Chapter Graphic
 : Whakairo Räkau
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  Level: Year 4 and year 8
Approach: One to one
Focus: Students can identify and discuss the special features and symbolism of traditional Mäori carvings.
6.1Megs
Resources: Set A: 5 pictures of carvings from around the world; set B: 3 pictures of Mäori carvings Note: Year 8 students used 3 pictures of Mäori carvings; year 4 students used 2 of the 3 pictures;

Questions / instructions:

1 2 3 4 5

Lay out Set A pictures for student to view.
People in different parts of the world make carvings out of wood, bone, stone or other things.
Some carvings are very special to the people of the country where they are made.
% responses
y4
y8
1. Can you point to a carving that is special to people in New Zealand? Picture of carving selected as being special to the people of New Zealand:
.
.
picture 1
0
.
2
4
.
3
91
99.5
4 .
4
0
5
5
1
2. Which people in New Zealand would this carving be special to?
Prompt: Anyone else?		 Identification of people in New Zealand for whom the selected carving is special:
.
.
chose picture 3 and identified Mäori and Pakeha
18
23
chose picture 3 and identified Mäori
69
77
chose picture 3 and identified other
4
0
chose any other picture
9
0


Lay out Set B pictures for student to view.
Here are some pictures of wood carvings made by Mäori. Each carving is a human figure.

Pcitures of Mäori Carvings (Year 8 only)
3. Why do you think Mäori carvers made these carvings of human figures?
Who might these carved figures be? 		Identification of reasons why the Mäori carvings were made, and who or what they symbolise:
.
.
symbolise genealogy/ancestors
50
64
symbolise gods/warriors/taniwha
35
60
symbolise protections or tapu
6
12
tell a legend/story
15
17
5. Where would you expect to see carvings like these? Prompt: In what sort of places would the carvings be put? Identification of places where these carvings might be seen:
.
.
marae/meeting house
72
93
open public places
31
30
museums
36
42
media/text/reproductions
8
6
6. Look carefully at each carving and you will notice that they all have some special features. The special features are similar in each carving. Try to describe to me all of the special features that are seen on each carving. Identification of special features of the carvings: . .
made of wood; brown in colour; spiral carved patterns; curved tongues–out of mouth; eyes–paua/slanted/indentation; mouth shape–figure 8 or heart shaped; hands–number of fingers; hands–resting on abdomen; holding a weapon; small figure/baby between legs.
.
.
Number of relevent features mentioned:
.
.
7 or more
2
7
4–6
39
48
2–3
48
38
1
8
5
0
3
2
Richness of description of features of the carvings:
.
.
rich elaboration on several features
0
1
rich elaboration on 1 or 2 features
6
10
little elaboration
94
89
Commentary:
A good percentage of year 4 and year 8 students recognised the significance, symbolic meaning and usual location of Mäori carvings like those shown in the photographs. Identification and descriptive explanation of observable features of the carvings proved more demanding for many students.
 
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