Teacher PLD

Te Kāhui o Matariki and the environment

Join Andrea Soanes and Angela Schipper as we unpack ideas connected to Te Kāhui o Matariki and Environment Aotearoa 2022 and share resources that can be used as a guiding framework for teaching and learning.

Each of the nine whetū in the Matariki cluster is associated with an aspect of wellbeing and the environment, such as the land, the forests, freshwater, salt water, wind and rain. Using a Matariki narrative helps us tell the story of the present state of our environment. It supports our understanding of the connections and interactions between the environment and people and it provides a link from the past to the present and into the future. The Matariki framework also showcases examples where mātauranga Māori and science concepts combine to provide a breadth of knowledge and understanding.

Interweaving different knowledge systems presents a richer and more relevant picture of the environment and of its connections with people.

Te Kāhui o Matariki and the environment

This video supports the Te Kāhui o Matariki and the environment resources, produced in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment. 

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wananga o Waikato

You can download the video and slideshow presentation.

Te Kāhui o Matariki and the environment – slideshow

This slideshow provides additional support for the video tutorial Te Kāhui o Matariki and the environment .

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wananga o Waikato

TopicSlideshow number(s)Video timecode Introducing the video and the Science Learning Hub presenters 100:00Index200:50About the Science Learning Hub31:29Purpose42:01About the Environment Aotearoa 2022 report53:25Whetū and their domains64:50Mātauranga Māori and science76:22Mauri, wellbeing and sustainability87:26Looking at the resources9–118:31Cross-curricular learning activities 12–1313:36Local curriculum 1416:06SLH links, keep in touch and thanks1518:38

Related content

Explore our articles on Matariki and the Environment Aotearoa 2022 report as well as our Matariki and Environment Aotearoa 2022 collection.

Te Kāhui o Matariki – introduction  – curates our Matariki sources in one location!

For an introduction to mga Māori and science, read this article and, to discover many more resources, explore our mātauranga Māori topic. We also have an overview of Resources with Māori content .

Project Mātauranga is a televisions that investigates Māori world views and methodologies within the scientific community.

Activity ideas

Use this cross-curricular activity to explore written and visual components of the Matariki representations. Great inspiration for poetry and art and suitable for early learners to secondary students!

This activity uses the Kāhui o Matariki infographics to practise the science capability ‘interpret representations’.

Learn about star constellations and the various legends about them.

Related PLD

Watch our related webinars:

Useful links

The Ministry for the Environment's Environment Aotearoa 2022 report can be found here .

The Living by the stars website provides links to presentations and resources connected to Professor Rangi Mātāmua’s knowledge of Matariki.

Published: 16 June 2022,Updated: 16 June 2022