Unit 1 Guided Inquiry Project — Te Ao Māori, Identity, and Place
He Kaupeka Ūiuitanga Ārahi · Investigating your place in te ao Māori · Years 7–9
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Design and conduct an inquiry into an aspect of te ao Māori that connects to personal or community identity.
- Gather, evaluate, and synthesise information from multiple sources including oral tradition and community knowledge.
- Communicate findings clearly using appropriate te ao Māori frameworks.
- Reflect on how the inquiry has deepened understanding of identity and place.
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- Inquiry question is specific, personal, and researchable (not too broad).
- At least 3 sources used, including one oral/community source (kaumātua, whānau, local expert).
- Findings are communicated in a format that respects tikanga around the knowledge gathered.
- Reflection connects inquiry findings to personal identity and future learning.
He Mahere Ūiuitanga · Inquiry Question Planner
A good inquiry question is specific, personally meaningful, and answerable through research. Before committing to a question, check: is it too broad? Too narrow? Too easy to answer with one source?
What do I want to know about te ao Māori?
Why does this matter to me personally or to my community?
Where will I look? (list at least 3 different types of source)
My inquiry question (final version — after checking with your teacher):
Tūtohi Rangahau · Research Log
Record at least 3 sources. At least one must be an oral or community source — a kaumātua, whānau member, community leader, or local expert you have spoken to directly.
What I found:
How credible is this source?
How does it connect to my question?
What I found:
How credible is this source?
How does it connect to my question?
What I learned from this conversation:
What surprised me?
How will I honour this knowledge in my communication?
Tōpū Mātauranga · Synthesis — What do I now understand?
He Mahere Whakahua · Communication Plan
Format I will use to share my findings:
(e.g. poster, presentation, short essay, video, oral presentation, illustrated timeline)
Audience:
Tikanga considerations — how will I handle sensitive or communally held knowledge?
How I will open and close my presentation with appropriate cultural acknowledgement:
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Curriculum alignment for this handout has not yet been verified against the live curriculum statements. A generated placeholder that stood here was removed on 2026-08-29 because it matched no real statement.
Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts
What does it mean to conduct an inquiry that is not just about gathering information, but about building a relationship with knowledge? How did pono (truthfulness) and tika (correctness) shape the way you approached this inquiry?
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
Māori knowledge has always been held in relationship — between teachers and students, between the living and the ancestors, between communities and their taiao. An inquiry that seeks to understand te ao Māori is not just an academic exercise: it is an act of relationship-building with knowledge-holders, with places, and with traditions that may or may not belong to you. This process requires care: care in asking, care in listening, care in representing what you have been given. Pono (truthfulness) and tika (correctness) are the standards for this kind of inquiry — not just accuracy of information, but integrity in the way knowledge is handled and shared.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided
- pepeha-builder-template-unit1.html — helps establish the relational context for this inquiry through personal pepeha
- whakapapa-family-tree-template-unit1.html — may serve as a research tool or communication format for inquiry findings
- tikanga-scenarios-decision-making-unit1.html — applies the values framework used in this inquiry to concrete decisions
- te-ao-maori-values-matching-game-unit1.html — foundational vocabulary for understanding the values that shape this inquiry
Curriculum alignment
- Focus of this resource: Understand how cultural identity shapes participation in society — whakapapa, tikanga, and mana as foundations of Māori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.