Curriculum level 1 lesson plans
Feelings/States of being
Likes and dislikes
Location words
Name and home
Greetings and farewells
Days and months
Number (1-10)
Age
Maui’s fish
Kei te pēhea koe? How are you?
Achievement objective
1.7Use and respond to simple classroom language.
Learning intention
Students can:
- ask and answer one another about how they are feeling.
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Whakarongo – Listening
- Recognise and understand simple, familiar spoken words, phrases, and sentences.
Kōrero - Speaking
Ask simple questions.
Materials
Resource sheet 1A: Kei te pēhea koe?
Lesson sequence
Before the lesson, print off copies of Resource sheet 1 and place them on the walls around the room.
Introduce the vocabulary to describe how someone is feeling (see Language to use below). Ask the students to move to the picture that best reflects how they are feeling. Ask the students individually in Māori how they are.
Kei te pēhea koe Joey?How are you Joey?
Kei te pai au.I am good.
Kei te koa au. I am happy.
Kei te hiamoe au. I am sleepy.
Language to use
Kei te pēhea koe?How are you?
Adjectives
hiamoesleepy
hiakaihungry
paigood
pōurisad
ririangry
koahappy
Nouns
hoafriend
whaeamother
tuahinesister (of a male)
tungānebrother (of female)
Pronouns
ia, koe, auhe/she, you (singular), I
Possessive
tō your (singular)
Tips
Identify the local dialect used for the question ‘how are you?’ Do local iwi ask ‘Kei te pēhea koe?’ or ‘E pēwhea ana koe?’ Read the link below that describes these two variations.
Variation
When out in the play ground, ask how the students are.
Greet and ask visitors how they are as they arrive at your room.
Note: Consider whether the visitor is confident in doing this.
Further learning
Extend the vocabulary by drawing and labelling other pictures. Ask the students how another person is.
Kei te pēhea tō whaea?How is your mum?
Kei te koa ia. She is happy.
Kei te pēhea tō hoa?How is your friend?
Keite hiakai ia. S/he is hungry.
Kei te pēhea tō tungāne?How is your brother? (of a female)
Kei te pai ia. He is well.
Other resources
Ministry of Education. (2000). Waiata Kōhungahunga. [Audio Cassette: Side 1 Song 2].Wellington: Learning Media.
For ways that you can ask ‘How are you?’ (followed by an interactive) see:
He tino pai Very good
Achievement objective
1.6Understand and use simple politeness conventions, for example complimenting people
Learning intentions
Students can:
- State likes and dislikes
- Understand when the teacher compliments them.
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Whakarongo - Listening
- Recognise and understand simple, familiar spoken words, phrases, and sentences.
Kōrero - Speaking
- Imitate the pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm of te reo Māori words, phrases, and sentences.
Mātakitaki - Viewing
- Interpret meanings that are conveyed in combinations of words and images or symbols.
Lesson sequence
Ask the students to name things they like within chosen categories, e.g. televison characters or programmes, sports teams, singers, food types.
Draw a table, similar to the example below, on the board and write the students’ choices in the top horizontal row.
Explain to the students that their preferred choices are shown across the top row and the words ‘he pai’, ‘he tino pai’ and ‘kāo’ are written down the left-hand side of the table.
He paiHe tino pai
Kāo
For example, ask the class their opinion of one of the TV programmes listed:
He pai a ‘______’?Is ‘______’ good?
Āe, he pai. Yes, it’s good.
Āe, he tino pai.Yes, it’s very good.
Kāo. No.
Using the structure of the question above, continue to ask each student his or her opinion about TV characters/singers/groups/foods/sports etc. Mark each response with a tick.
By the end of the exercise the class will have identified the most popular and least popular choices in the selected category.
Further learning
Continue to use ‘pai’, ‘tino pai’, ‘rawe’ and other phrases to praise students for good work:
He pai.Good. Well done.
Tēnā koe e Rewi.Thank you Rewi.
He tino pai tō kōrero.What you have said is very good.
He tino pai tō pikitia.Your picture is great.
He tino pai tō mahi.Your work is great.
He rawe tō kōrero. What you have said is excellent.
Kei hea a Amo? Where is Amo?
Achievement objective
1.5Communicate about location
Learning intentions
Students can:
- Understand, and use, location words.
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Whakarongo - Listening
- Recognise and understand simple, familiar spoken words, phrases, and sentences.
Kōrero - Speaking
- Respond appropriately to simple, familiar instructions and simple questions.
Mātakitaki - Viewing
- Interpret meanings that are conveyed in combinations of words and images or symbols.
