Live Aid Research: Live Aid - Music Through Time | Social Studies

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, we moved on from Woodstock and the Vietnam War to the Live Aid concert. Occurring on 13 July 1985, the Live Aid concert was held in Wembley Stadium in London and at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. It was organised by Bob Geldof and Ultravox vocalist Midge Ure.  The concert had an estimated 1.5 billion television viewers and raised millions of dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia. 

Live Aid
Credit: https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/liner-notes/live-aid-lineup/

Live Aid was fundraising on a world scale for the Ethiopian Famine. It was called a “Global Jukebox”.  The two main concerts were held in (UK) Wembley Stadium - 72,000 and (USA) John F Kennedy  Stadium  - 89,484.  At the same time, other countries held smaller concerts, Soviet Union, Canada, Japan, Yugoslavia, Austria, Australia and West Germany.  It was one of the largest satellite link ups of all time and reached 1.9 million people, 150 nations.  Most of the world saw the concert.  Prior to the concert the UK and Irish musicians were bought together to record a song called “Do they know it’s Christmas” 

Left: Midge Ure          Right: Bob Geldof

Bob Geldof is an Irish singer-songwriter who was the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats in the late 70s, he achieved popularity at the time of the punk rock movement. He was born on 5 October 1951 in a coastal suburb of Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. He was educated at a private Catholic school, but later he said that he didn't enjoy his time there because of its Catholic ethos and bullying for his lack of rugby bravery. After leaving school, he went in certain odd jobs but wasn't inspired by any of them. Later, he went to Canada to work as a music journalist.

In 1975, Bob Geldof became the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, a punk rock band. He famously started the reason for joining a pop band. By 1978, they achieved their first UK hit single, 'Rat Trap' and later achieved a second hit with the song, 'I Don't Like Mondays'.

By 1984, Bob had moved from being a rock star to an international celebrity for raising awareness of humanitarian charities. In October 1984, after watching a British television news report on the extreme conditions of hunger in Africa, Bob Geldof visited Ethiopia to see the difficulty for himself. It was actually that Ethiopia and other African countries experienced a severe famine which led to many thousands of people starving to death. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure decided to do something about it, they released a single, "Do They Know its Christmas Time". It was an unplanned event with many of the best-known names in pop music invited. It became an instant best-seller, selling a record of 3 million copies.

Geldof continued his mission the following year by planning two 16-hour concerts to be held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, England and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. This extravaganza aimed at raising money and awareness for Africa. It was a unique musical event capturing the creativity and attention of the world. The highlights included Paul McCartney,  the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger in duets with Tina Turner and David Bowie; Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Queen (British rock band), whose popularity rose after their inspired performance.

The Live Aid concert was broadcasted live to 110 countries and raised over $127 million. Again, Bob Geldof travelled again to Ethiopia to supervise the delivery of supplies bought with the funds raised.

Following this concert, Bob became more involved in work for non-governmental organisations in Africa and became one of the leading spoke people on Third World Debt Relief.

Bob Geldolf was knighted in 1986 and is often affectionately known as 'Sir Bob'. He was married to Paula Yates, though they later split up. Currently, he is married to Jeanne Marine since 2015 and has 5 children.

Credit: https://www.biographyonline.net/music/bob-geldorf.html

            https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Live-Aid/315290

James Ure (stage name, Midge Ure) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and producer who involved in several bands and was the front man for Ultravox. Born on 10 October 1953, in the town of Cambuslang in Scotland, Midge Ure enjoyed in particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in the bands of Silk, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids and Visage. Ure began his professional music career with Salvation, a Glasgow-based group that became the bubblegum bank Silk in 1974. Upset in the change of direction, James Ure left to band to join the Rich Kids, a punk-pop group led by former Sex Pistol bassist Gln Matlock. The Rich Kids only released one album, the 1978's Ghosts of Princes in Towers, before breaking up a year later, Midge Ure spend a brief time with the Misfits (not the American band) before forming Visage with summer Rusty Egan and vocalist Steve Strange, he left the group to replace Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy, who had left in the middle of an American tour. After the tour was finished, Midge Ure fulfilled an agreement to join Ultravox as the replacement for John Foxx.

