Plan - He Mahere

Topic/Theme/Issue Horopaki: New Years Celebrations.

Levels Ng Taumata: Years Ng Tau: 4,5,6 Level 3

Essential Learning Area/s Ng Marautanga: Social sciences & English.

INTRODUCTION/STARTER ACTIVITY He Mahi Tmatanga

Have the tamariki watch the following youtube clip about Aucklands New
Years celebration.
[The Telegraph]. (2015, Dec 31). New Year Fireworks in Auckland, New Zealand. [video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U1R2_Dwuwk
-This clip is a video of Aucklands New Years firework display. This will be
used as an igniter for my unit on New Years Celebrations.
Children will be asked to focus on the following key questions while watching
the clip:
- What celebration is this?
- Where in the word is this celebration?
- Why and who celebrates New Years?
After watching this clip we will create a class brainstorm. This brainstorm
will identify what our classroom currently knows about New Years
celebrations.

DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS Ttari Aromatawai

Use an interview sheet that has written questions that the children will be
asked to answer. This interview sheet will be a diagnostic assessment for the
unit of new years celebrations. This sheet will have a variety of questions
such as: what is New Years? Why do we celebrate this? How do other
countries celebrate New Years? How does your own family celebrate New
Years? From collecting these sheets from all of the children, it will provide me
with the information I need when beginning my unit on New Years
celebration. It will indicate what they children currently know (there
pmanawa strengths), and areas that are not so familiar with. This
information will be important when creating my unit around celebrations. I
will need to know a starting point, targeting the appropriate level, and where
I need to incorporate and build on ideas further in lessons.
Another form of diagnostic assessments will be through feedback at the end
of lessons to guide me to creating an appropriate sequence of lessons. I can
ask the children what they have learnt and areas that they are still confused
with.
Conversation will also be a key diagnostic. In introducing my first lesson of
New Years celebration the children will be asked questions, engaging their
prior knowledge. The childrens answers will be an assessment showing me
which children are more familiar with this topic and which children may need
support.

BIG IDEAS Ng Whainga Rahi

-Beginning of the Mori New Year. Depending on iwi, Matariki is celebrated at
either the first pre-dawn sighting of Matariki, the rising of the next new moon
following the sighting of Matariki, or the rising of the next full moon following
the sighting of Matariki.
- Reflect on the previous year and celebrating new beginnings.
-Acknowledge the whakapapa who have past and the legacy they have left.
-Signifies that years that lies ahead.
- A time to learn and give back to the land we live on.
-Replenishing of crops.
-Pleiades (star cluster)
-Giving back to the atua, Tangaroa, god of the sea, and Ranginui, god of the
sky.
4

ACHIEVEMENT OBJETIVES Whainga Paetae

Major overarching strand Social Sciences
Level 3 Social Sciences. Understand how cultural practices vary but
reflect similar purposes.

Minor overarching strand - English

Level 3 English. Show a developing understanding of ideas within, across,
and beyond texts.

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

Putanga Ako

KEY COMPETENCIES

-Relating to others
will
have
multiple
-Students will identify the similarities Children
opportunities to relate to others.
and difference between their own
Children will be relating to others
celebrations and others.
through
discovering
New
Years
celebrations that happen all around
-Students will show an understanding the world. Children will relate through
their own personal experiences of a
of ideas within and beyond books.
celebration.
-Students will guide their own social The children will relate to other
childrens whnau. When creating
inquiry.
whakapapa charts children will have
-Students will plan and create their the opportunity to discuss their own
family trees to the classroom.
own New Years celebration.
-Using language, symbols, and texts.
Children will be engaged in Te Reo
Mori
language
through
texts.
Children will read a variety of
prkaus that will have rich Mori
language throughout.

-Students will create their own play

scripts, presenting these in a
meaningful way.

