Creating and Representing – Sound Innovations
“Whakarongo” by Iwa Toia
Learning Contexts:
Composition, perceptive listening; notation (Music literacies); Te Reo Māori
YEAR/S: 1-3
DURATION: 4 - 8 sessions
CURRICULUM LEVEL: Level One
Values highlighted in this
unit
How will these values be encouraged?
Excellence
Children will be challenged to enhance their
creative work through reflective questioning.
Children motivated to think creatively and ask
meaningful questions.
The use of te reo Māori and the importance of
using new vocabulary and pronouncing the
words correctly.
All children able to work to the best of their
ability and apply their individual skills and
knowledge.
Full participation in all activities, contributing
actively to discussions
Understanding the protocol for gathering
natural resources
Willingness to listen to others and respect
their views.
Innovation, inquiry and
curiosity
Diversity
Equity
Community and
participation
Care for the environment
Integrity
Key Competencies
highlighted in this unit
Managing self
Relating to others
Participating and
contributing
Thinking
How will these competencies be
encouraged?
Showing good self control in managing
creative activities.
Sharing ideas, listening to others. Working
well in a group
Active participation in all activities. Tolerance
and understanding of individual differences.
Drawing on previous learning to ensure
correct pronunciation of te reo Māori.
Expanding ideas creatively
Accessed from Into Music 1 Classroom Music in Years 1 - 3, Ministry of Education 2001 (Learning Media)
Using language, symbols
and texts
Using sound to communicate ideas.
Interpreting and creating graphic symbols.
Achievement Objectives highlighted in this unit
Understanding Music – Sound Arts in Context (UC)
Developing Practical Knowledge in Music – Sound Arts (PK)
Communicating and Interpreting in Music – Sound Arts (CI)
Developing Ideas in Music – Sound Arts (DI)
Learning Outcomes
In this unit the children will develop the ability to:
 Pronounce Māori words accurately and understand their meaning. (UC,
PK)
 Explore sounds and improvise with them to create an effect. (PK, DI)
 Interpret graphic symbols in an imaginative way. (PK, DI, CI)
 Create a soundscape in response to a simple poem as the source of
motivation. (UC, PK, DI)
Information
This example provides an opportunity for children to use vocal and
instrumental sounds to enhance a short poem in te reo Māori. It’s a simple
poem, which is fun to perform and will provide the children with a good
introduction to associating sounds with symbols and an opportunity to practise
some basic Māori language.
Resources

“Whakarongo” by Iwa Toia
Whakarongo ki te hau
Listen to the wind
Whakarongo ki te ua
Listen to the rain
Whakarongo ki te Ngahere
Listen to the forest
Accessed from Into Music 1 Classroom Music in Years 1 - 3, Ministry of Education 2001 (Learning Media)
Āta whakarongo ki tō kuia

Listen carefully to your Nana
A range of found sounds.
Games and Starters
Whakarongo - listen
Sit the children in a circle. Put a selection of instruments and other sound
sources in the middle of the circle. A chosen child says, “Whakarongo ki a
(child’s name)”. The named child then makes an interesting sound or
sequence of sounds with their voice or an instrument and then names another
child to have a turn.
Newspaper music
Give each child a sheet of newspaper. The children see how many different
sounds they can make with newspaper, for example, flicking, tearing or
waving. They create the sound of a rainstorm using only newspaper sounds.
Then they put the sounds into a sequence to create a rainstorm soundscape.
Sound cards
Provide some graphic notation cards, with each card showing a symbol. The
children each choose a card and explore the sound-making possibilities of
their card, using voice and/or instruments. The cards can be used in a variety
of ways, such as to make interesting combinations or sequences of sounds, to
create a soundscape or to work in groups to interpret the symbol.
Environmental symphony
Send the children outside on a sound search. Encourage them to find leaves,
twigs, harakeke, stones, pine cones, shells. View information on protocol for
gathering natural resources. Spread all the resources on a large piece of
material in the centre of the room and talk about all the different sounds that
could be made. Encourage them to combine sound makers, for example, a
twig scraping on a pine-cone. Decide together on favourite sounds and how
they could be combined to create an environmental symphony
Learning Experiences

Listen to and learn the waiata “Whakarongo Ake Au” to understand the
significance of whakarongo, to listen.

Listen to the poem, and say it through with correct pronunciation.

As a class, experiment with, and agree on, some vocal, body percussion,
Accessed from Into Music 1 Classroom Music in Years 1 - 3, Ministry of Education 2001 (Learning Media)
or instrumental sounds to represent rain, wind and the sounds of the
forest.

Agree on some symbols to represent these sounds.

Practise some phrases that Nana might say in the morning to her
mokopuna, for example: “E oho, e kare” (Wake up, darling); “Kihi mai”
(Give me a kiss); “Kia tere” (Hurry up); ”Maranga mai” (Get up); “Kua tae
ki te wā mo te kura” (It’s time for school); “Kua reri te parakuihi”
(Breakfast’s ready); “Haere mai ki te kai” (Come and eat); “E aroha ana
au ki a koe” (I love you).

Say the poem, using accompanying sounds and finishing with a chorus of
Nanas talking to their grandchildren.

As a class, make the poem into a shared book with additional lines and
ideas that the children have developed, for example, “Whakarongo ki te
moana” (Listen to the sea.)

Link the poem to the song “Ka Tangi te Kuri e”. from Hei Waiata, Hei
Whakakoakoa. This song can be extended to include other sounds.
Assessment
Conversations with children about their sound explorations and creative
decision making will provide valuable information about their ability to select,
combine and sequence sounds to create an effect.
Pronounce Māori words accurately and understand their meaning (PK)
 Are the children taking care to pronounce the Māori words correctly?
 Can they recognise some basic vocabulary and reflect on the meaning of
the words?
Explore sounds and improvise with them to create an effect (PK, DI)
 Can the children show you different ways to create sounds using voices,
classroom instruments, and found sounds from the classroom and the
environment?
 How well can they improvise sounds to help the telling of a story or poem
or to express a mood or idea?
Interpret graphic symbols in an imaginative way (DI)
 How well can the children use their imagination to interpret a graphic
symbol?
 How well does their interpretation reflect the symbol?
Accessed from Into Music 1 Classroom Music in Years 1 - 3, Ministry of Education 2001 (Learning Media)
Create a soundscape in response to a simple poem as the source of
motivation (DI, UC)
 Can the children select, organise and combine sounds to create a
meaningful sequence of sounds?
 Does their soundscape reflect the meaning of the words and the mood of
the poem?
Accessed from Into Music 1 Classroom Music in Years 1 - 3, Ministry of Education 2001 (Learning Media)