He Tīmatanga — Sounds, Greetings & Classroom Reo

🕘 Lesson at a Glance | Te Hōtaka

Do NowVowel sort — stand or sit⏱ 10 min 1 · The soundsFive vowels, two lengths⏱ 15 min 2 · Mihi carouselGreetings at three stations⏱ 20 min 3 · Classroom kōreroPhrases in a mini skit⏱ 15 min 4 · WhakataetaeFlashcard speed round⏱ 10 min ExitOne pledge⏱ 5 min

Lesson Overview | Tirohanga Whānui

Ākonga speak te reo Māori from the first five minutes of this lesson. They get their mouths around the five vowels and their long forms, exchange real greetings at three practice stations, and use functional classroom phrases in a short skit of their own. Everything is oral, active and low-stakes — the goal is confident, accurate sound before anything is written down. The lesson closes with each ākonga pledging one phrase they will actually use tomorrow, setting up the pepeha work in Lesson 2.

Learning Intentions | Ngā Whāinga Ako

Pronounce the five Māori vowels accurately, distinguishing short from long (macron) sounds.
Exchange basic greetings and introductions with a partner without reading from a script.
Use simple classroom phrases in a short skit made with a partner.

⚡ Do Now — Vowel Sort

⏱ 10 min

Zero prep, whole body, straight in. No handouts needed — just voices and ears.

Stand or sit (5 min): The kaiako says a word aloud — kākā (the parrot), kaka (clothing), māmā (mum), mama. Ākonga stand if they hear a long vowel, sit if every vowel is short. Play a few rounds, getting faster. Same letters, different sound, different meaning — that is the hook.
Listen and echo (5 min): The kaiako models the ten sounds — a, e, i, o, u, then ā, ē, ī, ō, ū — and the class echoes each one back. Ākonga raise a hand on every long vowel to physically mark the length.

Teacher: don't explain the macron rule yet — let ākonga hear that vowel length changes meaning first. You'll name the rule in Activity 1. Keep the pace snappy; wrong answers are part of the game.

Activity 1 · The Sounds — Five Vowels, Two Lengths

⏱ 15 min

What it is: The one rule that unlocks all Māori pronunciation, named and practised. Te reo Māori is completely consistent — there are no silent letters, and every vowel is always said the same way.

Short	Sounds like	Long	Sounds like
a	u in "cut"	ā	a in "car"
e	e in "egg"	ē	ai in "fairy"
i	i in "sit"	ī	ee in "feet"
o	o in "fort"	ō	o in "store"
u	u in "put"	ū	oo in "boot"

Run it

Name the rule (4 min): The kaiako models each row of the table, class echoing. Land the key fact: te reo Māori has five vowels, each with a short and a long form — and the macron tells you which is which.
Pair practice (7 min): Using the Pronunciation Guide, one partner points to any vowel or word; the other says it aloud. Swap after ten. Listeners judge: long or short?
Name check (4 min): Pairs practise saying each other's names and the names of places they know — Taupō, Ōtaki, Whangārei — applying the vowel rule. Which names change when the macron is honoured?

You'll need: Pronunciation Guide (one per pair). A short clip of conversational te reo makes a strong model here if your kura has a favourite — a verified video for this slot is flagged for a future update.

Activity 2 · Mihi Carousel — Greetings That Stick

⏱ 20 min

What it is: Three five-minute stations around the room. Ākonga move in pairs (triads if numbers are odd) and practise real exchanges at each — speaking, not copying.

Run it — 3 stations × 5 min + 5 min to move and debrief

Station A — Greetings: Ata mārie (good morning), Kia ora, Tēnā koe (formal, to one person). Partners greet and respond, then swap registers: how would you greet a mate? A kaumātua?
Station B — Wellbeing: Kei te pēhea koe? (how are you?) with honest answers: Kei te pai ahau, Kei te ngenge ahau (I'm tired), Kei te hiakai ahau (I'm hungry).
Station C — Names: Ko wai tō ingoa? / Ko ___ ahau. Partners introduce themselves, then introduce each other to the next pair arriving at the station.

Teacher: you are the active listener — circulate and check vowel length in names and greetings (this is the formative heart of the lesson). The Greetings & Introductions handout sits at each station for support, but the goal is eyes-up exchange, not reading aloud.

🪶 Local reo check (kaiako Māori / kaumātua): greeting choices carry local weight — some kura and iwi favour Ata mārie over the transliteration Mōrena, and formal registers vary by rohe. Confirm the greetings taught here match your local reo and kawa before scaling this across classes.

Activity 3 · Classroom Kōrero — Phrases in Action

⏱ 15 min

What it is: Six functional classroom phrases ākonga will hear and use every day — learned by performing them, not listing them.

Whakarongo mai — listen Titiro mai — look E tū — stand E noho — sit Me tīmata tātou — let's start Ka mutu — finished

Run it

Model (4 min): The kaiako introduces the six phrases with actions — the class responds physically to each (Simon-says style, two quick rounds).
Make a skit (7 min): In pairs, ākonga invent a 30-second classroom scene — starting a group project, getting a distracted partner's attention — using at least three of the phrases naturally.
Perform (4 min): Each pair performs for another pair. The kaiako confirms the phrases were used accurately; the audience pair says which phrases they recognised and what made them work.