-Gain

an

understanding

of

what
5

Matariki
is,
and
why
it
has
importance to the various people of -Managing self.
New Zealand.
When conducting their own social
inquiry, children will need to have the
-In groups children will be able to ability
to
manage
themselves.
share and identify the significant Children will have to have managed
elements of Matariki.
themselves accordingly to finish their
display of information before the
-Children will find out their family deadline.
history/iwi, through creating their -Participating and contributing.
own whakapapa charts.
Children will engage in a variety of
group activities. Children will create a
-Students
will
begin
to
make venn
diagram,
showing
the
connections
by
thinking
about similarities and differences between
underlying messages in and beyond their own celebrations and others.
texts.
Children will also work in a group,
creating an A4 poster that represents
-Students will come to understand the main elements of Matariki.
the relationship that exists between
Mori and their land.
-Students will learn the importance of
protecting and sustaining our natural
resources.
-Children will be able to identify how
different practices have the same
purposes.

VALUES Ng Uara Me Ng Waiaro

TTAIAKO CULTURAL
COMPETENCIES (identify and evidence
relevant competencies in the learning
experiences)

Innovation, Inquiry, and curiosity.

In idea one for a non-Mori focus
activity, children will participate in
their own social inquiry. Children will
choose a New Years celebration,
come up with their own inquiry
questions, and research these
answers.
Children will display this information

Ako
Ako is evidenced in learning
experience two as students gain a
deeper understanding of who they
are and where they have come from.
Ako is evidenced in this learning
experience as myself as an educator
6

in any form they wish presenting

these to the class. This will also allow
the children to think creatively.

will be learning from the students. In

this activity the children will educare
me about their whakapapa, while
exploring their own indetity and
culture.

Diversity.
In all learning experiences, children
will develop an understanding and
appreciation for different cultures
celebrations. Children will compare
and contrast their own and other
cultures traditions, researching why
and how their celebrations are so
special to their culture. In learning
experience two, children will also
have the opportunity to create their
own whakapapa charts, sharing their
own ancestry with the classroom.

Ako is also present in learning

experience 5 where we learn about
the tikanga of Matariki and have our
very own hngi for whnau and the
community. Whnau will be strongly
encouraged to help us with our
hngi, teaching myself and the
students the appropraite
customs/ways to create a hngi.
Children who have already
participated in a hngi will also be
encouraged to share their
experience, teaching our classroom.

Community and Participation

In learning experience 5, the
community
will
be
invited
to
participate and enjoy our classrooms
hngi. Halfway Bush school is a
diverse school, where families work
closely within the school. Whnau will
be encouraged to support us in
preparing our hngi, also supporting
our teaching of the customs and
traditions around hngi.

Whanaungatanga
Learning experience 2
Through this activity of creating their
own whakapapa chart the children
will connect and further there own
self identity. This activity will also
strenghtn the relationship between
myself and the students whnau.
Whnau will be encouraged to
participate in this activity, either by
helping their children at home or
being present in the classroom while
creating our family trees.
In learning experience five, Whnau,
hap, iwi and the community will be
invited to the school to enjoy a feast
(hngi). For this event to happen we
will need the students whnau, to
help us create our hngi, making
sure the customs are follwed and
respected.

Ecological sustainability.
In learning experience four, the
tamariki will learn the importance of
Kaitiakitanga
(maintaining
the
inherent balance of the natural
world). Children will take on the
responsibility for growing their own
vegetables. This experience will help
children understand the relationship
that exists between Mori and their

Tangata Whenuatanga
Learning experience 2, provides the
context in which I will learn the
7

land.

indentity, language and culture of my

students. Through creating our family
trees, sharing and displaying them
within the classroom It will affirm
whnau relationships of all my
learners.

ASSESSMENT TASKS Mahi Aromatawai

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Aromatawai

paearu

Assessment task one.

In learning experience one, children
will listen to the story The Seven
Stars of Matariki. After discussion
talking about the events in this
prkau, students will be placed into
groups of threes. Each group will be
given an A4 piece of paper. Children
will be asked to write and explain the
big ideas of Matariki. The children will
then present their A4 posters to the
classroom. From this I will be able to
collect their posters in and decide
weather or not the children have
grasped the main ideas of Matariki. It
will also act as an oral assessment
being able to identify those who are
confident Te Reo Mori terms.