Once he joined the band in 1980, he helped made Ultravox a mainstream success. During this time, he also worked as a producer, making records with Steve Harley and Modern Man. in 1982, Ure released a solo single, a cover of the Walker Brothers' hit "No Regrets", it climbed into the UK Top Ten.

Midge Ure and Bob Geldof formed Band Aid, a special project to aid famine relief efforts in Ethiopia, in 1984. The two wrote the song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and assembled an all-star band of British musicians to record the single; it song millions of copies over the 1984 holiday season and prompted Bob Geldof to organise the benefit concert Live Aid in 1985.

Midge Ure was recognised as an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). 

Credit: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/midge-ure-mn0000479687/biography

Lyrics

It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid

At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade

And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy

Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time

But say a prayer, Pray for the other ones

At Christmas time it's hard, but when you're having fun

There's a world outside your window

And it's a world of dread and fear

Where the only water flowing

Is the bitter sting of tears

And the Christmas bells that ring

There are the clanging chimes of doom

Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you

And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time

The greatest gift they'll get this year is life

Where nothing ever grows

No rain nor rivers flow

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Here's to you

Raise a glass for everyone

Spare a thought this yuletide for the deprived

If the table was turned would you survive

Here's to them

Underneath that burning sun

You ain't gotta feel guilt just selfless

Give a little help to the helpless

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Feed the world

Feed the world

Feed the world

Feed the world

Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmas time again

Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmas time again

Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmas time again

Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmas time again

Feed the world

Feed the world

Feed the world

Feed the world

Feed the world

Feed the world

(Feed the world)

Feed the world

Feed the world

Acids and Bases | Science

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, I finished the final blog post for the Acids and Bases topic in Science. We had to choose four abilities that we could answer for the Acid and Bases topic. Here is the presentation.

Game Improvements: Cybersecurity - Cryptography | DTE

Welcome to another post on my blog. In Digital Technology (DTE), we are looking at Cryptography in our main topic Cyber Security. Today, we played a few cryptography-based games which were assigned to us. The task which was given was to add what we wanted to add if we would to the game.

I played two games, Cybersecurity Lab - NOVA Labs and Cybersecurity Ops: Terminal. Both games were about cyber attacks and protecting them. 

The first game I played was the Cybersecurity Lab, in which we had to defend a company that is a target of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. Our task was to strengthen our cyber defences and prevent attackers by attacking the company. 

What I would change in the game are the games that are in the game. It looks quite plain when the games are too easy. I would make it a bit harder and more entertaining to play.

The second game I played was Cybersecurity Ops: Terminal. Where it is a simulated cyber breach game experience in a terminal. Our job was to respond decisively to protect the airport's systems, prevent the cybercriminals from taking control of the airport. This includes first being an IT analyst, troubleshooting suspicious WiFi outages and pushing firmware upgrades. Then, take the role of a manager tasked with recruiting and strategically deploying an incident response team. Finally, in the last role, the player is asked to make CISO-level official decisions, encourage concerned board members, and field calls from a reporter who can smell a story.

What I would change is the speed of the game. When we were given scenarios and asked to choose someone to solve the scenario, it goes really quickly and we aren't able to complete all tasks. 

Soft Skills: What Makes A Good Trader? | Business Studies

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, in Business Studies, we learnt about soft skills and trading. We were given the main question, "What makes a good trader?" to think about. 

Image by Melissa Ling. © The Balance 2018
Credit: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/hard-skills-vs-soft-skills-2063780

Soft skills are personal attributes that influence how well you can work or interact with others. These skills make it easier to form relationships with people, create trust, dependability and/or leadership. These skills are important in achieving your business goals. From this list are skills of soft skills.

