Te Ao Tangata Social Science (Y09)

Me tiro whakamuri, kia anga whakamua. If we want to shape Aotearoa New Zealand's future, start with the past. 

Te Ao Tangata | Social Sciences encourage ākonga to observe, to wonder and be curious about people, places, and society, and to take an interest and engage in social issues and ideas. Through Te Ao Tangata | Social Sciences, ākonga develop understanding, knowledge, and skills in relation to social, cultural, economic, and political processes. This enables them to contribute to and participate in society as critically informed, ethical, and empathetic citizens with a concern for the wellbeing of communities and a commitment to a fair society for all. Central to this in Aotearoa New Zealand is an understanding of the responsibilities deriving from Te Tiriti o Waitangi of engaging in power-sharing and in honourable relationships, and of respecting tikanga and the natural environment. 

Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories is a critical part of social science learning. It focuses on interactions that, across time, connect people to each other and to place, helping ākonga make sense of the present and informing their future decisions and actions. Through it, ākonga build understandings about how Aotearoa New Zealand’s past has been shaped by Māori and those for whom New Zealand has been or is their home. Te Ao Tangata | Social Sciences also take ākonga beyond Aotearoa New Zealand, connecting them to places that can be familiar or unfamiliar and to how people live in these places. Through social science processes, practices, and skills, ākonga learn how to research, evaluate the integrity of sources, communicate, reason, argue, and make decisions about social action. They come to understand that people have different experiences and perspectives and that recognising and drawing on this diversity helps them thrive as community members and citizens.