Assessment criteria for task one.

From engaging in the prkau,
students will be able to recall the
main events (big ideas) of Matariki. I
will assess this task by having a list
of
things
the children should
evidence in their posters. This
checklist will Indicate if the SLO of In
groups children will be able to share
and identify the significant elements
of Matariki has been meet. I will be
looking for the key events taken from
the book such as: The pleiade
cluster, the replenishing of crops, the
tikanga traditions of Matariki, giving
back to Tangaroa, god of the sea, and
Ranginui, god of the sky, and the
importance of looking after the
environment we live in.

Assessment tasks two.

In learning experience four where
children are learning all about
Kaitiakitanga and how and why it is
importance to maintain the inherent
balance of the natural world, children
participate in growing their own
vegetables. Children will learn the
importance of looking after their soil
in order for their vegetables to grow.
Children will be given the task of
writing the measures they need to

Assessment Task Two.

Children will be given an A4 piece of
paper and will be asked to answer
the two questions:
-What do we need to do in order for
our seedlings to grow?
-Why is it important to protect and
sustain our natural resources?
-What are some natural resources
that we need to protect and why?

take to ensure their plant grows, and

the importance of sustaining our
natural resources. This assessment
task will show if the SLO Students
will
learn
the
importance
of
protecting and sustaining our natural
resources has been meet.

The childrens answers to these

questions will identify to me who has
meet the SLO of Students will learn the
importance of protecting and sustaining our
natural resources. I will be looking at answers
such as:
- Regular water for the vegetables to
grow.
- To survive on plant earth.
- Natural resources that we need to
survive such plants, trees, vegetables
rivers etc.

RESOURCES Rauemi / Rawa

Youtube clip
[The Telegraph]. (2015, Dec 31). New Year Fireworks in Auckland, New Zealand. [video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U1R2_Dwuwk
Weblinks.
Matariki Festival 2016. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.matarikifestival.org.nz/involved/#whakatauki
Grow your own winter vegetables. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/Gardening-for-kids+31/Grow-yourown-winter-vegetables+11797.htm
Books
The Runaway Wok, written by Ying Chang Compestine
Compestine, Y. (2011). The Runaway Wok. New York.Dutton Books for Young Readers.
Emmas American Chinese New Year, Written by Amy Meadows
Meadows, A., & Teo, S. K. (2012). Emma's American Chinese New Year.
United States. Outskirts Press.

Chelseas Chinese New Year, written by Lisa Bullard.

Bullard, L. (2012). Chelseas Chinese New Year. United States. Millbrook Pr Trade.
9

Night before New Years, written by Natasha Wing.

Wing, N. (2009). Night before New Years. USA. Grosset & Dunlap.

The seven Stars Of Matariki, written by Toni Rollerston.

Rolleston, T. (2008). The seven Stars Of Matariki.Wellington, New Zealand. Huia Publishers.

Physical Resources Needed in learning experiences

Whiteboard / pens
1B8 theme books
Small garden bed
Organic potting mix
Compost
Winter vegetable seedlings/seeds
Mulch
Shovel
Ruler Measure out vegetables when planting
Area to dig hngi
Stones
Wood
Matches
Appropriate food for hngi (chicken, kumara, potatoes).
Tinfoil
Wet sheet for when the hngi is cooked.
Activity sheets.
- A venn diagram.
- Mind map.
- Learning experience 2 whakatauks. One whakatauk per A4 piece of
paper.
LEARNING EXPERIENCES He wheako:
IDEAS FOR A NON-MORI FOCUS

Idea 1: Social Sciences.

SLO
-Students will identify the similarities and difference between their own
10

celebrations and others.

Extending on from Introduction/Starter activity.
-

From our brainstorm who can tell me what New Years is?
Why do we celebrate New Years?
What are the different types of ways we celebrate New Years here in
New Zealand?