• Relationship building
• Communication/Storytelling
• Effective communication skills
• Collaboration
• Business communication
• Conflict management and resolution
• Adaptability
• Flexibility
• Sales presentations & demos
• Prospecting
• Creativity
• Critical thinking/Problem solving
• Time management 

Employers look for soft skills in applicants because these skills are hard to develop and are essential for long-term success. Soft skills are distinct from hard skills, which are technical and job-specific.

Hard skills are teachable abilities or skill sets that are easy to quantify. The skills are achieved through training or education that are needed to complete a job. These skills can be technical knowledge or abilities that are simply defined and measured. Hard skills may also be considered job-specific skills and can change from occupation to occupation. These types of skills can be acquired and honed through certifications, schooling, training, courses and on-the-job training. The following examples are hard skill examples:

• Bilingual or multilingual
• Degrees, apprenticeships, certificates
• Accounting
• Database management
• Mobile development
• User interface design
• SEO/SEM marketing
• Programming languages (such as Perl, Python, Java and Ruby)
• Typing speed
• Machine operation
• Software knowledge

Self-Esteem | Wānanga

Welcome to another post on my blog. Two weeks ago, we were presented with a presentation by our Wānanga teacher about self-esteem. Last week, we were given a task to create a slideshow presentation about self-esteem with some questions given to us. So today, I completed the self-esteem slideshow presentation. 

Self-esteem Word Cloud
Credit: https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/item/81535047-self-esteem-animated-word-cloud-text-design-animation

All Summer in a Day | English

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, I completed another task for Engish. First, we had to read a short story, "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury. After reading the story, we had to answer a few questions:

1. Find 3 words you don’t know the meaning of. Look them up and write the definitions in your post.
• Gush - Flow out something in a rapid and large stream.
• Concussion - A violent shock as from a heavy blow.
• Tatting - A kind of knotted lace made by hand with a small shuttle, used chiefly for trimming.
2. Discuss the Exposition of the story -- what are the characters, setting, and mood?
• Characters - 9-year-old students
• Setting - Venus
• Mood - Margot was sad when no one accepted her and what she knew about the sun. She remembered the sun, the way the sun was, and the sky when she was four in Ohio.
3. List and label one metaphor, one simile, and one example of sensory language from the story.
• Metaphor -  It had been raining for seven years
• Simile - The children pressed to each other like so many roses, so many weeds, intermixed, peering out for a look at the hidden sun
• Sensory Language - "It had been raining for seven years; thousands upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands. A thousand forests had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again."
4. List and label an example of show not tell from the story.
• "They stopped running and stood in the great jungle that covered Venus, that grew and never stopped growing, tumultuously, even as you watched it. It was a nest of octopi, clustering up great arms of fleshlike weed, wavering, flowering in this brief spring. It was the colour of rubber and ash, this jungle, from the many years without sun."

Anti-Vietnam Song: Woodstock - Music Through Time | Social Studies

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, we started a new topic for the Music Through Time unit, Woodstock. This topic also involves the Vietnam War (1955 - 1975 - 20 years). Today, we looked at both Woodstock and the Vietnam War and what happened there. 

During the war in Vietnam, America was heavily involved in it. Many people in the world including New Zealand were against the war. There were songs written about the Vietnam War and how bad it was. Some songs were also sung at Woodstock (15 - 18 August 1969). 

I used the song, Vietnam - by Jimmy Cliff.

The artist, Jimmy Cliff (a Jamaican reggae musician), wanted to stop the war because the families were losing all their men, but, he wrote this song as a support of the soldiers fighting in the war. The lyrics of "Vietnam" was telling of a soldier serving there who writes to his friends about returning home. But, instead, the soldier's mother receives a telegram notifying her of his death. This song was the most-effective of the anti-Vietnam songs.

Lyrics:

Hey, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

Yesterday I got a letter from my friend fighting in Vietnam

And this is what he had to say

“Tell all my friends that I’ll be coming home soon

My time’ll be up some time in June

Don’t forget”, he said, “To tell my sweet Mary

Her golden lips are sweet as cherry”

And it came from Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

It was just the next day, his mother got a telegram

It was addressed from Vietnam

Now Mistress Brown, she lives in the USA

And this is what she wrote and said

“Don’t be alarmed”, she told me the telegram said

“But Mistress Brown your son is dead.”

