Summary Customised Shoes

LI: to explain in fewer words what the text is about.

Our challenge today was based on looking at the work Rangi-Haira Jaxon Greening creates. Rangi-Haira showcases his skills by painting custom designs on shoes with the inspiration of the traditional Maori carving his grandfather and father had done. We read an article that explained what Rangi-Haira had done with his work in order to create a summary. By reading the artice, we could gather 20 keywords, narrow it down to 6 keywords and then create a summary which had all the important main points. I found it interesting how passionate Rangi-Haira is while working with shoes and designing shoes.

Recreating Famous Artworks

LI: To use your knowledge of colour and colour mixing to replicate the colours used in the artworks.

This week we have been learning about famous artworks and colour mixing. The artwork I chose was 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring' by Johannes Vermeer. This artwork was painted in 1665. It was painted as a symbol of purity and innocence. Today it can be found in Mauritshuis, a museum in The Hagues, Netherlands and is to permanently stay there. I enjoyed this challenge because we got to pick our own famous artwork and I really enjoy digital artwork.

What is a Million?

LI: to describe what a million is to you.

For this writing activity, we focused on describing what something means to us. I chose to describe what a million is to me. A million to me is represented by many things, one for example is: the number of mosquito bites I have had. I really enjoyed this activity because I could get creative with my describing and make different types of comparisions.

Letter Q

LI: to evaluate.

This week we read about the origin of the Letter Q, and where it came from. Our task was to create a DLO (Digital Learning Object) to identify words that begin with the Letter Q. Once we had done that we identified the words we didin’t know and defined these. I found out about a few words starting with the letter Q and the meanings of some of them. I enjoyed the looking for these words.

Hauora with Olympians

LI: to draw and label your own Hauora diagram.

In order to be able to perform at their best athletes need to have a four walls of the whare tapawha standing. We created this poster to show what each wall represents and why it is important. I found out that with each wall standing and stable, it always leads to great success. However, if even one wall is unstable, it can be the difference between success and failure. I enjoyed finding out about how the whare tapawha relates to Olympic athletes. 

Ancient Greek Olympics Presentation

LI: to skim and scan to find facts about the Ancient Olympics and make notes in my own words.

https://prezi.com/view/RkWeShYEf70Ur589JT2s/

We used our reading time this week to find out about the Ancient Greek Olympics. Once we had made our notes and reorganised our information we collaboratively created a presentation. I found out that if women were caught in the olympics, they would get thrown off Mt. Olympus. This was a form of punishment due to the fact that women were forbidden from entering the Olympics because men would compete naked. I enjoyed finding out the information for this activity because it was fun and very informational.

My Science Investigation

LI: to investigate the effect of different types of physical activities on heart rate.

Our focus this week was based on looking at the heart rates after doing certain physical activities. First, we looked at our prior knowledge about the heart rates. After this, we wrote down some questions which were about what we wanted to know about heart rates. When writing the questions, we wrote our hypothesis (what we thought the answer to the questions were). Our investigation part consisted of completing the 6 activites: sitting, jogging, throwing/catching, stretching, star jumps and running. My hypothesis was about how I thought running on the spot will cause my highest blood rate. I enjoyed this investigation because I am interested in blood pressure. One thing I learned was that blood rate is measured in mmHg. 

Hauora and Olympians

Athletes train in both areas, mentally and physically. This is because  both areas need to be stable and balanced. An athlete should have all walls of the Whare Tapa Wha standing, meaning that they are motivated, confident and have self belief. Without these walls standing, or even if one wall falls, athletes will lose their motivation, feel insecure and have low self esteem. As an athlete, being successful is a huge accomplishment. With being an athlete, they need to accept and embrace the unsuccessful times. If an athlete is unsuccessful, they continue to train and are grateful for the opportunity of representing their country. The support of friends and family pushes athletes to become the best they can and lead them to victory.

Farzana & Peyton

PB4L | Ready for Learning

LI: to understand how we can make sure we are ready for learning.

This week's PB4L lesson was about being ready for learning. When someone is ready or prepared for learning, they can focus more with their education. Being prepared for learning includes getting our school uniform ready the night before, charging our netbook and being early or on time. If we do these things, it shows that we are actually motivated and want better for our learning. Making the most of our learning time is a huge benefit and can increase our knowledge. I enjoyed this activity because I felt that this topic is really important and I practice many of these.

My Science Investigation

LI: to research about the taste buds of the tongue.

Our focus this week was based off of looking at the different tase buds located on the tongue. First we looked at our prior knowledge of taste buds. After doing so, we filled out the table that had steps 1-7. We looked at the investigation/research part. After that, we came up with questions that we wanted to be answered at the end of the experiment. Then we wrote down our hypothesis (what we think the answers to our questions are). 

Next we did some research about the taste buds and how sensitive they can be. The five taste buds are: sour, sweet, bitter, salt and savory. How these taste buds work is when the food/drink makes contact with your taste buds, the taste buds will know what the taste will be depending on the type of food/drink. For example: if I drink lemon juice, the lemon juice will make contact with the sour taste buds and notify my brain of the taste. 

To find out the taste of certain solutions, we got spoons and put the different solutions on them. Then we tasted the solutions. If the majority of us had the same taste, we put a tick on the part where we tasted. If someone didn't have the same taste as us, we wrote down their name. This gave us a conclusion of how everyone has different taste buds. 

I enjoyed this weeks science project because it taught me things I did not know about the tongue. 

Thinking Grid | Water Safety

LI: to learn how and why we need to stay safe in and around water.

This activity was based around our prior knowledge while around or in the water. There were six questions we were required to answer. One of the questions were: "Why is it important to be safe in the water?" I think that it is really important to be safe in the water because it can keep you and possibly others safe. While in crutial situations, you can stay calm and not panick. A piece of advice I would give to a child under 6 years old in order to keep them safe is, to always have an adult with you no matter what. In New Zealand, we are surrounded by water and there are many bodies of water, which makes it even more important to be educated around water. 

River Safety Brochure

LI: to learn how and why we need to stay safe in and around water.

