Section outline



  • Kia ora!  This week we are exploring a taonga of Aotearoa - Ponmau. 

    EXPLORE / TŪHURA

    EXPLORE / TŪHURA learning intentions:

    • We are EXPLORING people’s values, viewpoints, and perspectives, including my own
    • We are EXPLORING how language and messaging can be used to inform, to misinform, and to position people alongside particular values and perspectives.
    • We are EXPLORING relationships between events and identify continuity or changes in relationships.
    • We are EXPLORING people’s actions in the past based on historical evidence and taking account of the attitudes and values of the times, the challenges people faced, and the information available to them.

    Authentic Outcomes:  Science Fair and ‘Taonga of Aotearoa’ weaving/print-making exhibition.
    Theme: The importance of land/sustainability 
    Whakatauki: "Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua."
    Metaphorical: As people disappear from sight, the land remains. 
    Literal: This whakatauki speaks to the importance and permanence of land. While people come and go, the land remains. As humans we rely on the land. We must think long-term and see the big picture to ensure the sustainability of the land.


    Paearu Angitu (Success Criteria): I can...

    • Locate information in a text
    • Define key terms
    • Examine values, viewpoints, and perspectives

    Hei Mahi (Activities):
    1. Pounamu is a taonga with deep spiritual significance to Māori. Its beauty, usefulness, and cultural significance made it a highly prized resource that was traded throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. This article explores the pounamu trade from the 1770s through to the present day, discussing the impact of colonisation on the trade of pounamu and how Ngāi Tahu regained kaitiakitanga of pounamu through the Treaty settlement process.
    2. In pairs, read the journal article: 'Trading Taonga: The Story of Pounamu' attached as a pdf, below. 
    3. Discuss the Key Terms: carving, mana, Māori economy, Ngāi Tahu, pounamu, Poutini, pūrākau, South Island, taniwha, taonga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, trade, Treaty settlement, Waitaiki
    4. In exercise books, write the short date, heading and full answers to questions #1 to #19.