- Think-pair-share with partner. Discuss how you celebrate New Years at

home.
- Ask the tamariki to share to the group about how their families celebrate
New Years at home.
- Prompt the children to identify that all families have their own way of
celebrating New Years.
-Read the book Night Before New Years. Written by Natasha Wing, and
illustrated by Amy Wummer. Wing, N. (2009). Night before New Years. USA.
Grosset & Dunlap.
-Give the children focus questions to think about during our shared reading
such as: I want you to think about some key Ideas while I am reading you
this text. I want you to think about the similarities you have with this
families New Years celebrations and some differences.

Idea 2: English.
SlO
-Students will show an understanding of ideas within and beyond books.
Read the story Chelseas Chinese New Year, written by Lisa Bullard.
Bullard, L. (2012). Chelseas Chinese New Year. United States. Millbrook Pr Trade.

-Discuss the elements of Chinese New Years, and what elements make it so
special to their culture.
-Place the students into groups.
-The children will look at two others books. These will be:
The Runaway Wok, written by Ying Chang Compestine
Compestine, Y. (2011). The Runaway Wok. New York.Dutton Books for Young
Readers.

11

Emmas American Chinese New Year, written by Amy Meadows

Meadows, A., & Teo, S. K. (2012). Emma's American Chinese New Year.
United States. Outskirts Press.
- From reading a variety of picture books students will show a developing
understanding of ideas within, across and beyond text. Children will create a
venn diagram, drawing on similarities and differences between their New
Years celebrations and Chinese.

Idea 3: Social Sciences.

SLO
-Students will guide their own social inquiry.
With guidance, students will conduct their own social inquiry on New Years
celebrations. Children will choose a New Years celebration from a country of
their choice. The children will have to come up with their own focus
questions, choosing what they want to discover. These questions need to be
open-ended in order for the children to collect as much information as
possible. Once the children have completed and displayed their social inquiry
in any form they wish such as: poster or power point. They will share these to
the classroom.
Idea 4: English.
SLO
-Students will plan and create their own New Years celebration.
Children will have the opportunity to write their own New Years celebration.
To guide the children through this, begin by creating a full classroom brainstorm. Ask the
children the following questions to support them in their own story writing.
What country would you like your New Years celebration to take place in?
How will your New Years be celebrated?
What traditions will your celebration have?
Children will be provided with a mind map to plan out their piece of writing.
Idea 5: English.
SLO
-Students will create their own play scripts, presenting these in a meaningful
way.
In sequence to writing and sharing their own New Years celebration stories,
children will be placed into six groups of four. In these given groups the
children will read their stories to one another. From this children will work
12

together, combining their ideas together to write their very own play script.
Once writing their own play script as a group the children have the choice of
presenting their story through a play, movement/dance, or through drama.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES He wheako Mori:

IDEAS FOR A MORI FOCUS TO BE DEVELOPED IN DEPTH

Learning experience 1: Social Sciences.

SLO
-Gain an understanding of what Matariki is, and why it has importance to the
various people of New Zealand.
-In groups children will be able to share and identify the significant elements
of Matariki.
This introductory lesson of Matariki, will act as a diagnostic snapshot showing
me where the childrens familiarity currently is at on the topic Matariki.
Children will be asked key focus questions to tap into their prior knowledge.
Myself and the Mori children in the class will be able to support children
who are unfamiliar with this celebration. The following key questions will
create a full classroom discussion.
- Does anybody know the name of the special celebration Mori have to
celebrate New Years?
- Has anybody participated / been apart of this special celebration?
- What are some elements we already know that are apart of this special
celebration?
-Explain to the tamariki that we are going to read the prkau The Seven
Stars Of Matariki written by Toni Rolleston.
Rolleston, T. (2008). The seven Stars Of Matariki.Wellington, New Zealand.
Huia Publishers.
-Explain to the children that their focus during our shared reading is to find
out the key elements of Matariki.
-Throughout the text I will support the children with Te Reo Mori words. I will
13

do this by becoming familiar with the text before reading to the students,
and learning the definitions for any unfamiliar Mori words.
-At the end of this prkau we will have a classroom discussion about the
themes within this picture books and the main elements of Matariki.
-In groups of three, the children will be asked to think-pair-share, and write
down the key elements from this prkau. These will be the key elements of
Matariki, allowing the children to become familiar with this celebration. The
students will also be asked to write down why they think Matariki is
important to the people of New Zealand.
-At the end of this learning experience have each rp share their
understanding of Matariki.