This activity was based around how we could stay safe in and around rivers. We created a brochure promoting safety around rivers. The information would be researched or found at the River Safety site. It is important to always have safety equipment when in rivers. We also need to make sure to check how shallow or how deep the river is before we go in. While checking the depth of the river, look out for rocks or bumpy parts of it. It is recommended to wear covered shoes in rivers. If the water is not deep make sure to never dive into it. Some activities to do in a river is: kayaking, fishing, and paddle boarding. 

Olympic Challenge

LI: to use the most efficient strategy to find the answers.

For this task, we were required to compare a country's total medal score with New Zealands score. We looked at the different scores and picked one of the country's to compare. My group and I picked to compare the scores with the USA. The total medal tally for USA was 2673 whereas the total New Zealand medal score is 95. With these numbers in mind, we found out how many times we could multiply 95 to get as close to 2673 as we could. Doing this will draw the line of our comparision. First I found out what 95 x 20 was. 95 x 20 = 1900. After doing so, I added 1900 more to 1900. Which got me to 3800. Seeing this passed the total score for USA, I did 95 x 10 which was 950. If I added 950 to 1900 it would get me to 2850 which was also above the total score. With this in mind, I subtracted 95 however many times until getting the closest number to the total USA score. I subtracted 95 two more times (190), which would get me to 2660 with the remainder of 13. 

Greetings in Te Reo Maori

LI: to create a display poster that shows people the difference between tena koe, tena korua and tena koutou.

Our focus for the Te Reo Maori challenge this week was to talk about the difference between tena koe, tena korua and tena koutou when greeting people. Tena koe is a way of greeting one person alone. For example, when I meet one of my friends I say "Tena koe, kei te pehea koe?". By adding "kei te pehea koe?" to the greeting, you ask how your friend is. 

Tena korua is a greeting to two people. If I am with two of my teachers, I say: "Tena korua (teachers name) & (teachers name), he aha ake?". He aha ake means what are we doing? You can say this when speaking to two people. 

Tena koutou katoa is another greeting but to three or more people. An example of this is "Tena koutou katoa, kei te pehea koe?" which translates to "Hello everyone, how are you?". 

Mindfulness Reflection

LI: to practice mindfulness when in stressful situations. 

Mindfulness is training your mind to become aware of not only yourself, but also your surroundings. When it comes to mindfulness, there are two zones. The red zone and the green zone. The red zone is all the negative emotions you feel when stressed. The green zone is all of the positive emotions which help you when feeling stressed. For example, when in a stressful situation, you can clear your mind and stay calm. This is when your mind enters the green zone. In the red zone, you feel waves of negativity overcoming your mind. 

When trying to focus, your mind wanders. Although your body can be present, your mind can be wandering around and thinking about the past or future. With mindfulness, you focus on the present moment and what is happening at that moment. 

The mindfulness practice helps you clear your mind, focus on your breathing and overall makes you content and composed. To do this activity, we faced away from others to be focused. We had a straight back, soft stomach, closed eyes and our hands on our knees. When the mindfulness bell rang, we calmed ourselves and focused on our breathing. When breathing, you are more focused on you and your surroundings.

Olympic Maths Challenge

LI: to use the most efficient strategy to find the answers.

Today, we were looking at how we could solve another Olympic word problem. First, we gather the needed information. There are 250 squares in a badminton racket. With this piece of information we move to the next step and find out how many right angles in one square. Looking at a square, we see that there are 4 right angles per square. This means that the number problem is 250 x 4. When we multiply 250 four times, it gives us an answer of 1000. Therefore the answer to the question "How many right angles are on an entire badminton racket?"  is 1000.

Y-Chart

LI: to make inferences about the events in the text using clues provided by the author.

Our focus was based around inferring what athletes were thinking, seeing and wondering during the Olympics. In order to do this, we looked at an image which had information that we could point out to form our inferences. By looking at the images, we could see that the athletes had completed the swimming and are taking an after photo. Some inferences we made for feel/see were: the athletes might have felt nervous and cold, they could have been proud of what they accomplished, seeing their names of the scoreboard and how they felt determined to win. 

The image shown on the DLO was of Violet Walrond and other athlete competitors. Violet Walrond was a young athlete who competed in the Olympics at the age of fifteen. She was the youngest and first ever swimmer in New Zealand to use the crawl technique. Violet also was the first female to compete in the Olympics, representing New Zealand.

Topic 8 - Acids and Bases

LI: to learn about acids and bases.

Our focus today was about looking at the acidity/base level of different substances. We got into partners and answered some questions using our prior knowledge. After this, we looked at the different substances we would be using today. 

In order to measure the pH balance or scale we used litmus. Litmus is a piece of paper that has the ability to change colours depending on the acidity, base or neutral level of a certain substance. If you take an acidic substance and dip the red litmus paper into it, it will stay the same or get even more darker. If you dip the blue litmus paper into the acidic substance, and it turns red, it is acidic. We tested 11 substances. Before testing them out with the litmus paper, we predicted what substances are acidic, neutral or basic. After that, we tested them out and checked to see if our predictions were correct. I enjoyed this activity a lot because I am familiar with pH balances. 

Provocation | Olympic Money

LI: to use provocation to understand both sides of a story.

Our focus this week for reading was based on the Olympics & provocation. We used provocation to understand both side of the question asked. The question was should host countries spend so much money on building the Olympic venues? Our opinion was that host countries should not spend a massive amount of money on the olympics, since the former buildings used to host the olympics. We think that the billions of dollars used to other countries are facing difficult times. We found this task interesting because seeing both side of the story meant different people see the story with different opinion.

Superfingers Challenge

LI: to recall our time tables quickly.

Our focus for this activity was based around recalling our time tables fast. The objective of the game was to remember our time tables and say them quick. To play this game, we pick a word and roll two dice that go up to 12. After doing so, we look at the dice and multiply the numbers. If one of the dice roll on 6 and the other on 3, we go 6x3 and say the answer (18) as fast as we can. The person who gets the answer correct fastest, erases one letter from the word. In the end, if you answer the equations and have no letters left, you are announced the winner.

First, we chose a partner to challenge. Whoever won out of the pair gets to challenge another person who won from their pair. The person who won that goes onto the quarter finals, then the semi-finals and then the finals. The person who won the finals is the winner and fastest person to recall their time tables. Afatia won the finals against Chris. I enjoyed this activity a lot because it was fun and also got us to recall our time tables faster. I impressed myself when I was challenging Ong because I said the answer really fast at some times.

