Class 4 ‘Te Akomanga Tuawhā’ 

The Class Four Child: “Who I Am, Where I Am” 

 

He kākano ahau, i ruia mai i Rangiatea 

I am a seed that was sown in the heavens of Rangiatea. 

 

 

The children stand truly on the earth and they are learning to walk in its ways. Self-consciousness becomes stronger and the soul life becomes more inward. There grows a soul wish to know and love the world consciously, yet this will be tested: is it justified that I revere this occurrence; that person; this phenomena? The children must be protected from becoming disappointed, or cynical about the world, as now the faint beginnings of consequential behaviour stir to consciousness: “If I do this, then that might happen.” 

 

The Task 

To lead students through learning ‘whakapapa’ and ‘Tūrangawaewae’, to discover themselves in time and place, and appreciate their world and how they arrived in it; to allow them an experience of consequences through story and to strengthen social awareness. 

 

The Māori Myths about ‘Māui-Tikitiki-a-Taranga’ are full of adventures describing actions and consequences of these actions.  The students will relate to these stories at this age.   

 

There are also many varieties of stories available from each rohe, which will give a picture of how local geographical features were formed, and how people of the area came to be there. 

 

Field Trips/Noho marae/Camps 

Studies about ‘Local Geography’ and ‘Local History’ place the students in time and space. These studies can be enhanced by visits to local geographical and historical sites that are important to tangata whenua.  A noho marae at this age has a two-fold purpose; it will help the class make connections with the tangata whenua, which can be fostered and developed over subsequent years.  A noho marae also provides an opportunity where the student can focus on their own whakapapa and journey of how they arrived in that place and time. 

 

A noho marae also provides an opportunity to; learn the school’s pepeha and to create a sense of connection to the rohe they reside in.  This noho marae can be the first of many as they journey through the school. 

 

Kōwhaiwhai 

As time allows, the drawing/painting of ‘kōwhaiwhai ’as a strengthening and incarnating exercise, and as a way of connecting to local history, animal and plant life is recommended.  Increasingly difficult patterns may be explored; especially those derived from local marae rafter patterns. Symmetry and balance will be striven for and students should have the opportunity to experiment with transforming and transposing given forms.  

 

The tenses – Kai te/kua/ka 

The tenses can be introduced through story and role play. The class may research aspects of their own biographies to enliven the study and bring relevance to the work. Looking back to the past involves the past tense:” I was”. Next the students would examine the now moment, fleeting and ephemeral: “I am.” And finally looking ahead to that which is yet to be brings the future tense “I will”.  The experience of these tenses could be explored in their study of Te reo Māori. 

 

Approach/Content (for Specialist Teachers) 

• In this year we look at the local surroundings with a focus on geography and the local history. The class are also given work books that are used to introduce the written Māori language. 

• Pepeha – Looking at the importance of local geographical points as a means of identifying where you come from:  Maunga/Awa/Marae/Waka/Iwi/Hapū. 

• Stories of local tipuna and their journeys from Hawaikii to Aotearoa. 

• The story of prominent tipuna that the local iwi descend from. 

• Local kōwhaiwhai 

• Written te reo Māori – The class look at verbs, and present tense sentences 

• Kai te omaoma au/ia/a + name 

• Kai te aha koe/ia/a + name 

• Karakia – Ma te rā e whiti 

• Tī rākau – use of short sticks 

• Creating booklets with kei te/kua/kaore…. i te sentences 

• Waiata-a-ringa/Haka 

 

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the year most children will be able to: 

• Individually recite their ‘pepeha’ in a formal setting. 

• Say who the members of their family are. 

• Say what the time is using minutes. 

• Express a sentence in past, future and present tense. 

• Give the Māori place names for all local towns and geographical features. 

 

 

Story Content 

 

• Local pūrākau pertinent to the rohe (especially those related to local geographical features) 

• Local History  

 

Approach/ Content (for Class Teachers) 

• Pūrākau – local stories 

• Māori historical stories from local area. 

• Visit local marae (noho marae) one night. 

• Visit to historical sites significant for the tangata whenua. 

• Ride on waka taua or voyaging waka if possible. 

• Drawing kōwhaiwhai from local marae 

• Help children learn their pepeha for them to recite in morning circle or on marae. 

• Waiata, karakia 

• Ti-rākau games (stick games) 

• Morning circle games using te reo Māori. 

• Possible Class Play based on Māori theme 

• Tukutuku designs - handwork 

• Learn basic names for fractions