Lesson sequence
In this series of activities, introduce prepositions or location words over several lessons, e.g. Where is Amo? Amo is outside.
Ask a student (e.g. Amo) to stand just outside the classroom. Then ask the students ‘Kei hea a Amo?’, ‘Where is Amo?’
The students reply:
Kei waho. Outside.
Kei waho a Amo. Amo is outside.
Have the students take turns standing outside the classroom while the others ask where she or he is.
Integrate ‘waho’ into everyday classroom dialogue, e.g. when going to the playing field say ‘Me haere tātou ki waho’, ‘Let’s go outside’, ‘Me haere koutou ki waho’, ‘You should go outside’.
Language to use
Prepositions
rarounder
rotoinside
rungaon/above
wahooutside
Kei hea a Amo?Where is Amo?
Kei waho a Amo. Amo is outside.
Kei waho a Amo i te ruma. Amo is outside the room.
Tips
Second language learning theory suggests that opposites should not be taught together, as this makes it more difficult for the learner, e.g. outside, inside.
Consider local variations of the question e.g. Kai hea …? (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe etc.), Kei whea …? (Tainui).
Further learning
Continue to introduce other prepositions during subsequent lessons. For example, introduce the Māori word for ‘under’ by playing an under the mat activity:
Kei hea ngā pene? Where are the pens?
Kei raro. Under.
Kei raro ngā pene i te whāriki. The pens are under the mat.
Continue to reinforce this vocabulary by using questions that ask where people and things are, e.g.
Kei hea a Hone? Where is Hone?
Kei hea te tumuaki? Where is the principal?
Kei waho te tumuaki. The principal is outside.
Introduce runga (on/above) and roto (inside) in two further sessions.
Kei hea te kai?Where is the food?
Kei roto te kai. The food is inside.
Kei roto te kai i te kāpata. The food is in the cupboard.
Me haere tātou ki roto.Let’s go inside.
Kei runga te pukapuka i te tēpu. The book is on the table.
Kei Ōtara taku kāinga My home is at Ōtara
Achievement objectives
1.2Introduce themselves and others and respond to introductions
1.4Communicate about personal information such as name and home.
Learning intention
Students can:
- Respond to questions asking about personal information.
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Kōrero - Speaking
- Respond appropriately to simple, familiar instructions and simple questions.
Pānui - Reading
- Identify letters of the Māori alphabet (arapū), letter combinations, basic written language conventions, and simple punctuation.
Tuhituhi- Writing
- Write simple, familiar words, phrases, and sentences using the conventions of written language, such as appropriate spelling and punctuation.
Materials
Resource sheet 1B: Ngā ingoa
Resource sheet 1C: Kei Ōtara taku kāinga
Photos of people and places from magazines, etc (optional).
Lesson sequence
Before the lesson, cut up Resource sheet 1B: Ngā ingoa, and make copies of Resource sheet 1C: Kei Ōtara taku kāinga.
Place the cards of the people’snames and place names in two piles, face down in front of the group of students. Tell them to take turns selecting a name and a place card. They are to pretend to be that person and introduce themselves:
Introduce these sentences in Māori.
Ko ______taku ingoa.My name is ______.
Kei ______taku kāinga. My home is in ______.
Asks them to introduce themselves (in their character roles) in Māori, placing the names in the sentences.
For example,
Ko Lilo taku ingoa.Kei Ōtara taku kāinga.
When the students have had the opportunity to practise saying these sentences have them draw self portraits. If they are able, ask them to write their real name underneath their portrait, and where they live, in Māori.
Language to use
Ko wai tō ingoa? What is your name?
Kei (w)hea tō kāinga?Where is your home?
Tips
Māori often ask where someone is from, before they ask what their name is.
Nō hea koe?Where are you from?
Nō Taranaki ahau.I am from Taranaki.
Variation
Cut out characters from magazines as substitutes for written names. Ensure a broad representation of characters.
Further learning
Introduce questions to initiate discussion.
Ko wai tō ingoa?What is your name?
Kei hea tō kāinga?Where is your home?
Students answer these questions in character, or simply introduce themselves, e.g.
Ko Kate taku ingoa. Kei Smith Street taku kāinga.
Other resources
Question four of the short interactive quiz below models pronunciation for ‘Ko wai tō ingoa?’:
The target questions are modeled in this brief cartoon below:
Kia ora Hi
Achievement objective
1.1Greet, farewell, and thank people and respond to greetings and acknowledgements.
Learning intention
Students can:
- use and respond to formal and informal greetings.
