Mua Ō! An Introduction to Gagana Sāmoa
Resources designed to help teachers plan their gagana Sāmoa programmes.
About this resource
This resource has been designed and developed to support the teaching and learning of the gagana Sāmoa as an additional language in New Zealand schools. It can be used by teachers, including teachers who do not speak gagana Sāmoa or know how to teach languages.
Mua Ō! An Introduction to Gagana Sāmoa
Mua Ō! is a resource in the Learning Languages Series. Mua Ō! includes:
- 20 units of three lessons each
- a range of languages suitable for years 7–10 at levels 1 and 2 of the curriculum
- video and audio support to engage learners and demonstrate how fluent speakers use the language
- lesson plans that could be linked to opportunities for learners to enjoy reading gagana Sāmoa texts.
Mua Ō! Storybooks and teacher support materials
Six storybooks have been developed especially to support the Learning Languages Series resource, Mua Ō! An introduction to Gagana Sāmoa. Each story gives students opportunities to extend their language and cultural knowledge and to practice reading the target language of specific units in Mua Ō!
Schools, ECE centres, and education providers can order the set of six storybooks from Down the Back of the Chair. Enter the item number into the search box.
The teacher support materials accompany the six storybooks.
Please note that the glossary page of each storybook contains an "e" after the word Matāʻupu, but the teacher support materials do not. Both are correct.
Tālofa, ‘O ā Mai ‘Oe?
A story about two students who are followed by a family pet as they go to school.
- Unit 2 Tālofa lava / Formal greetings
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
- Tālofa ‘O ā Mai ‘Oe TSM (.doc).
‘O Lea e iai a‘u Mea ia e Fai
A humorous story about a boy who cheekily avoids having to do his chores.
- Unit 6 ‘O ā au mea nā e fai? / What are you doing?
See Materials that come with this resource to download ‘O Lea e iai a‘u Mea ia e Fai TSM (.doc).
‘O le Lā‘au o le Tau
A story about a boy who comes to New Zealand from Sāmoa and is introduced to the different seasons in New Zealand through the tree in the backyard.
- Unit 11 Le tau ma ona vāega / The weather and seasons
See Materials that come with this resource to download ‘O le Lā‘au o le Tau TSM (.doc).
‘O Fea o O‘e e Tiga?
A story about a classroom activity in which two girls are role-playing an injured grandmother and a first-aid expert.
- Unit 12 Lo‘u tino / My body
See Materials that come with this resource to download ‘O Fea o ‘Oe e Tīgā TSM (.doc).
‘O le Pūlou Pīniki
A story of a typical teenage girl who is looking for clothes to wear and asks her mother where every piece of clothing is.
- Unit 13 Lā‘ei ma lanu / Clothes and colours
See Materials that come with this resource to download ‘O le Pūlou Pīniki TSM (.doc).
'O Junior ‘o le Ui‘i
A story about the youngest child in the family who finds it difficult to keep up with his older brothers and sisters.
- Unit 15 Tā‘aloga / Sports and games
See Materials that come with this resource to download ‘O Junior ‘o le Ui‘i TSM (.doc).
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'O Junior 'o le Ui'i
A story about the youngest child in the family, who finds it difficult to keep up with their older brothers and sisters.
1 of 15'O le Pūlou Pīniki
A story of a typical teenage girl looking for clothes to wear and asks her mother where every piece of clothing is.
2 of 15Pē fia ‘avea ‘oe ma Saienitisi?
In this non-fiction book students meet two New Zealand scientists: research scientist Professor Palatasa Havea, and plant pathologist Amy Maslen-Miller.
3 of 15'Ō le Māketi o Aso To'ona'i
In this play, two eight-year-olds are helping their parents run stalls at a Saturday market. It turns out that quite a lot of mathematics is involved.
4 of 15‘O se Mea Fa‘alilolilo a Pati
After Grandma passes away, Grandpa moves from Auckland to Christchurch to live with his son and his family. One day, when Grandpa takes his grandson fishing, he shares a secret – “When we used to go fishing, your grandma was the one who usually caught most of the fish!”
5 of 15‘O Lea e iai a'u Mea ia e Fai
A humorous story about a boy who cheekily avoids having to do his chores.
6 of 15‘O le Tatalo
An eight-year-old girl in a bilingual class at her school helps her mum learn a grace to say at a work function.
7 of 15Fa'asoa I Talatu'u ma Fāgogo
A nine-year-old boy’s homework involves asking his family about any myths or legends they know. With his mum’s help, he contacts his grandparents in Sāmoa and Tonga and, via computer, they share traditional stories with him.
8 of 15Tālofa ‘O ā Mai ‘Oe?
A story about two students who are followed by a family pet as they go to school.
9 of 15‘O le Fāgogo ‘iā Sina ma le Tuna
This play retells the fāgogo (legend) of Sina and the Eel. Gus Sinaumea Hunter’s illustrations suggest ways in which the play might be performed by students.
10 of 15'O le mamanu o le siapo
In this non-fiction book, Dr Caroline Lolegi Vercoe introduces students to the meaning behind some of the patterns they will encounter on siapo. She explores how contemporary artists, such as Fatu Feu‘u and Michel Tuffery, use siapo patterns in their artwork.
11 of 15‘O le Lā‘au o le Tau
A story about a boy who comes to New Zealand from Sāmoa and is introduced to the different seasons in New Zealand through the tree in the backyard.
12 of 15'O Fea o 'Oe e Tīgā?
A story about a classroom activity in which two girls are role-playing an injured grandmother and a first-aid expert.
13 of 15‘O le malaga fa‘alemāfaufau a le Tusiata Komi
In this graphic novel-style autobiography students learn the childhood and career of Māngere-born comic book artist Michel Mulipola.
14 of 15‘O Lo‘u ‘Āiga
Ten-year-old Meleane Lupe loses her family when a tsunami strikes Niuatoputapu. Her uncle and his Samoan wife in New Zealand adopt her, and Meleane moves to Māngere.
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