Family Tree Exploration — Whakapapa · Years 7–10
Whakapapa is the Māori word for genealogy — the story of your family connections. But it means more than just a family tree! Whakapapa connects you to your ancestors, your land, and your identity.
In this activity, you'll explore your own family connections.
Extended family
Mother
Father
Grandmother / Elder woman
Grandfather / Elder man
Older sibling (same gender)
Younger sibling (same gender)
Ancestors
Grandchild
Great-Grandparents (Tūpuna)
Grandparents (Kuia & Koroua)
Parents (Mātua)
You & Siblings
Knowing your whakapapa helps you understand:
Your family might have come to Aotearoa from many different places — Polynesia, Europe, Asia, Africa, or elsewhere. Every family has a unique story worth exploring!
Ask a parent, grandparent, or elder these questions:
Find something special that connects you to your family (a photo, recipe, object, or story). Bring it to class to share.
Something I learned about my family:
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Some people live with grandparents, foster families, or one parent. Some don't know their birth family. Your whānau is the people who love and care for you.
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.
Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
Mathematics has always been part of mātauranga Māori — in the navigation of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, in the architectural precision of wharenui, in the sophisticated storage and accounting systems of rua kūmara, and in the patterns of kōwhaiwhai and tukutuku that encode mathematical relationships in visual form. When Māori students engage with mathematics, they are not encountering something foreign: they are meeting a domain of knowledge that their tīpuna practised with extraordinary sophistication. Framing mathematical learning through whakapapa — connecting concepts to real Māori contexts — is not "cultural add-on" but recognition of where much mathematical knowledge lives in this land.
This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. This handout stands on its own; it is not part of a linked unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.