📚 Unit Plans → 🌿 Unit 11: Te Reo Māori Foundations → 📖 Lesson 2: Ko Wai Au?
Years 7–8 Te Reo Māori / Learning Languages

Unit 11 Lesson 2: Ko Wai Au? - Pepeha and Identity

Unit 11 Lesson 2: Ko Wai Au? - Pepeha and Identity: Pepeha and identity kōrero rooted in place, people, and belonging. Free NZ curriculum resource from Te Kete

🎯 Learning Objectives & Success Criteria

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

  • Describe the purpose of a pepeha and key parts.
  • Create a draft pepeha using personal connections.
  • Share a pepeha respectfully in a small group.

Success Criteria

  • ✓ Pepeha includes name, place, and people
  • ✓ Correct use of Ko/Ko au
  • ✓ Clear pronunciation in peer share

Ngā Mahi - Lesson Flow (70 minutes)

1. Pepeha Listening & Unpacking (15 mins)

Teacher model + kōrero

Teacher shares a short pepeha. Students identify the parts: maunga, awa, waka, iwi, hapū, ingoa.

  • Discuss: Why do we acknowledge places and people?
  • Note local iwi/hapū protocols for pepeha order.

2. Pepeha Builder Studio (30 mins)

Independent + teacher support

Use the Pepeha Builder handout to draft a pepeha. Provide sentence frames for students still learning their whakapapa.

  • Students identify places that ground them (home, school, community).
  • Teacher checks pronunciation and supports local tikanga.

3. Whānau Share Circle (20 mins)

Small-group sharing

Students share pepeha in groups of 4. Listeners give feedback using two stars and a wish.

  • Encourage respectful listening and support for pronunciation.
  • Optional audio recording for practice at home.

Whakamutunga: Exit Reflection (5 mins)

Short reflection

Exit ticket: What part of your pepeha feels strongest today? What do you still want to learn?

🎬 Media Anchor

Use this clip to model sentence order and identity language before students draft and rehearse their own pepeha.

Video anchor: Building and introducing your pepeha

  • Pause and discuss: Which pepeha line structure in the clip can you transfer into your own draft?
  • Practice transfer: Students apply one phrase pattern from the clip in the next activity round.

📊 Assessment Notes

  • Formative check: listen for correct use of Ko/Ko au and key place names.
  • Collect: draft pepeha or audio clip for feedback.

🧺 Resources & Materials

Curriculum alignment

  • Pāhekoheko — Practices: Pepeha follow a specific structure made up of key elements that each serve a purpose in expressing identity, belonging, and whakapapa.
  • Pāhekoheko — Practices: In te ao Māori, saying who you are includes talking about your connections to people, places, and whakapapa.
  • Pāhekoheko — Practices: Ko [name and name] ōku/ngā maunga Ko [name and name] ōku/ngā awa
  • Pāhekoheko — Practices: Pepeha structure varies depending on iwi, regionality, whānau, and whakapapa.
  • Pāhekoheko — Practices: Ko [name] tōku/te awa.

📋 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.