Practice essay activity - Maori leadership - NCEA Level 2 history

2.5 Practice essay activity

Examine how a force or movement in a historical setting influenced people's lives

Using the feature Maori leadership and your own knowledge, write one of the following essays.

Topic 1 

Throughout history, people's lives have been influenced by major forces and movements. In the second half of the 19th century, two such movements that had a significant influence on the lives of people living in New Zealand were the Maori King movement (Kingitanga) and Pai Marire (Hauhau). Some of the forces involved in the formation of these movements were:

• nationalism
• imperialism
• colonisation
• religion
• racism
• war
• colonialism
• sovereignty.

Choose either the Kingitanga or Pai Marire, and in an essay of 600–800 words:

Describe the background and outcomes of an event that affected the lives of ordinary people.

Describe how the historical force or movement related to this event influenced ordinary people's lives at this time.

Introduction – write an opening paragraph that identifies:

• the force or movement you have chosen
• the historical setting or topic you have chosen
• the event that affected the lives of ordinary people.

Body – write structured and sequenced paragraphs that explain:

• the background to the event that affected the lives of ordinary people
• the outcomes of this event
• how one historical force or movement related to this event influenced the lives of ordinary people at this time.

Conclusion – write a concluding paragraph that sums up the main ideas and links them back to the focus of the essay.

Topic 2

Throughout time there have been major forces and movements that have influenced people's lives. Some of these that influenced people in 19th-century New Zealand were:

• Pai Marire/Hauhau
• christianity
• religion
• war
• colonialism
• iwi
• Kingitanga
• sovereignty
• nationalism
• tino rangatiratanga
• racism.

With reference to the murder of Carl Völkner, choose ONE historical force or movement from the list above that influenced Maori leadership in the 19th century. In an essay of 600–800 words:

Describe the background to and the outcomes of the murder of Völkner and how these affected the lives of ordinary people.

Describe how a historical force or movement related to this event influenced ordinary people's lives at this time.

Introduction – write an opening paragraph that identifies:

• the force or movement you have chosen
• the historical setting or topic you have chosen
• the event that affected the lives of ordinary people.

Body – write structured and sequenced paragraphs that explain:

• the background to the event that affected the lives of ordinary people
• the outcomes of this event
• how one historical force or movement related to this event influenced the lives of ordinary people at this time.

Conclusion – write a concluding paragraph that sums up the main ideas and links them back to the focus of the essay.