Technology Rotation Five: Science

For technology rotation five group K went to Science with Miss Hawtin. We learnt a variety of different things like; light and the spectrum, magnets, illusions and about energy. In year 7 you learn about the physical science. But in year 8 we will learn about chemicals and the typical science that you would think of when you think of science.  My favourite part about science was just going and testing things and finding out different ways to do them.

Explaining HNI Gold Points

Maddie Rodgers, Jesse Perrott and I created a presentation to inform 2015 Year 7's about HNI's Gold Points System. Here it is,

PE Padder Tennis

Over the past 3 weeks Sheppard year 7 have been learning about and playing padder tennis. We have learned that we need to only do small hit so it doesn't go out of the court. When Jesse and I played with Sam and Will we were beaten by a long shot! Every time I served it over Will would shoot it down onto the ground on our side. It would be very strong and very fast! Here are some photos:

Jesse serving across the court to Caitlin

Jesse and I ready for the next serve

Will serving across the court to Jesse. While I run back waiting for the next shot.

Maths Angles

In room 12B we have been learning about geometry. I have created a show me of my learning.

Sustainable Art

This we are learning about sustainability. For art we are creating a sustainable structure using recycled materials. I am creating a plastic bottle water feature. Here is my plan:

I am using a pump to pump up water that will trickle through the plastic bottles, down into the container which will lead back to the pump.

Narrative Writing

This term in writing we are leaning about narrative writing. We watched a short video called Octapodi and had to pick a part in it and rewrite the story from there. I rewrote from 1:40

Oktapodi

The man grabbed the two Oktapodi and, well what do you know, Oktapodi have some common sense. They squirted him in the eye with their black ink. In surprise the man dropped them and Jake and Alice go flying and splat onto the road leaving the three wheeled truck speeding down the streets of Greece.

Needing water Jake and Alice hear the sound of running water. They follow the sound scrambling up the building wall and into the open window. Squelching across the floor they find the source of water. The Oktapodi open the curtain and swim into the small pool. “Aaaah!” Another figure is in the bath with them! Screeching with fright the big woman jumps out of her bath splashing half of the water out of the bath, including the Oktapodi! Alice and Jacob are swished out of the bath and with the force of the water sucked down a drain! Down there they pass a lot of other floating things which I won’t mention. They are pulled down with the water until they meet a pipe intersection. One pipe with a picture of a wave carved into it and the other with a toilet.

Maths, Reading & Visualisation

In reading we have been working on our comprehension strategies.  Last week we focused on visualisation - they way we can create mental images when we read to deepen our understanding of the text.  We read a short passage that explained how to measure a very tall object without having to climb it and we visualised how we would do this.

Yesterday we went out and put this knowledge into practice. Here is what to do:

You will need:

A pencil,

A tape measure,

A pole to measure 

and a Trusty friend.

Step 1: Ask your friend to stand at the base of the pole.

Step 2: Hold your pencil vertically at arms length in front of you. Carefully walk backward away from the pole until the top and bottom  of your pencil are lined up with the top and base of the pole.

Step 3: Keep the bottom of your pencil in line with the base of the telephone pole and rotate it so it is parallel to the ground.

Step 4: Ask your friend to step sideways away from the pole until they are in line with the other end of your pencil.

Step 5: Tell your friend to "FREEZE!" when they are lined up with the other end of your pencil. The more dramatic you sound, the more fun this will be. 

Step 6: Walk slowly towards them and remind them not to move. When you reach them, smile, and ask them politely to hold the end of your tape measure. Measure the distant between your friend and the pole. 
This will tell you the approximate height of the pole.
I really enjoyed this activity although there must have been something wrong with the tape measure because when we measure the actual height we could never get it right.

Economics

This term we are learning about Sustainability. Sustainability is like a stool with 3 legs holding it up, Environment, Society and Economics.

This week we have learnt about Economics. Here is my Infographic all about our learning of Economy.

 What is Economics? | Create Infographics

Pressures on the Earth

This term we are learning about Sustainability. Today we played a game where we blew up our balloons and then Miss Kay would ask us a question. For eg: Do you grow vegetables at home? If you answered yes you let out some air, if you answered no you would blow some more in, causing to pressure the earth. My Earth (balloon) kind of shrunk because there was only one question that I had to put pressure on my Earth. Afterwards we were asked questions like; What happened to my Earth?, What could we do to stop that happening? and What is one thing we could do to change our behavior. Here is a before and after shot of my table group's Earths.

Reading: Newspapers

In Room 12B we have been learning about Newspapers and how they help us connect with the world. We have learnt about the front page and how they get them out to everybody, but my favourite part is the cartoon section in Opinion. The light up the Newspaper after horrible stories from around the world. They are there to entertain! Here is my cartoon.

