My Kai Story

Taha Wairua – What matters to us:

We respect our values, beliefs, and culture through kai and inu wai.

Taha Whānau – Connecting us to others
We nurture our past, present, and future relationships through kai and inu wai.

You can use the My Kai Story worksheet to guide your kōrero around kai: how it affects all aspects of our wellbeing, and how it connects us to each other.

Once tamariki have had time to fill out the worksheet individually, encourage sharing in pairs or small groups, so that everyone has the chance to kōrero.

Kai carries stories. It reminds us of the people who have cared for us, the whānau and friends we gather with, the places we come from and the moments that have stayed with us. This activity helps tamariki to recognise these connections and celebrate the richness of their own kai stories.

Teaching kai doesn't have to be tricky or risky – steer away from 'good and bad' lenses on food and instead celebrate the ways tamariki can already articulate how kai makes them feel; how it affects their senses, energy levels and kare ā-roto (feelings)!

Remind tamariki that there are no right or wrong answers here – all of their experiences with kai are valuable!

If you haven’t focused on kai as an aspect of wellbeing yet, you can either get straight into My Kai Story, or start with a kōrero about how kai connects us, affects all Five Senses, and strengthens each pou of our Whare Tapa Whā.

Get the class thinking about pātai that draw connections between kai, positive feelings and identity:

• What is one kai that is special to you?
  Further learning: What makes this kai special?
  
• Who does your kai make you think of?
  Further learning: How does this kai ‘connect’ you to those people?
  
• Where does your kai come from?
  Further learning: Where is it grown now? Where did it come from originally? Does this kai have an important cultural story behind it?
  
• How does your kai make you feel?
  Further learning: Explore all five senses – what stands out about this kai?

You may like to use these reflective questions as a formative assessment to understand how students:

• Express their ideas about kai and wellbeing
• Make connections between kai and people
• Reflect on their own experiences
• Communicate their thinking through drawing, writing or discussion.

Year 0-3: Draw

• Focus: Expressing ideas through discussion and pictures.
• Reflection question: Why is kai important for our bodies and our whānau?
  

Year 4-6: Draw and Write

• Focus: Describing ideas.
• Reflection question: What does kai teach us about connection?
  

Year 7-8: Write and reflect

• Focus: Critical thinking, identity, and wellbeing.
• Reflection practice: "This kai is important to me because… / Sharing kai helps people to… / I learned that kai is connected to…"
  

Don't be afraid to repeat the same activity! Using the same reflective questions over time will help to consolidate learning. You might notice it help to make stronger connections between kai, whenua, relationships and wellbeing.

Here are some of the many ways you can discover, celebrate and re-tell your kai stories!

• Use the My Kai Story worksheet as a take-home story for tamariki to share with those at home – they might like to extend on the kōrero
• Create a ‘Classroom Kai Cookbook’  by adding a recipe on to each of their drawings and stories. This could make for an awesome take home gift or (dare we say it) kura fundraiser
• Create a classroom display of all the kai your tamariki love - paint or draw these and add to a big ‘bowl’ – a delicious mixture of kai stories
• Explore how your kai stories connect to Matariki and Te Mātahi o te Tau! You could make some of these kai together for your Matariki event, as a hākari (feast) to share
• Use the My Kai Story worksheet as a base for some reflective or imaginative writing.

Let us know how you enjoy this activity, and feel free to share your pics over on our Sparklers Kaiako Community Facebook group️.