Lesson at a Glance | He Tirohanga Whakamua
Ngā Whāinga Ako | Learning Intentions
Students will know
- How to structure 3 distinct, analytical Focusing Questions (FQ):
• FQ1 (Causes): Long-term ideological/political roots & immediate triggers.
• FQ2 (Course): Key actions, turning points, and contrasting perspectives.
• FQ3 (Consequences): Immediate impacts & long-term intergenerational legacies. - How to avoid descriptive traps ("What date did X happen?") by using analytical stems ("To what extent...", "In what ways...", "How did...").
Students will demonstrate
- By refining 3 analytical focusing questions with clear source-searching scope notes.
- By completing Section 2 of their Level 3 History Historical Research Portfolio.
Do Now | Tīmatanga Whakaaro (10 min)
Question Quality Prompt:
"Weak question: 'Did the government take land in 1864?' Strong question: 'To what extent did the 1864 NZ Settlements Act serve as an economic tool to punish Kīngitanga iwi and finance colonial infrastructure?' What makes the second question far superior for Level 3 History?"
Unpack: The second question is analytical, invites evidence-based argument, requires evaluating motivations and economic consequences, and sets up an Excellence response!
Focusing Question Framework (15 min)
"What political, economic, and cultural factors led to [Event], and how did key leaders respond?"
"What were the decisive actions and turning points during [Event], and how did Crown and tangata whenua accounts of them differ?"
"What were the immediate and long-term socio-economic consequences of [Event] for tangata whenua and wider Aotearoa?"
Refining Research Scope (15 min)
Level 3 portfolios lose more marks for covering too much than for covering too little. Scope is the decision about what you will not research.
"The causes and effects of the New Zealand Wars." Decades, most of the North Island, many iwi. Every paragraph stays at summary level.
"The Crown's economic motives for raupatu in Waikato, 1863 to 1865." One region, a short span, one line of argument you can evidence properly.
Bound your inquiry on three axes:
- Time: name a start and an end date, and be ready to justify both.
- Place: one rohe, settlement or institution rather than "New Zealand".
- People: which groups are you tracking? Crown officials, a named iwi or hapū, a settler community, a movement.
Write your scope statement in this form: "This inquiry examines [what] in [place] between [date] and [date], focusing on [whose] perspectives. It does not cover [what you are deliberately leaving out]."
The last clause is the one markers notice. Naming what you excluded shows the boundary was a decision rather than an oversight.
📁 Historical Research Portfolio — Section 2: Focusing Questions
Students open their Level 3 History Portfolio and complete Section 2:
Section 2 Requirements:
1. 3 Focusing Questions: Write FQ1 (Causes), FQ2 (Course), and FQ3 (Consequences) using analytical question stems.
2. Scope & Evidence Target Notes: For each FQ, write 2 sentences detailing what specific evidence, dates, and historical perspectives you need to find.
3. Excellence Revision Log: Document 1 initial question draft and show how you refined it to make it more analytical and bounded.
Exit Verification | Ka Mutu Hoki (5 min)
Exit Check:
"My Section 2 establishes 3 analytical focusing questions covering causes, course, and long-term consequences for my research topic."
Teacher Planning & NCEA Alignment
NCEA Level 3 History Alignment (5 Credits Internal):
- Research Focus: Formulate specific, analytical focusing questions that allow for in-depth historical investigation.
Vocabulary: Focusing questions, analytical stems, causes, course, consequences, research scope, evidence targets.