"The Giver" - Reflection

How does the community use laws, and how does it use tradition, to control it's citizens? 

The community leaders hide the truth and uses trickery to make the community believe that there is nothing more than to what they have now. By repeating these "tricks" they keep them in order. The make laws such as "never lie" and "precision of language" to never repeat mistakes that did happen when the community did have choices. They think that mistakes such as a lie turning into warfare is horrible and they should not have the choice of making that mistake again. Except when you do something that is mistake and has consequences that people will know to never do that again. 

Speeches: Tongue Twister

My Production Elective

The 25th of September is only 14 days away now so it is all go for the production elective. We are creating a movie that will be on show on the last Thursday of term 3 (25th of September) all about the 40 years of H.N.I. I am in the group of the 80's and we have filmed our part in the cooking tech, and we are working on a second one about the Cultural day that happened when the sporty kids went to Masterton. The movie "Back to the Beginning" is going to be great complete with a whole timeline of H.N.I and little live performances. You can buy your tickets at the School Office for $10 and Adult and $5 for a child. Make sure you get your tickets now!

Persuasive Writing

The Intermediate day is fine the way it is. Why Change it?

The intermediate school day SHOULD NOT finish at 5pm. At the moment we spend the time after 3pm to participate in recreational activities. Priorities are nagging to be set in place, and once you have finished reading this they will be stuck in that place with superglue.

Teachers are always making statements about how crucial it is for children to get to bed early for a great night sleep ready for the next day. If you were to keep us cooped up in school, that just would not happen! We already have a total of six hours and twenty-five minutes here at school then to add on another two hours every day, makes it eight hours and twenty-five minutes! Now we still have to do our homework of thirty minutes so to add on that we would have a total of a whole eight hours and fifty-five minutes of our critical time taken away from our everyday lives! Most school children have to do chores after school too, so if we were to add around about another half an hour onto the time taken away from us that makes it nine hours and twenty-five minutes! Teachers are also dragging on about how we should be watching the news for current affairs around the world. So adding another half an hour that makes it nine hours and fifty-five minutes of our time that we could be using for free time! Then adding on the hour that we should spend communicating and playing with our family and friends makes it about ten hours and fifty-five minutes that is is stolen from us! That means we have no free time, a late night, and Teachers have grumpy students that are not ready for learning the next day!

After the eight hours and twenty-five minutes of school we have to get home, and in Winter it is starting to get a bit dark. Children who walk or bike might not see danger. There could be a pothole on the pavement and the child could slip, trip and sprain their ankle. That means you would have more children away or injured at school missing out on their compulsory learning. Also when it gets dark children who don’t get picked up by car will be calling their parents to pick them up because it will be damp and cold. Which means you are encouraging pollution. We are supposed to be saving our future by walking and biking to and from school, except by making us go to this learning site you are doing the very opposite. You are probably thinking, but parents will be saving money on child care for the parents that work to five o'clock, but what about the people who run the child care? They’ll go broke! They won’t be making any money so they will become homeless. We will have more beggars in the streets! Do you really want that?

Also what about the commitments? Like Soccer, Drama, Rugby, Swimming, Piano, Taking the dog for a walk? We still have to do those, but how can we when school finishes at five o’clock, INSANE! In about 10 years time you wouldn’t be just turning on the telly to watch the rugby, because there wouldn’t be any! Kids just would not be able to do what they love. There wouldn’t be any training because there wouldn’t be any time, so in ten years time there wouldn’t be any talented enough people to play for your favourite sport team. You think that’s sad? What about the Olympics? There wouldn’t be any! All because nobody has had the time to practice, practice, practice to make perfect because school is controlling their lives! The world record book would always stay the same too, like in 2009 it says ”World record 100m sprint Usain Bolt 9.58 seconds”, and in 2010 ”World record 100m sprint Usain Bolt 9.58 seconds” and ten years later… 2020 ”World record 100m sprint Usain Bolt 9.58 seconds”. But maybe in 2030 there is no one to run the 100m as Usain has retired and none of the kids are doing athletics training! THATS RIDICULOUS! Also when you turn on the t.v for the comedy show, we would be back to the old “knock knock” jokes, because nobody would have any time for new ones! What about latest drama? What would happen to that? I can tell you, we would be watching the same episodes over and over again Because nobody is doing anything differently!

Like I said earlier children will have late nights and be tired the next day, but it’s not only students that will be having late nights, TEACHERS TOO! Teachers already stay almost 2 hours after school so if school bell was to go at five o’clock p.m then teachers will only be starting to leave at seven! By the next day, not only will students be tired and grumpy but teachers will be too, which means nobody will have a great day and nobody will get any learning. Teachers will lose patients with tired and grumpy students and nearly the whole school will be in isolation. Nobody will feel positive about school ever!

