Unit 2 Lesson 1: The Treaty & Co-Governance | Y8 Systems

Ngā Mahi - Lesson Activities (75 minutes)

1. Two Texts, Two Meanings (25 mins)

Activity: Using the Treaty Texts Comparison handout, students work in pairs to compare the English and Māori versions of Article 1 and Article 2.

Key Question for Article 1:

Did Māori agree to give up "sovereignty" or just "kāwanatanga" (governorship)? What is the difference?

Key Question for Article 2:

What does "tino rangatiratanga" (absolute chieftainship) promise to Māori? How does this conflict with the English version?

2. The Three P's: A Framework for Partnership (20 mins)

Teacher-led Discussion: Introduce the "Three P's" as a way to understand our obligations under the Treaty today.

Partnership

Māori and the Crown must work together in good faith.

Participation

Māori must be fully involved in decisions that affect them.

Protection

The Crown must actively protect Māori language, culture, and resources.

Activity: How could we apply the Three P's to our school's decision-making?

3. Co-Governance in Action (30 mins)

Case Study: Introduce a modern example of co-governance, such as the Waikato River Authority, where the river is represented by both iwi and Crown appointees who must make decisions together.

Group Task: Students create a simple diagram showing how this co-governance model works. They must label how it demonstrates Partnership, Participation, and Protection.

Differentiation:

Support: Provide a pre-made diagram of the authority, and students just have to label where the Three P's are happening.
Extension: Research another example of co-governance in New Zealand.

Aromatawai - Assessment & Next Steps

Formative Assessment

Can students articulate the key difference between the two Treaty texts?
Can they apply the Three P's to a new scenario?
Does their co-governance diagram show understanding of the concept?

Homework & Extension

Ask a family member what they know about the Treaty.
Find a news article about a modern Treaty issue.

Whakaaro - Reflection

The Treaty of Waitangi is not about blame; it is about a promise. It is a guide for how we can live together in Aotearoa in a way that is fair, just, and honours the rights of all people. Understanding the original promise of partnership is the first step to building a better and more equitable system of governance for the future, and co-governance is one of the ways we are trying to bring that promise to life.