Identifying bodies of water in Aoteaora

Lessons

Enquiry Question - What are the significant waterways in our iwi and hapū and why are they important?

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Wānanga 1

1. Prior knowledge activity

Gather information about what the children already know about the bodies of water in their local area, the significance of these waterways, the types of uses these waterways have, and how they keep safe when they are at these waterways with whānau.

Activity

Hang a number of pictures of a variety of bodies of water around the class.

• Awa (river)
• Wahapū (harbour)
• Repo (swamp)
• Roto (lake)
• Moana (sea)
• Manga (stream)
• Te Takutai (Coastline)

Write questions below around each picture to try to draw out the prior knowledge the children have about the various bodies of water. Here are some sample questions:

• What lives in this type of water?
• What types of work or play happen on this type of water?
• What do we need to be careful of?
• What do you see and hear when you look at this type of water?

(The purpose of these questions are to draw out the characteristics of this type of water such as, "it is fresh water, it is salt water, there is a current, it has breaking waves, a taniwha lives there" etc)

• Do you know any stories, songs, whakapapa or anything else to do with this type of water?

2. General introduction to the various types of waterways and their characteristics

Discussion around answers to questions from the previous activity and teacher provides any further knowledge or understanding that they may need.

3. Introduce Tuwhakatere te tangata mōteatea, and how this mōteatea links the whakapapa of Ngai Takoto and relevant waterways of the Ngai Takoto people

Play: Tuwhakatere te tangata

Lyrics: Ngā kupu o Tuwhakatere te tangata

Discuss waterways mentioned in Tuwhakatere te tangata mōteatea

Learn mōteatea.

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Wānanga 2-8

1. Study the waterways identified in the Ngai Takoto Environmental Plan

Each wānanga will focus on one waterway from the Ngai Takoto Environmental Plan. The length of each wānanga may vary depending on the amount of information or number of people that can be found to contribute.

During these lessons kaumātua can be invited in, trips to the waterways themselves, local iwi authority or marae can also take place.

• What type of waterway is it? How do we know this? Discuss and/or identify the various features
• What types of uses were associated with that area?
• What can be found within that waterway
• Tikanga/mātauranga/stories associated with each waterway
• What do we have to do to keep ourselves safe in this type of waterway?
• Is it still healthy? How do we know?

2. Identify on a map the different waterways within the area of Ngai Takoto

(Awanui, Rangaunu, Ngātu etc). List, research and discuss possible uses of that waterway (fishing, travel, weaving resources, collecting different kaimoana, rongoa).

3. Tamariki create a presentation to show their learning

Presentations could be created as a Powerpoint, Poster, Piece of Writing, Waiata, Rotarota, Artwork, Mural, Book creator, Google animation. Tamariki are to show the following information in their presentation.

• Identifies the waterway discussed
• Outlines why the waterways were significant to Ngai Takato
• What the waterway was used for
• A story to do with the waterway
• Tikanga of the waterway to keep safe.

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Wānanga 9-10

Break into small groups. Each group is given a significant waterway of Ngai Takoto. Groups are to create a verse for a whole class mōteatea. Groups share their verse with whole class. Using all verses, the class creates a mōteatea on the waterways of Ngai Takoto.

Assessment

• Mōteatea presentation
• Whānau hui to show tamariki presentations at the marae
• Mural or art work to present to the marae/kaumātua that helped.

Extra learning opportunities

Whakataukī - He iti pioke no Rangaunu, he au tōna (Small although the dogfish maybe, great is its wake)

Whole class discussion about the Whakataukī and where it comes from.