Maths Olympics Challenge

LI: to use the most efficient strategy to find the answers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_YwKU48I5U4rAN6bQVjbJxfrqJIdVeDl/view?usp=sharing

Today, we were looking at how we could solve an equation and check if the answer is correct. The questions were "In total, how many meters did Michael swim for his gold medals?" and "Finally, how many strokes did Michael have to take in total for all of his events combined if Michael can propel himself 2 meters with each stroke?". To answer the first question, we gathered all of the data and added them together. 400 + 100 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 100 + 100 = 1500. Now to answer the second question, we gather our information. By reading the world problem, we can understand that with each stroke Micheal took, he had propelled himself 2 metres. With this information, we know to divide 1500 by 2. 1500 ÷ 2 = 750. In order to check if the answer is correct, we can add 750, twice. 750 + 750 = 1500. Another way is to multiply 750 by 2 which will give us 1500. Reversing the equation to check if our answer is correct is an efficient strategy. 

Olympics Challenge

LI: to use the most efficient strategy to answer the question.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k_nDtkX84dhFcivbe0CaOctipzxTc3Za/view?usp=sharing

Today we were looking at how we could solve an equation and prove that our answer is correct. We know that Nastia had came 2nd place by 0.001'ths of a second. Nastia's score was 16.725s and since we know that the 1st place medalist had won by 0.001'ths of a second, we can add 0.001 to Nastia's score which is 16.725. So to answer this question of "What was the gold medal winners score?" This gives us an answer of 16.726. To prove this answer is correct we can just subtract 0.001 from 16.726 which should give us the original answer (16.725). 

To answer the next question, we use a subtraction algorithm. 00.005 - 00.005 = 00.000, 7 - 1 = 6, 00.12 - 00.07 = 00.05 6 - 1 = 5, 00.16 - 00.9 = 00.7, 5 - 4 = 1, 1 - 1 = 0, 1+ 00.7 + 00.05 = 1.75 and to prove that this answer is correct, we can reverse our strategy (subtraction) to the opposite (addition). 14.975 + 1.75 = 16.725.

Tech | Osmosis and Transpiration

LI: to learn about the process of osmosis and transpiration.

Today, our focus was based on looking at the osmosis and transpiration of a plant (celery). Our first task was to look at the photosynthesis cycle. The photosynthesis cycle helps a plant create their food. The leaves are the ones to create the food. The ingredients a leaf needs are: sunlight, water (H20) and carbon dioxide. All of these ingredients create sugar/glucose. Our second task was based off of the celery and food colouring experiment. We watched a video about how to conduct this experiment. We needed to observe how the water travels through the xylem to the leaves and back from the phloem. The coloured water helped us see the xylems. I found this activity very interesting and I did not know that water travels through xylem in order to get to the leaves. 

Matariki Brochure

LI: to design an information brochure about Matariki.

This activity about Matariki was based off of creating an information brochure about what Matariki is, how it is celebrated and gives people a general idea of how it originated. With our partners, we chose a story about the creation of Matariki, then wrote about it in our brochure. A brochure should be able to fold into three sections with information on each side. Usually during the time of Matariki, people preserve and eat foods they harvest. I enjoyed this activity because I already know many things about Matariki.

Maori

LI: to learn where the suburbs of New Zealand are located.

Our focus this week was based on looking at the locations of suburbs in New Zealand. We translated the Maori names into English using the help of the Maori Dictionary. After translating the Maori places, we noted the places down and put them on a map. I enjoyed this activity because I learned what the Maori names for places were.

Tech | Bubble Science

LI: to conduct a scientific experiment about bubbles.

Our focus today, was to conduct a scientific experiment about bubbles. We first talked about our learning goal/outcome. The learning goal was to understand the science of bubbles. After that, we needed to learn about the science behind the bubbles. Bubbles have 3 layers. 2 of the layers are soap and one of them is water, it is like a sandwhich. Water particles attract to each other so when the soap is mixed along with the water, it reduces how much the water particles are attracted to each other. After that, we looked at the bubble challenges. They were: caterpillar, courasel and cube. By the end of this experiment we were able to talk about the results of the experiment. I managed to do all of these challanges. 

Revision

LI: to revise Te Reo Maori.

Today's lesson was about revising Te Reo Maori. The questions we had to answer were "He aha te huarere inaianei?, Ko wai o hoa?, Ko wai o mahita?, Ko wai to mama?, Ko wai to papa?, Kei hea to hoa?, Kei hea te Kuini o Ingarangi?, Kei hea koe?, Kei hea whaea Odie?, Kei hea o mahita?". Each of these questions hve been answered before and out of memory, again. After answering these questions, we played memories. Memoriese is a game where some cards are faced down on a table and we flip them over, trying to match the cards. If the cards do match, we need to say the Maori name for the object.

Liberty

LI: to edit our writing using DRAFT.

Today's focus was about editing our abstract noun poems. We used the procedure DRAFT, which stands for delete, rearrange, add, fix and talk. First, we talked about what abstract noun poems include in them. In an abstract noun poem, there are things like: the 5 senses, an abstract noun, punctuation, complex sentences and compound words. We chose the abstract noun 'liberty'. Liberty means to be free or freedom. We chose this noun because we thought it was an easy noun to describe. We paired up with another pair and practiced 'DRAFT' with them. We deleted the unnecessary words, rearranged the sentences, added more words that were missing, fixed the sentences and read the poems to our other pair. I thought this activity was fun and enjoyable.

Forming an Opinion

LI: To consider both perspectives.

For this task we chose one of the seven places  Maori in legends and looked at the evidence for the stories being real or not. After we have looked at the evidence we as a group were tasked to form an opinion about the place and if we think if the stories are real or not.

Main Ideas

LI: to identify the main ideas in the text.

For this task we watched a video about the story of how maui slowed the sun. From this video we had to pick the ideas in the video, the four main ideas in the story and the three main ideas of the story. The main idea is the point of a text, story, book, etc..

