Lesson 1.1: What Makes a Society?
Exploring the Systems that Build Communities
Students explore the fundamental question "What is a society?" by examining its core components through both indigenous and contemporary lenses, establishing a foundation for systems thinking.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Materials & Resources
Society stations cards (printable from resources/lesson-1-1-society-stations.html), shared Venn diagram sheets, large chart paper or digital doc per group.
Timing Overview
75 minutes: 8 min cultural opening, 8 min media anchor, 30 min society stations, 25 min Venn comparison, 4 min reflection.
Prior Knowledge & Scaffolding
No prior knowledge required. Students may draw on their own whānau and community experiences.
Differentiation: Provide sentence starters for ELL students. Extend confident learners by asking them to find a real-world example beyond the lesson activities.
Whakatūwhera - Cultural Opening
In Te Ao Māori, a community is a web of deep relationships, not just a group of people. Whakapapa provides the blueprint for how we connect, support each other, and make decisions. Today, we explore how all societies, from a local marae to an entire nation, are built on these same ideas of connection, shared responsibility, and collective wellbeing. We ask: what are the essential systems that allow us to thrive together?
"Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi."
Ngā Whāinga Ako - Learning Intentions
Students Will Learn
- That societies are systems with interconnected parts.
- The four essential components of any society.
- How different cultures (e.g., Māori, Pākehā) structure their societies.
Students Will Demonstrate
- By identifying the four components in different scenarios.
- By comparing and contrasting two different societal models.
- By applying systems thinking to their own community.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- ✅ I can explain what a society is using the four pillars (People, Governance, Resources, Culture).
- ✅ I can compare how an Iwi/Hapū system and a modern city system organise themselves.
- ✅ I can identify how whakapapa and kaitiakitanga reflect a systems-thinking approach.
🎥 Media Anchor (8 mins)
Video: Māori Systems: Kaitiakitanga
- Which parts, connections, and purpose did the video make most visible in a social system?
- How does kaitiakitanga shift what a “successful society” should optimise for?
Ngā Mahi - Lesson Activities (75 minutes)
1. Society Stations: The Four Pillars (30 mins)
Setup: Students rotate in small groups through four stations. At each station, they read the description and answer the prompt questions on a shared document or large sheet of paper.
Download Printable Station CardsPillar 1: People & Community
Who makes up the society? How are they connected? (e.g., whānau, citizenship, shared interests).
Prompt: How is our school a community? What connects us?
Pillar 2: Governance & Rules
How are decisions made? Who holds power? What are the rules? (e.g., government, tikanga, school rules).
Prompt: Who makes decisions in your family? How is that different from school?
Pillar 3: Resources & Economics
How does the society manage its resources? (e.g., money, trade, food, land, knowledge).
Prompt: What are the most important resources for our school to function?
Pillar 4: Culture & Values
What are the shared beliefs, traditions, and stories that give the society its identity? (e.g., language, religion, art, history).
Prompt: What is one value that is important to our school culture?
2. Systems in Action: Comparing Two Models (25 mins)
Activity: As a class, or in pairs, students complete a Venn diagram comparing a traditional Iwi/Hapū system with a modern city system, using the four pillars as a guide.
Focus on how each system handles the four pillars. What's the same? What's different?
Aromatawai - Assessment & Next Steps
Formative Assessment
- Observe group discussions at the stations.
- Review the shared documents for understanding of the four pillars.
- Check the Venn diagrams for thoughtful comparisons.
Homework & Extension
- Identify the four pillars in a movie or book.
- Ask a family member how their community has changed over time.
Whakaaro - Reflection
Every group of people is a system. By understanding the four pillars—People, Governance, Resources, and Culture—we can start to see how these systems work. We also see that while the goals are often the same (safety, wellbeing, a future for our children), different cultures have developed unique and brilliant ways to achieve them. The first step to improving a system is to see it clearly.
Curriculum alignment
- Know: How different systems function in Aotearoa and globally, including iwi, local and national governments: Local government, Māori leadership, democracy, dictatorship.
- Understand (ANZH): Relationships & connections between people & across boundaries have shaped the course of Aotearoa New Zealand histories.
- Body Systems — Knowledge: The human digestive system includes the mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands, oesophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus, which …
- Understand: Systems shape how people and groups organise themselves: Rights, responsibilities, power, fairness.
- Organism Diversity — Knowledge: Cells are the fundamental unit of living organisms and contain parts (structures) called organelles.