Patu
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Class: Year 8
School: Oamaru Intermediate School
Teacher: Russell Cundall
Category: Teaching strategy
Year 8 students developed patu in a unit specifically designed to introduce Māori culture into a Resistant Materials programme.
Background
The Patu unit followed extensive professional learning development (PLD) around the Technology curriculum (2007). The Oamaru Intermediate Technology team worked together in 2009-2010 to develop their understanding of the curriculum in order to fully implement it within their programme. Teachers adapted courses to reflect their delivery of the curriculum as a team rather than individuals, modifying existing units and developing new ones, to ensure that students were exposed to all eight Components over their two years at the school.
- See Techlink case study Implementing the Technology Curriculum
- See Techlink Teaching Snapshot Garden Wind Ornaments
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Resistant Materials Teacher Russell Cundall observes that both he and his students enjoyed their work more following the changes he made to fully incorporate the curriculum. However, he says, he was struggling somewhat as to how to introduce a cultural aspect to his programme, in recognition of the principle of Cultural Diversity in The New Zealand Curriculum.
Inspiration arrived on a visit to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa). Russell had gone to view a touring art exhibition and then explored the museum, where he was "captured" by a photo of the Beatles wearing large tikis around their necks. Moving on to the display of "amazing" Māori artefacts, Russell was interested in their status as taonga (cultural treasures) and particularly impressed with the range of patu. Back at school, he read a school journal article about students making patu and decided that his students could do that too. [School Journal 2008 Part 4 No 2 code: SJ4208]
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Order school journals
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Trial unit
With Sidney Mead's 1961 book The Art of Māori Carving as a reference, Russell developed a Year 8 unit around a context of traditional Polynesian carving in which students would develop their own patu. He trialled the unit in 2011 with one of his client school classes, noting that there is an increased time constraint with these groups given that they can't finish any work out of class time. Russell introduced the theme and showed the colour photos he had taken of the patu at Te Papa, then led students into a discussion of Māori culture, the concept of taonga and the protocol in handling a patu. He encouraged students to reflect on their own cultures also and think about how they might individualise their outcome through reference to their own culture.
- Technology unit plan (PDF, 184kb)
The students discussed their brief and described the key attributes they needed for a successful outcome. They developed concept drawings and evaluated them as to which best reflected their key attributes before deciding on a final concept. Technological modelling was a focus component, and after discussing what this involved, the class worked on functional modelling. Students sketched their design on a larger scale and transferred it onto card, refining their design as necessary after modelling it. They made another functional model of their carving design using 3mm MDF board.
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Using the knowledge they had gained from their trialling and modelling, the students created their final outcome from MDF – chosen, Russell says, because it's ideal for relief carving and cheaper than other timbers. Students brought materials such as paua and bone to decorate their patu, and Russell bought green dye for those who wanted a pounamu (greenstone) effect (subsequent classes were provided with red and blue dye as well). Students used hand-carving chisels borrowed from the Art room to carve their patu, and the scroll saw to shape and sandpaper it. Russell provided thick jute string for those who wanted to plait or wind it around the handle of their patu. Photos of student outcomes were put on the school's Technology blog for other students and parents to see.
- School Technology blog
- MDF
The trial unit proved very successful in terms of both student learning and enjoyment, so Russell decided to repeat it the following year. Conscious, however, of his lack of cultural knowledge, Russell wanted to ensure he wasn't presenting anything in the unit that might offend people. He asked local Māori carver Courtenay Taylor, who carves and sells patu, to review his delivery of the trial unit. Courtenay assured him that everything he was teaching was fine, and gave him a few "pointers" about how he carves his patu.
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Curriculum links
Students worked at Level 3 on:
- Technological Knowledge
- Technological Modelling (functional modelling)
- Nature of Technology
- Characteristics of Technology (students discussed how technology has impacted on the natural world over time)
- Technological Practice
- Brief Development
- Planning for Practice
- Outcome development and evaluation
The unit reflects both the Cultural diversity and Community engagement Principles in The New Zealand Curriculum.
PLD to enhance delivery of the unit
In late 2011, as part of his PLD, Russell enrolled in a free 12-month Mauri Ora correspondence course run by Open Wananga. His objective, he says, was to gain an understanding of Māori culture, history and knowledge. "This knowledge gives me the confidence that underpins my teaching in what is a new area for me.".
Russell has discussed the Patu unit with Open Wananga kaitiaki (support person) Clara Wharerau who plans, time permitting, to visit the school to teach Russell and a group of students the protocol for harvesting and treating flax. Russell will incorporate this knowledge into the Patu unit so that students can harvest flax from the school grounds to use for weaving or wrapping around their patu handle.
- Open Wananga
Modifications to the unit
Russell modified the unit for 2012, focussing on the Technological Knowledge strand in more depth. Students considered the Technological Products component and explored MDF – what it's made from, how it's manufactured and the reasons for using this modern material. Russell has found some useful YouTube clips about MDF, such as one on Nelson Pine Industries, and plans to show these to his students. He linked the class discussion of MDF to the resources that early Māori used: whale bone, pounamu, kauri and other woods that are easily carved, He explained that common introduced pine isn't suitable for carving but that when pressed into board form as MDF it serves the purpose well. He also introduced a conservation aspect through discussing how totara is a protected species so is not readily available as timber.
Functional modelling was done in more depth in the revised unit. Students did relief carving on 4mm MDF, using the results of this activity to discuss the attributes of MDF. They also stained the timber to trial colour combinations. The students developed their carving skills through their functional modelling, so when given 15mm MDF for their final outcome, they knew what to do to achieve the results they wanted. Recognising that culture isn't static, Russell provided acrylic for students who wanted to work with a modern material.
Russell brought a hair dryer into class to speed up the drying of the water-based stains used on the wooden patu. Students would then coat their patu in a water-based varnish, which could also be dried within minutes. Russell notes that, unlike a turpentine-based varnish, there are no fumes and brushes are easily washed out in water.
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What next
Reflecting on the success of the unit, Russell notes that it's not necessarily an end in itself. "The unit could be a good, user-friendly way to introduce carving or culture; students could progress from creating a patu to working on other methods of carving. It could also serve as a focus for involvement with the local community – having a guest carver coming in to help, for example, and the completed patu could be used in a school or community culture club. The Patu unit could also extend to involve other learning areas such as Art (Māori/Polynesian) or Food Technology (cultural aspects such as preparation of food)."
The Patu unit itself continues to evolve. Although previous students have discussed Māori culture, Russell hasn't specifically asked any Māori students about their experience of taonga such as patu. He would like to provide an opportunity for these students to share their cultural knowledge with the class.
- Te Mangōroa
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