"Toitū te whenua, whatungarongaro te tangata"
"The land remains, while people disappear."
Turn the classroom into an Amazing Race across Aotearoa. Ākonga embark on an interactive journey as they explore the people, places, and landscapes that shape our country. Students learn to introduce themselves and others, describe locations and people, and communicate about everyday topics in te reo Māori.
Through creative, gamified challenges, they design their own Amazing Race with bilingual clues, riddles, and tasks inspired by different regions of Aotearoa. This unit blends language learning, collaboration, and digital creativity to make te reo Māori adventurous and engaging.
Achievement Objectives
Whāinga Paetae
By the end of Levels 1–2, ākonga will be able to communicate confidently in simple te reo Māori contexts related to people, places, and experiences.
They will develop increasing confidence introducing themselves, describing locations, sharing personal information, and interacting respectfully using appropriate cultural conventions.
🌱 LEVEL 1
1.2 Introduce themselves and others appropriately
1.4 Communicate about personal information including iwi, hapū, maunga, awa, and kāinga
1.6 Use simple polite conventions and acknowledgements
🌱 LEVEL 2
2.5 Communicate about physical characteristics, personality, and feelings
learning outcomes
Putanga Ako
The learning outcomes describe what ākonga will be able to demonstrate by the end of the unit. They focus on communicative competence, cultural participation, confidence, and relational growth, ensuring learning extends beyond language recall to meaningful application.
By the end of this unit, ākonga will be able to demonstrate the following skills:
Use te reo Māori to describe journeys, locations, landmarks, and cultural experiences
Strengthen understanding of the relationship between whenua, whakapapa, and identity
Communicate using simple descriptive language, polite conventions, and collaborative kōrero
Create and interpret clues, riddles, and challenges using purposeful reo Māori
Explore Māori stories, histories, and significant places throughout Aotearoa
Apply digital technologies creatively to present ideas and share learning
Work collaboratively to solve problems, design challenges, and present information
Build confidence using te reo Māori in authentic, engaging, and creative contexts
aromatawai
Assessments
Ākonga will design and present their own interactive Amazing Race Aotearoa experience, guiding others through culturally significant locations and storytelling challenges using te reo Māori.
Throughout the assessment, ākonga will:
Create a virtual travel route featuring important Māori landmarks and places
Develop clues, riddles, or challenge tasks using simple and descriptive te reo Māori
Explain the significance of chosen locations through visual and oral presentation
Use digital tools such as Canva, Genially, Google Earth, or GooseChase to create interactive experiences
Present their Amazing Race through video, slideshow, interactive map, or live class activity
Reflect on how language, culture, and whenua connect communities across Aotearoa.
Across the unit, learners engage in authentic language use through collaboration, storytelling, design, and exploration. Assessment tasks encourage creativity while strengthening confidence across speaking, writing, listening, viewing, and presenting.
what's included
Ngā Hua o Roto
Within this unit you will have everything you need to confidently deliver a high-quality, engaging te reo Māori unit - thoughtfully designed to reduce planning time while strengthening learning outcomes.
Each component is structured, practical, and aligned to curriculum expectations, ensuring clarity for kaiako and meaningful progression for ākonga.
📋 MĀHERE AKO – FULL UNIT PLAN
A complete ready-to-teach unit plan including curriculum links, learning intentions, teaching approaches, and clear progression aligned to NZC Levels 1–2.
📚 LESSON SLIDES AND SEQUENCING
Structured lesson sequencing with ready-to-use teaching slides, facilitation guidance, interactive tasks, and culturally grounded learning experiences linked to the Amazing Race kaupapa.
🎯 INTEGRATED LANGUAGE MODES
Engaging activities that strengthen speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing, and presenting through storytelling, digital challenges, collaboration, and creative inquiry.
🌍 DIGITAL STORYTELLING & INTERACTIVE CHALLENGES
Interactive learning experiences using tools such as Canva, Google Earth, Genially, and GooseChase to create virtual journeys, clues, presentations, and Amazing Race challenges.
📝 ĀKONGA EVALUATION & FEEDBACK
Formative reflection tools, learner feedback activities, and assessment support materials that track progress, strengthen confidence, and support future learning.
🗺️ CULTURAL CONNECTIONS & PLACE-BASED LEARNING
Authentic kaupapa Māori learning experiences that strengthen understanding of whenua, identity, whakapapa, and the stories of Aotearoa.