So I’m pretty sure the glue has dried now and that no your priorities are stuck in place. School should never ever ever, finish at five o’clock! All because children will never get any learning done because of the ten hours and fifty-five minutes of our day that is stolen from us. We will have late nights and you will have grumpy school children. But of course it’s not only students that will be grumpy too. With teachers only starting to leave at seven they will lose patients with their students and nobody will ever feel positive about this learning site again! Pollution. Pollution is a huge cause of global warming and by parents and students not feeling very safe walking home in the damp and cold dark they’ll get picked up by car, and we all know what that means. Also what about commitments? Nothing will ever change everything will be the same because nobody has ever had the time to even think about their dreams because there is simply no time! All because school has finished at five o’clock p.m! The finishing time is great the way it is, it DOES NOT need to be changed.

Electronics

This is my first soldering practice. In electronics we are creating an emergency light for an earthquake. To do this we need to be able to solder. Here is a picture of me soldering a wires.

PE: Social Dance

At the moment we are learning Social Dance. We have learnt a total of seven dances already such as Gay Gordons, Coconut Cream, Red Hot, Shalala, Maxina, Sea Cruise and Bus Stop! We are all loving it. I especially love Red Hot because it is so energetic and fun! 

Keith Haring Art

This term we have been learning about change makers. In the subject art we have learnt about Keith Haring, a man who made art for millions to see. Here is my Keith Haring inspired Art speaking to us about Keith Haring.

"Exploring Parliament"

Last week room 12B watched four videos about parliament. Here is my note taking about the videos. 

Electronics Technology

Last week Technology Group K started our first session in Electronics Technology with Mrs Houghton. We learnt that a circuit has to flow from the power source round through the light bulb and back into the battery for it to activate the light bulb. There are 2 types of circuits series and parallel. A parallel circuit is when the wire goes around all of the light bulbs and then the light bulbs are all connected separately, which means others can be working when we unscrew one of the light bulbs. A series circuit is when the electricity has to go through the light bulb to get back to the light bulb, so when we unscrew one light bulb it is like cutting the wire...all of the light bulbs go out. Here is a picture of Laura, Barney and I working with electricity!

Reading: Archibald Baxter

This term we are learning about change makers. We are learning to consider different perspectives of war and gain and understanding of a person who endured great hardship for his beliefs. Here is Jesse and my Telegami about Archibald Baxter, a man who held his belief of pacifism.

Technology: Cycle Three

Designing, Sanding and Evaluating... that is what Group K have been doing in materials technology. With the help of Mr Sutherland we have all designed a key tag and a cover for our USB PCB Board. I designed an I phone looking key tag for my Dad and a USB cover that was is a shape of a light bulb that looked something like this.

I had a lot of fun designing and creating my key tag as well, 

first I took in some ideas and drew 2 plans, then I chose one and made some adjustments to it. Then because my plan was too complicated make the usual way I logged on to a 2d design programme and created my plan on there. I then cut the pieces of plastic with the laser cutter. I then sanded it and gave it a shiny look with the jif. I then evaluated it and I think it turned out great! Thank you Mr Sutherland for working with Group K!

Maths: Algebra

This term in maths we have been learning about algebra. We have learnt about coordinates and how you always say/write them with the x axis first. You write a coordinate like this (4,9). The X axis is the horizontal line and the Y axis is the vertical line. We remember which one is what by remembering that an X is a cross so the X axis is across! This week we played battle ships to help us with our coordinates. Here is Jesse and I playing battleships.

PE: Cross Country Training

On the 15th of August the whole of H.N.I will be participating in our Cross Country. Room 12B have been training. Here is my table of my training times.

DATE	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
	3 Field Laps	Guthrie / Brookvale / Woodlands	Guthrie / Brookvale / Russell Robertson / Croft	Full Cross Country Course
23/6/14	7:49
26/6/14	7:32
27/6/14		8:21 One lap
30/6/14	7:25
7/1/14		15:08
7/2/14	7:23
21/7/14	7:19
28/7/14		17:32
29/7/14		17:45
30/7/14				29:07 Walking

Change Makers - Term 3 Inquiry

This term we are focusing on people ho have made a positive difference to the world (or their part of it).

Ode To My Bottom

Oh Bottom, Oh Bottom

how smooth you are

as curved as the corners

of a car.

Wobbly chubby

smooth and pale,

like the backside

of a whale.

You shine like silver

gleam like gold,

a smelly goodness inside

you hold

Just after I eat

some cheesy mould.

After I eat

something sugary and sweet

I wipe you up

and then you erupt.

Oh Bottom, Oh Bottom

how smooth you are

as curved as the corners

of a car.

