🕘 Lesson at a Glance | Te Hōtaka
Lesson Overview | Tirohanga Whānui
Ākonga meet pepeha and mihimihi as related but distinct forms. They investigate local maunga on a real map, learn that “tōku maunga” names a whakapapa relationship rather than any mountain they like, then write either a verified pepeha line or a mihimihi place acknowledgement. The unit builds an honest chosen introduction from here.
Learning Intentions | Ngā Whāinga Ako
- Explain what a pepeha is and why it locates a person in their whakapapa and whenua.
- Distinguish a verified whakapapa maunga from a place they live near or value.
- Say either “Ko [Maunga] tōku maunga” or “Ka mihi au ki te whenua, ki [Place]” with care for pronunciation.
⚡ Do Now — Ko wai au?
⏱ 10 min"Hutia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea te kōmako e kō?"
If the heart of the flax is removed, where will the bellbird sing?
Run it
- Read aloud (2 min): Kaiako reads the whakataukī, then the class repeats it line by line — pronunciation approximate is fine at this stage.
- Talk pairs (5 min): "What does this whakataukī tell us about belonging? What happens when a person loses their connection to where they're from?"
- Board question (3 min): Write on the board: Ko wai koe? — Who are you? If someone asked, what would you say beyond just your name? Ākonga write one sentence in their book before the lesson begins properly.
Activity 1 · He Aha te Pepeha?
⏱ 15 minWhat it is: Ākonga hear what pepeha and mihimihi are, see why the right form depends on relationship and context, and hear an honest model before writing.
Run it
- Explain the structure (5 min): Pepeha can locate Māori speakers through whakapapa connections to whenua, wai, waka, iwi, hapū, and whānau. A mihimihi may be more appropriate for tangata Tiriti or when those connections are not known. Display the pepeha structure as knowledge to understand, not a list everyone must fill:
🏔️ Ko [Maunga] tōku maunga — my mountain
🌊 Ko [Awa] tōku awa — my river
🛶 Ko [Waka] tōku waka — my ancestral canoe
👥 Ko [Iwi] tōku iwi — my tribe
👪 Ko [Hapū] tōku hapū — my subtribe
🏡 Nō [Wāhi] ahau — I am from [place]
Ko [Ingoa] tōku ingoa — my name is [name] - Model (5 min): Kaiako shares only a form they can use honestly. Use a verified personal pepeha, invite an authorised local model, or use a short mihimihi. The lines below are an illustration, never details to copy:
Ko Pirongia tōku maunga.
Ko Waipā tōku awa.
Ko Tainui tōku waka.
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto tōku iwi.
Nō Kirikiriroa ahau.
Ko [Kaiako] tōku ingoa. - Key insight (5 min): Pepeha is relational language grounded in particular whakapapa, whenua, and communities—not a generic identity formula. Ask: “Why would choosing an impressive-sounding mountain be different from naming a relationship your whānau can confirm?”
🪶 Mātauranga: Introduce the distinction now; do not wait until lesson 5. Structures and local kawa vary, so seek mana whenua guidance. Never model iwi, hapū, waka, maunga, or awa as if they were interchangeable examples.
Activity 2 · Maunga and Place — Verify or Acknowledge
⏱ 20 minWhat it is: Ākonga use the map to locate maunga, then choose one of two honest language paths: a verified whakapapa line or an acknowledgement of the place where they stand.
Run it
- Pronunciation first (3 min): Practice together before writing anything:
- Ko — "koh" (not "kow")
- tōku — "toh-koo" (hold the ō — it is a long vowel)
- maunga — "mow-nga" (ng is nasal, like the end of "singer" — not "mown-ga")
- Map and verify (10 min): Open TopoMap NZ or Google Maps. Locate mountains near:
- Where you live now
- Where your whānau is from
- A place that is special to you
Verified pepeha: if whānau confirms the whakapapa relationship, write “Ko ______ tōku maunga.”
Mihimihi / still learning: write “Ka mihi au ki te whenua, ki ______.” using the correct local place name. Do not turn a nearby or favourite mountain into “tōku maunga”.
If local naming or pronunciation is uncertain, record the question for whānau, kaiako, or mana whenua rather than guessing. - Partner check (4 min): Say your chosen sentence to a partner. The listener checks the language path and pronunciation without questioning identity. Swap roles.
- Video anchor (3 min): Watch the opening 2–3 minutes of the RNZ clip below. Before playing: "Notice the places they name and how they speak about them — listen for any pepeha patterns."
Activity 3 · Class Circle — Ko ō Tātou Maunga
⏱ 10 minWhat it is: The class practises both sentence patterns. Each ākonga may share their chosen line, read it, pass, or share privately with the kaiako.
Run it
- Stand in a circle or kōrero format — whatever the room allows.
- Kaiako models once more: "Ko [kaiako's maunga] tōku maunga."