And it came from Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, hey, Vietnam

Somebody please stop that war now

Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, oh Vietnam

Vietnam, oh Vietnam, oh oh, oh oh

Somebody please stop it

Vietnam, Vietnam, oh Vietnam

Vietnam oh oh, oh oh Vietnam

Hey Vietnam, aha Vietnam, oh oh, yeah

I wanna say now somebody stop that war

Making Salts II | Science

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, we did an experiment about making salts, again. 

Aim: To produce copper sulfate salt by reacting copper oxide with an acid.

Equipment:

1. Copper oxide powder
2. (0.5 mol L^-1 sulfuric acid
3. 50 mL measuring cylinder
4. 2 100 mL beakers
5. Element (hot plate)
6. Heatproof mat
7. Funnel
8. Filter paper
9. Thermometer
10. Spatula
11. Evaporating basin
12. Stirring rod

Method:

1. Add 20 mL of sulfuric acid to a 100 mL beaker. Heat the acid using the element (hot plate) until it reaches 70°C. Turn off the element.
2. Once heated, use a spatula to add pea-sized portions of copper oxide to the beaker. Stir the mixture for 30 seconds.
3. Repeat step 2 until no more will disolve. Allow the beaker to cool.
4. Fold the filter paper and place it in the funnel. Place the filter funnel into the second beaker.
5. Make sure the beaker is cool enough to hold at the top. The contents should still be hot. You may need your teacher to complete this step.
6. Gently swirl the contents of the beaker to mix, and then pour into the filter paper in the funnel. Allow to filter through.
7. Rinse the beaker you used to heat to mixture previously, and place it back on top of your tripod filed with 50-60 mL of water.
8. Place the evaporating basin on top of the beaker and carefully pour some of the solution from the beaker into the evapourating basin.
9. Gently heat the beaker until the solution in the evapourating basin has reduced by half.
10. Leave the evaporating basin to cool. Once cool, move the evaporating basin to a warm place where it will not be disturbed (i.e. a window-still) and observe over the next few days. Blue copper sulfate crystals should form.

Observations:

This was a fun After It took around 10 minutes to fill a 20 mL of sulfuric acid from the filter paper.

Making Salts | Science

Welcome to another post on my blog. Last week, in Science, I completed an experiment which was about making salts. Using acid and base, we made salt which was a really fun experiment.

© Getty Images

Aim: To produce sodium chloride salt by carrying out a neutralisation reaction

Equipment:

1. 50ml and 200ml beakers
2. HCl (Hydrochloric acid)
3. NaOH (Sodium chloride)
4. 25ml measuring cylinder
5. A glass string rod
6. Spotting tile
7. Pipette
8. Universal indicator solution
9. Element (Hot plate)
10. Heatproof mat

Caution: Safety Glasses, Corrosive, Irritant

Method:

1. Using the measuring cylinder, measure 10ml of HCl and pour it into the 50ml beaker.
2. Add a few drops of NaOH at a time while stirring with the glass rod. 
3. Every 10-15 drops, stop adding the NaOH and use the pipette to transfer a drop of the solution to the spotting tile. Test its pH using the Universal indicator.
4. Keep adding NaOH and test the solution by repeating step 3. As you get closer to netural you may need to test the solution after every drop.
5. After reaching neutral (green), then put the beaker on top of an element at a high temperature. 
6. Leave the element on until the liquid has been evaporated and leaves salt. 

Observations:

Write the word equation for this reaction: HCl + NaOH ⇾ NaCl + water

Hydrochloric acid + Sodium hydroxide ⇾ Sodium chloride + water

Perspectives - Beatlemania: Music Through Time | Social Studies

Welcome to another post on my blog. Last week, we started a new topic in the Music Through Time unit: Beatlemania. We completed a blog post about a Beatles song, I did it about the song, "I Want to Hold Your Hand". For this post, we had to look at two perspectives for the Beatles tour of New Zealand - for and against the tour.

