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This unit immerses Year 7 students in the powerful cultural tradition of haka, developing their ability to combine movement, voice and rhythm to express emotion and tell stories. Through respectful exploration of Māori culture, students build performance skills whilst developing confidence, cultural awareness and group cohesion. The unit uniquely balances physical technique with emotional expression and cultural understanding, creating an inclusive space where all students can find their powerful voice.

Lessons in This Unit

6 lessons in this unit

Lesson 1

Haka Movement & Expression
1h

Big Question:

How can we use our bodies and voices to express powerful emotions and cultural stories?

Key Objectives:

  • • To perform coordinated movements and chants in unison with others
  • • To express different emotions effectively through purposeful movement and facial expressions

Lesson 2

Haka Chants and Group Expression
1h

Big Question:

How can movement, voice and rhythm combine to express powerful emotions and create unity within a group?

Key Objectives:

  • • Develop ability to create movement and perform with emotional expression
  • • Work effectively as part of a group moving and chanting in unison

Lesson 3

Memory & Unison Dance
1h

Big Question:

How can we use movement memory and precise timing to create powerful group performances that honour cultural traditions?

Key Objectives:

  • • Demonstrate movement memory by accurately recalling and performing learned Haka sequences
  • • Show unison and timing through coordinated group performances with live percussion accompaniment

Lesson 4

Directional Team Haka
1h 3min

Big Question:

How can we use directional movement to create powerful group performances that demonstrate unity and team spirit?

Key Objectives:

  • • To demonstrate team spirit through collaborative Haka performance
  • • To create directional movement sequences using previously learnt techniques

Lesson 5

Formation Transitions in Haka
58 min

Big Question:

How can we use formation changes and intimidating expressions to create a powerful group performance that tells a story?

Key Objectives:

  • • Develop creative movement sequences using different formations and levels
  • • Demonstrate all Haka techniques learnt as part of a cohesive group performance

Lesson 6

Haka Performance and Evaluation
1h 55min

Big Question:

How can we perform as one powerful voice and critically evaluate our artistic expression?

Key Objectives:

  • • Perform a complete Haka routine in perfect unison with confidence and cultural respect
  • • Evaluate performances using specific criteria and provide constructive feedback