Studio build: animation carrying a story
Ākonga animate a narrative sequence with sound. Where a pūrākau belongs to a hapū or iwi, the story is used only with permission through established mana whenua relationships — otherwise ākonga author their own narrative.
- Coding Studio move: Storyboard, then the animated build with audio timing
- Evidence it produces: An animation whose timing serves the story, with its source or authorship stated
Lesson 8: Integrating Te Ao Māori: Pūrākau Digital Storytelling & Animation
Developing computational thinking through Scratch block coding, algorithms, and Te Ao Māori perspectives.
🎯 Ngā Whāinga Akoranga | Learning Intentions
How digital technology can preserve and share pūrākau (traditional Māori narratives), cultural protocols in digital representation, and audio narration integration.
Create a digital animated pūrākau retelling a local legend, record te reo Māori voiceovers, and incorporate traditional visual motifs.
🎥 Media Anchor & Pedagogical Scaffold
The Pūrākau of Māui and Tīeke — Auckland Zoo
Video Clip: Narrated by Anika Moa, this animated pūrākau from Auckland Zoo tells how the tīeke (saddleback) got its markings through the legend of Māui. Use this as the storytelling source for your Scratch animation.
🧠 1. Before Viewing (Activate & Predict)
How can modern block coding tools like Scratch be used to honour and retell ancient Aotearoa stories?
👁️ 2. During Viewing (Watch With a Job)
- Watch the full pūrākau. As you watch, identify the key moments: Who are the characters? What is the turning point? What changes by the end?
- Notice how the animation tells the story through visuals, voice, and movement — these are the same elements you will create in Scratch (sprites, costumes, backdrops, and sound).
- After watching, plan your Scratch storyboard: sketch 4–6 scenes from this pūrākau, noting what sprite, backdrop, and action belongs in each scene.
🗣️ 3. After Viewing & Kaiako Move (Process & Apply)
Kaiako Move: Run the storytelling circle first: two volunteers talk the class through their storyboards, and the class names one strength of each plan (clear scenes, message names that describe the moment). Show a previous year's animation only if the maker — or the iwi source of the pūrākau — has given permission; otherwise model the scene-1 build yourself.
Immediate Task: Complete Section 8 of your Digital Tech Logbook: Pūrākau Animation Storyboard & Voiceover Log.
⚡ Whakaoho | Do Now: Choose Your Moment (10 mins)
Re-read your pūrākau planning page in the logbook. Circle the one moment of the story your animation must show first, and name your two characters and your backdrop out loud to your pair — before anyone opens Scratch.
📖 Activity 1: Storyboard, Then Scene One (25 mins)
Storyboard on paper before any block: at least four scenes of your chosen pūrākau moment, each labelled with its backdrop, its sprites, and the broadcast that switches it in. Then build scene 1 only — sprites positioned, backdrop set, broadcast [scene-1] firing — and check it against your storyboard with your pair before building on. Your storyboard page also records where your version of the story comes from; if it belongs to an iwi or a published teller, that is the source your animation credits.
📝 Activity 2: Digital Tech Logbook & Code Reflection (20 mins)
Draft your formal Digital Tech Logbook entry for Lesson 8. Apply exact programming vocabulary (e.g., pūrākau, storyboard, scene, broadcast, attribution, permission) to explain your code decisions.
🏫 Kaiako Planning & Pedagogy Notes
Year 7 Curriculum Alignment: Pūrākau digital storytelling (NZC Technology; Te Mātaiaho Phase 3) — broadcasts from Lesson 6 drive story scenes; attribution and permission are part of the build, not an afterthought.