In topic we are learning about Waharoa.  On marae, waharoa are the gateways where manuhiri (visitors) wait to be welcomed on by the tangata whenua ( People of the place). In this unit, the students think about their identities as members of the class community. They will each create a clay tile that reflects what they bring to their class, and they link them together by including symbols on them that represent important ideas about the group identity.
                


The students will be learning about:

• the purpose and significance of waharoa.
• the meanings of the images carved on waharoa.
• how to create images that represent important ideas about what contribute to the class identity.
• a variety of techniques with clay.
• how to use clay to create low-relief sculptures.
• sharing our waharoa with visitors to our class.

The students are excited about using clay but will be challenged about expressing their identity and relating it to the different types of waharoa found all over the world.