To Matou Wahi - Our Place

Unit Plan

To Matou Wahi - Our Place

Social Studies Online

TEACHER Anne Girven

YEAR
5-6

LEVEL
3

DURATION
3 weeks

Achievement Objective Being Assessed	Learning Outcomes
English
Interpersonal Speaking	Students will: Talk clearly in small or large groups about events, organising material effectively to present information.
Social Studies
Place and Environment 3.1	Students will: Describe how different groups, such as Maori and visitors, view and use places and the environment in different ways.
Processes
English
Processing Information	Gather, select and present information from a variety of sources.
Social Studies
Inquiry	Carry out an inquiry. Plan questions, collect information from two or more sources. Present findings in brochure.
Supporting Achievement Objectives	Learning Outcomes
English
Listening	Listen to and interact with others, ask questions. Recall main ideas.
Transactional Writing	Recount events and express personal viewpoints, sequencing ideas logically.
Presenting	Use verbal and visual features to communicate information - a brochure.

Assessment

Choose a place or environment that you are familiar with. Present a brochure about this area that explains how people view and use it in different ways. Plan and draft your brochure first and conference with your teacher before you publish it. Your brochure will need to list your information sources (you need at least two different sources). Present your brochure to the class.
Students to be given the assessment schedule for the oral presentation of their brochure.
Students will present their brochure in small groups.

Assessment Schedule

Self Assessment

Peer Assessment

TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Select and adapt these learning activities to best meet the needs of your students, and to fit the time available:

Investigate Maori names of maunga and lakes in your area and their significance. Visit areas of interest in the community. Explore maps of the area.
Maori Place Names Lesson
From Teaching Online.
Plan focus questions to ask visiting kaumatua and discuss a method for recording the information eg. note taking, tape recording.
Invite local kaumatua to talk about the Maori history of special places in the area, how Maori view and use local places and environment. Discuss why they view and use in these ways.
Students/Teacher discuss and decide on appropriate way to greet their visitor to the school.
Prepare a powhiri - a Maori welcome.
The class shares information gathered (from visitor) and collaborates to make a chart.
If possible visit a local museum.
Discuss the changes to the area over time.
Draw a timeline of the history/ development of the area.
Draw a map of the area, highlighting places of interest.
Investigate a feature of the environment, eg. mountain. What does it symbolise, and how is it viewed in different ways? For example: mana, home base, permanence, stability, security.
Understand that tribes in N.Z. identify with special features of the land. Investigate tribes of your local area - whakapapa, and their maunga, for example, Ngati Porou - Hikurangi, Tuwharetoa - Ruapehu, Tongariro, Ngaruahoe, Te Arawa -Tarawera.
Invite local people and interview them about how they view and use places, and why this is. Think about focus questions.
Some Ideas: farmer, Department of Conservation, council representative, recreational users (eg. dog walkers), tourism operators, visitors.
Record all areas of interest in the community.
Write down the different ways people have used the area.
Collect brochures. Discuss the layout, use of colour, photographs, maps, advertising, used by agencies to publicise a place.
Check out these web sites for ideas:
- Lake Taupo
Discuss and record responses - what information would someone want to read in a brochure?
What aspects of our community should we mention in our brochure? How could we best present our information for our audience?
Students brainstorm ideas for individual brochure.
Students to plan and complete a brochure.
Make a model of an area of interest, a mountain or lake, and show how the Maoris might have used the surrounding area for protection, gathering sea food, planting crops, hunting in the bush.

RESOURCES

Electronic

School Journals, National Library Books and videos (from the Maori section of the library), people from the community - kaumatua, visit the local library - plan questions to ask the librarian or to research.

This material has been produced by UNITEC Institute of Technology
under contract to the Ministry of Education.

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