Unit 4 Te huarere (The weather)
Whakataukī
He rā mokopuna.
A grandchild’s day.
(A fine day in winter – a great day to spend with a grandchild.)
Tikanga
Introduce the following aspects of tikanga Māori to your students:
- Tāwhirimātea is the atua or kaitiaki associated with weather elements such as the winds, storms, and the rain. All aspects of the weather come under his influence. The many descendants of Tāwhirimātea include all the different types of winds, the various types of storms, and all the different forms of rain.
- Time and seasons are marked by such different natural cycles as the reappearance of Matariki to mark the new year and the monthly lunar calendar, which runs from new moon to new moon.
Beside the examples of te reo Māori in the following tasks and activities, English translations are provided to assist you. They are not literal translations, but how to say the same thing in English. This support does not mean that you should necessarily say the English. That depends on the task or activity and your students’ needs.