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Whakarongo - Listening
- Recognise and understand simple, familiar spoken words, phrases, and sentences.
Kōrero - Speaking
- Imitate the pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm of te reo Māori words, phrases, and sentences.
Lesson Sequence
In this roll call exercise, greet each student in Māori using ‘Kia ora’, e.g. ‘Kia ora Sarah’.
The students should respond by saying ‘Kia ora (Ms/Mrs/Mr) ______.’
After a few days introduce ‘Tēnā koe’ as an alternative greeting when calling the roll. Note that this is more formal than ‘Kia ora’.
Use the greetings around the playground and to greet visitors to the room e.g. ‘Tēnā koe Ms Smith’.
Language to use
Kia oraHello
Tēnā koe More formal form of hello, to one person
Tēnā kōruaGreeting to two people
Tēnā koutouGreeting to three or more people
Tēnā koe e hoaHello friend
Tēnā koe SarahHello Sarah
Tēnā koutou tamariki māHello children (three or more)
Further learning
Use Kia ora for thank you or to praise.
e.g. ‘Kia ora Sian’. Well done Sian!
Other resources
Ministry of Education. (2009). HeiWaiata Hei Whakakoakoa[CD-Rom].Wellington: Learning Media:
Phrase drills/greetings – mihi:
Interactive quiz that models pronunciation of greetings:
Māori greetings are modeled in this brief cartoon:
Ko te aha tēnei rā? What day is this?
Achievement objective
1.3Communicate about number, using days of the week, months and dates
Learning intentions
Students can:
- specify the date
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Mātakitaki - Viewing
- Interpret meanings that are conveyed in combinations of words and images or symbols.
Kōrero - Speaking
- Respond appropriately to simple, familiar instructions and simple questions.
Whakaatu - Presenting
- Use selected features of visual language to add meaning to simple written or oral text.
Materials
Resource sheet 1D: Ngā rā o te wiki
Resource sheet 1E: Ngā marama o te tau Māori(The months of the Māori year).
Lesson sequence
At the start of each school day, ask the class what day it is. Encourage them to answer using the names on Resource sheet 1D: Ngā rā o te wiki.
Ko te aha tēnei ra?What day is this?
Ko te Rāhina tēnei rā.Today is Monday.
Ko te Rāhina tēnei rā, te 8 o Kohitātea.
It is Monday today, the eighth of January.
Tips
The forms of the days and months used in this activity are favoured by the Māori Language Commission.
The Māori New Year (Matariki) is in June (Pipiri), so the Māori calendar attached (as Resource sheet 1E: Ngā marama o te tau) begins in the month of Pipiri.
Further learning
Allocate students the job of asking the daily question about the date. Each week, a different student takes the role of asking what day it is in the morning.
Create a ‘day of the week’ corner on the wall. Create large flash cards with the days of the week on each one, laminate them, and place velcro on the backs so that the students can place them in the blank space on the statement ‘Ko te ______tēnei rā’.
This activity could be extended by introducing the names of the months listed on Resource sheet 1E: Ngā marama o te tau Māori.
Ko te aha tēnei marama?What month is this?
Ko Haratua tēnei marama.This month is May/It is May.
Other resources
Matariki calendars, such as those produced by Te Papa.
Ministry of Education. (2009). HeiWaiata Hei Whakakoakoa[CD-Rom].Wellington: Learning Media. Online at:
Kotahi te rākau There is one tree
Achievement objective
1.3Communicate about number.
Learning intentions
Students can:
- ask, and answer, questions about numbers (1-10)
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Whakarongo - Listening
- Recognise and understand simple, familiar spoken words, phrases, and sentences.
Kōrero - Speaking
- Imitate the pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm of te reo Māori words, phrases, and sentences.
Mātakitaki - Viewing
- Interpret meanings that are conveyed in combinations of words and images or symbols.
Materials
Resource sheet 1F: Kotahi te rākau
Lesson sequence
This is a group activity. Arrange the students into groups of six. Give out to each student one illustration from Resource sheet 1F: Kotahi te rākau.
Ask the students to colour in the illustrations as you model the questions and answers about how many items there are.
Repeat the simple questions about the number of items there are, ‘E hia ngā kau?’ ‘How many cows are there?’ The students who have the corresponding illustration should respond, ‘E whā ngā kau’ There are four cows’.
E hia ngā rākau?How many trees are there?
Kotahi te rākau.There is one tree.
E hia ngā ipu?How many bowls are there?
E rua ngā ipu. There are two bowls
E hia ngā pea?How many pears are there?
E toru ngā pea. There are three pears.
