Years 4-6
A sense of place
Teaching Resource
The relationships of individuals, groups, and communities with the land, water, and resources are reflected in the names of places and in the stories we tell about them. This resource shows how five texts from the School Journal series can be used to support learning in the context of tūrangawaewae me te kaitiakitanga through stories, names, whakairo (carvings), and pepeha.
About this resource
The texts have been chosen because of their links to the Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum at years 1–3 and not for their reading year level. Depending on your students, you might read some of them aloud or play the audio versions. There is also additional teacher support material that provides suggestions for literacy strategies to help all students access each text. See Literacy Online: Instructional Series
These texts provide a springboard for students to explore:
- the significance of names of places, people, and taonga
- ways that stories create a link between the present and the past
- ways that people value and make use of the environment.
Each text provides a stand-alone learning opportunity, but they can be used together to explore the topic more deeply.
Over years 1–3, students will have many opportunities to learn in this topic, deepen their understandings, and grow their critical thinking about the past.
