathway for students who need them.
Mātauranga Māori lens: This achievement standard centres events where Māori perspectives have historically been marginalised or misrepresented. Placing tangata whenua perspectives as the primary lens — not as "the other side" — is an act of historical justice. Whakapapa provides a framework for understanding why events like the NZ Wars, land confiscations, and the Dawn Raids were not isolated incidents but linked expressions of colonial power. Tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake frame what was at stake. Students develop empathy and critical historical consciousness together.
Prior knowledge: Students should have foundational knowledge of the relevant historical events (NZ Wars, Treaty of Waitangi, Dawn Raids, or other case study). Familiarity with the PEE structure supports engagement with essay-focused resources.
Curriculum alignment
- NCEA Level 2 History · (5 credits): “Interpret different perspectives of people in an historical event that is of significance to New Zealanders”