Teacher: keep the accuracy call with you, not the audience — at this stage ākonga can spot a phrase but can't yet validate pronunciation. Audience feedback stays on recognition and delivery.

Activity 4 · Flashcard Whakataetae — Bringing It Together

⏱ 10 min

What it is: A fast, friendly speed round with the kupu flashcards that pulls the whole lesson together — sounds, greetings and phrases.

Run it

Round 1 — Kupu to meaning (4 min): Pairs work through the flashcards: see the kupu, say the meaning.
Round 2 — Meaning to kupu (4 min): Reverse it: see the meaning, say the kupu — with the vowel lengths honoured. This is where the macron rule from Activity 1 gets tested.
Crown the pair (2 min): The winning pair is the most accurate, not the fastest — the kaiako spot-checks the final round's pronunciation.

You'll need: Kupu Flashcards (front) + (back) — print double-sided, one set per pair.

Exit · One Pledge — He Kupu Taurangi

⏱ 5 min

On a sticky note or digital exit ticket, each ākonga answers:

Which one phrase from today will you actually use tomorrow — and where?
One word whose meaning changes with a macron (say it both ways to a neighbour before you leave).

Teacher: stick the pledges on the Kupu Wall. Tomorrow, open by asking who kept theirs — the pledges become the Do Now bridge into Lesson 2.

🎯 Curriculum Links | Te Hononga ki te Marautanga

This lesson's focus: Ākonga master the sound system of te reo Māori — the foundation every later lesson builds on — and use functional greetings and classroom phrases in real exchanges.

Pāhekoheko — Practices (Novice 1 | Learning Languages)

"Te reo Māori has five vowels (a, e, i, o, u), each with a short and long form."

📑 See the audited unit curriculum map → — Te Mātaiaho 2025 · Learning Languages.

📦 Materials & Resources

📋 Handouts & Worksheets

Pronunciation Guide — used in Activity 1 (one per pair)
Greetings & Introductions — station support in Activity 2
Kupu Flashcards (front) — Activity 4 speed round
Kupu Flashcards (back) — print double-sided with the front

🛠️ Equipment & Setup

Three station areas set up around the room (Activity 2)
Kupu flashcard sets printed double-sided, one per pair
Sticky notes for the exit pledge + a wall space for the Kupu Wall
No projector or internet required — this lesson runs on voices

📊 Assessment Framework

This is a single lesson, so assessment here is formative — listening for learning as it happens. The unit's summative assessment sits at the end of the unit, not in this lesson.

What to listen for, mapped to the learning intentions

Vowel accuracy (LI 1): in the Do Now and Activity 4's reverse round — can ākonga hear and produce the short/long distinction, especially in names?
Real exchange (LI 2): at the carousel stations — are ākonga greeting eyes-up, from memory, with honest wellbeing answers? Reading from the handout is support, not success.
Functional phrases (LI 3): in the skits — were at least three phrases used naturally and accurately? The kaiako holds this call, not peers.

Quick exit read: the pledge tells you which phrases landed, and the macron pair tells you at a glance who has the sound rule — both feed directly into tomorrow's Do Now.

🚀 Extension Activities

🗣️ Wellbeing Vocabulary Stretch

At Station B, confident ākonga answer with extended wellbeing phrases — Kei te hiamoe ahau (sleepy), Kei te harikoa ahau (happy) — and teach one new phrase to their partner.

🎭 Skit Expansion

Year 9–10 ākonga expand the Activity 3 skit into a longer scene — a dramatic classroom "emergency" managed entirely with the six phrases — and perform it for the class.

🏠 Take It Home

Ākonga teach tonight's whānau one greeting exchange from Station A and report back tomorrow: who did you greet, and how did they respond?

🔗 Unit Progression & Next Steps

Today was functional, everyday reo — sounds, greetings, wellbeing and names. Each lesson in this unit builds directly on the last:

Lesson 2: Ko Wai Au? — Pepeha

Introductions deepen into pepeha — introducing yourself through whakapapa, maunga and awa

Lesson 3: Tikanga in Kōrerorero

The protocols that shape respectful conversation

Lessons 4–5: Whānau & Everyday Kōrero

Family connections and sustained everyday conversation

Preparation for next lesson: ākonga bring the name of their maunga, awa or a place that matters to their whānau — the raw material for their pepeha.

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

✅ I can say all ten vowel sounds and hear the difference a macron makes. (LI 1)
✅ I can greet someone, ask how they are, and introduce myself — without reading. (LI 2)
✅ I can use three classroom phrases naturally in a short skit. (LI 3)

Inclusion and differentiation for this lesson

New to reo: the Pronunciation Guide and station handouts stay in hand as support — eyes-up exchange is the goal, not the starting requirement.
Ākonga with existing reo: push register — formal vs casual greetings, extended wellbeing answers — and pair them as station models, not just partners.
Whakamā (shyness) is real: all speaking happens in pairs or triads before anything whole-class; nobody performs alone in Lesson 1.

Broader differentiation and the unit-wide framing live on the unit overview.