Learning experience 2: Social sciences.

SlO
-Children will find out their family history/iwi, through creating their own
whakapapa charts.
Whakapapa -The interconnectivity between people, nature and the woven
universe.
- Discuss with the tamariki that whakapapa is an integral part of Matariki
celebrations and is a line of descent from ancestors passed down to
the present day.
- -Explain to the children how the beliefs of whakapapa about the
beginning of our universe vary from tribe to tribe.
- Make the learning relevant. Give the children 2 minutes to think to
themselves about the beliefs they hold on how the beginning of our
universe was created.
- Ask them if they think everyone would have the same beliefs? Why/
why not. Explain the importance of our diversity and respecting one
another beliefs in all cultures.
- Explain that Matariki is not only a time for celebration but is also a time
to remember where we came from, who we are, while also
acknowledging the whakapapa (ancestry) who have passed away
before us.
- -To allow the children to gain a better understanding of who they are
and where they come from the children are going to create and write
their on whakapapa chart / family tree. Parents will be encouraged to
discuss their family trees with their children prior to this lesson.

14

Children will display their written family trees around the classroom, creating
a strong connection to their ancestors. This learning experience will show
children the importance of celebrating new beginnings, while also
acknowledging the legacy whnau who have passed have left behind.

Learning experience 3: English

SLO
-Students will begin to make connections by thinking about underlying
messages in and beyond texts.
Introduce this learning experience by writing the whakatuak Ka puta a Matariki, ka rere a
whnui, ko te tohu o te tau on the board.
-Read this whakatuak out to the tamariki.
-Explain to the children that in English this means Matariki reappears, Whnui begins its flight.
This signals the time of the year.
-Explain to the children that this is what we call a whakatuak.
Ask the children some key questions:
-Has anyone ever heard of the term whakatuak before?
-Why do you think whakatuak is important to Mori culture?
-Discuss that whakatuak are proverbs / treasured sayings that are passed down from generations
of Mori and that all whakatuaks hold an underlying message, which are extremely influential in
Mori culture.
- Ask if any of the tamariki have treasured sayings that have been passed down from generations.
(This will make the learning relevant to all cultures within the classroom.
-Explain to the children that they are going to be given a whakatuak that relates to Matariki.
Once you have been given your whakatuak, you will need one Ipad per a group to find and
research the definition for your whakatuak
-In groups of three the children will be allocated a whakatuak each.
Matarki Festival 2016. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.matarikifestival.org.nz/involved/#whakatauki
Ka puta a Matariki, ka rere a Whnui, ko te tohu o te tau"
Tr Matariki huihui ana mai

15

Matariki kanohi iti

Matariki ki tua o ng whet

The children who are confident in speaking Te Reo Mori will also work on
pronouncing these whakatuaks appropriately.

Learning experience 4: Social Sciences

SLO
-Students will come to understand the relationship that exists between Mori
and their land.
-Students will learn the importance of protecting and sustaining our natural
resources.

Kaitiakitanga (maintaining the inherent balance of the natural world)

Explain to the children that Kaitiakitanga is an ancient concept, which means
guarding and protecting of all things of value. Explain the importance of
protecting and sustaining our earths natural resources.
-Ask the children to think-pair-share about how we here on earth protect and
sustain our natural resources.
- Have each pair share their answers, and explain why they think protecting
these are important.
-Discuss that for Maori the land they live on is the most important aspect of
life.
- Reflect back on our Matariki book the seven stars of Matariki and how the
brightness of the star constellation indicates to Mori how successful the
seasons crop will be and how they celebrate new years. Because this gives
indication of the size of harvest it is important to prepare the land to their
best ability.
Today we are going to look at being a kaitiaki. Kaitiaki Which is a guardian
who is a group of people who work together to sustain our precious
resources of our earth. Like our Matariki New Year celebration where they
use food from their crops for a feast to symbolises New Years, we are going
to grow our very own winter crop.
-Grow

your

own

winter

vegetables.
16

(2014).