For Tour:

The youth of New Zealand were for and happy with the tour of the Beatles. They were fans and were crazy about the Beatles songs. More than 3 000 excited fans, mainly girls, gathered at the airport, and at least 4 000 at the Hotel St George, where the Beatles were staying. The girls screamed on seeing their idols. 

The songs of the Beatles and their contemporaries (including the local Beatles pastiche, Ray Columbus and the Invaders, with their huge hit "She's a Mod") were listened to by a generation of youths who felt that they were suddenly liberated from many of the inhibitions of their parents, and who believed that only they knew how to enjoy themselves properly.

Against Tour:

The parents, the older generation, were against the Beatles tour because their songs were inappropriate, about sex and drug use.

Some were on religious and traditional views who saw the Beatles leading to sin and trouble making. They protested with many signs.

 

Thomas Pearce, an Auckland politician said, "I welcomed home of footballers. There were all fine young men, but there was no civic or mayoral reception for them. If we are going to pander to the hysteria, antics, adulation, rioting, screaming, and roaring and all the things these bewigged musicians engender, then I think we should make a point of honouring any youths with a sporting background who are at least endeavouring to act in the best traditions of the young men of this nation."

Setting: Activity 1 | English

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, I completed another activity for the Narrative unit. For this exercise, we had to choose different settings and write 3 short, opening descriptions that show the reader when and where the action is taking place. We had to use sensory language in our descriptions. 

It was a city of decay, filled with ashes.

The dead lying across the unpopulated area.

Darting across the area, slaughtering the region.

Gazing over the downtown, observing the landscape.

Examining tall skyscrapers, orange glowing lights illuminating the area.

Cars dashing across the road, covering the city.

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" - Beatlemania: Music Through Time | Social Studies

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, we started a new topic in the Music Through Time unit, 'Beatlemania'. We looked at the social revolution between the 1950s and 1970s where the youths of that time protested restraint and lack of freedom. Also, we saw videos of the songs of The Beatles and the mental and madness of young women of The Beatles, this was called 'Beatlemania' - a term during the 1960s to describe the fan wildness and madness behaviour towards The Beatles during their early years of success. 

The Beatles 

Genius at work: (from left) Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison in 1964 (Getty)
Credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/beatles-best-albums-ranked-abbey-road-anniversary-paul-mccartney-john-lennon-a9108756.html

The music I chose was 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in Jane Asher's basement. She was an actress and girlfriend of Paul McCartney. 

The song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was improved by the time the Beatles came to the studio on 17 October 1963 to record it. 

The song was played on a Washington D.C. radio station (before released in America) by a DJ who got the record from a female flight attendant. It was a huge hit with his listeners. Capitol Records threatened to seek a court order banning airplay of "I Want to Hold Your Hand", which was already being spread to a couple of DJs in Chicago and St. Louis until the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. That threat was ignored, and the Capitol came to a conclusion that they released the song two weeks ahead of schedule on 26 December 1963. 

The song was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, in America, it sold more copies in the first ten days than any other Beatles single sold in the UK. In the first three days, the song had sold a quarter of a million copies.

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" was different from music from the 1940s and everything changed; long hair, weird dance moves, sexualised lyrics, and drug use. 

The music in the 1940s was dull and simple, not talking about romance and love. It was simple songs.

Here is the lyrics to the song, "I Want to Hold Your Hand";

Oh yeah, I'll tell you somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I say that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
Oh please, say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please, say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
Now, let me hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
And when I touch you
I feel happy inside
It's such a feelin' that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide
Yeah, you got that somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I say that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
And when I touch you
I feel happy inside
It's such a feelin' that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide
Yeah, you got that somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I feel that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

Below is the official video of the Beatles singing the song, "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

Making Indicators | Science

Welcome to another post on my blog. This week, in Chemistry, we started with a new topic, Acids and Bases. After learning about acids, bases, pH scale and indicators, we conducted an experiment about making indicators that are used in everyday substances.

