This resource provides support for social studies teachers who wish to emphasise the values and perspectives aspect of the social inquiry approach, when teaching about our constitution. The materials use quiz sheets and perspective cards produced for the ‘Constitution Conversation’. It is envisaged that the teaching and learning can be integrated into existing classroom programmes.
Download a PDF version of this resource:
Understanding the constitution through exploring values and perspectives (PDF, 1 MB)
A list of teaching resources and information about New Zealand's Constitution:
When planning consider:
These aspects of planning are integral and reciprocal. They naturally overlap, so learning tasks and activities incorporate all three aspects.
What skills and knowledge do the students (and their whānau/ family, hapū, and iwi) bring to the learning?
What support will the students need to fully express their social sciences understandings?
Suggested key conceptual understandings:
Social studies – level 5:
Treaty of Waitangi Constitution resources
An essay on New Zealand’s Constitution
Understand how formal and informal groups make decisions that impact on communities.
Initially, assess each student’s understanding of the key ideas in order to track their ongoing progress and to modify your teaching.
What they might do:
To continue learning, (or establish prior learning), about the constitution, students could begin to fill out a KWLH chart. This chart could be referred back to and added to throughout the learning.
K – What they know about the constitution
W – What they would like to know
L – What they have learnt
H – How they can learn more.
Students could rank constitutional issues in order of importance to them and discuss their reasons for doing so.
To explore the political underpinnings of the constitution conversation, students could view the Pita Sharples interview and the cartoon that was published before the panel was established. After viewing the interview and cartoon, students could identify and discuss the perspectives shown and give evidence to back up their ideas.
New Zealand’s Constitution Quiz card:
“What does New Zealand’s current constitution do?”
“The Constitution Conversation is relevant to all New Zealanders because …”
To help students link the learning to their own lives, have them survey their families and friends about whether aspects of the constitution that are important to them are clearly reflected in our constitutional arrangements. For example, they could ask, “Does the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 adequately protect our rights? Do we need to add more rights from international agreements? Is it right that Parliament can make laws that do not necessarily align with the Act?”
Māori representation quiz card:
“What is the purpose of the Māori electoral option?”
Treaty of Waitangi quiz card:
“What is the current status of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand’s constitution?”
Māori representation in government is a topic of constitutional conversation. To explore their own values related to this, students could draw a values continuum and place themselves on it, with one end being no designated Māori seats and the other end keep status quo. Students can then share where they have placed themselves and why. This continuum could be revisited after a period of learning, related to the purpose of Māori representation. The students could consider if their position has changed and why.
To explore perspectives about the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in the constitution, students could watch the TVNZ interview, and identify the various perspectives stated. Students could then participate in a class debate, responding to the conversation cards and taking on a specific perspective. Students may find it useful to use the fact sheets and the topic booklets to help prepare their arguments.
To support students to reflect on their learning, refer them back to their KWLH charts and get them to add further comments.
Possible deliberate acts of teaching related to the social inquiry process:
Link prior learning of the constitution to the emphasis on exploring values and perspectives in this support material.
Model how to complete a KWLH chart to support the students’ reflections.
Ask questions to support the students to understand that different people focus on different aspects of the constitution.
Bill of Rights Act quiz card:
“How are New Zealander’s rights protected?”
Ask questions to encourage the students to think about the constitution from other people’s perspectives.
Prompt students to consider their own opinion about the constitution and what has shaped their opinion?
Prompt students to consider the ways in which any changes to the constitution may have an effect on them, their families/whānau, hapū, and iwi.
The Treaty of Waitangi conversation card explores possibilities:
“Retain the status quo, that is, keep the Treaty as part of our constitution where it is referenced in law and as a guide for Crown–Māori relationships.”
“Include the Treaty and/ or its principles in a written constitution that has a higher status than other laws (supreme law).”
Ask questions to prompt critical thinking about the role of the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand’s constitution.
Give feedback to the students about their understanding of viewpoints and perspectives related to the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in the constitution, and ensure the students understand why people hold these viewpoints.
Ask questions to prompt students to critically evaluate their own and peers’ participation in the debate.
Prompt students to consider the value of engaging with this learning by asking questions.
What other perspectives could be drawn upon related to the constitutional arrangements?
Appropriate activities (such as creating concept maps, walls, and circles) can help to draw on students’ understandings and build upon these, make connections between contexts, and transfer understandings from one context to another. Further explanation of these activities can be found in the approaches to building conceptual understandings resource.
Interpretation of these words can vary within learning areas, so exposing students to questions associated with command words will help their understanding.
Co-construct meanings with students, and within learning areas with teachers, to develop a holistic view of these words.
For example:
The Constitution Conversation resources and instructional guides 1 and 2 will be useful to refer to, as well as the citizen teaching units.
The focus of learning can support the development of:
Participating and contributing – through developing an understanding of what it means for students to contribute to conversations about political issues.
Thinking – by reflecting on how and why people vary in their viewpoints.
Relating to others – by listening actively, recognising different points of view, and sharing ideas.
Using language symbols and text – through the analysis of visual representations of our constitution.
With the focus of this instructional guide being on the development of understanding of the constitution, use the ideas to help students:
Constitution Conversation website
New Zealand Constitution booklet
Our Constitution external links
Perspectives on the constitution – video clips
The Constitution Conversation’s summary of the Treaty of Waitangi in the constitution
The independent panel that the government appointed to listen, record, and consider people’s views
Published on: 03 Oct 2013
