📚 Unit Plans → 🌍 Unit 1: Te Ao Māori — Cultural Identity → 📖 Unit 1 Lesson 2: Mātauranga Māori - Traditional Knowledge Systems
Years 7–8Te Reo Māori / Learning Languages

Unit 1 Lesson 2: Mātauranga Māori - Traditional Knowledge Systems

A transformative journey exploring Māori worldviews, values, and knowledge systems

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Focus Pātai for this wānanga

  • How does mātauranga Māori complement and enhance scientific understanding?
  • What responsibilities do we have when working with traditional knowledge?
  • How can we apply both knowledge systems to address contemporary challenges?
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Learning Intentions

  • We are learning how mātauranga Māori preserves environmental, celestial, and wellbeing knowledge.
  • We are learning to evaluate knowledge keepers' methods alongside Western scientific processes.
  • We are learning to apply tikanga and attribution when we gather and share knowledge.
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Success Criteria (ākonga-facing)

  • I can describe specific examples of mātauranga Māori and its applications.
  • I can compare traditional and Western knowledge systems respectfully.
  • I can explain tikanga requirements when working with traditional knowledge.
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Te Mātaiaho Threads

  • Tangata Whenuatanga · PS3 – understand different knowledge systems and worldviews.
  • Science | Pūtaiao – investigate natural and physical phenomena using multiple approaches.
  • Social Studies | Tikanga-ā-Iwi – understand how knowledge shapes identity and community.

Effective from: Term 1 2026 · Review: 30 Paengawhāwhā 2026

👩‍🏫 Teaching Instructions – Te Kawau ki Tai (Episode 1)

Distribute the Mātauranga Systems Documentary Companion before pressing play. This RNZ episode follows knowledge keepers of Māhuhu o te Rangi and their puna mātauranga.

  • Before viewing: Work through the kupu preview (mana tuku iho, maramataka, puna mātauranga). Ask: “How is knowledge protected?”
  • During viewing: Pause at 2:10, 6:05, 9:45, 12:30. Complete guided prompts for quotes, evidence and tikanga.
  • After viewing: Move directly into the mātauranga station remix and the knowledge braid matrix.
  • Formative checkpoint: Collect kupu tracker strips, quote captures, and braid matrix drafts as Mātainuku artefacts.

Haerenga Ako – Lesson Flow (75 minutes)

1. Whakawhanaunga & Knowledge Activation (10 mins)

  • Karakia/pepeha as appropriate; reconnect to Lesson 1 by sharing one whakapapa link powering today’s learning.
  • Introduce puna mātauranga mini anchor chart (tūpuna, whenua, moana, wānanga).
  • Set the focus question: “How do knowledge keepers test and protect mātauranga for future generations?”

Support: Think-write-share slips for learners who prefer processing time.

2. Guided Viewing – Te Kawau ki Tai (20 mins)

Cross-Curricular Applications

Science (Pūtaiao)

  • Maramataka & Plant Physiology: Track native plant cycles (e.g., pōhutukawa) against lunar phases to explore environmental triggers.
  • Mahinga Kai Ecosystems: Model a traditional eel weir to analyse resource rotation and sustainable harvest principles.
  • Rongoā Chemistry: Investigate the antimicrobial properties of kawakawa or the fibre structure of harakeke.

Mathematics (Pāngarau)

  • Pātaka Measurement: Calculate floor area of a storehouse using traditional units like mārō (span) or takitahi (steps).
  • Kōpata (Estimation): Estimate kumara pit volume using kete (basket) capacities as a standard unit.
  • Celestial Proportion: Calculate time and distance relationships based on whaiwhaiā (star path) sequences.

Technology (Hangarau)

  • Whare Korowai Insulation: Design building materials mimicking the thermal layering of traditional cloaks.
  • Māra Kai Systems: Prototype vertical urban gardens based on traditional intercropping sustainability.
  • Passive Cooling: Develop food storage solutions modelled on elevated, ventilated pātaka designs.

🌱 Mātauranga Protecting the Future – Scenario Studio (15 mins)

Climate Indicator Brief

Groups select a local issue (e.g., river health, mahinga kai, coastal erosion). Use the companion’s Indicator Planner to list traditional signs and Western data you would monitor.

Note who in the hapori holds knowledge for each indicator and how to engage them respectfully.

Action Snapshot

Draft a 3-step response integrating both knowledge systems. Identify the evidence you will collect, who you will report to, and how you will honour tikanga along the way.

Record a short summary (written or audio) to upload as Mātairea evidence.

Aromatawai - Assessment

Station Learning Portfolio

  • Ākonga can document observations from each station, citing kupu Māori and scientific vocabulary.
  • Ākonga can compare traditional and Western approaches, explaining benefits of weaving both systems.
  • Ākonga can link insights to modern applications (e.g., climate resilience, health practices).
  • Ākonga can reflect on how the learning influences their responsibilities as kaitiaki.

Extension Projects

  • Community interview with kaumātua/experts, summarised as a digital story or poster.
  • Innovation challenge: prototype a solution combining mātauranga indicators and STEM tools.
  • Research project on contemporary indigenous scientists or knowledge keepers.
  • Peer teaching presentation for Tuakana-Teina session at kura.

🧺 Whānau & Hapori Partnerships

Kōrero Starters

  • Send home the companion’s whānau prompt (p.4) with three key pātai about local indicators.
  • Encourage tamariki to capture one marae, awa, or mahinga kai story from whānau.
  • Invite whānau to contribute local data (photos, oral histories) to the scenario studio board.

Next Steps

  • Schedule a mini hui with iwi environmental unit or council kaitiaki to share scenario findings.
  • Upload whānau insights to the moderation folder with tag U1L2-whānau.
  • Prepare for Lesson 3 by noting haka or waiata connected to environmental stewardship.

Whakamutunga - Lesson Reflection

Today we discovered that mātauranga Māori represents sophisticated science developed over centuries. Traditional knowledge systems aren't "old-fashioned" - they're innovative approaches that continue to contribute to solving contemporary challenges. The best solutions often emerge when different knowledge systems work together with mutual respect.

"Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao" - The bird that partakes of knowledge owns the world.

Curriculum alignment

  • NZC (2007) · Social Studies · Level 4: “Understand how people pass on and sustain culture and heritage for different reasons and that this has consequences for people.”

📋 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 (traditional, knowledge, systems) 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 1 lesson 2 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.