Venn Diagram

LI: to find as many similarities and differences as you can between the video and the text of “The Beginning”.

For this task we compared the text “The beginning” and the video of rangi and papa’s story on a Venn Diagram. A venn diagram is used to show the similarities and differences between two or more things, the parts of the circle that overlap the other are for writing similarities and the parts that do not overlap are for writing the differences between the two things.

Summarising

LI: to explain in fewer words what the text is about.

A summary is a quick and short way to explain the main points of a story or text. For this activity we watched a Video about Rangi and Papa and their story. From the video we had to choose twenty important words from the story. Then we chose the six most important words and wrote a short summary that tells the reader what the story is about.

Science | Dissecting Hibiscus

LI: to learn about the different parts of a hibiscus flower.

Today, the year 7's went to tech to dissect a hibiscus flower. Our first task was based around our prior knowledge of the flowers. We answered two questions like: "What are your thoughts about flowers?" and "What have you noticed about flowers?". We did not have that much knowlegde about flowers. 

After this, we identified the parts of a hibiscus as our second task. On the right side, there is a stigma, style, anther, pollen tube, sepal and thalamus. On the left side, there was the male gametophyte, petal, ovule and female gametophyte. 

The next task was to dissect the flower. We used tools like: knife, cutting board and toothpick, We carefully removes one petal and one sepal. After this, we pinched the sides of the ovary and made a smooth cut down the middle. Then we removed the entire organ of from the style. 

While dissecting the flower, we saw the pollens. We placed one or two pollens to see them under a microscope.

I learned the many parts of a flower. I found it interesting that female and male cells are shared throughout a single flower. 

Misery

LI: to write an abstract noun senses poem.

Today, we focused on writing abstract noun senses poems. An abstract noun is an existing thing that cannot be touched or physical obtained such as, happiness, sadness, and anger. Metaphors compare two things without using the words 'like' or 'as'. The five human senses are sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. 

For this task we worked collaboratively to create a poem using abstract nouns. Our group was given a list of abstract nouns that we can use to write a poem. The abstract noun we choose was misery. We used the five senses to describe what misery sounds, looks, tastes, and smells like while using metaphors to structure a poem correctly. 

An abstract noun is a feeling or emotion that cannot be physically touched. A metaphor is the comparison between two things without using as or like. For example: Happiness is a river of joy that is flowing through my heart. The word happiness is the abstract noun and is used to create this metaphor. The five senses are: hear, touch, smell, feel and see. Each of these five senses are what many humans are able to do. A metaphor is the comparison between two things without using as or like. 

I really enjoyed doing this because I got to work collaboratively and work together in a group and also use powerful words to strengthen the poem to make our poem stand out.

Silver Attitude | Own Task Created With My Teacher

For this C.A.R.E award task, I assisted Peyton with completing a set task given by the teacher. This challenge fits under attitude of the C.A.R.E values because I required a positive attitude to help this student finish a work-piece.

Peyton asked me various questions and I was able to answer them with confidence and a respectful and positive attitude. I also gave her ideas that she could work on and encouraged her to share her thoughts in order for her to finish her set task.

I found this task easy and quick because I am familiar with helping others as well as having a positive attitude towards others learning as well as my own. I enjoyed helping Peyton because I had the opportunity to share my knowledge of my learning to assist someone in need.

Five Senses Personification Narrative

LI: to use the five senses and personification to help us paint a picture with words. 

Our focus for this activity was based around using the five senses and personification to describe a pair of shoes. The five senses are: see, hear, touch, smell and taste. A personification is when an object is given an attribute of a human. We used a plan to structure our narritive properly. The structure of a narrative is: TOPES. TOPES stand for: title, orientation, problem, explain and solution. In our orientation, we wrote a hook, introduced the characters, the settings and hinted the problem. We talked mainly on the problem of the story in the paragraph after. We then explained the events leading to the solution in our explaining structure. After this, we talked about our solution and if there was a solution. In our story, there was never a solution. I enjoyed this activity because I found it fun and interesting. 

Story Web

LI: to practise oral language.

LS2 has been practicing their oral language skills and to do this, we created a story web. We picked a story and choose the seven main scenes that would tell the story. I chose to draw scenes from 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. This story is about a boy who got bored while keeping track of his sheep so then he shouted "WOLF" down to his village. A man from the village came to look for the wolf but there was no wolf in sight. The man got angry and ran back to his village telling everyone what happened. The boy got bored again and decided to repeat the same process by shouting "WOLF". Another man came up to the boy and didn't see any wolves around. He went back to the village and told people again. While keeping track of the sheep, a wolf appeared. The boy shouted "WOLF" down to his village but no one came due to the fact that he tricked the men in the village. The moral of the story is to not lie out of boredom because if your lie becomes true, no one will believe you. The purpose for this activity was to look at your drawings and explain it without any wors. I really enjoyed this activity and it helped me explain more things in better detail.

Topic 4 | Floating & Sinking

LI: to test the buoyancy of different materials.

Our focus for this week at science was about testing the buoyancy of different materials. First we discussed why some things float/sink/semi-float. Floating is the action of an object staying above water. Sinking is when something is unable to stay above water due to the density of it. Semi-float is when an object has the ability to both float and sink at the same time. We watched a video that explained what buoyancy/buoyant is. Buoyancy is the tendency of something that can float in water or a substance. 

After this, we gathered our materials and looked at the size of it, weight of it and what the object is made out of. We also made predictions on whether each object would sink or not. A prediction is an educated guess of something. Some of our objects were: cube, marble, tennis ball, rectangle block, plastic block and etc

We filled up our buckets up to 2/3 and started our experiment. My parnter and I started from the smallest objects up to the largest objects. Some of our predictions were correct. We noticed that the wood materials had the ability to semi-float. The plastic materials had the ability to float and the rubber materials could float/sink. 

I really enjoyed this experiment because it gave us the opportunity to learn about new things to do with buoyancy and sinking. One thing that I learned was that some objects have the ability to semi-float. I found this fact very interesting and cool. 

Simple Machines

LI: to find information about simple machines.

