Māori New Year

**Celebrate Māori New Year with a focus on whānau (family), hoa (friends) and hāpori (community).** Introduce Māori customs and traditions into the classroom with this collection of resources, designed to support deeper cultural and community understanding. The 360° images and explorable scene offer opportunities to explore the Matariki star cluster and learn how Māori communities mark the New Year. ## Key Learning Outcomes: 1. Be able to identify some customs and cultural traditions associated with Matariki 2. Be able to locate and identify the Matariki star cluster and describe its significance ## How to Use This Playlist: This playlist features a curated collection of resources designed to help students develop an understanding and appreciation of Māori cultural practices and celebrations. Here are some suggestions on how to use the resources: ***Māori - People of the Land Explorable Scene*** - Learn about the origins of the Māori people, the ancestral journeys to Aotearoa (New Zealand), and the places where permanent settlements were established. Explore the rich customs, values and cultural traditions that continue to shape life in Aotearoa today. - Māori - People of the Land ***Learning About Pepeha – 360° Images*** – With these 360° images, students can explore the natural landscapes of Aotearoa, focusing on significant maunga (mountains) and awa (rivers) that often form part of a Māori person's pepeha – a personal introduction that connects individuals to their iwi (tribe), hapū (sub-tribe), marae (meeting place) and ancestral land. These connections are often acknowledged during Matariki, a time for reflection, remembrance and renewing ties to whānau and place. - Lake Pukaki, New Zealand - Island in the middle of Lake Wānaka - Mount Ruapehu - Tasman Glacier, New Zealand - Whakarewarewa Forest, New Zealand ***360° Matariki Star Cluster Images***- Use these two 360° images to help students locate and understand the Matariki star cluster. The first image includes guidance on how to find Matariki, along with the names of its stars, groupings and additional context. The second image is unlabeled and can be used to check students' ability to identify the cluster independently. - [Night Sky with Labels](https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1986481414480069094) - Night Sky Without Labels **Resources** - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa - Maori Dictionary - The New Zealand Herald - Tātai Aho Rau CORE Education