Ngā ingoa o ōku wāhi - The names of my places

Explore the names of the places that are important to you. Sometimes places have two or more names. Names could be in te reo Māori, English or other languages too. Discover the stories behind each name using the My places cards and The names of my places activity sheets. Choose three places that are significant to you. Discover the stories behind each name.

Oho: Resource collection 

This activity is part of the Oho resource collection. See the resource carousel below for more.

Read background information

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Learners will:

• explore the personal and wider cultural connections between place, language, time, events, people, and identity
• express and listen to ideas confidently
• describe themselves in relation to the groups within their class and to the whole class
• explore and discuss similarities and differences and how they contribute to the unique whānau, culture, and identities of each class member
• identify personal strengths of theirs and others
• develop a deeper understanding of their whānau and personal histories
• investigate the factors that shape our identities and how
• identify different ways identities, languages, cultures, and values are and could be represented in learning communities.

Ways to use the resource

• Connect this activity to Enriching Local Curriculum (ELC) by exploring the names of the places you visit.
• Centre these activities around relevant global, national, or community places, events, or themes.
• Try the activities as an individual, as a small group, and as a whole class.
• Use the resources at home to get a deeper understanding of whānau culture.
• Capture outputs in a format of your choice.
• Use insights from these conversations in your learning design.
• Learners might have grown up somewhere different from where they live now. Prompt them to think about the places that matter to them most.
• Discuss what makes these places so special.

The image above: The names of my places activity sheet with three My places cards placed on it.

Instructions

What you will need: 

• My places cards
• The name of my places activity sheet: One per person or group

Activity

1. Prepare cards

Add or remove My places cards to suit the context of your classroom.

2. Prepare activity sheets

Print or photocopy The names of my places activity sheet for each person or group.

3. Choose places

Each learner selects three My places cards that represent places of significance to them. Spread the cards out on the table face-up and let the learner(s) select.

Discuss and compare

Research the names of the places. Discover the different stories behind the names. Discuss and compare your findings with the group or classroom.

Downloads

See Materials that come with this resource to download:

• Oho The names of my places activity sheet (.pdf)
  The A3-size Oho The Names of My Places activity sheet in pdf format.
• Oho The names of my places teacher support material (.pdf)
  Teacher support material for the Oho The Names of My Places activity.
• Oho The names of my places cards (.jpg) 
  The Oho The Names of My Places cards in jpg format.
• Oho The Names of my places cards (printable) (.pdf)
  The Oho The Names of My Places cards on print-friendly A3-size pages. Zipped files are in pdf format.
• Oho blank cards (printable) (.pdf)
  Blank Oho cards in an A3-size printable format. Use for capturing ideas and customising the resource.

Next steps

Discuss your places as part of the Sorting my places or My place in time activities.