In Aotearoa New Zealand, our ancestors all came from another place. Our society is a rich blend of origins, cultures, languages, traditions, religions and foods from all over the world. Early Māori sailed thousands of miles to reach Aotearoa New Zealand. Their routes were preserved in memory or recorded in song. Upon arrival they weaved place names and overland route descriptions into oral histories. These have been passed from generation to generation. Iwi mapping was therefore an oral tradition. The pepeha, for example, is an important form of introduction. It links individuals to their tribal roots and significant landmarks. The forerunner to the Global Positioning System (GPS)!
Join us as we explore the diverse heritage of a classroom, their stories and how they came to Aotearoa New Zealand. Meet with their parents and understand some of the challenges they faced in making this country their home. Your guides will be other students who have been using digital maps to create a record of their origins and the places that support their identity.
Curated resource collection
You can search this collection by using the search bar below.
Tupapa→
/Our ancestors journeyed from Polynesia to Turanganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne) more than 700 years ago. Tupapa: Our Stand. Our Story is a project to tell our rich, interwoven stories that have been passed down about the first people to navigate to and inhabit this place.
Tuia Mātauranga - Encounters 250 topic in Science Learning Hub→
/The topic page about Tuia Encounters 250 and Tuia Mātauranga in the Science Learning Hub website. Includes some resources for Tui Kōreroreo: Ngā Pātai.
Roadside Stories by Ministry for Culture and Heritage→
/Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides that follow major road trips in New Zealand. The stories cover the places you’ll pass along the way – their people, their history, their cultural and natural significance.
The star compass – kāpehu whetū in The Science Learning Hub→
/Like the Sun, stars rise in the eastern horizon and set in the western horizon. Navigators who know the direction and position in which the stars rise and set can use the horizon as a compass. Knowledge of the night sky is the most important of the mental constructs of knowledge needed for wayfinding. The star compass was devised to help navigators memorise this knowledge.
The Voyage Out, by John Wilson→
/From the Scottish port of Greenock to Dunedin in New Zealand’s South Island is close to 20,000 kilometres – as far as you could travel to start a new life. By sailing ship, the journey took months. Voyagers endured boredom, terror, and misery, and with only the vast, unpredictable ocean to look at. Many of those who stepped on board owned few possessions, but they had what it took: plenty of courage and hope.
New Zealand History topic in National Library Services to Schools→
/The Māori were the first settlers of Aotearoa, followed by the Europeans. Discover the history of New Zealand’s landscape, its people, events, places, identity, and cultures from sites like Te Ara, Te Papa, DigitalNZ, and NZ History. SCIS no. 1808403.
The Polish Refugee Children, by Ali Mackisack→
/This true story of Adelphi Zawada’s grandparents will be engaging for students in year 4, although it is complex and presents some interesting challenges. Adelphi tells how her grandparents, as children, along with over a million other Polish people, were sent to work camps in Russia following the invasion of their country by the USSR during the Second World War.