Retrieved

from

http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/Gardening-for-kids+31/Grow-yourown-winter-vegetables+11797.htm
We will need
- A small garden bed
- Good quality organic potting mix
- Compost/manure
- Winter vegetable seedlings/seeds.
- mulch.
The children will prepare a garden box, filling this up with appropriate soil
to grow their seedlings. Together we will mark out rows for planting,
planting our seedlings at the appropriate distance for growth. Children will
be apart of a class-watering roster and be able to identify why this is
important for growth. Once ready the classroom will participate in
harvesting our vegetables, using these to cook at a school based event
inviting all whnua.
Once the children have planted their seedlings, the children will be asked to
write a paragraph about the measures they need to take to ensure their
plant grows. They will also be asked to explain the importance of sustaining
our natural resources.
Learning experience 5: Social Sciences.
SlO
-Children will be able to identify how different practices have the same
purposes.

Tikanga - Mori customs and traditions.

-Have a full classroom discussion about what tikanga is.
- Discuss that tikanga is a set of beliefs associated with practices and
procedures. Matariki our Mori New Year has strong links to tikanga having
its own traditions passed down and sustained from ancestors.
- Ask the children what traditions are. Link to their prior knowledge and make
connections to their own New Years traditions.
- What are some traditions that your family has for New Years? This is
something that will happen every year at your familys very own
celebration.
Discuss with the children that Matariki has its own customs and traditions of
Matariki on the board.
-Kite Flying
-Feasting (hngi)
17

-Giving back to the gods

-Waiata
-Karakia.
-Ask the children to focus on feasting. Ask the children to share their special
feast that they may have on New Years.
- Ask the children to think about how other cultures around the world
celebrate with feasting getting them to reflect back on the story The Seven
Stars Of Matariki. E.g Chinese New Year 16 day festivities and Matariki
Hngi.
-Guide the children to identify that all cultures have different traditions
around food but have the same purpose of bringing family together to
celebrate this special time.
- Explain to the children that we are going to have our own feasting (hngi)
at school, extending our invitation to the community and whnua.

Extending learners.
This unit has the opportunity to extend learners who are proficient in Te Reo
Mori and leaners who grasp the concepts faster than others. Students can
be extended by being allocated an extension activity or by taking on
leadership roles within the classroom. Together we will work in partnership so
that children can succeed to the best of their ability.
In learning experience one, children who need extending with have the
opportunity to be the lead speaker when presenting their groups poster.
They will also support their peers, encouraging them to speak.
Learning experience two, children can be extended by taking one of the
school cameras home to record whnau telling family stories specific to their
18

iwi. These stories can then be shared with the classroom, written out and
attached to their whakapapa charts.
In learning experience three, children can be extended by supporting their
peers within a group. Those who are more confident with Te Reo Mori will be
placed with children who are not so confident. These groupings will be
judged from assessment task 1. The children who are confident in speaking
Mori will be able to extend themselves by reading the whakatuak to the
rp, encouraging the students who are not confident to articulate the
whakatuak with correct pronunciation.
The children who have finished early in learning experience four will be given
an extension activity. These children will be asked to take photos regularly
showing the growth of our vegetables. These photos will be uploaded to our
classroom blog so whnau can stay connected.
Learning experience five also has the opportunity to extend children who are
already familiar with the customs around hngi. These children will be given
leadership roles, reflecting the competency Ako, as these children will be
educating myself and other students. They will share their experiences with
hngi allowing myself and other children to make connections.

