🌅 Karakia & Intent (8 minutes)
"Kia tau te rangimārie ki runga i a tātou" – Let peace descend upon us.
- Reconnect to agreements: Review emotional safety tikanga and highlight "you can pass".
- Koru breath: Lead two minutes of koru breathing – inhale as you trace up the koru, exhale as you trace down (use the handout).
- Intention setting: Ākonga whisper an intention for their hinengaro ("kia tau", "kia kaha") while touching their heart.
🎯 Learning Intentions & Success Criteria
By the end of this lesson, ākonga will be able to:
- Explain what mindfulness is (and isn’t) through a Te Ao Māori lens.
- Practise at least three mindfulness/regulation techniques (breath, sensory, focus).
- Recognise which techniques fit different emotions and mauri zones.
- Begin a personalised regulation plan to support daily hauora.
Success Criteria – Ākonga will demonstrate:
- ✓ Participation in mindful arrival and technique trials
- ✓ Reflection entries in the mindfulness journal
- ✓ Selection of strategies for each mauri zone
- ✓ Optional: willingness to teach a technique to a partner
Kupu / Vocabulary: mindfulness, mauri, regulation, grounding, breathwork, focus, koru, hauora.
Media Anchor (8 mins)
Video: The Significance of Te Whare Tapa Whā
- Which sleep habit has the strongest effect on your energy and emotional regulation?
- How will you protect your sleep routine when routines get disrupted?
Activity 1: Mindful Arrival (10 minutes)
Settling Hinengaro & Tinana
Guided practice + reflectionKoru Breath (4 minutes)
Introduce the koru breath using the handout; focus on steady inhales/exhales, visualising light travelling through the koru.
Body Scan (4 minutes)
Guide ākonga to notice top-to-toe sensations. Offer trauma-sensitive options (eyes open, choosing a focus area).
Journal Prompt (2 minutes)
In the mindfulness journal, write: "Right now my mauri feels…" and "I noticed…"
Activity 2: What is Mindfulness? (12 minutes)
Understanding, Myth-Busting, Contextualising
Ako + discussion- Define mindfulness as aro + mataara – purposeful attention with compassion.
- Connect to traditional practices: karakia, mahi raranga, taonga pūoro, mahi toi.
- Myth bust: not about emptying mind, not quick fix, not replacing professional support.
Invite students to share cultural mindfulness practices at home/whānau (e.g., kapa haka warmups, river visits).
Activity 3: Regulation Toolkit Lab (24 minutes)
Try, Notice, Share
Stations + debriefSet up four mindful technique stations. Students rotate in small groups (4 minutes each) with 1-minute transition breathing.
Station A – Koru Breath & Box Breath
Practise koru breath, then 4-4-4-4 box breathing. Record which feels easier.
Station B – Sensory Grounding
Use grounding cards (5-4-3-2-1); use tactile resources (smooth stone, harakeke strip) + note feelings.
Station C – Mindful Movement
Flow through a mini yoga sequence/kapa haka warm-up; focus on breath-body synchrony.
Station D – Thought Observatory
Use "Noticing Thoughts" prompts: name, label, let go like clouds. Write one reframe.
After rotations, gather observations: Which techniques suited mauri moe vs mauri oho? Which connected to whakapapa or whānau routines?
Activity 4: Regulation Plan Studio (12 minutes)
Design Your Toolkit
Individual creation with teacher conferencing- Plan sheet: Using the Taha Hinengaro Regulation Plan handout, pick 2+ strategies per mauri zone. Include sensory tools, breath, movement, and thought supports.
- Support map: Add who can help you remember these (friend, whānau, kaiako, app).
- Optional sharing: Pair up to teach one technique to a buddy so it sticks.
Whakamutunga – Reflection & Outlook (8 minutes)
Journal Check-In (4 minutes)
Prompt: "When I notice ______, I will pause and…" Encourage a note about what made mindfulness easier/harder.
Closing Breath (2 minutes)
Repeat koru breathing, acknowledging shifts in mauri.
Exit Check (2 minutes)
Students note any follow-up support they would like (optional slip to kaiako/counsellor).
🏠 Homework / Extension
Required: Three-Day Mindfulness Log
Use the Mindfulness Journal to record a practice each day (breath, movement, sensory) + impact on mauri.
Optional: Whānau Mindfulness Moment
Teach whānau one technique from class (koru breath, gratitude scan). Note their feedback in the journal.
🧰 Teacher Preparation & Notes
- Space setup: Clear an area for mindful movement, prep cushions/mats, ensure quiet corners.
- Resources: Print Koru Breath Cards, grounding cards, the Taha Hinengaro Regulation Plan, and gather sensory items (shells, rongoā sachets).
- Inclusivity: Offer seated and standing variations. Provide visual supports/closed captions if playing audio.
- Collaboration: Coordinate with pastoral team for students who may experience discomfort and need extra support.
Curriculum alignment
- Health Education: Focuses on physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. It develops students' understanding of identity, body, emotions, relationships, safety, and health-related choices across personal, community, and societal contexts.
- Social Sciences: Cultural, religious, and social groups and organisations contribute to the wellbeing of communities through heritage, values, and collective action. These groups sometimes experience discrimination.
📋 Kaiako Planning Snapshot
Teacher planning support for this resource — learning intentions, success criteria, and inclusive practice guidance are summarised below.
Inclusion Guidance
- ESOL / ELL learners: Pre-teach key vocabulary (taha, hinengaro, mindfulness) using visual word walls or bilingual glossaries before the lesson. Reduce language load with diagrams and visual models. Partner-share and think-pair-share strategies encouraged.
- Neurodiverse learners / ADHD: Break the lesson into clear segments with visual checkpoints. UDL principle: offer ākonga a choice in how they demonstrate understanding (verbal, written, visual/drawn). Provide anchor charts or reference cards for unit 8 lesson 8 concepts throughout.
- Dyslexia: Provide audio-text alternatives for written materials. Use high-contrast fonts and generous line spacing. Allow voice recording as an alternative to written responses where possible.