Aim: To make acid-base indicators using everyday substances. 

Equipment:

• Red cabbage
• Large beaker
• Small beaker
• Cloth
• Water
• Glass stirring rod
• Element
• Heatproof mat
• 5 Test tubes
• Test tube rack
• 3ml Pipette
• Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
• Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

Method:

• Chop the cabbage into small pieces until you have enough to fill half a beaker.
• Place the chopped cabbage in a large beaker and add water to cover the cabbage.
• Boil over an element until the water starts boiling and bubbling.
• When the water starts bubbling a lot, turn off the element and leave the large beaker to cool on top of the element.
• Once the beaker has stopped bubbling, using a cloth, place the large beaker on the heatproof mat from the element.
• Using a glass stirring rod, tip the liquid into the small beaker leaving the red cabbage in the big beaker. 
• Put 5ml drops of hydrochloric acid into one test tube and 5ml of sodium hydroxide to the other test tube. 
• Using a pipette, place 5ml of the cabbage indicator into two test tubes.
• Record and observe the colour change.

Famous Female Role Model | Wānanga

Welcome to another post on my blog. Last week, we celebrated International Women's Day on 8th March. This week, in Wānanga, we are given an activity matrix to complete, with 8 activities. One of the activities that I chose was to create a DLO on a famous female role model. They may have inspired us or is someone we think has made an important change in our society.

The female role model I chose was Greta Thunberg a Swedish Environmental Activist for climate change.

Writing Our Own Narrative Opening | English

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, I completed another activity for the Narrative unit, which is writing our own narrative opening. The task was to use 'show don't tell' to write 3-5 effective narrative openings. Our narrative could be about absolutely anything, and you don’t have to finish it!

The flaming house was burning, feeling the splashes of warmth by me, escaping my melting heat. Depressed after losing his house, remembering the memories related to the house. 

As the dark setted, two sisters saunter outside on the field, holding a lamp. Seeing an unknown blurry character in the distance. Passing through the fogs. As the character closens. We move backwards and run.

Looking left. Then right. Sneaking the bacon into my bag. Looking again, right, then left. Making sure no one looks and catches me. As I lurk out of the shop, I see two giants in uniform, running behind me. As I run through I...

The Haka: Ka Mate — Music Through Time: ANZAC | Social Studies

After learning about the ANZAC and the Last Post, we continue with the haka (Ka Mate). We watched the Māori Battalion Haka in Gisborne. 

Ka mate, ka mate! ka ora! ka ora! Ka mate! ka mate! ka ora! ka ora! Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā Ā, upane! ka upane! Ā, upane, ka upane, whiti te ra!

'Tis death! 'tis death! (or: I may die) 'Tis life! 'tis life! (or: I may live) 'Tis death! 'tis death! 'Tis life! 'tis life! This is the hairy man Who summons the sun and makes it shine A step upward, another step upward! A step upward, another... the Sun shines!

After watching the video, we had to read the haka lyrics, research and answer some questions about the Māori Battalion and the haka, Ka Mate.

 

When King George V declared war on Germany in August 1914, he did so for Britain and his dominions and colonies throughout the Empire. Across New Zealand, thousands of men volunteered in support of their mother-country. Between 1914 - 1918, more than 120,000 New Zealanders - nearly 20% of the country's eligible manpower served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, the Royal Navy or units of the British Army.

While a small number of Māori volunteered to serve with regional soldier units, Britain and New Zealand continued a pre-war policy opposing the formation of an all-Māori unit to fight in a war against Europeans. Yet, by 1918, over 25,000 Māori soldiers had served overseas, the majority in what became known as the Māori Pioneer Battalion. 

It took determined political campaigning to overcome objections to forming all-Māori units. In 1914, Māori politicians like Apirana Ngata and Maui Pomare successfully argued that all New Zealanders, including Māori, should be allowed to fight in defence of the Empire. 