Rationale.
Te Reo Mori is the indigenous language of Aotearoa, New Zealand and has
been effectively embedded throughout this unit of work, with appropriate
lessons to extend and support all learners. When planning this unit I had to
take the students mixed abilities into consideration, taking account of their
diverse requirements (Ministry of Education, 2009, p.17). Throughout my
learning experiences, I have provided students who are proficient in Te Reo
19

Mori (Ministry of Education, 2009, p. 17) to extend their learning. Children

who are not confident in articulating Mori language will also be supported.
The integration of Te Reo Mori in this unit supports the graduating teaching
standard of have the knowledge & disposition to work effectively with
colleagues, parents/caregivers family/whnau & communities (Ministry of
Education, 2007). This is evidenced in my unit of New Years celebrations;
having the whnau support my learners and myself in creating whakapapa
charts, and also having both whnau and the community of Halfway Bush
participate in and enjoy our school Hngi. My relationship with whnau in this
unit is really significant to me. I strongly believe that success in learning
depends on teachers & schools building productive relationships with
students whnau (Ministry of Education, 2009, p. 29).
This unit supports the language integration of Te Reo Mori as students have
the opportunities to work in small groups to experiment with new and
learned language (Ministry of Education, 2009, p. 19). This specifically
relates to learning experience three where children will be working in groups
to articulate a given whakatuak, also researching the definition and making
the definition relevant to them.
The Ministry of Education states by learning Te Reo and becoming
increasingly familiar with tikanga, Mori students strengthen their identities,
while non-Mori journey towards shared cultural understandings (Ministry of
Education, 2009, p. 12). An important part of this unit was making learning

20

appropriate for all learners. Classrooms today require teachers to educate

students

varying

in

culture,

language,

abilities

and

many

other

characteristics (Richards, 2007, p. 64). This units focus of New Years

celebrations allows children from all cultures to achieve. The Mori focus of
Matariki meant Mori students strengthen their identities, while non-Mori
journey towards shared cultural understandings(Ministry of Education, 2009,
p. 12). This unit allowed non-Mori students to connect through their own
cultural experiences.
Mori students achieve best when education reflects & values their identity,
language and culture (Ministry of Education, 2013, p.6). Ttaiakos
document

contains

five

competencies

that

underpin

Mori

learners

achieving. Ako is one of five, which is reflected in this unit. Ako means to
learn as well as to teach (Ministry of Education, 2011, p.4). This is
evidenced in learning experience two; where students will gain a deeper
understand of whom they are and where they have come from. In this
activity myself as an educator will be learning from the students In a two
way process (Ministry of Education, 2013, p.16) learning about the
childrens whakapapa, exploring their identity and culture.

21

References.
Bullard, L. (2012). Chelseas Chinese New Year. United States. Millbrook Pr Trade.

Compestine, Y. (2011). The Runaway Wok. New York.Dutton Books for Young Readers.

Grow your own winter vegetables. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/Gardening-forkids+31/Grow-your-own-winter-vegetables+11797.htm

Matarki Festival 2016. (2016). Retrieved from

http://www.matarikifestival.org.nz/involved/#whakatauki

Meadows, A., & Teo, S. K. (2012). Emma's American Chinese New Year. United States.
Outskirts Press.
Ministry of Education. (2007). Graduating Teaching Standards. Wellington: The New
Zealand Teachers Council.
Ministry of Education. (2009). Te Aho Arataki Marau m te Ako I te Reo Mori Kura
Auraki. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.
Ministry of Education, (2011). Ttaiako: Cultural competencies for teachers of Mori
learners. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.
Ministry of Education. (2013). Ka hikitia-Accerating success 2013- 2017. The Mori
education strategy. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.
Richards, H. V. (2007). Addressing diversity in schools: culturally responsive pedagogy.
Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(3), 6468.

Rolleston, T. (2008). The seven Stars Of Matariki.Wellington, New Zealand. Huia

Publishers.

22

[The Telegraph]. (2015, Dec 31). New Year Fireworks in Auckland, New Zealand. [video
file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U1R2_Dwuwk

Wing, N. (2009). Night before New Years. USA. Grosset & Dunlap.

23