pkrp-about
This activity invites ākonga to use ScratchJr to build a simple interactive glossary — an app that teaches everyday kupu in te reo Māori and English. Rather than just labelling a picture, learners bring each word to life with their own voice and their own choice of image, turning a vocabulary exercise into something they've made and can share.
Learners will choose a backdrop and a sprite to represent an object, then record themselves saying its name in both languages before adding the written words with Say blocks. A Start on Tap block ties it all together, so tapping the sprite plays the sound and shows the text. They'll finish by testing their app with the Green Flag and fixing anything that doesn't work as expected. Ka pai te mahi — a great way to hear your reo out loud!
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Sequencing an event block, a sound block, and a say block to build a working start-on-tap program.
Testing the finished sprite and debugging it when a sound, image, or word doesn't trigger as expected.
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Following guided steps to manipulate images, recorded audio, and text within ScratchJr to build a digital outcome.
Using device features — camera, microphone, touchscreen — to create original content for the app.
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Selecting a backdrop, sprite, and recording that best communicate a kupu's meaning to another learner.
Making decisions about how a word's spelling and pronunciation should be presented to a real end-user of the app.
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See ‘Te Reo Māori’ link below.
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Everyday vocabulary, understanding and producing familiar te reo Māori and English words for objects in their environment.
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Simplify the word list by pre-selecting three or four familiar kupu, so learners spend their attention on the ScratchJr blocks rather than choosing vocabulary.
Stretch confident ākonga by having them record both a slow, clear pronunciation and a natural-speed one, to notice the difference.
Pair up less confident readers with a buddy for the Say-block typing step, so text entry doesn't become a barrier to finishing.
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Add extra scenes to turn the single sprite into a small collection, building a mini glossary of several kupu instead of one.
Connect sprites with messages so tapping one object triggers a related one, creating a simple matching or story sequence.
Swap the theme by choosing sprites from a different category (animals, kai, whānau) to make a themed kupu app for a specific topic the class is studying.
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Teachers should consider:
Device Preparation as a pre-lesson task, including charging batteries, loading applications, and connecting to the internet.
Group Assignments and logistics, including supporting student collaboration and content focus.
Have a few real QR codes on hand (printed handouts, posters, or packaging) so learners can scan and explore hands-on rather than only discussing the concept
Devices with camera access will be needed for the scanning step — check beforehand which learner devices can scan natively versus needing a scanner app
The six real-world sectors work well split across small groups, each becoming the "expert" on one sector to report back to the class
Keep a couple of trusted, pre-tested QR codes ready to demonstrate with, rather than relying on whatever's scannable in the room on the day
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QR codes make getting to digital content fast — but that speed is exactly why it's worth pausing before scanning. This activity is a good first chance to build the "trusted source, trusted destination" habit that Part 3 explores in full.
Use only pre-selected, teacher-checked QR codes for this activity, especially with younger or unsupervised learners
Avoid inviting learners to scan random codes found in public spaces as part of the lesson — save that critical-thinking discussion for Part 3
Make sure any linked content is age-appropriate before the lesson, not checked on the fly in front of the class
Frame this early on as good practice, not a warning: "we check before we scan" is a habit, not a fear
QR codes are widely used in public and commercial environments, but not all QR codes are safe or trustworthy. Malicious QR codes can direct users to harmful websites, trigger unwanted downloads, or collect personal information without consent.
Teachers should:
Avoid encouraging students to scan random public QR codes, especially with personal or unsupervised devices
Provide pre-selected, trusted QR codes for classroom use
Make sure all linked content is age-appropriate and moderated
Supervise device use closely, particularly with younger learners
It is best practice to:
Use QR codes that link to teacher-created or school-approved content only
Introduce the idea that QR codes should not be trusted blindly, even if they appear in familiar places
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>>> y0-3 | Y0-3 | 1 Lesson (Guided)
A teacher-led walkthrough works best here — model each ScratchJr step on a shared screen before ākonga try it themselves.
Explore & Choose — Guide ākonga to pick a backdrop and one sprite to represent a kupu the class has already learned together.
Record & Build — Support ākonga to record their pronunciation and add the Start on Tap, Sound, and Say blocks step by step, checking in after each block is added.
Try It Out — Have each learner press Green Flag to test their app, and help them fix any block that's out of order.
>>> y4-6 | Y4-6 | 1 Lesson (Guided, Scaffolded)
Ākonga can work through the guide with less step-by-step support, checking in with a partner rather than the teacher at each stage.
Plan & Build — Direct ākonga to select their own kupu, backdrop, and sprite, then independently work through backdrop, sprite, action, and recording steps.
Add the Vocabulary — Have ākonga use Te Aka or Paekupu to confirm spelling before typing both languages into their Say blocks.
Test, Debug & Share — Ask ākonga to test their app, debug any issues themselves first, then share their finished app with a partner to try.