NZHTA Start of Term 3 Pānui, 2026

NZHTA Start of Term 3 Pānui, 2026

Tēnā koutou katoa,

History teachers have hit the ground running in Term 3. We await the release of the draft Phase 5 History | Te Takanga o te Wā. We are being told that this is set to go live in early August. We also have a date (12 August) for the release of the final Phases 1-4 (Y1-10) Social Sciences curriculum. We are seeking expressions of interest from members who would like to be involved in some paid mahi creating resources for this. See below for more info.

In this pānui:

• NZHTA 2026 Practice Exams are live!

• Could you be the next NZHTA Kaiārahi?

• 1.3 and 1.4 Advice and Guidance

• NZHTA ‘History Matters’ Series

• 2026 Ngarimu Video and Waiata Composition Competitions

• Creating resources for NZHTA Y9-10 Social Studies 2027

• Civics, Politics and Philosophy Forum 17-18 August

Ngā mihi

Nick Fitness, NZHTA Kaiārahi

nzhtaexec@gmail.com

1.3 and 1.4 Advice and Guidance

The NZHTA Advice and Guidance slides for 1.3 and 1.4 have been updated for 2026 based on the NZQA specifications. You can find them all here with plenty of other super helpful resources.

NZHTA ‘History Matters’ Series

All the sessions from last term were recorded and are shared here.

We are finishing off this year’s series with two final sessions:

Thursday 30th July, 3.30pm: Teaching ‘difficult’ histories – Chris Burns, 

Doctoral candidate and professional teaching fellow in Te Puna Wānanga | School of Māori and Indigenous research - ZOOM LINK

Thursday 6^th August, 3.30pm: Exploring Diverse Histories with National Library Resources - Sandi Falconbridge, National Library Facilitator - ZOOM LINK

2026 Ngarimu Video and Waiata Composition Competitions

On behalf of the Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board, we are pleased to share that the 2026 Ngarimu Video and Waiata Composition Competitions are now open for submissions.

Established in memory of Victoria Cross recipient Second Lieutenant Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu and the 28th (Māori) Battalion, the competitions honour a legacy of courage, service, and sacrifice. By producing a short film or composing a waiata, in te reo Māori or in English/Bilingual, ākonga can express creativity, share their knowledge and personal connections to the 28th (Māori) Battalion, and bring history to life. Ākonga can submit individually or as a rōpū, with prizes available for both ākonga and their kura. Entries close Sunday 2 August 2026.

For more information visit: Ngarimu Video and Waiata Composition Competitions | Ministry of Education

Creating resources for NZHTA Y9-10 Social Studies 2027

With a date now (12 August) for the release of the final Social Studies curriculum, we are seeking expressions of interest from any members who are interested in getting together for an online hui next month to discuss creating some NZHTA resources.

We will work through the document and identify some of the history topics to begin to resource and demonstrate best practice from a NZHTA perspective.

If you are interested in this please send a short email to nzhtaexec@gmail.com with your name, school, and a few lines on relevant experience in resource creation and topic interest areas (these could be NZ, Pacific, or global).

Civics, Politics and Philosophy Forum

We are delighted to invite you to a special series of events over two days in Wellington, 17-18 August, hosted by Philosophy Teachers Aotearoa New Zealand | Ngā Kaiako Mātauranga Whakaaro (PTANZ) in partnership with the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies (NZCGS). All events are free of charge, with catering provided.  We encourage you to come to as many as you can - and to share this invitation widely with colleagues. Keep an eye on our website for speaker and programme information. You can find more information here.

Resource Spotlight

We Were Just Children is a new film featuring portraits of Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through exchanges between survivors and New Zealand teenage interviewers, and using thoughtful AI storytelling, the film brings to life precious testimony of memory, resilience, and quiet heroism.

Designed for young people, it connects past stories to the present and reminds us why standing up early against antisemitism, hatred, and prejudice is everyone’s responsibility. It is 50 minutes long and can be shown at the end of a Holocaust unit of learning or shown in a standalone lesson. By the end of this year, the Holocaust Centre will create a unit on the Holocaust aimed at Year 10s that the film will complement.  

Missed a pānui?

You can find all our previous pānui on our website: https://nzhta.org.nz

Ā kō ake nei | Coming up soon

NZHTA History Scholarship Series 2026 – dates to be announced soon!

NZHTA Term 3-4 Workshop dates

Kōrero Mai | We'd love to hear from you!

At NZHTA, fostering connections with our history community is at the heart of what we do. Whether you have questions, feedback, or ideas to share, we’re here and ready to listen. Your input helps us continue to support educators, enhance our resources, and advocate for quality history education across Aotearoa New Zealand. Reach out to us and let’s keep building a strong, supportive network together.