Whakataka te Hau

Today in class we looked at a karakia called Whakataka te Hau. After we read the poem we talked about what it means to us, then we drew what it meant to us. In my blog post you will find the poem, my art and my explanation to why I did what I did! Feel free to comment if you have any questions,
Amelia.

Erebus Voices

Today in class we read a poem about the erebus voices, I think this was a really interesting task and a really interesting story! Feel free to comment on my reflection if you have any questions.

Amelia.

• I am here beside my brother.
• I think that the writer wants you to imagine how everyone felt when they heard the news, that 276 lives were taken, on their way to the mountain. I think that he also wants you to think about/understand the risks of traveling, and how the lives taken will be truly missed. It was a tragedy. It also sounds like anyone else in New Zealand would have definitely switched places with their loved ones if they could. 
• We fell to show that we were all together and we all fell, maybe not as far as those who lost their lives, but they all lost something. Yet we were loved, and that they will be remembered.

• Erebus Voices
• The name of the two parts are The Mountain, and The Dead.
• I think that the poet decided to split the poem in two, because there were two sides to the story 1. How the mountain felt and how it took 276 lives and 2. How the passengers were on the mountain that took them, it says in this section  that they believe that they wo n’t6 be forgotten and that even though they are there and we are here in N we are still whole and they are always with us.

I think that the poet was explaining how in  the tragic event that 276 good lives were lost, they will not be forgotten and that their story will live on. It makes you reflect on how much you take for granted and how hard they have worked because an accident hasn’t happened like that for many years. I am very interested in learning more about the Erebus disaster! I think that it is a great piece of history we should know, it makes you feel sad and sorry for the families and victims of the Erebus disaster but proud to be part of a country who feels so united and close to their surrounding citycons.

Countryside, kiwi side!

When you start to daydream,

Your mind turns straight to the countryside.

Sometimes I look at you and I look into your eyes,I notice the way you think about the countryside with a smile,

Curved lips you just can't disguise. But you think it's the city making your life worthwhile.Why is it so hard for you to decide which you love more?

The City or...The Countryside?

You like to use words like 'magic' and 'victory.'

You like to use words about the city.

But when you stop your talking,Your mind turns straight to the countryside.

Sometimes I look at you and I look into your eyes,I notice the way you think about the countryside with a smile,Curved lips you just can't disguise.But you think it's the city making your life worthwhile.

Why is it so hard for you to decide which you love more? 

The City or...The Countryside?

You like to hang out with Lara and Chloe. But when left alone,

Your mind turns straight to the countryside.

Sometimes I look at you and I look into your eyes,I notice the way you think about the countryside with a smile, Curved lips you just can't disguise.

But you think it's the city making your life worthwhile. Why is it so hard for you to decide which you love more?

The City or...The Countryside? You hate washing dishes and dirty hippos. But you just think back to the countryside,

and you're happy once again.

Mc Chicken -Takes Flight

Today we finished our Hairy Maclary stories, and drew pictures of our character, then added them into a slideshow, as well as editing our stories. I thought this was a really fun task and I hope you enjoy my slideshow, and feel free to comment if you have any questions.
-Amelia

Buttercup Song!

Today we made a song about a Flora or Fauna plant!
 I hope you like my song! Feel free to comment if you have any questions.
-Amelia

One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup. I was up, I was up.

And drink the dew from the buttercup.To find myself ready to go. I was up, I was up.

Now I got to go cleanup you know what that means, makeup! I was up, I was up.

Now it’s time to go for my walk again, almost as slow as a sloth but as fast as a hen, I was up, I was up.

With a smack! And a boom! I was down on the floor bullies still looking like they want some more. I was up, I was gone!

Nz Heros Art

This is all my art pieces so far, I will be adding to this post frequently! So that it can be used as a portfolio, if you have any questions about why I had done what i have please ask in the comments!
I hope you like it, Amelia.

My Kiwiana Poem

Today we made a poem about New Zealand. First we brainstormed what things make New Zealand unique and what it means to you. My poem is about all the different foods that we have in New Zealand and how we celebrate certain times in the year! We also had to use all the senses. Hope you like it and feel free to comment if you have anything to say about this work, Amelia.

Kiwiana Poem!

How does it taste? 

How does it feel?

I can’t tell, is pavlova a meal?

It looks so fluffy, so fresh, so yummy!

But what will happen when it‘s in my tummy?

Green kiwis, so rough so tough on the outer, no way it’s a pouter. 

Gliders & Airplanes How do they work?

Today I will be writing about the different parts of an airplane, and how this causes the airplane to lift and fly. I will then be relating this to how I fly my paper/ balsa wood  airplane (glider). Including the changes I have made to my design due research.
Here is my slideshow made with Rebecca, it includes our research, bibliography, and images!
Feel free to give productive feedback, Amelia.

Paper plane investigation!

 In class we are doing an experimental paper plane investigation. We are trying to make our planes fly longer by making slight adjustments. I will be adding to thus slide show for the next week, I hope you enjoy!

Haiku

Haiku

The first place; to watch.

The last to leave; where I feel safe

After the trees. 

The mountain range close;

My family closer; or further.

My home to far.

I’m growing; it’s time,

Time to leave; to make others happy.

Sweet but sour they taste.

I watch the water

It feels real it looks fake

How could an ocean hang on a wall?