Our focus for inquiry was about making labelled diagrams (information pictures) in order to understand what each simple machines are. The six simple machines are: pulley, lever, wedge, inclined plane, wheel and axle and screw. The pulley is a simple machine that is able to lift objects by pulling the rope that is attached to it. A lever can lift heavy-weight objects when someone pushes the beam down from the opposite side. The wedge can stop objects from moving. An inclined plane is a surface that has an angle on it and can make objects go up or down easily. The wheel and axle helps transfer things. A screw has the ability to pull its surroundings in as it goes into a material and stay put in it. We made an information picture for each simple machines and get a good understanding of each of them. At the end of this activity, we were able to give a breif description of each simple machine. I enjoyed this activity because I have researched about simple machines before and found it pretty easy.

Dialogue

LI: to undestand how to use and correctly punctuate dialogue when writing.

Dialogue's are conversations between people. When writing a conversation, there are things to remember. In order to seperate what the speaker says to how they say it, we need to use punctuation marks. Puncuation marks look like: ("") some people call them quotation marks. 

First, we created a conversation on ifaketext.com between characters from The Three Little Pigs. We choose one out of four scenarios to create a conversation about. Our scenario is with the pig's mum telling the pigs to move out of the house because she is annoyed with them never helping her. 

After making a conversation, we changed what the characters said into writing. We added punctuation, speech marks and said words in order to do this. For each character speaking, we added a different line. 

We then wrote about what we know about the requirements of writing a conversation. I found this activity easy because I knew a lot about how to write a conversation and use them in a lot of my recounts. 

Science Exploration Topic 3 (Tech)

LI: to test how long it can take for sugar to dissolve in hot or cold water.

This week for our technology session, we looked at the amount of time it takes for sugar to dissolve in different tempatures of water. Our first experiment required cold water. We measured 100 ml of cold water into the beaker then looked at the tempature of the water which was 20°C. After this, we weighed 10 grams of sugar. To do this, we needed to place some sugar onto the Petri dish and transport that onto our weighing scale. We then poured our exact measurement of sugar into the cold water and mixed while looking at the amount of time it takes to dissolve with a stopwatch. It took the sugar 59.66 seconds for it to dissolve into the water making a solution. We did the same thing all over again but with hot water. The tempature was 75°C and the time it took to dissolve was 17.10 seconds. 

I enjoyed this activity very much because I am familiar with measuring water and weighing different types of materials/things. I learned that a solution is when a solid is mixed in with a liquid. I really enjoyed the part where we needed to measure 10 grams of sugar.

PB4L Expectations

LI: To follow the rules and expectations, expected from teachers.

Our topic for PB4L this week was focused around the expectations and rules set for us, and we should know how to understand and carry them out because we are the role models of the school. As a class, we talked about the expectations of a wet day monitor, the common rules inside of the classroom and what is expected from the teachers.

Some students showed us an example of how we can show respect in other classrooms as well as our own. They roleplayed an example of what they should do if a class was acting up during a wet-day and including other students during a casual conversation. More topics that we talked about was the necessary noise volume in different situations.

I found this lesson interesting but easy to understand because I am familiar with respecting the classroom rules and following expectations to a high standard.

Afghanistan Brochure

LI: To create a brochure advertising a truthful visit at Afghanistan.

 

Our reading focus was around Afghanistan and creating informed opinions on a text or informative article. The text we explored was focused around attracting tourists despite the recent dangers and attacks that have been occurring in Afghanistan. 

Our creative task was to construct  an informative brochure that could persuade foreigners to visit Bamyan, Afghanistan on an escorted tour. 

We read through the article and shared our thoughts using information that we knew about the topical issue. We used different reading comprehension strategies to comprehend the text in a more clear and direct way so that we can make an educated opinion. We also used questions to help us understand the text better, skimming and scanning to evaluate the text even more and summarising in order to retell the text with our own form of comprehension. 

I found this task fairly easy because I am familiar with creating persuasive brochures that advertise an area, and I was able to use my prior understanding of a text to make and share my formed opinions with others.

Science (Tech)

LI: To measure water using meniscus.

Today for Tech with Miss Sharmal, we explored the basic science laboratory equipment and performed an experiment based off of meniscus.

We found out that meniscus is the curve of water that occurs when water is inside of a beaker or measuring cylinder. A meniscus can cause improper measurements. The bottom of the meniscus (where the water is flat surfaced) can be measured instead to perform accurate measurements.

We used a beaker to measure 100ml of water and transferred 40ml of water to a measuring cylinder. We used a pipette to make sure our measurement was exact using our knowledge of meniscus. Then, we added 3 more ml of water to the measuring cylinder using the pipette.

 

I found this task easy because I am familiar with science/laboratory equipment and I enjoyed performing the experiment of measuring and exploring meniscus.

Book Week

LI: to celebrate reading. 

Our school had book week where we celebrated our reading. Today, each student had the opportunity to dress up as a book character. I decided to dress up as Velma from Scooby Doo because Scooby Doo is one of the books I enjoyed reading a lot. Many people came dressed up as different characters. We had our Book Week Assembly and a person dressed up as Spider-Man came and taught us about some books. After the book week assembly, we went outside and read books with some juniors from room 4 and 2. I enjoyed this week and especially today because I got to dress up as a character. 

Student Led Conferences

LI: to share our learning with our family.

Student Led Conferences are held in order for the students to showcase their learning throughout the year or term with their parents. Last night, I led a conference with my parents and shared my learning with them. We had a digital version which had the links of our learning that we have blogged on a Google Drawing. When we came into the classroom, we followed a script and showed our parents around the classroom. My parents wrote a comment on one of my blogposts I made. 

Samoan Language Week

LI: to pay it forward by creating a screencastify that teaches others how to use Samoan words or phrases. 

This week is Samoan Language Week - Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa. The theme for 2021 is Poupou le lotoifale. Ola manuia le anofale which means strengthen the posts of your house, for all to thrive. In LS2 we have decided to value the measina of the language by creating a screencastify that teaches others how to use Samoan words and phrases. My partner and I chose to pay it forward by showing others how to pronounce some everyday phrases/words in Samoan. I found this challenge fun and educational because I myself, learnt how to pronounce some words too.

Cinquain Poem

LI: to write a cinquain poem to describe a sports star.

