Summer Learning Journey Day 1 - Activity 2

Summer Learning Journey, Day 1 - Activity 1

Facts about Maui and The Giant Fish

1. The bait Maui used on his hook was his own blood!
2. Maui's giant fish is known as the North Island of Aotearoa, and the canoe the South Island.
3. The older brothers were greedy and cut gullies and mountains in the fish.

Libby Bowles - Ocean Conservationist

On Monday Libby Bowles came to visit us on a bamboo bike. Libby Bowles is a Ocean Conservationist. She works a lot under the sea - Studying animals, taking water samples, and cleaning up floating debris, Libby rides around the country on a bamboo bike because it can be recycled if it breaks. She talked about mostly about Manta Rays, Whale Sharks and Turtles. After Libby left, we created a DLO about what we learnt, here it is.

Kiwiana Christmas

Last week in Te Ngahere we made Kiwiana Christmas Art. Our art had to represent what Christmas means to us and New Zealand. The winner and their class gets a free viewing of the new movie ‘Kiwi Christmas’. Our Walt was to create a four frame piece of artwork representing what Christmas means to you  and New Zealand. It was really fun creating the artwork. I enjoyed it a lot. I hope we get to do something else like this in the future.

Waimate North Show Ad

A few weeks ago in Te Ngahere, we were learning about the Bay of Islands P&I Show, also known as the Waimate North Show. We created a digital ad to promote the Waimate North Show. We had to add in the cost to get in, events, activities and history. Mine went through to the Waimate North Show and won 1st Place! Our walt was to research the P&I show. Here is my P&I Poster.

My Creative writing

01/11/17

Saphiria and Mila

WALT: use Hyperboles  and Idioms

Saphira sat at her desk, her sapphire eyes stared blankly out the open window to the rolling waves. Her sand-coloured hair whipped out like ribbons as a salty breeze hit her face. Saphira was a Latin-American, home-schooled 12 year old girl. She lived in a circular whitewashed cottage with a thatched roof. Saphira’s Mother had passed away eight years ago in a car crash, Saphira had only just survived. She had to get one leg amputated and now walked along with one fake leg. Saphira was left with her busy father, who was always working and shouting.

Saphira walked out her room and outside. She whistled a soft tune to herself as she wandered down the grassy bank and thought about the millions of things she had to do today. The blue gem drops of the ocean covered the shore. Saphira strayed far from her house and carried on downs the beach. Saphira’s eyes focused on a small grey lump lying in a shallow pool of water.

“That’s strange. That rock wasn’t there yesterday.” Saphira said confused. She ran up to it. Her eyes started to glaze over with tears as she realised what she was looking at. \46A Maui’s Dolphin. Squirming and writhing in a thick fishing net. Around her beak the net had cut in and blood was trickling down from the gash. Her usually smooth and silky skin was now hard and dry like sandpaper.

“No!” Saphira gasped That's when the dolphin stopped moving.

“NO!” Saphira screamed and tears started falling down her cheeks. She took her phone out of her pocket and called the Marine Service.

“There’s a Maui’s Dolphin here and she’s dying!” Saphira said frantically.

“Hold on Miss, where are you?” Saphira told them were her house was, “Ok, we’ll be there soon!”

After a while the Marine Service showed up.

“Help it!” Saphira rasped desperately.

“You sound like you have a frog in your throat, and don’t fret, we’ll have your dolphin fixed in no time. We have to take her to our Marine Rehabilitation centre though.” said on the men working for the Marine Service. “You should come with us and calm her down.”

“Ok.” Saphira said, breathing heavily.

When they arrived at the Marine Rehabilitation Centre, they took the dolphin to a private pool. Some workers lifted her onto a platform just underneath the water. They gave her an injection and cleaned the cut on her beak. She almost looked normal again. Her stormy grey skin was clean and silky, her belly was creamy and white like the milky way. But the cut was still red and puffy.

“Miss, you should go home now or your parents will hit the roof, but come back tomorrow.” said one of the ladies called Hattie, “But first you should name her.”

“Really! Ok . . . how about, Mila!”

The next day Saphira walked to the Rehabilitation Centre. Hattie ran up to her with a smile as bright as the sun.

