Researching Our Whakapapa

In Term 2 Rua investigated some of the different cultures represented in our class. (See these links to blog posts on our learning about Japan, Tonga and Iran.)

In Term 3 we brought our focus closer to home by looking at something we all have in common - our home and school in Pukerua Bay. To celebrate this, the students learnt to introduce themselves in English and in Maori.

For this exercise we used a simple mihi (greeting) format. The children learnt to greet a group of people, say their name, where they are from and where they go to school. These lessons involved writing and oral language. We also played a game where the children asked each other questions in Te Reo Maori and answered in Te Reo Maori. The students asked each other Ko wai tou ingoa? (What is your name?) and No hea koe? (Where are you from?)

In Maori culture, formal introductions (pepeha) include more than just your name and where you live. Whakapapa is also very important. People also talk about where they are from, the mountain, river and lake they associate with, and who their ancestors are. This is a way to identify belonging and connections between people. To help the students understand this idea, I used ideas from this book from the Ministry of Education.

In class, the students interviewed each other asking three simple  questions:

What is your full name? And do you know why your parents chose this name?

Where were you born?

Can you tell me a story about one of your family or your ancestors.

We then posted the results of these interviews on Seasaw with a request for children and parents to supply more information. A number of the students came back and shared what they had learnt with the class. We discovered some fascinating information about people who were related to famous people and great stories about the origins of different students names.

We heard about Orion's family who lived on Mirimar Island and learnt about Wellington history. The students were fascinated (and a little confused) to discover that the area which is now Wellington Airport used to be under the sea.  "But how did the planes land?" was a common question.

And we discovered unexpected connections between the students.
















Finally one of our students, Ayla, had a full pepeha that was supplied by her mother. I was very grateful for the Te Reo lessons the teachers had last year, when I supported Ayla to deliver her pepeha.

All in all, this was a wonderful learning experience for everyone, me included. The information we have collected has been saved in the student's Seasaw accounts so they can access it in the future.