We have been learning to write cinquain poems to help us strengthen our connections to description. A cinquain poem has 5 lines. Each line has a different purpose. Line 1 is a noun which is a name. Line 2 has 2 adjectives taht describe the noun. Line 3 has 3 verbs that end in ‘ing’ and describe the actions. Line 4 is a noun phrase which is a group of words (not a sentence) that go together to describe the noun. Line 5 is a synonym which is a word with a similar meaning to the noun. I enjoyed this activity because it taught me how to create a cinquain poem.

My Reading Pathway

LI: to show my personal journey through books.

This week is book week at Panmure Bridge School, which means every class participates in a number of reading activities. One of our activities was to create a reading pathway that shows how my favourite books have changed over time. At the moment I like reading 'The Witches' because it is a very interesting story and although there are very few illustrations they are still really good. 

Technological Practices

LI: To use technological practices process to design a toy.

For Mrs Fisi’iahi’s Inquiry lesson, we were focusing on the three last technological processes. They were: build, test and evaluate. We used the required materials in order to build the AUV rover. After this, we tested and compared each group’s rover to see which group was able to scramble across the floor the furthest. Evaluating our results was the last step.

Attitude Silver | Task 4

This task was based off of researching the role of the PHN (Public Health Nurse) in our school. A public health nurse is a person who helps people make sure that the community is safe. By taking on the PHN role, you are taking responsibility to help people understand the risks of being unhealthy. I enjoyed this activity because it required me to research more about a public health nurse. 

Soccer Interschool

On Wednesday, some students from Panmure Bridge School, went to Madills Farm to play soccer against other schools. There were 7 groups from Panmure Bridge School that participated in this event. 

The year 7&8 girls from LS2, had their first game against Stonefields 1. We tried our best and got tired very fast, we ended up winning 1-0. After this game, we had an interval and then played against Ruapotaka school. We ended up with points of 0-0 making it a tie. The third team we played against was Glen Brae. We won this match 2-0. After our third game and our break, we played against Stonefields 2. This was a hard game but we ended up winning 3-0. Our last opponent was Sylvia Park but they did not show up, so we played another school. This game was a tie 0-0. In the end, we ended up winning three out of five games and drew the other two games.

I enjoyed playing soccer on that day and I improved my skills in soccer by a lot. I hope that these skills I have gained will come in handy for the future.

Financial Capabilities

LI: to understand a budget is a plan to save money.

A budget is an amount of income given for a certain time period. This activity was based off of strategizing how much money is spent with the given amount of money. Each question was there to test the most efficient strategy to us. We read the questions carefully, taking in the information we required in order to answer each of the five questions. The Smith family planned a museum night with the budget of $45. The entry fee was free for all of the kids but costed $20 for both of the parents/adults. The kids were allowed to take part in every activity costing them $18 for all three of the kids. With their remainder money ($7), they had ice-cream which was $2 for one scoop. In the end, the Smith family had $1 left and successfully spent within the budget of 45 dollars.

Identify, Investigate & Design

LI: to identify, investigate and design a model of a rover.

The three technological practices were identify, investigate and design. When doing these technological practices, we need to make sure we are doing it properly for a proper trial and error project. Identify means to observe the opening problem. Investigating means to research how to solve the problem or research how to use materials for the model. Design means to draw or create a blueprint/sketch of your model. These three practices help you to build an end product of your model. Our group enjoyed looking into these practices and worked together as a group to come up with a design.

ASB Getwise

LI: To be wise choices with money.

Today, LS2 went to learn how to be smart with money. Marlon from ASB was teaching us how we can make wise decisions with our money. The process is to stop, think and decide and this will help people make correct decisions with our money. 

We played a game which helped us use our money wisely. In this game, we got into groups of five and had the total of $1800 to spend on the trip to Fiji. First, we needed to stop, think and decide whether we wanted to get our passports now or later on for a higher price. We chose the first option which was $200.

Our second challenge was about which class we wanted to take on the flight. The economy class or first class on our flight. We needed to think and decide how much money we would spend on the flight as well as how happy we are with our flights. Our group chose to take the economy class. This costed us $500 but gave us 2 happy points. 

The third challenge was our accomodation. We could chose whether we wanted to spend our time in a resort by an ocean for $500. This choice would give us 6 happy points. We could also pay an extra $100 if we wanted the resort to cover for our food .Our second choice was a rusty motel for $200. We chose to pay $600 for our accomodation and food. 

The next one was about the travel insurance. This was $300 if you wanted it. The insurance would cover your emergency bills for example, if you got hurt and needed to go to the hospital they would pay for the hospital bills. We chose to pay for insurance.

If we needed to use a credit card (money from the bank) we could ask for it. We could pay for things with the credit card but when Marlon circled the credit card money, we needed to pay the money. Our group chose not to use a credit card.

The next challenge was about the activities. Our options were to go surfing ($100), snorkeling ($200) or skydiving ($300). With our remaining money ($200) we chose to go snorkeling. 

Our last challenge was our food, but because we chose to pay for the food in the resort we did not need to pay for our food

At the end of this challenge we got food poisoning and were rushed into the hospital. The hospital bill came out as $2000. We rolled a dice to determine if we needed to pay or not. If we rolled a 5 or 6 we did not need to pay for our bill. However, if we rolled any number under 5 we needed to pay for it. Our group ended up rolling a 4 but we payed for insurance therefore, we did not need to pay for our hospital bill.

I enjoyed this activity because it helped me understand the ways of saving money.

Provocation

LI: To evaluate (form an opinion) the text and respond to provocation. 

 

A provocation is a purposeful action meant to bring out lawful or political topics with the desired caused to make someone angry or upset in mental, physical or emotional form. In short, a provocation is an action taken with desire to cause others to have strong feelings about a topic or issue. However, our DLO was not created for the purpose of making others angry but to share our opinion on the events of the 1970s, respectfully. In 1970, the New Zealand government sent armed police officers and dog squads to the homes of Polynesian people. They had batons and megaphones and would brutally force people without a current work visa out of their own houses and deport them back to their country of birth. In response, a group called the “Polynesian Panthers” were formed. The Polynesian Panthers were a group of university students protesting against the Dawn Raids and the rights for Social Injustice. ‘Power to the oppressed’. The authorities who were meant to keep New Zealand a safe place had permission to abuse their power in order to kick Pasifikan’s out of their homes. With this in mind, we think that our Government today (Labour) does not need to apologize for the actions of the past Government (National) not only because they are separate parties but also because Jacinda Ardern and her party is not at fault for the racist actions taken by National. However, we think that the current leader of National (Judith Collins) and the National Party members of today should be the one to issue an apology on behalf of those responsible for these events. This is because she is the head of National which is the party who were the cause of the Dawn Raids and deportation of polynesian people. However, they do need to issue an apology publicly as it can potentially fix the open wounds that remain today. The apology should be proposed by the correct party members as a sign of empathy and remorse.