Haiku, by Hone Tuwhare!

I think that Hone Tuwhare poem is about how a creek doesn’t have enough water, and even though rain will come and you will smile again. Not everything will be the same, and you must be prepared to put up a battle.

 The picture I get when the poem was read out, was a boy sitting by a creek talking to a frog, letting him know it was going to be ok: and no matter what he wasn’t going to let anything happen to the frog.

I think he describes the creek as snivelling, because when I snivelling I feel like I’m holding onto my last nerve and that I’m so close to just getting super mad and unpleasant; I think that the creek is just about to let go too, but only in a really sad way.

I think the poem could definitely be a metaphor for a topic something like...

The sun makes more tears than water.

Nz Authors

Today in class, we made a timeline with 15 different authors. We had to include a short blurb about each author, and order them from oldest to youngest if they were all alive today. Each blurb also must include one of there books, and I hope you like learning about Nz authors as much as I did. I think it was a really great way to look back at our history in my English class, and I really enjoyed this task, I used a website called visme timeline maker and it was really fun and colorful with lot's of different templates and I would definitely recommend this website and timelines for fun projects at home.
Here is my timeline and I hope you like it, Amelia.

Magpies

Today in class, we read a poem called Magpies by Denis Glover.
It's a poem about a couple Tom and Elizabeth and how hard life was for them.Then we did a question sheet which asked about what some of the words mean't.
Here is the poem and the question sheet we had to do too. Let me know what you think of my reflections, Amelia.

When Tom and Elizabeth took the farm
The bracken made their bed
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

Tom's hand was strong to the plough
and Elizabeth's lips were red
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

Year in year out they worked
while the pines grew overhead
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

But all the beautiful crops soon went
to the mortgage man instead
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

Elizabeth is dead now (it's long ago)
Old Tom's gone light in the head
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

The farm's still there. Mortgage corporations
couldn't give it away
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies say.

1. “The bracken that made their bed”

I think this means that their bed was made up of the plants around the farm, I think this means it was a challenge because they didn’t have anything, which makes it sound like their kinda poor.

2.  “Tom’s hand was strong to the plough.”

Well they lived on a farm, so that means that Tom and his wife would of had to many jobs, so that the farm was always up and running.
But you would have to be strong and fit, to be able to deal with all the fitness needed to run a farm, and I’m sure he would be steady on the handle when it comes to keeping the farm safe.
This shows that when they first bought the farm, they were nice and young.

3. “But all the beautiful crops soon went to the mortgage man instead.”

I think this means that they might be getting old, and their jobs are in the farm. They probably don’t have any children either for extra help.
Which means they can’t produce as much crops, so all their hard work on the farm, only just covers the mortgage bill, for the farm.

4. “Old Tom’s gone light in the head”

I think it means he’s getting old and that he gets overloaded with pressure to make the crops and pay the bills, but he could get sick. Really sick.

5. “The farms still there, mortgage operations/couldn’t give it away”

I think it means they died, but they can’t find anyone with the money to pay to renovate the house and still have the money to buy it and live well too.

6. I think they changed what they magpies say in the last stanza because the magpies, had been in the past before.
Maybe they were finally in the present looking forward to the future.

7. I think it’s a sad story because the magpies, don’t have their “family.”
The mortgage man of course would have needed to have the money so that he could have a nice life, but it just reminds you how many families would have gone through this, in real life.  
The magpies also sounded kinda like they are making fun of the pair, so maybe the weren't so family like.

Blog Post Reflection!

Today, in class we were learning what makes a quality blog post. Since I'm at a new school, Campion intermediate and high school. We are going back to the basics and learning all about the commenting and posting structures.

Here is the structure that we are learning to use, hope you like it.- Amelia

Camp cooking Part 2!

Today in class, we made pancakes using water and Edmond pancake mix shaker original. This works really well for cooking breakfast, and its really light to carry too. This makes it really good to use for overnight hikes and other overnight active activities. Here is a slide show with images, and descriptions with how our team went. (same team as yesterday!)

Camp Cooking Part 1

Today in class we tried camp cooking. Which means that we used cooking equipment that we would use, if we were going on an over night hike, and couldn't use electricity to make food. But that you also had to carry all you food. Which means that you had to think very carefully about what you took, which we did before we cooked.  Of course we never actually went on an over night hike, it was just our inspiration to think through what you were really doing.

We had a safety talk, too make sure everyone knew what they were doing, so they could help their teams. We were split into teams of three and four, then we read through the packets of the food and with the teachers instructions make a delicious meal, that I would any day.

We made...
1.  Dehydrated peas, and boiled then until they were ready to eat.
2.  Dehydrated mash potato, which looked like dandruff, and the saw dust used for bunny hutches.
3.  Sausages which came out of a freezer and we could them until they we crispy and soft... PERFECT!

Then  we had to fill out a slide show about how you and your group worked, here's mine!

Stretcher Making Reflection

Click link

My Logo Design

A task that we were given was too, make a logo design for your team. It should include your team name, colour (tangerine.) To start with you each made an individual logo and then you came together in a group to make a phantasmagorical team logo. Here is my plan logo and final team logo... I am really proud of these designs because, I put in a lot of effort into these. I also came up with my teams final logo design.

Final Design                                                                               

 Practice Design 2