- Go around—each person shares a verified maunga line or place acknowledgement, or says “pass”. No one checks another person's identity.
- After the circle, notice aloud: “Our lines use different relationships honestly. That difference is part of learning the form well.”
🔚 Exit — Whakamutunga
⏱ 5 minOn a sticky note, write:
- Your chosen sentence, or the line you still need to verify.
- One sentence: what evidence or guidance makes that wording honest?
Kaiako reads these before lesson 2 to calibrate: who has a mountain? Who is still uncertain? Who has multiple candidates?
Preview: Next lesson we investigate awa and waka, keeping the same rule: learn widely, claim only verified whakapapa.
🎯 Curriculum Links | Te Hononga ki te Marautanga
This lesson's focus: Understanding pepeha structure and making an honest distinction between a whakapapa maunga line and a mihimihi acknowledgement of place.
Learning Languages — Pāhekoheko · Emergent 1
"Pepeha follow a specific structure made up of key elements that each serve a purpose in expressing identity, belonging, and whakapapa."
📦 Materials & Resources | Ngā Rauemi
- Pepeha Builder Template — structural scaffold for ākonga to fill in as the unit progresses (optional for L1; essential from L2)
- TopoMap NZ — topographic maps for locating maunga and generating verification questions
- Māori Dictionary: maunga — pronunciation audio and etymology
- RNZ (2025): "Koroneihana 2025: Rangatahi on identity" — embedded above
- Student books for recording their maunga sentence
- Sticky notes for exit ticket
See Ngā Rauemi on the unit page for pepeha vocabulary cards, the peer feedback form, and the full unit assessment rubric.
📊 Assessment Framework | Aromatawai
Success criteria — what to look for at exit:
- Ākonga can say what a pepeha is — in their own words, not repeated from the board.
- Ākonga can explain why a nearby or meaningful mountain is not automatically “tōku maunga”.
- Ākonga can say one appropriate chosen line aloud—or identify what they need to verify—using care with pronunciation.
What counts as strong: an honest choice of form, a traceable reason for that choice, and careful oral practice. Public disclosure and performance confidence are not assessment criteria.
Carry forward: sticky notes from the exit ticket inform lesson 2 pairings and any students who need to continue searching for their maunga at home.
Unit-level assessment: Pepeha Presentation Rubric (lesson 6 summative).
🚀 Extension & Differentiation | Rerekētanga
Support:
- Provide a teacher-checked local map and both sentence frames; do not provide a menu of maunga to claim
- Pronunciation audio at Māori Dictionary
- Pair with a confident te reo speaker for the practice step
Extension:
- Research the meaning of your maunga's name — many NZ mountains carry stories in their names
- Find a pūrākau (traditional story) connected to your maunga — the Māori Dictionary or local library is a good start
- Learn the plural form for students with two maunga: "Ko Ruapehu rāua ko Taranaki ōku maunga"
ELL / ESOL: Pepeha is a context where home-language connection is a strength — invite students to reflect on equivalent identity-introduction traditions in their own culture. The relational pattern is universal; the language is te reo Māori. Pre-teach key kupu: maunga = mountain, awa = river, waka = ancestral canoe, iwi = tribe, hapū = subtribe, ingoa = name.
Inclusion: Students with complex relationships to identity may keep knowledge private, leave a line “to verify”, or use the mihimihi path without explanation. Neurodiverse learners may use a visual sequence, read from a card, or respond privately.
🔗 Unit Progression | Te Ara Whakamua
This lesson opens the unit. Ākonga leave with one honest chosen line or a precise verification question and a clear sense of why the distinction matters.
- ← Unit Overview: Kōrero 4 — Tōku Pepeha
- → Lesson 2: Ko tōku Awa, Ko tōku Waka — investigates water and waka relationships through parallel pepeha/mihimihi paths
The unit builds an appropriate pepeha or mihimihi across six lessons. Lesson 6 offers multiple safe sharing modes; whole-class performance is never compulsory.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot | Whakaaro Kaiako
Pedagogical framing: Pepeha is relational language grounded in particular whakapapa, whenua, and communities, not a generic fill-in-the-blanks identity exercise. A mihimihi may be the appropriate learner outcome. Local guidance outranks this generic plan.
Prior knowledge: No prior te reo Māori is required. Students benefit from a brief discussion about identity before beginning — the Do Now whakataukī provides this entry point without requiring any te reo knowledge.
Connect with local iwi: Wherever possible, learn about the significant maunga in your area from local iwi. TopoMap NZ locates physical mountains; the cultural significance of those mountains belongs to the people of that place. This is one of the most important things a teacher can do to make this unit real rather than generic.
Pronunciation: Model frequently and celebrate all attempts. The ō in tōku must be held (it is a long vowel — approximately double the length of a short vowel). The ng in maunga is nasal — like the end of "singer" in English, not a hard "g" and not "mown-ga". Errors in Māori pronunciation are expected and acceptable; the act of trying with care matters.