Despite initially being exempt from the 1916 Military Service Act, Māori from the most resistance tribes were registered for conscription in June 1917 after campaigning by Maui Pomare. However, none were forced ultimately to serve overseas.

On 14 February 1915, the first Māori troops left New Zealand on the troopship SS Warrimoo bound for assigned duties in Egypt and Malta, freeing up regular troops for the Gallipoli Campaign that began on 25 April.

Māori soldiers were soon overcome by the significant number of casualties from the campaign. Arriving at North Beach in ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, on 3rd July, the body of troops established itself at 'Outpost No 1' which became known as 'Māori Pa'. During the assault on Chunuk Bair (war between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies - 6 August 1915 to 10 August 1915) in early August, the body of troops fought alongside other units of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force for the first time. This is also the first time many Europeans heard the Māori haka "ka mate, ka mate, ka ora, ka ora" called as they attacked the Turkish lines.

The haka, Ka Mate was composed by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha, captain of the Tainui canoe, born at Kawahi in the 1760s and died at Ōtaki in 1849. The story of the composition of Kate Mate is well known within the oral histories of Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Tūwharetoa, the two iwis (tribes) most associated with the haka's origins. Ka Mate was composed in 1820 as a celebration of life over death after his lucky escape from pursuing Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato enemies.

The Ka Mate haka is a ceremonial Māori dance or challenge. The haka is usually performed in a group and typically represent a display of a tribe's pride, strength and unity.

The actions include foot-stamping, tongue protrusions and rhythmic body slapping to accompany a loud chant. The words of a haka often poetically describe ancestors and events in the tribe's history.

Commonly, the haka was performed when two parties met as part of the customs around encounters.

For instance, the haka was used on the battlefield to prepare warriors mentally and physically for the battle, but it was also performed when groups came together in peace. 

Today, the haka is still used during Māori ceremonies and celebrations to honour guests and show the importance of the occasion. This includes family events, such as weddings, and birthdays.

Haka dances can be performed at weddings as a show of respect, to show reverence for the couple and their guests or to mark the important milestone.

At weddings, women may also join the haka performance.

The haka is also used to challenge opponents on the sports field. The All Blacks (New Zealand Rugby Team), performs the haka before each match in a stunning show of strength and physical bravery. The All Blacks used to do the 'Ka Mate' as their haka, which has been famous all around the world since it became a part of their pregame ritual of the All Blacks.

The Black Ferns (New Zealand's Women Rugby Team) are also famous for participating the haka. The haka they perform before an international match was called 'Ko Uhia Mai' which means 'Let it be known' as was composed by Whetu Tipiwai.

References:

• http://www.ngatitoa.iwi.nz/ka-mate/the-origins-of-ka-mate
• https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-maori-battled-to-fight-together-in-the-first-world-war
• https://www.newzealand.com/nz/feature/haka/

Show Don't Tell | English

Welcome to another post on my blog. After finishing the introduction of the Creative Writing unit, we move on to a new unit, the Narrative. The first activity I chose to complete was, 'Show, Don't Tell'. For this activity, we had to answer a few questions relating to the activity. 

Task:

What do you think “show don’t tell” means?

How can we re-write these sentences to “show” and not “tell”?

    The buildings were tall.

    Sarah was really upset.

    She was so happy to see him.

    The lake was beautiful.

My re-written sentences:

     Tall skyscrapers, covering the sky, leaning and looking up

     Sarah tears slowly tearing down waiting for someone to meet her. 

     Overjoyed Sarah running towards him got swung up in the air.     

     The gleaming blue lake was surrounded by towering glaciers. 

Significance of WW1 - The Last Post — Music Through Time | Social Studies

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, I completed the third post of the Music Through Time unit about the ANZACs arriving in ANZAC Cove battling the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. After learning and adding information about the Gallipoli Campaign. We need to research the battles during the Gallipoli Campaign, such as the Battle of Krithia. After, we had to listen and watch the Last Post and the Gallipoli Dawn Service.

