🕘 Lesson at a Glance | Te Hōtaka
Lesson Overview | Tirohanga Whānui
Ākonga learn optional “I te taha o” lineage language, decide which verified and chosen details belong in their pepeha or mihimihi, and assemble a coherent draft. They practise with the level of prompting that supports oral-language growth; memorisation and family disclosure are never required.
Learning Intentions | Ngā Whāinga Ako
- Use "I te taha o tōku māmā/pāpā, nō [wāhi] ōku tīpuna" to acknowledge ancestral origins on each side.
- Check a place name in a trusted te reo Māori source before using it.
- Deliver their chosen introduction by reading, glancing, or reciting.
⚡ Do Now — Whānau Interview Share-Back
⏱ 10 minOn the board: “Verified and chosen” · “Still to verify” · “Private / not in my chosen form”.
Run it
- Update privately (3 min): Students mark any new information as verified, still to verify, or private. Filling an iwi/hapū line is optional.
- Partner share (5 min): Share one source, language question, or process insight—not the identity detail itself unless freely chosen.
- Preview (2 min): “Today we learn optional lineage language, assemble the form we have chosen, and practise with whatever prompts help.”
Activity 1 · I te Taha o — Parental Lineage
⏱ 15 minWhat it is: Ākonga examine optional lineage sentence patterns and decide whether any fit their knowledge, whānau structure, chosen form, and privacy boundaries.
Run it
- The pattern (5 min): Display and explain:
I te taha o tōku māmā, nō [wāhi] ōku tīpuna.
On my mother's side, my ancestors are from [place].
I te taha o tōku pāpā, nō [wāhi] ōku tīpuna.
On my father's side, my ancestors are from [place].- I te taha o — on the side of
- māmā / pāpā — mother / father
- nō — from (origin)
- ōku tīpuna — my ancestors (plural)
- Countries in te reo Māori (7 min): Display for reference during the build step:
Aotearoa New ZealandIngarangi EnglandKotarana ScotlandAerana IrelandWēra WalesĀhitereiria AustraliaHāmoa SamoaTonga TongaNiuē NiueTe Kuki Āirani Cook IslandsHaina ChinaInitia IndiaHapanihi JapanPiripīni PhilippinesTiamana GermanyWīhi Fiji
Country not listed? Check the Māori Dictionary or ask your teacher.
- Model (3 min): Kaiako models the grammar with explicitly fictional placeholders, or shares personal lines only by choice:
I te taha o tōku māmā, nō Aotearoa ōku tīpuna.
I te taha o tōku pāpā, nō Ingarangi ōku tīpuna.
Activity 2 · Assemble Your Chosen Form
⏱ 20 minWhat it is: Ākonga assemble a coherent pepeha or mihimihi from verified, chosen lines, then run a cultural-safety and language check with a partner.
Run it
- Assemble the draft (10 min): Open the Pepeha Builder Template or Mihimihi Alternative. Use only lines marked verified and chosen. The pepeha reference structure is:
Ko [Maunga] tōku maunga.
Ko [Awa] tōku awa.
Ko [Waka] tōku waka.
Ko [Iwi] tōku iwi.
Ko [Hapū] tōku hapū.
I te taha o tōku māmā, nō [Wāhi] ōku tīpuna.
I te taha o tōku pāpā, nō [Wāhi] ōku tīpuna.
Nō [Wāhi] ahau. / Kei [Wāhi] ahau e noho ana.
Ko [Ingoa] tōku ingoa.This is a reference, not a compulsory checklist. Greeting/name/closing and honest chosen content make a coherent classroom introduction. “Nō [Wāhi] ahau” expresses origin; “Kei [Wāhi] ahau e noho ana” expresses current residence—do not swap them.
- Partner read-through (5 min): Read the chosen form aloud. The partner listens for pace and notes a pronunciation or source question; they do not request more content.
- Safety check (5 min): Partners ask four questions: Is every claim verified? Is every detail chosen? Is any relationship being borrowed? Does the speaker have a comfortable presentation mode?
Activity 3 · Ko Wai Au? — Supported Practice
⏱ 10 minWhat it is: Ākonga practise twice using a support level they choose: read, glance between lines, use kaiako prompting, or recite.
Run it
- Choose a support level and a sitting or standing position. Keep the template visible if using it.
- Share the chosen form with a partner. Pause, restart, or ask for the next line when useful.
- Partner responds: “Tēnā koe, [Name]!” and names one delivery strength.
- Swap partners or repeat privately with the same person. Keep or reduce support by choice.
🔚 Exit — Whakamutunga
⏱ 5 minCheck your chosen template:
- Every included line is verified and chosen.
- Every excluded, private, or unresolved line is intentionally left out or marked for a private check.
- Your preferred support and audience mode are recorded for lesson 6.
Preview: Next lesson we compare pepeha and mihimihi — you'll decide which form you'll present on day six and get one more practice session before performance day.
🎯 Curriculum Links | Te Hononga ki te Marautanga
This lesson's focus: Parental lineage lines as optional whakapapa extensions — the "I te taha o" pattern places a person within their ancestral origins on both sides, deepening the relational act of the pepeha.
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 — all lines, students complete at exit
- Country grid in te reo Māori (displayed on board from Activity 1; 16 countries listed)
- Māori Dictionary — for countries not in the reference grid
📊 Assessment Framework | Aromatawai
Success criteria at exit:
- Ākonga have a coherent chosen pepeha or mihimihi draft using verified information.
- Ākonga can deliver the draft with an accessible level of support.
- Ākonga can distinguish ancestral origin, current residence, and local acknowledgement.
Carry forward: chosen form, verification state, and support preference inform lesson 5. The number of blank lines is not a readiness measure.
Unit-level assessment: Pepeha Presentation Rubric (lesson 6 summative — share with students now so they know what the performance criteria are).
🚀 Extension & Differentiation | Rerekētanga
Support:
- Provide both templates and let students omit any identity line without explanation
- Use “Kei [Wāhi] ahau e noho ana” for current residence; do not substitute it with the origin pattern “Nō [Wāhi] ahau”
- Offer template reading, prompting, paired delivery, and private practice as ordinary options
Extension:
- Annotate why each chosen line is appropriate for the context
- Refine pronunciation with a trusted speaker or authorised audio source
- Compare the grammatical jobs of nō and kei te noho without adding private detail
🔗 Unit Progression | Te Ara Whakamua
Ākonga arrive with verified lines, acknowledgements, and questions, and leave with a coherent chosen pepeha or mihimihi plus a support preference for oral practice.
- ← Lesson 3: Ko tōku Iwi, Ko tōku Hapū
- → Lesson 5: Pepeha vs Mihimihi — students decide which form to present; those using mihimihi build it in this lesson
Optional before lesson 5: practise the chosen form in a safe setting or bring one language question for a private check.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot | Whakaaro Kaiako
Whakapapa is relational, not a classroom family-tree extraction: The “I te taha o” lines may locate ancestry when the wording and information are appropriate. They do not give a generic claim to Aotearoa, and absence of these lines is not lesser work.
Mixed heritage: Students may include more than one ancestry by choice, but the extension task is better language and contextual judgement—not deeper disclosure.
Whānau structures: Single parents, adoptive families, foster care, and other non-traditional structures are common. The formula adapts: use only the sides the student knows, replace "māmā/pāpā" with the relevant caregiver term, or skip these lines entirely. Do not make the exercise feel like an interrogation of family structure — the pepeha is about connection, not disclosure.