E hia ngā kau?How many cows are there?
E whā ngā kau. There are four cows.
E hia ngā hēki?How many eggs are there?
E rima ngā hēki.There are five eggs.
E hia ngā pōtae?How many hats are there?
E ono ngā pōtae. There are six hats.
Encourage the members of each group to ask each other about the number of items there are.
E hia ngā hēki? E rima ngā hēki.
Language to use
Nouns
rākautreepenepen
peapearmotokācar
hēkieggtūruseat
pōtaehatpaoroball
ipubowlkūahadoor
kaucowwharehouse/building
Ngā tatauNumbers
kotahioneonosix
ruatwowhituseven
toru toruwarueight
whāfouriwanine
rimafivetekauten
Tips
While there is only one tree in the illustration used in this exercise, it is correct to ask in Māori, E hia ngā rākau?. This means ‘How many trees are there?’
Discuss real life items from around the school.
Further learning
To discuss possession of items, introduce names to the question:
E hia ngā pea a Tio?How many pears does Tio have?
E toru ngā pea a Tio. Tio has three pears.
E hia ngā kau a Tinirau?How many cows does Tinirau have?
E whā ngā kau a Tinirau. Tinirau has four cows.
Note: When asking about numbers of people, you must begin the question with the word ‘Tokohia’
‘Tokohia ngā tamariki?’ How many children are there?
‘Tokorima ngā tamariki’There are five children.
‘Kotahi te kiahautū’There is one principal.
‘Tokotoru ngā kaiako’There are three teachers.
Taku rā whānau My birthday
Achievement objective
1.4Communicate about personal information, such as… age…
Learning intention
Students can:
- respond appropriately to a question about their age
- communicate about other people’s ages.
Modes
At the end of this lesson, students can:
Whakarongo - Listening
- Recognise and understand simple, familiar spoken words, phrases, and sentences.
Kōrero - Speaking
- Respond appropriately to simple, familiar instructions and simple questions.
Pānui - Reading
- Recognise and understand simple, familiar written words, phrases, and sentences.
Materials
Resource sheet 1G: Ngā Marama
Resource sheet 1H: Rā whānau
Lesson sequence
Ask the students how old they are. Ask them to stand in groups of the same age, holding a large card with their age on it:
7E whitu aku tau
I am 7 years old
Ask individual students in each group how old they are.
E hia ō tau Jeremy? How old are you Jeremy?
E whitu aku tau. I am 7 years old.
Create a class maramataka, or calendar, along the wall. Have the students write their names on cards and place them on larger cards with the Māori names of their month of birth (see Resource sheet1G: Ngā marama).
Language to use
E hia ō tau?How old are you?
Kotahi1Kotahi taku tau(‘my’ singular) I am one.
E rua2E rua aku tau(‘my’ plural) I am two.
E toru3E toru aku tau I am three.
E whā4E whā aku tau I am four.
E rima5
E ono6
E whitu7
E waru8
E iwa 9
Tekau10
Tip
Matariki, the Māori new year, is in Pipiri (June)so begin your maramataka (calendar) in Pipiri.
Further learning
Hold a class party. Discuss plans for the party with the class. Have the party on the first Monday of each month.
Ask the students to discuss what they might bring to a shared morning tea. Learn the words to Happy Birthday in Māori (attached as Resource sheet 1H: Rā Whānau).
Have the students talk about the ages of their classmates or siblings:
E hia ngā tau o Sina?How old is Sina?
E rua ngā tau o Sina. Sina is two.
E waru ngā tau o Sina. Sina is eight.
Kotahi te tau o Sina.Sina is one.
Note the singular form when Sina is one year old.
Talk about special days in the year. They might mention:
April Fool's Day, anniversaries, hui, funerals, Mothers' Day, Waitangi Day, ANZAC Day, Queen's Birthday, New Year, Halloween, Guy Fawkes, tangi, openings, Christmas, Matariki, Easter, Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Hanukkah, St Patrick's Day, White Sunday, christenings, Valentine's Day, Diwali etc.
Other resources
Ministry of Education. (2000). Waiata Kōhungahunga.[Audio Cassette]. Side 1 Songs 2, 4 & 5. Wellington: Learning Media.
Rasmussen, L. (1995). Birthday party. School Journal Part 2, No 3.
This story tells how Boysie and the narrator meet their ninety year old uncle at a large family gathering on a marae.
Raerino, K. (1997). Birthday party. School Journal Part 2, No 2.
Listen to Māori numbers:
Question three in this interactive quiz states that she/he is eight years old: