Who Are You | Wānanga

Who You Are Questions

Where do you like to go on holiday? Beach or city? City	What makes you laugh? When people do funny actions
What would you like to learn more about? Maths	What are some of your favourite foods? Fried Chicken
What makes you cry? He doesn’t know anything (I mean anything)	Do you like to teach other people or be taught? Both
What kind of stories are your favourite? Sports (non-fiction)	Would you prefer to live in the city or country?  City
What is your dream destination? USA	Would you rather have a face that everyone laughs at or a name that everyone that laughs at? Name

I interviewed JV to know more about him. What I found out that he would rather go to the city than the beach. He would like to learn more about maths and one of his favourite foods are fried chicken. He does not know what makes him cry. JV would like to teach other people and be taught. Sports is his favourite kids of books he would like to read. JV would prefer to live in the city than in the countryside. USA is JV’s dream destination. I asked him, ‘Would you rather have a face that everyone laughs at or a name that everyone that laughs at?’ JV said that he would have a name that everyone laughs rather than a face that everyone laughs at. After this interview, I learnt a lot of JV that I did not know about.  

The Maze Runner Government

Yesterday, for Power to the People Hurumanu, we finished watching the Maze Runner movie and started on our first task relating to the movie. I created a slideshow about government in the Maze Runner. This slideshow includes the Leadership Structure, Jobs and Resources and Judicial Structure.

The Egyptian Pyramids

The first Egyptian Pyramid was built between 2630 BC and 2611 BC—more than 4,000 years ago. Made of stone, they are very strong. They are also very large. Some are among the largest structures ever built by humans.

Most of the pyramids were built to be tombs. They were meant to be places where dead people could be buried. But these tombs weren't meant for ordinary dead people. They were meant only for the most important people: pharaohs.

Like kings, pharaohs made laws, accumulated riches, and led their people. But unlike kings, pharaohs were also religious leaders. Egyptians believed many pharaohs could communicate with the gods. Some believed pharaohs actually were gods themselves, living on Earth. By burying them in pyramid tombs, they could rejoin the gods in the afterlife. 

"Pharaoh." Ancient History Encyclopedia: 2 September 2009. Web. 28 April. 2016.

"Egyptian Pyramids." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 1 March 2016. Web. 28 April. 2016.

Flags

Image of a Union Jack. Image is in the public domain.

Flags may look simple, but they are really not. Every flag is different because every flag stands for something unique, whether it be a country, a state or province, or even an idea. The colours and symbols on flags represent the special qualities of the places or ideas they represent.

Although every flag is different, all flags are built in basically the same way. Every flag has five parts. The first part is called the hoist. The hoist is the inside edge of the flag. This is where it meets the pole. The rope travels along the hoist. The second part is called the field. The field is the middle part of the flag. In the United States flag, this is where the stripes are. The third part is called the fly. The fly runs along the outside edge of the flag. The fly is the part of the flag that flaps in the wind. The fourth part is called the canton. The canton is the upper-inside of the field. In the United States flag, this is where the stars are. The fifth part of the flag is called the badge. This is the picture or pattern, that is on the flag. Some flags have more than one badge. The United States flag has two badges. The first badge is the stars. The second badge is the stripes.

Although their construction seldom varies, flags can be different shapes. Most flags are rectangles, but not all of them are. For example, the flag of Switzerland is a square. Nepal's flag is two triangles. The flag of the state of Ohio has a tailed design.

Most flags have meanings. For example, the United States is a country comprised of 50 states; likewise, its flag has 50 stars. The 50 stars represent the 50 states. The flag of Japan is white with one red circle. The red circle represents the sun. For this reason, Japan is often known as "The Land of the Rising Sun." The flag of El Salvador has three horizontal stripes. The blue stripes represent the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The central white stripe symbolizes peace.

Although no two flags are the same, some flags contain similar colours on purpose. For example, many nations in Africa use the colours red, gold, and green on their flags. Ghana, Benin, Senegal, and Cameroon are just a few of the countries in Africa with these colours on their flags. These colours represent unity and strength for all African nations. Many Arab countries, such as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait, use the colours red, green, black, and white in their flags. These colours represent purity and courage for all Arab nations.

Circuits

Voltage:

Voltage is the force from an electrical circuit's power source that pushes charged electrons (current) through a conducting loop, allowing them to do work such as light. 

Voltmeter:

Voltage is the number of electrons in a circuit. It is measured with a voltmeter. 

Current:

Is the number of electrons passing in a given point in one second.

Who Are You? - Happy Healthy Minds | Wānanga

As part of Wānanga class, we continued working on the Happy Healthy Minds. We had recently read more of the text and then today had to answer some questions. There are lots of things that make us who we are that are not dependent on gender. We had to use the list of questions to find out about someone in the class that we don’t know very well.

Here is a chart of the person I interviewed:

Where do you like to go on holiday? Beach or city? City	What makes you laugh? When people do funny actions
What would you like to learn more about? Maths	What are some of your favourite foods? Fried Chicken
What makes you cry? He doesn’t know anything (I mean anything)	Do you like to teach other people or be taught? Both
What kind of stories are your favourite? Sports (non-fiction)	Would you prefer to live in the city or country?  City
What is your dream destination? USA	Would you rather have a face that everyone laughs at or a name that everyone that laughs at? Name

Sports Crossword | Wānanga

Circuits | Physics

Activity: 

Go on to the PHET website and click on LAB: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/circuit-construction-kit-dc/latest/circuit-construction-kit-dc_en.html

I want you to construct a few different circuits, try to make them and then take a screenshot of them and post the pic here.

1. A circuit containing a battery, a light bulb, connected by wires:

2. Now add a switch into the circuit you just made, what happens when the switch is open or closed?

3. Now click on the battery and increase the voltage it supplies to the circuit. What happened?

4. Underneath the switch there is an arrow, scroll through the options to the end and try putting some random things into the circuit like a coin or dog. What happens to light bulbs?

Circuit | Physics

Definition:

Cell

Supplies energy to circuit, by pushing current from the positive to negative end

Voltmeter

A device used to measure voltage, or electrical potential energy difference

Ammeter

A device used to measure current in a circuit

Wire

a thin, flexible thread of metal

Resistor

An electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current

Bulb

In a circuit, this shows if electricity is flowing by lighting up

Switch

a device that opens or closes a circuit

Battery

A device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy

Activity: 

Go on to the PHET website and click on LAB: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/circuit-construction-kit-dc/latest/circuit-construction-kit-dc_en.html

I want you to construct a few different circuits, try to make them and then take a screenshot of them and post the pic here.

1. A circuit containing a battery, a light bulb, connected by wires:

2. Now add a switch into the circuit you just made, what happens when the switch is open or closed?

Discovery | Health

For the past few weeks in Health, we started working on a new unit called Discovery. We are exploring areas of health which interests us. It is also about showing our understanding of key health skills. First, we had to choose two topics to choose from the ones listed or any relevant health topic that is approved by the teacher. The first topic I chose was 'Effects of gaming on the mind & body'. We could work independently or in pairs. I chose to work by myself. 

Success Criteria:

1. You have linked your answers to the key concepts
2. You have answered all 5 BIG questions in detail 
3. You have answered all 5 BIG questions in detail 
4. Your work is well presented and you are proud of it

Firstly, we had to choose our five big questions, which need to be approved, and then write the answer in detail. The answer needs strategies to manage our chosen topic. Next, we need to make or create an activity to do with our topic, which includes pictures and a high level of presentation of your findings.

I chose to create a Kahoot! to show my work. The Kahoot! has 11 questions about and relating to 'Effects of gaming on the mind & body'. I was thinking to create a Kahoot! or make a website, but I chose to create a Kahoot! for my first topic and a website for my next topic. 

Here are some of my Kahoot! questions, by a screenshot.

After creating the Kahoot!, we had to describe 3 ways to improve and manage your chosen health issue if you or a friend were to experience it. Explain how it will improve wellbeing in the short term and long term. Here are my strategies. 

Strategies	What the strategies are	What areas of wellbeing the strategy will improve and how	Short term and/or long term
Strategy 1	Tell them what are the negative outcomes if you play games and some proof to they can understand.	Taha Tinana - Physical, Taha Hinengaro - Mental & Emotional,	Short term
Strategy 2	If they are playing games because they are stressed or being bullied, tell them to say to their parents.	Taha Hinengaro - Mental & Emotional, Taha Whānau - Social	Short term
Strategy 3	If they can’t stop playing, then they can set a limit of playing an hour a day, then 50 min, then 40 min, etc. This will reduce the time playing games and use that time doing physical work.	Taha Tinana - Physical, Taha Hinengaro - Mental & Emotional	Long Term

We have learned that these strategies help overcome gaming and are helpful to use if you are addicted to games and cannot stop gaming.

It was challenging at the start because I was quite distracted and needed to do my work. I coped with the challenge by concentrating on my work and finishing my work quickly. Next time I will try to have more than 11 questions in my Kahoot! I am really proud of finishing my Kahoot! quickly and had some time free time. 

Sea Wolves | Wānanga

References:

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2015/10/coastal-sea-wolves-canada/
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/08/sea-oceans-wolves-animals-science/
• https://www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/coastal-wolf-bull-canis-lupus.html
• https://www.treehugger.com/photographer-zooms-in-on-unique-coastal-wolves-of-british-columbia-4861781
• https://maptia.com/cristinamittermeier/stories/the-sea-wolves
• https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/sea-wolf-in-danger-of-extinction-thanks-to-humans/
• http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/management-issues/docs/grey_wolf_management_plan.pdf

Moodboards | Power to the People

Dystopia

Utopia

Electricity Circuits

There are two forms of circuits; Series and Parallel. 

Houses have Parallel circuits are found in houses. If one bulb blows out, then the rest of them are on.

Series Circuit
Credit: https://sites.google.com/site/lamsnc2dvella/Home/grade-9e-science/unit-3---electricity/series-and-parallel-circuit

Parallel Circuit
Credit: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct-current/chpt-5/what-are-series-and-parallel-circuits/

Parallel

A circuit in which the bulbs are divided up evenly.

Series

A circuit in which the bulbs are in one continuous line.

Diwali

Diwali is a very religious celebration that takes place every year. Although it is traditionally celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains, it can be celebrated by people from other religions. The specific date of Diwali varies, but it is between October and November each year. This year, it is celebrated on 14 November. It is a "festival of lights" celebrating the new year. The word Diwali means "row of lighted lamps".

The festival of Diwali usually honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. In Hinduism, many different gods and goddesses are worshipped. Each god or goddess is believed to hold responsibility. Lakhmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Lamps are lit to help Lakshmi find her way into people's homes.

Many also celebrate the Diwali legend of Ram and Sita. During Diwali, the traditional Hindu story of Ram and Sita is often told. The story tells of a famous warrior, Prince Rama, and his beautiful wife, Sita, who were banished from their home by their king. Living nearby was a terrible demon king named Ravan. He had ten heads and twenty arms. He was feared throughout the land. When Sita was kidnapped by Ravan, Prince Ram, with the help of many animals, searching for his wife. He fought a mighty battle. The whole world rejoiced when Ram eventually killed the evil Rana using a magic arrow.

The Tarawera Eruption

On 10 June 1886, the people of Te Wairoa, situated close to Rotorua, experienced one of the worst natural disasters in New Zealand history.  They awoke to Wāhanga, Ruawāhia, and Tarawera mountains splitting apart, spewing forth millions of tonnes of ash and debris.  Earthquakes were felt throughout the North Island, and Auckland residents mistook the noise for cannon fire.

Physical and spiritual warnings prior to the eruption had been reported.  While ferrying tourists across Lake Tarawera to the Pink and White Terraces in 1886, the famous guide Sophia Hinerangi saw a mysterious phantom canoe; and Lake Rotomahana water levels rose and fell dramatically.  The high priest Tūhoto Ariki of the Tūhourangi tribe interpreted this as a warning.  He feared the terraces were being exploited as a tourist attraction without due regard to ancestral values.

There were huge losses to land and human life.  Lake Rotomahana, the world renowned natural Pink and White Terraces, and over 150 residents of the villages of Te Ariki and Moura were buried.  Protected by a valley, most of the residents of Te Wairoa survived even though their village was covered in volcanic debris.  The old high priest Tūhoto Ariki also survived, dug from his buried house four days after the eruption.

The neighbouring people of Te Arawa provided shelter, clothing and food for the survivors.  Because the government acquired the devastated area soon after the eruption, the people of Tūhourangi could not return to their Tarawera homeland when it recovered in the early 1900s.

Lake Rotomahana gradually refilled the crater blasted apart by the eruption, and grew to four times its original length, with a water level 30 metres higher than before.  Te Wairoa village is now known as the Buried Village and has been excavated to show where people lived and died. The area is ringed in poplar trees that have grown from the fence posts buried in the eruption.  The craters of Mt Tarawera at Rotomahana and Waimangu are still active today.

Salt

Salt is produced from deposits of rock salt, from sea water, and from the waters of salt lakes and springs. The method of producing salt depends upon the source it is taken from.

If taken from a sea or lake, the water must be evaporated and the grains of salt collected. Much of the salt used for preserving foods is called solar salt because the moisture is dried off by the sun.

Most table salt is made from rock salt, which is found in great beds in many parts of the world where ancient seas have dried away. The usual method of getting rock salt is to drill wells down to the salt beds. Pure water is pumped in through a pipe; when the water dissolves the salt, the brine formed is brought to the surface through another pipe. This method is called hydraulic mining. Evaporation is forced, and the grains of salt are dried in long rotating cylinders through which hot air is passed. The dried, bleached, white grains are then screened for table use, dairy purposes, and packing.

Because much of the world’s food is raised in areas where iodine is lacking, saltmakers add a small quantity of iodine to the table salt to make a product known as iodised salt. A little calcium phosphate is added to make the salt freeflowing.

Most of New Zealand’s salt requirements are obtained from Lake Grassmere, on the South Island’s Kaikoura coast. About 70,000 tonnes of salt is produced there annually.

Know Your Brain

The brain is the most complex part of the human body. This organ that weighs in at about 1.5 kg, is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and controller of behaviour. It is the crown jewel of the human body.

The brain is like a committee of experts. All of its parts work together, but each part has its own special properties. The main parts are the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain. When people see pictures of the brain it is usually the cerebrum in the forebrain that they notice. The cerebrum is the source of intellectual activities. It holds your memories, allows you to plan, enables you to imagine and think. It allows you to recognize friends, read books, and play games.

The cerebrum is split into two halves (hemispheres) by a deep fissure. Despite the split, the two cerebral hemispheres communicate with each other through a thick tract of nerve fibres that lie at the base of this fissure. Although the two hemispheres seem to be mirror images of each other, they are different. For instance, the ability to form words seems to lie primarily in the left hemisphere, while the right hemisphere seems to control many abstract reasoning skills.

For some as-yet-unknown reason, nearly all of the signals from the brain to the body and vice-versa cross over on their way to and from the brain. This means that the right cerebral hemisphere primarily controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere primarily controls the right side. When one side of the brain is damaged, the opposite side of the body is affected. For example, a stroke in the right hemisphere of the brain can leave the left arm and leg paralysed.

When the brain is healthy it functions quickly and automatically. But when problems occur, the results can be devastating. About 20 percent of New Zealanders will experience some form of brain disorder in their lifetime. This will affect us all since we are the family and friends of this 20 percent. Thanks to science, we know more about the brain now than in previous centuries. Because of the accelerating pace of research in neurological and behavioural science and the development of new research techniques, gains in knowledge and treatments will continue to benefit our lives. 

Heroes and Villians Poster | Power to the People

Today, in Power to the People Hurumanu, we are continuing on 'Heroes and Villains'. Yesterday, we discussed leaders and who they were, and famous leaders in the past and present. I chose Benito Mussolini and created a timeline about him. Today, as one of our tasks, we had to create a political ad about our hero or villain. I created a poster about Donald Trump because today is the US election. After making the poster, the next task was to create a poster with five key points from the timeline. 

Here is the link to the poster.

Gymnastics | Physical Education

For the last few weeks in Physical Education, we have been doing Gymnastics, we had some activities to do. Before Gymnastics, I thought that it was really hard and I couldn't do it. But today, I did an activity in the mini tramp (where I am focusing on) and I want to improve doing a forward roll. When I recorded me doing my first time on the mini tramp doing a forward roll.

Here is a video of me on the Mini Tramp:

Happy Healthy Minds: Your Body | Wānanga

 "From Happy Healthy Minds (The School of Life, 2020) 

Reading for Useful Ideas: Your Body

Your Body and Your Brain

Read the text, then complete the following sentences with the appropriate words. 

influence thoughts and feelings irritable work body mood brain school tell dehydrated feel why bad

Your brain is where your thoughts and feelings happen. A person’s  __________ changes because of what is happening in the rest of their ______________. Lots of things about our bodies can _____________ our moods. Being too hot and thirsty on a day with northwest winds can make us ___________________. What is happening in your ____________ depends on the state of your body. The problem is that brains don’t _________ us when and _________ they are getting in __________ mood. It doesn't say to you, “Hey I’m _________________, so I’m about to ________ my ________ and that _________ is unfair and horrible.” 

Select the correct answer

1. If something is going wrong in your body it can make you feel

1. annoyed

2. Irritated 

3. that everything is too difficult

4. All of the above

2. A tricky point about our brains is that they don’t 

1. Like our bodies much

2. Like it when we drink too much water and eat good food

3. Tell us when and why they getting in a bad mood

4. Play tricks on us

3. Our bodies have a habit of not telling us how much they play with

1. Our minds

2. Our food

3. Our sleep

4. Our friends

4. The next time you feel irritated with your parents or annoyed with your friend, ask yourself (list the four suggestions from the text)

1. Do I need to stop eating so much chocolate?

2. Did I get enough sleep last night?

3. Should I stop spending so much time on the iPad?

4. Have I drunk enough water today?

5. Our brains function well when we have

1. A minimum of 6 hours of screen time per day

2. Lollies three times per day or after every meal

3. Eight hours of sleep per night and exercise during the day

4. Few new ideas

I don’t like how I look

Read the text and write a brief answer to the question.

1. According to the text, why do we worry about how we look? 

It is because we think that other people will judge us on our looks. They are going to concentrate on the colour of our hair or the shape of our legs or whether we have a pimple on our forehead. 

Highlight the correct answer

2. A useful way to deal with ‘worrying about appearance’ is to consider the idea

1. You are what you eat

2. Your body is not you

3. Your body is a temple

4. There more to you than meets the eye

3. What is meant by the term ‘soul’ in the text?

1. An organ in your body

2. The bottom of your shoe

3. Personality, thoughts and feelings

4. Your way of being you

4. In the past, a big distinction was made between the body and the 

1. Soul

2. Sole

3. Mind

4. Heart

5. Write an answer to the question: What is the message about the body and soul in the two paintings on p112. 

A person’s soul can be nice even if they have a bit of a funny nose.

Extension: 

Our media places a great emphasis on appearances and we learn that we are judged too often by our appearances. Use the table below to consider The text offers two options on how to deal with ‘worrying about appearances’ I have added a third option.

Options for ‘not worrying about your appearance’	Useful?	Not useful?	Healthy or Not?
Plastic surgery- medical change	No	Yes	Not healthy
New Idea- Your body is not you	No	Yes	Not healthy
Physical exercise- change your body shape	Yes	Maybe	Healthy
Another suggestion?	No	No	Not healthy