“Mila is better! Her injury is healing and she is spinning and diving in the pool! In fact we might have to move her to a bigger pool. ”

“Really!” Saphira was completely blown away by Mila’s fast recovery.

“Yes really! Come and see!”

And it was true. Saphira was so happy to see Mila diving out of the pool and doing spins, spraying watery gems everywhere.

“Hop in with her!” Hattie said enthusiastically.

“Ok.” Saphira said as she climbed cautiously into the electric-blue pool. Mila turned towards Saphira and started to zoom in her her direction. Saphira ducked under the water, Mila clicked and squeaked happily at her. Mila started to flip and spin under water. Saphira started to flip and spin in the water. Soon they were dancing - flip, spin, flick, flip, spin and flick. Saphira’s hair floated around her like a golden forcefield. Her sapphire eyes glinted happily like gems. Mila’s tail flicked joyfully, her silky skin sent satisfaction to Saphira. She swam over to Mila and stroked her beak. The cut was slowly healing. Eventually Saphira climbed out of the pool.

“I should go now, but I will come tomorrow.” Saphira walked back home with a skip in her step and a smile glued to her face.

This carried on for the next week. Finally came the time to set Mila back to her natural habitat. Saphira swum out with Mila and waved goodbye, tears spilling out of her eyes.

“I will never forget you!” Saphira called through sobs. Mila clicked sadly in response and swam around Saphira.

“Go! Go free!” Saphira cried. Mila clicked and clicked and squeaked and then swam away into the setting sun.

That night, when Saphira lay in bed, she heard clicking noises.

“Mila!” Saphira sat up and stared out of the window. She ran outside and stood on the bank, wind tugging at her hair. And there she was. Mila, waiting for her.

A few weeks ago in Te Ngahere we created a creative piece of writing. We had to use lots of language features like onomatopoeia, metaphors, similes and adjectives. I already knew how to use all of those so I taught myself some - Idioms and Hyperboles. I think I did well at using Hyperboles and Idioms, but I would like to add more of them into my writing.

My Persuasive Piece

25/10/17

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

WALT: Strengthen my reflections (opinions about my information)

Rubbish and debris are constantly raising worry on our planet. Dumps and landfills are rising high. We need to do something about this. Just three things you can do to help. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE! These things are fairly simple when set your mind to it. I will tell you why we should do this and how.

Phytoplankton plays a large role in our world. They provide food for a large range of sea creatures including whales, shrimp, snails and jellyfish. They are a key part to oceans, seas and freshwater ecosystems. Phytoplankton also provides us with half the world’s oxygen. Micro-plastic are tiny pieces of plastic that get carries around oceans in the currents. If the amount of Micro-plastic keeps getting bigger, they will take over Phytoplankton. We will loose half the oxygen we have.

New Zealand is known by other countries as the Clean Green Country. We will soon not be known as this if dumps and landfills keep rising. We will loose tourism, which causes less money. New Zealand will drop down the ranks of Cruise Ship ‘To Go Lists’.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the biggest garbage patch on the planet. There are many other garbage patches in rivers and oceans, but this one is TWICE the size of Texas. The great pacific garbage patch is swallowing up marine animal’s lives constantly. Plastic rings from 6 pack soda cans, plastic rope and fishing nets are the most common traps for marine life. Their stomachs are not able to differentiate the plastic from their regular food. As a result, the animals are not getting the nourishment they need to thrive, which can lead to sickness and, ultimately, death.

How do I help, you may be thinking. You may think that this is not going to help at all, but you never know, you could be saving a marine creatures life.

Here are a couple of things you can do.

1. Take cloth bags to stores instead of using heaps of plastic bags.
2. Sort your waste into separate bins e.g - glass, plastic, tin and cardboard bins.
3. If you are going to put something in the recycling bins, make sure it's clean first.
4. When buying a beverage, bring your own reusable mug or bottle.
5. Give up gum, it's made from synthetic rubber, AKA plastic.

I strongly advise you to Reduce, Reuse and RECYCLE. You should resent any usage of plastic and waste unless you have a very good reason for it.

Last week in Te Ngahere we wrote a persuasive about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We have been learning how to write a persuasive piece for some time now. We have also been learning about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle too. Our WALT was to use the correct persuasive structure. I think I did a pretty good job at setting out the structure. Here is my persuasive structure: