Traditional methods for keeping safe in the water

Lessons

Inquiry question - How did our tūpuna look after themselves in the different types of water?

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Wānanga 1

Karakia

Use this karakia as a basis for this lesson,

1. Discuss the following questions

What was the person doing? Have you heard of a karakia like this one? Can a karakia be a song? Who was the person doing the karakia/waiata? Why do you say that?
a) Who is Māui doing this karakia to?
e) Who is Tangaroa?
i) Why is he doing a karakia?
o) Do you and your whānau use karakia? When do you karakia and why?

Look at each line and what was being said:
Hikitia, hāpainga ki tōku wairua
Tū hikitia rā tōku mōhiotanga
kei runga I te Moana-Nui-a Kiwa
Ki te hī ika
Tangaroa

Lift up, Raise up to my spirit
Let my knowledge arise
on the great ocean of Kiwa (Pacifc Ocean)
To catch this fish
O Lord of the sea

2. Whole class activity

Learn the Māui karakia (Maui chants a fishing Karakia) and put actions to the karakia so tamariki understand it.

Wānanga 2

Karakia and mihi

Read Te Reti Ngaru

1. Ask questions such as

Q. What did the whānau do before entering the water to keep themselves safe?
A. Karakia

Q. Does anyone know a karakia for going into the water?
Q. What did the whānau do while in the water to keep themselves safe?
A. Swam between flags, adults with children in water at all times

Q. What did the whānau do after their swim to keep themselves safe?
A. Mihi

Q. Why do we mihi and who do we mihi to?

2. Whole class activities

• Create a karakia that this whānau could use at the beach.
• Create a mihi that the whānau could use before they leave

Lesson 1 and 2 can be adapted to discuss the other traditional methods that we used to keep ourselves safe (i.e. koha, kaitiaki, rāhui, taniwha)

Wānanga 3

1. How did our tūpuna look after the environment?

Wānanga with kaumātua and whānau about traditional methods (where possible wānanga at marae, or
waterway). Main topics of discussion with kaumātua are - kaitiaki, rāhui, koha, taniwha

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Wānanga 4

How do we keep ourselves safe by the water today?

1. Use flash cards of modern day whānau and discuss how these people have used the following

• Tikanga to keep themselves safe such as Atua, karakia, rāhui, kaitiaki, mihi, koha, taniwha, tuakana/teina, tamaiti/pakeke, wearing life jackets, wetsuits, weather maps, internet weather forecast, radios, checking tides
• Mātauranga to keep themselves safe such as weather, waves, tides, currents, taniwha, kaitiaki, whetū, māramataka, tipua
• Discuss how these are similar or different to traditional methods.
• How can we use traditional methods today to keep ourselves safe at the various waterways?

2. Mural

The tamariki produce a classroom mural of traditional and modern ways of keeping safe.

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Wānanga 5

Ongoing whānau trips to a local waterway

1. Throughout the unit a number of class trips can be organised.

These will be to a local waterway with whānau to practice traditional and modern ways of keeping safe by the water.

Examples could be a trip to collect pipis, waka ama, fshing off wharf, learn to surf trip.

Traditional methods tamariki could practice may include – karakia, mihi, kaitiaki, koha, tuakana/teina, tamaiti/pakeke, tides, currents.

Modern methods tamariki could practice may include – wearing life jackets, wetsuits, reading weathermaps, internet weather forecasts, using vhf radios.

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Assessment

• The tamariki will be assessed on the use of traditional and modern ways of keeping safe during the whānau outings
• The tamariki produce a classroom mural of traditional and modern ways of keeping safe.

Flashcards

Please see separate file in reference to wānanga 4 activity

Ongoing activities

Choose a local waterway or project that the class/kura can become involved in looking after or supporting as kaitiaki