Reading: Wonder Reflection

This term we have been reading the story Wonder. Wonder is a book about a boy called August (Auggie) who has Treacher Collins Syndrome, which means his face is deformed. He has been home schooled all his life and is finally going into a real school with real kids. His Mum Dad and Via are all really supportive. Here is a wonder reflection I created.

Inquiry Reflection

This term our inquiry topic has been about "The Incredible Human Machine" For homework we have been researching and presenting about a disorder that challenges the human machine. We got to chose which disorder we could research. I have researched about Down Syndrome. There is a lot that I have learnt about Down Syndrome, like it is a genetic disorder which means that you can't catch it like a cold. I also know that it is caused by an extra part or whole chromosome. But that is not all I have learnt about this term. I have learnt about what happens when we are growing up, to reproduce. This term has been really interesting, there really isn't a limit to the human body! One interesting thing is that your brain isn't completely matured until your 20's. Another one is that You usually have 46 chromosomes, 23 from your mother and 23 from your father, but somebody with Down Syndrome has 47. Term 2 has been really fun and I can't wait until next term to have a brand spanking new inquiry topic!

Picasso- Inspired Art

In Room 12B we looked at how Pablo Picasso created his art. He made a 3d- like image by combining the frontal (front on) view and profile (side on) view together. We all got into buddies and had to first sketch the frontal view and then the profile view of our buddy. My buddy was Curtis. We then combined the pictures together on a piece of paper with chalk pastel. After we had done that we created a collage background with magazines. To the right of this is my Picasso Inspired Art. 

Te Reo: Te Tinana

Hi I'm Jamie and I am going to teach you names of body parts in Te Reo. Our inquiry topic has been "The Incredible Human Machine". In room 12B we have learnt lots about our body and also how to say them in Maori. Here is my video to show a bit about what I have learnt.

My Production Elective

This term every Thursday afternoon the whole school get's split up into groups to go to their chosen electives. I go to the production elective which is in media studies. We are creating a movie about the 40 years that have passed by of H.N.I. It will be screening in Cinema Gold Havelock North late term 3. We are all very excited! We have been split into three decades, 70's, 80's and 90's. I am in the 80's. At the moment we are contacting and interviewing people that have been to H.N.I or taught here in our decade. These interviews may go into our movie. We are coming up with ideas to link our movie together somehow. We are all very excited and having lots of fun!

Explanation Writing: The Skeletal System

Discovering the Skeletal System

The skeletal system is really an amazing thing. Did you know that you are born with 300 bones but as you grow you only have 206? Also that your bones are made up of four parts. Your skeletal system Allows you to grow, move and this is the reason.

Bones are made up of four parts. The centre of the bone is the bone marrow. This is a like thick blob of jelly, it’s job is to create new blood cells for the body. Over top of that is the cancellous. This looks a bit like a sponge but is much stronger. Next is the cancellous is the compact bone. This is the part you see when you look at skeletons, it is very smooth and very hard. Finally on the top is the Periosteum,  a thin dense layer that contains nerves and blood vessels that nourish the bone. That’s the ‘Bone’ as such but another thing is Cartilage. Cartilage is a softer more flexible ‘bone’ as such. Cartilage sits inside most of our joints and part of our nose is made from cartilage.

You are born with three hundred bones but as you grow into an adult you will have 206. No, you don’t lose any! It’s just that some of your smaller bones fuse or join together to create bigger bones. Bones are a network of calcium made up by cells. As we grow, these cells add new calcium to the network of bone. At the end of childrens’ bone they have layers of the cells in the shape of plates. These are called “growth plates” . When we get to full height these close up.

Your bones move by using joints. Joints are ways that two bones can ‘clip’ together to move around. There are two types of joints, hinge and ball and socket. The hinge joint works like a door hinge. With this joint the bone can only move side to side or up and down, like your knee. The ball and socket can move around. It works like a ball in a cup. The ball can move almost everywhere around.

Bones are flexible, but not that flexible! Once too much pressure is put on them, they will snap or crack. A bit like a wooden pencil. When a bone gets broken it is called a fracture. There are lots of different types of fractures. A complete fracture is when the bone has broken or snapped into two pieces. A greenstick fracture is when the bone cracks in one place only, not all the way through. A single fracture is when the bone is broken in one place. A comminuted fracture is when the bone is broken into more than two pieces, crushed or shattered. A bowing fracture, which only happens in children, is when the bone bends but doesn't break. An open fracture is when the bone sticks through the skin. When a bone gets fractured it heals all by itself. Bones heal like they grow. The cells add more calcium to where it is broken until it is all filled in.

Just like the whole human body, the skeletal system is amazing. Breaking a bone especially when you're young, is just part of human life. And to think that your bones are made up of a whole network, is really cool!