We hear the Last Post on ANZAC Day, which occurs annually on 25 April, is played to remember the ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) soldiers who lost their lives during the war. 

The history of the last post takes back many years back when Arthur Lane, a burglar in the British Army when he was captured by the Japanese forces during the fall of Singapore in 1942. He spent the remaining of World War II in PoW (Prisoner-of-War) camps and working on the infamous Burma railway. He still had his bugle with him and it was his task to sound the Last Post for each of his co-workers who died during those years. For the rest of his long life, he was haunted by nightmares. And he never played the Last Post again.

The sound of a solitary bugler playing the Last Post has become one of the most unique sounds in the world. The Last Post was published in the 1790s, with one of the two dozen or so bugle calls sounded daily in the British Army camps. 

Colin Dean, archivist at the Museum of Army Music in Kneller Hall says, "At that time soldiers didn't have wristwatches, so they had to be regulated in camp. They had to have a trumpet call or a bugle call to tell them when to get up, when to have their meals, when to fetch the post, when to get on parade, when to go to bed and all other things throughout the day."

This bugle call also signifies the end of the day's activities. This is now played at commemorative services such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day (UK & Europe).

Critical Literacy - Extension | English

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, I completed the extension work for the Creative Writing unit. Also, this is the last post for this unit. The task for this activity is to watch four of the ads given, then note down for each:

• The intended audience. Who is this ad targeting? Age? Gender? Nationality? People with particular interests? Etc.
• What the ad implies about the product (it may not SAY it makes you more attractive and a better dancer, but does it imply that?)
• How does the ad make the audience feel?

The four that I watched were;

1. One Direction Pepsi Commercial with Drew Brees
2. Garret Ryan & Maxwell Perry Cotton - Jif Peanut Butter Commercial (2006)
3. Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
4. NEW Dream Liquid Mousse - Maybelline Commercial - Adriana Lima 

The One Direction Pepsi commercial shows one Pepsi between two famous people, Drew Brees and the One Direction. This is telling the viewers how both famous people like Pepsi.

The Jif peanut butter commercial targets children and parents. This wants children to eager to ask their parents to purchase the product. This also targets parents for their children to have nice peanut butter bread. 

The Old Spice commercial targets women who want their partner to smell nice by using their product.

The Dream Liquid Mousse commercial targets women who have flawless skin, Maybelline wants the viewers to purchase their new product for people who have flawless skin. It says that it is 100% poreless.

Creative Writing Reflection | English

Welcome to another post on my blog. Today, I completed the last activity for the Creative Writing unit for English which the reflection of this unit. 

Credit: Monash University
https://www.monash.edu/rlo/assignment-samples/medicine-nursing-and-health-sciences/reflective-writing-and-critical-incidents

The task was to:

Reflect on your learning about Creative Writing so far in English. Think back to our learning around Haiku, our discussion about what makes “good” creative writing, etc. What new things have you learned? How have you learned them? What activities in particular did you find enjoyable, interesting, or fun? What specifically was interesting to you, and why?

Haiku Poems

Looking back at the Haiku poems, I had to write four haiku poems which can be from one season or different seasons. I wrote about Summer. It was really fun making the poems.

My favourite poems are;

The ocean is bright

Spectacularly it shines 

And shimmary too 

I love summertime 

The sun on the beach is warm 

The water is cold 

 

Sensory Language

This activity was the one which I liked and learnt the most. Sensory language is a paragraph or scene that connects the five senses without using the words: saw, heard, smelled, tasted, felt. I wrote about the lupin flowers which I saw on the trip from Christchurch to Queenstown. 

Language Features

This was the first activity of the Creative Writing unit. This was also the one which I liked and learnt. In this activity, I had to choose three out of five language features that I had to write about - with their meaning and two examples. The three I wrote about was personification, anaphora and allusion. This was a fun and interesting activity to do.