Welcome to 2019!

Welcome to 2019


Hello again and Welcome to 2019! This year I am a year seven and have a lot more responsibility. We have started our workshops and every thing and it is a lot different to last year as a year six. Lots of things are different. I also made two new friends called Max and William. Lots of this stuff I have never heard of before. And it is very challenging. We had swimming sports on the 15th but that is for another post. Over Christmas me and my family went down to Twizel for one week. I saw my other best friend William cause he had gone to stay as well. He came over one night and we slept in the tent for a bit until we went inside. We didn't fall asleep for a long time cause we had a packet of snakes lollies and salt and vinegar chips. And that is all I did. Where did you go for the holidays? Bye

The exciting PBL for Term 4 creating a marketable product for Market Day

PBL in Term 4

This term our Project Based Learning (PBL) has been about design and the big question was; How can we use a Steam approach to make a marketable product?

First we learned what STEAM stood for.
S for Science,
T for Technology,
E for Engineering,
A for the Arts,
M for Maths.
Then we were given challenges. The first to make a chair using newspaper, string and straws that was able to hold a figure made out of multi-link blocks.
Then; make a table that was able to balance MnMs for the team. We were much better at the second challenge because my team worked a lot better and the table was a lot easier to build. And it was book character day.

In Literacy we learned to write up science experiments and to write a technology report using the design process of ask, imagine, plan, create, improve and share. He is the link to my science write up.

Our next step was to form teams and ask ourselves the big question again.
How can we use a Steam approach to make a marketable product? Our aim was to create enough products or experiences and sell it to raise money for charity.

My team made Mini Rockets. We made and sold 25. There was a box of heroes chocolates to win.

Reflection  My highlight from this PBL was creating and selling our rockets. Here is a picture of our stand.  

Next time I would make a lot more cause ours were very popular because of our chocolates that the people could win if they bought our product.
Thank you for reading.

PBL Performance Myths and Legends

Hi guys Connors back. This term our Project Based Learning (PBL) has been about cultural stories and the big question was;
What is the significance in the 21st Century of our Cultural stories?

First we brainstormed what culture is and came up with lots of ideas. Culture is where you are from and what you wear and eat.
Then we thought about our own culture and talked to our parents about our traditions and heritage. I wrote a post about my family and things we like to do.
In Literacy we read and discussed myths and legends from around the world then we concentrated on Maori legends. I have written my own legend called The lonely Wizard and the Peruvian Vipertooth in my own words. Here is a link to my story. The Lonely Wizard and the Peruvian Vipertooth

We made a performance about the story Battle of the Mountains. Some students wrote the script, some students took on the job of making all the artwork, some worked hard on organising the music and others took on the role of bringing the story alive with dance and drama.

Here are a few photos of people in the hub practising for the performance.

Reflection:
For our production I contributed by writing the script and drawing the emojis and I also introduced the performance.

I’m starting to get better on the whole drawing thing.

If you watched our performance or any of the other ones please tell me what you think in the comments.
Bye

A Battle of the mountains Quiz (actual post is better)

Hi again,

In my Reading Workshops I have been learning to ask good quality questions. I have created a quiz using Scratch to use with the Maori legend called Battle of the Mountains that we have been reading. Here is the quiz. 

Please got to it and leave a like and favourite. My name is conbry1 on scratch. 

Do you think I could have better? Please leave in the comments. Thank you. 

The Maori legend, “The Battle of the Mountains.”

The great mountain Tongariro felt uneasy as he looked across the gap at the scowling faces of Taranaki, Tauhara and Putauaki. He knew they were about to challenge him for the love of Pihanga.

Pihanga stood straight and still, sad at the situation that was brewing, for gentle was the nature of this beautiful lady who wore the fragrant cloak of the piki kaiarero.

Meanwhile Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe played, happy in the innocence of childhood, oblivious to the mounting tension around them.

The restless mountains hovered nearby, each preparing to claim Pihanga as his bride. But Tongariro stood in their way.

Tongariro, the tuakana, the eldest, watched, his eyes steady as each of the rival mountains stepped up and issued their challenge. Then, with the formalities over, the war began!

Loud rumblings rattled from deep inside of Taranaki. The ground shook with his passion, and out of his top knot flew red hot rocks that careered straight at the waiting Tongariro.

Retaliating immediately, Tongariro let out a deafening roar and sent boulders of fire hurtling back at Taranaki. Putauaki and Tauhara, seeing their chance, came from behind while Tongariro’s attention was diverted. Great flows of boiling lava came spilling out of their craters and rushed wildly at Tongariro’s back.

Pihanga’s warning gasp alerted the agile mountain, who quickly sidestepped the boiling rovers of volcanic spew.

The battle raged on. The earth shook and the air was thick with sulphurous fumes. Fierce was the fight for the beautiful Pihanga.

A mighty blow from Taranaki sent the topknot of Tongariro flying through the air and it landed with a tremendous splash in the great lake nearby. And still the deafening mountain fought back, for great was the courage and endurance of the noble Tongariro. And, at the end of the day, it was these qualities that finally won through.

Sorely beaten, the three challengers used the cloak of the night to make their retreat. The two youngest mountains headed away towards the east. Tauhara, the romantic, kept looking back to catch one last glimpse of the lovely Pihanga. He knew now that she could never be his wife. He reached no further than the northern end of the great lake Taupo-nui-a-Tia.

Putauaki traveled much more swiftly, for he wished to put much distance between himself and his lost love. He journeyed to the very end of the flat lands of Kaingaroa where he still stands, a lonely sentinel of the Bay of Plenty.

Taranaki, much older, and having much more pride to deal with, wanted to suffer his defeat in private. He turned and headed westward, to the place of the setting sun. In his haste to get away he gouged a deep furrow down which began to flow the Wanganui river.

On seeing his opponent leaving. Tongariro let out a blood-curdling scream, a mighty cry of victory that echoed out through that dark night.

Taranaki, thinking that he was being pursued by his victor, called upon the wisdom of the ancient realms to help him.

Up he rose, and through the air he soared to a spot far away in the west. And at this very moment, the first rays of Te Ra came skipping over the landscape, transfixing the fleeing mountains.

At a safe distance, and still bristling with resentment, Taranaki turned and hurled stinging insults at Tongariro.

And across the great distance that now lay between them, Tongariro heard the insults of Taranaki and felt sad, for he well remembered the friendship they had all shared in their childhood.

Seeing the grief of her beloved companion, Pihanga sent soft clouds of love to embrace and soothe him, for great was the love of this gentle lady.

And over the years, the bond between them has been steadfast, and they stand side by side to this very day.

An exciting maths screencastify

Have you ever struggled to do one certain maths strategy. Well I struggled with place value for subtraction. Then when I made this video I got it right. How you wonder? I got a calculator to check if it was right and it was. If you want to check out the video then go for it. 

I hope you enjoyed the video (if you watched it). Please tell me a maths strategy you struggled with and how you got it. Do you think I did well? Please tell me in the comments. Other wise thank you for watching. Goodbye!

My Family Culture

Hi guys. Welcome back to my blog. Yesterday and today we started to learn about culture for our PBL. So we had to learn some cultural stories. We had three questions: What is culture? Where do you come from? What are the traditions and values for your culture? I worked with Flynn, Mostyn and Nathel, three of my friends.
For the first question I answered: It is what your family originates from or comes from around the world.
For the next one my answer was: I come from New Zealand and that was where I was born. But I am also from Italy.

My last answer was: At Christmas time we go on a big holiday with my mum's big side of the family and mostly we go somewhere in New Zealand or Australia.

I figured out that I was part Italian when my Mum was talking about lasagne. And I asked her to tell me about how she makes so good lasagne.


Do you know your culture? What does your culture do as a special tradition? If you can please comment and tell me what you do as a special tradition. Goodbye!

Book Review

Hi guys welcome back to another blog post. So I have been reading this book called the Heroes of Olympus and I thought I would share some stuff about it on my blog. Here is a picture of the book if you don't already know what it looks like.

I started it a long time ago and thought I would share it to you. This book is about three demigods named Jason, Piper and Leo. Jason awoke on a bus while driving to a museum. He had no clue about who he was cause he had no memory. Piper was able to steal/borrow anything of anyone. Leo is really good at fixing things the so the dragon on this cover he fixed himself. They are going on a quest to find the god that has been captured by Enceladus. That god has Jason's memory.
How do you like the sound of this book? Leave it in the comments. Thanks for looking and if you do read it enjoy the book. Bye!