Silver Attitude | Task Four

I completed the fourth activity for my silver attitude badge. I chose to research the role of a PHN and tell people how they help us. A PHN is a public health nurse and they help the public maintain their well-being and health. 

Isaac Newton

LI: to learn about Isaac Newton. 

This week in Reading, LS2 has been working towards Simple Machines. Apart of this, we were required to learn about Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton is a physicist, mathematician, theologian and an Astronomer. We were also required to create a DLO with the following questions: Why is his work important? What did he find out? How does his work connect to simple machines?

I found this interesting because I learnt more and new facts about Isaac Newton. 

Attitude Silver | Research Someone Who Has a Positive Attitude Despite Difficulties They have Faced

For my attitude silver task, I was researching someone who has a positive attitude despite difficulties. I chose to research on Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was the former president of South Africa. He had a positive attitude despite being imprisoned. This shows that he is a great person and role model. 

Cybersmart | Smart Learners

LI: to be cybersmart. 

Being cybersmart means to be knowledgeable with devices. If you are cybersmart you can keep safe while on the web. This activity was based on being a smart learner. We needed to label the work we have completed as "completed". 

Confidence Silver | Teach a Group of Students to Play a Simple Game

For my last confidence silver task, Juel and I decided to teach some students to play a simple game. The game we taught the students is called 'Whanowhano'. In this game, two people need to face each other and shout "Whanowhano". Once the players do this, they need to jump and land in one of four positions. The positions are: legs together, legs apart, right foot forward and left foot forward. If they land on the same position, they need to shout "Hi!" and the first person to do so gets the point. The two students Juel and I taught were Jacob and Amani. 

Confidence Silver | Present a Duffy Book at a School Assembly

For my confidence silver task, I presented a Duffy book at our assembly. I talked about the Shakespearean story "Much Ado About Nothing". This book is about how people will act when they're in love. Two companions fight for a woman named 'Hero'. I was nervous when I presented this book but I was thankful for the opportunity I had.

Confidence Silver | Teaching a Junior Student How to Create a DLO

For my silver confidence task, I created a DLO that can teach junior students how to create a DLO (digital learning object). Sahil from LS1 came to LS2 so that I could teach him how to make a DLO. A digital learning object is something that has information about what you learnt or what you know. I taught Sahil what is included in a DLO and how he can create one. I hope that Sahil will make more DLO's in the future.

Silver Attitude | Tutor Someone Who Needs Extra Help With a Skill

For my Silver Attitude award, I chose to help someone who needs extra help with a skill. The person I chose to help was Peyton. Peyton was in my activity group during camp. She wasn't too sure of what she was doing therefore, I helped her. 

Respect Silver | Thank You Letter

For my silver respect award, I chose to complete writing a thank you letter to a teacher. I wrote a thank you letter to: Mr Johnston, Mr Ogilvie and Miss Caroline. This was because they each helped with our camp experience for 2021. I enjoyed this activity because it gave me a chance to show my appreciation towards these teachers. 

Attitude Silver | Representing the School

One of the tasks I chose to complete in order to get my silver attitude badge was: representing the school at an inter-school competition. I went to Mt Wellington War Memorial Park to compete against other schools in cricket. I enjoyed the day and found it really fun. 

Confidence Silver | Leading a School Assembly

I chose to lead a school assembly for one of the five tasks in order to get my confidence badge. I was presenting the assembly with Ong. I was really nervous at first but then I got the hang of it and spoke more confidently. Ong and I made a few minor mistakes but besides that, we did really good. 

Confidence Silver | How to Stand Up to Bullies

I was completing my confidence silver tasks. This activity was based on creating a DLO that explains how people can stand up to bullies. I choose to write about using W.I.T.S. This acronym stands for: "Walk away, Ignore, Talk to an adult/teahcer and Stay away". Using these can resolve your problem because it doesn't cause any problems and is safe. I enjoyed this activity because it can help other people in the future. 

Duffy Assembly

LI: to understand why reading is very important.

Today we had our first duffy assembly of the year. Our special guest was Marc Duffy. Marc Duffy was a man who struggled to read when he was younger. As Marc struggled to read, he mixed into the wrong croud and ended up in prison. There was a teacher in his prison that took Marc under his wing and taught Marc how to read properly. Marc came to be a very successful person and is now running the biggest shopping centre in New Zealand. This story shows how successful you can be despite the devestating turns in your life. Marc has his own site: https://marcwduffy.wordpress.com/about-marc/

Key Competencies

LI: To compare the Key Competencies we think we will use on camp and the Key Competencies we actually used.

Before LS2 went to camp, our challenge was to think about when we might have used the key competencies as we overlooked each challenge. 

After coming back from camp, we looked at our key compentencies and compared how we thought we would use the key competencies to how we really used the key competencies. 

I found this activity helpful because we worked as a team to talk about our ideas and expanded the ideas more in depth.

Maori Place Names

LI: to translate Maori place names into English.

This challenge was based on translating some Maori place names into English. Some of Maori places like: Tamaki-Makau-Rau, we already knew. However, some other Maori places we didn't know. If we weren't sure of the English name, we could use the Maori Dictionary which helps us translate Maori words into English or vice versa. I enjoyed this challenge because I learnt some Maori place names.

PB4L Bus Rules

LI: to understand the rules in a bus.

Understanding the rules in a bus can help people show respect to the bus driver. In the provided presentation, it talks about how we can show respect to the bus and the rules of sitting in a bus.

We should never stand up while a bus is travelling as it can be a very bad hazard. There are no seatbelts provided in a bus which makes it even worse. 

In order to show respect to a bus driver, we can use our manners as well as follow the rules of the bus. In most buses, the rules are: no eating, no drinking. By following these rules, we can keep out of trouble.

Keeping Cybersmart

LI: to create a DLO that helps others become cybersmart.

Cybersmart means to be well-informed with devices. People are cybersmart to keep themselves and people around them safe. 

This DLO shows some features that can help someone go to one place to another faster on a chromebook or some other devices. One of the features are: shortcuts. Shortcuts are the combinations of keys that can let someone go from one place to another. 

Being cybersmart is a crutial part of learning because it can help people understand what to do with a devices.

Tidy Drive

LI: to keep a tidy drive.

Keeping a tidy drive is a part of learning properly. It creates space and organizes your drive.

For this activity, we completed an activity where we were required to differentiate Google Slides/Docs/Draws into the correct folders. 

After completing the activity, we needed to clean our own drive and provide proof via a screenshot of our tidy drive.

I enjoyed this activity because keeping a tidy drive is beneficial to my learning.

AFL

LI: to improve your skills when playing AFL. 

Today LS2 went to the field to play AFL (Austrailian Football League). The year seven's and eight's seperated and started learning some skills.

The first skill we were taught was how to catch a ball to get points. The first way to catch a ball is to use the camera technique. We need to make a 'W' shape with both hands and the ball should land in between your hands (the camera). The second way to catch a ball is to scoop the ball like people do in rugby.

After learning the skills, we played against the year eight's. The year seven's ended up winning the match. 

I enjoyed this week's session and got to learn how to play AFL properly. 

Brochure

LI: to create a collaborative brochure that tells others why Kokako Lodge is a great place to go on camp.

Over the last week, the students in LS2 have challenged themselves while participating in archery, high ropes, kayaking, raft building, camp cooking, pancake race and team building/orienteering.

Our group worked together to create a brochure that gives information and shows readers why Kokako Lodge is an amazing area to go camping.

We talked about the cabins, catering and the activities. The cabins are spacious and can hold up to 12 or 14 people per cabin. There is a large kitchen in the Kokako Lodge area and you can choose whether you would like to self-cater or receive food from caterers. 

I found this activity enjoyable because it required us to work as a team.

Camp Collage

LI: to create a collage of your camp highlights.

This week, we have been celebrating our camp. I created a collage which shows my time at camp. 

During camp, the teachers took photos of us doing our activities. I used the photos that I thought were the best and showed my highlights and added them to the collage. I thought about the size of the images and left no blank spaces.

I used a photo of our class at the Hunua waterfall in the middle to show who went as well as where our camp took place. The rest of the photos were my camp highlights and the things I enjoyed.

I found this activity pleasuring because I got to see all the types of activities I did and it showed the amount of fun I had during our camp journey.

Five Minutes of Camp

LI: to recount a 5 minute snapshot of one experience you had at camp.

Last week, LS2 went to camp at Kokako Lodge. The 5 minutes snapshot that I have written, shows my personal voice and my perspective of the activity I chose (High Beams). 

I have attempted to paint a picture of what I had done while attempting the activity. I made my 5 minute snapshot more interesting by describing my feelings during the activity. 

I hooked people in with my story by coming up with a good title that makes people want to read more of my story as well as describing the story using my thoughts at the time.

I found this activity fun because I got to write a recount about how I felt during the activity. 

Kokako Infographic

LI: to create an infographic using google draw that tells your audience facts about the kokako.

This week, LS2 has received a set of tasks to complete based around out camp for 2021. 

Using our smart searching skills, we found information about the North Island Kokako bird. A North Island Kokako is usually large and are blue. An interesting fact we have found about the Kokako bird is that they can only fly 100 metres.

To see if the information we have gathered is true and reliable, we linked three different sources that have almost the same information about the Kokakos.

I found this activity enjoyable and interesting because I found out more information about Kokakos. 

Tech Reflection

LI: to improve our cooking skills.

This week we were learning how to cook Saagwala. Saagwala is an indian type of curry which has the option of adding meat or no meat. 

First, in our groups of three, we collected our materials for our cooking. We needed a medium bowl, two knives, two measuring cups, a wooden spoon, a pot, two cutting boards and large spoon. 

After that, we gathered our ingredients. The ingredients were: two tablespoons of oil, one teaspoon of ginger, a small onion, two cloves of garlic, curry powder and masala, half a can of tomatos, salf, yogurt and spinach. 

First, we added the oil and ginger in our pot. I diced the onions and garlic into small cubes. Then we fried the onion, garlic and ginger with the oil on the stove.

Next, we added the powders into our mix and diluted that with half a cup of water to prevent stickiness. After mixing the ingredients together, we added the spinach. We let the spinach shrink and it ended up becoming a paste.

Lastly, we got some sticky rice and topped it off with our curry paste. 

I enjoyed this week's meal and would make it again at home. 

Uniform Etiquettes

LI: to understand the uniform etiquettes.

Uniforms are the pieces of clothing which identify what/who you represent. 

This task was based around understanding the basic uniform rules, what we can wear and what we can't wear. First, Mrs Fisi'iahi explained the uniform etiquette during school. 

After that, we talked to our friends about what we should wear and shouldn't wear as well as the uniform rules. 

Lastly, we used our knowledge to create a Google Presentation that explains what the uniform standards are at PBS. 

Celebrating the Summer Learning Journey

LI: to celebrate our PBS Summer Learning Journey participants. 

The Summer Learning Journey is a program which helps students keep their academic level the same or furthermore; higher, during the holiday period. This helps students to keep up with the knowledge they have learned during their school time. It is fun and offers a great opportunity to improve your knowledge.

The activities that were set for us were from Nano Girl. As a celebration for this accomplishment, we got certificates and some people in our class got prizes. Mrs Grant and Miss Paleti presented the prizes and certificates at our school assembly.

Panmure Bridge School kept up their status as the top blogging school in the country for the sixth time. We all very much enjoyed the activities set for us and keeping our learning going over summer. 

Congratulations Sakshi for being the PBS top blogger, top commenter and the top blogger for the Maniakalani Cluster. This is a very good accomplishment for you!