Description
Stories are meant to be shared. In Māori culture, people share stories at home and in the community. Likewise, you can cultivate this atmosphere in your classroom. With collaborative activities, your learners can enjoy listening and re-telling pūrākau while engaged in piecing together their masterpiece. Here are some of the most popular Māori stories that I believe your learners will enjoy. I included the stories of “Rona and the Moon”, “Māui and the Sun”, “Rata and the Waka”, and “Tane and the Three Baskets of Knowledge”. You can also read other Māori stories by clicking here. Download the resource now – or, join Te Reo Club and have unlimited access to heaps of great resources like this! —> tereoclub.co.nz
Rona and the Moon
This Māori story seeks to explain the existence of the shadows and craters on the moon’s surface. You better remind your learners not to complain when they do this collaborative poster, or they might end up just like Rona. 😀
Māui and the Sun
Have you ever wished a day won’t end? You might just relate to this pūrākau about how Māui tried to slow down the sun. This Māori story also explains why the sun stays longer in the skies during the summer.
Rata and the Waka
This is the perfect Māori story if you want to teach your learners how to take care of our environment. The story of Rata and the Waka will create a sense of responsibility among your learners. Moreover, they can move from completing this poster together to taking care of our Mother Earth together.
Tāne and the Three Baskets of Knowledge
Where do your tamariki look for knowledge or information? This pūrākau tells the story of how Tāne survived the obstacles before getting the 3 Baskets of Knowledge, namely, te kete tuauri (basket of sacred knowledge), te kete tuatea (basket of ancestral knowledge), and te kete aronui (basket of life’s knowledge).
We owe it to our tamariki to introduce these pūrākau. These are not just ordinary stories. They are stories to instill important values, sentiments, and aspects of te ao Māori-the Māori world-view. With the power of collaboration, these stories will only become more impactful and engaging at the same time.