📚 Unit Plans → 🌿 Unit 11: Te Reo Māori Foundations → 📖 Lesson 1: He Tīmatanga
Years 7–8 Te Reo Māori / Learning Languages

Unit 11 Lesson 1: He Tīmatanga

Introductory kōrero pathway focusing on pronunciation, greetings, and identity.

🎯 Learning Objectives & Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, ākonga will be able to:

  • Recognise Māori vowels and the role of macrons.
  • Use basic greetings and responses with confidence.
  • Apply simple classroom phrases in short kōrero.

Success Criteria

  • ✓ Accurate vowel sounds in short practice words
  • ✓ One greeting exchange completed without prompts
  • ✓ One classroom phrase used during group work

Ngā Mahi - Lesson Flow (60 minutes)

1. Whakataki Reo: Vowel Warm-up (15 mins)

Listen, echo, and record

Use the Pronunciation Guide to model the five vowel sounds and macron length. Students mark long vowels with a colour and practice with a partner.

  • Listen-and-echo rounds: a, e, i, o, u + ā, ē, ī, ō, ū.
  • Quick sort: short vs long vowel words.
  • Mini-check: each pair records two words to replay.

2. Mihi Carousel (20 mins)

Role-play + rotation

Use the Greetings & Introductions handout. Students rotate through stations practising short exchanges.

  • Station A: formal greetings (Mōrena, Ata mārie).
  • Station B: how are you? (Kei te pēhea koe?) responses.
  • Station C: name introductions (Ko wai tō ingoa? Ko ___ ahau).

3. Flashcard Whakataetae (10 mins)

Buddy drill

Use the Kupu Flashcards (front/back). Print double-sided, cut, and set up buddy pairs. One student shows the kupu while their partner gives the meaning or pronunciation, then swap.

  • Round 1: kupu → meaning.
  • Round 2: meaning → kupu.
  • Bonus: pronounce with macrons correctly before scoring a point.

4. Classroom Kōrero Challenge (10 mins)

Pair work

Introduce 6-8 classroom phrases (E hika mā, Whakarongo mai, Me tīmata tātou). Pairs build a short classroom skit using at least three phrases.

Whakamutunga: Exit Reflection (5 mins)

Written or oral

Exit ticket: Which phrase will you use tomorrow, and why is it useful?

🎬 Media Anchor

Use this clip before carousel practice so students hear rhythm, pacing, and pronunciation in authentic exchanges.

Video anchor: Te Reo greetings in context

  • Pause and discuss: Which greeting-response pair from the clip can you use immediately in class today?
  • Practice transfer: Students apply one phrase pattern from the clip in the next activity round.

📊 Assessment Notes

  • Formative check: listen for vowel accuracy and respectful greeting exchanges.
  • Collect: exit tickets or short audio clips as baseline evidence.

🧺 Resources & Materials

Curriculum alignment

  • Pāhekoheko — Practices: Te reo Māori has five vowels (a, e, i, o, u), each with a short and long form.
  • Ko te reo torohū — Practices: recognise and understand familiar spoken words even in some unfamiliar contexts begin to understand slightly more complex or less familiar reo Māori phrases and sentences unde…
  • Pāhekoheko — Practices: Ko [name] tōku ingoa.
  • Ko te reo torohū — Practices: identify letters of the Māori alphabet (arapū), letter combinations, basic written language conventions, and simple punctuation recognise and understand simple, familiar writt…

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions

Students will develop foundational te reo Māori communication skills through kōrerotia — purposeful speaking practice — grounded in the principle that language is the vessel of whakapapa and identity. This unit builds confidence to use te reo Māori in everyday contexts, valuing the language as a taonga tuku iho and a living expression of Māori cultural sovereignty.

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

  • ✅ I can use foundational te reo Māori greetings, introductions, and phrases correctly in conversation.
  • ✅ I can explain the cultural significance of key te reo Māori expressions beyond their literal translation.
  • ✅ I can demonstrate respect for te reo Māori as a taonga through accurate pronunciation and meaningful use.

Differentiation & Inclusion

Scaffold support: Provide pronunciation guides, flashcards, and sentence frames for entry-level learners. Offer extension tasks for students to compose original pepeha or short whaikōrero using structures from the unit.

ELL / ESOL: Te reo Māori may feel more accessible to some ELL students than English. Celebrate multilingualism — many students may bring home languages that share phonological features with Māori. Provide bilingual glossaries and allow students to make connections between languages.

Inclusion: Use oral, visual, and kinaesthetic modalities — karakia, waiata, and movement-based language games support diverse learners. Neurodiverse learners benefit from repetition, patterned structures, and low-stakes oral practice opportunities. Ensure all students feel emotionally safe to attempt new language.

Mātauranga Māori lens: Frame te reo Māori learning through whakapapa — every word carries genealogy. The concept of kōrerotia (speaking practice) connects to the oral tradition where knowledge was transmitted through careful, sustained speech. Explore how te reo revitalisation is an act of tino rangatiratanga and how learners of all backgrounds can be kaitiaki of the language.

Prior knowledge: No specialist prior knowledge required. All learners enter as beginners on equal footing.