Beach Education Day

Room 15 headed out to Westshore Beach on Monday. After a morning of surf education and beach safety we headed for the sea. Luckily the sun came out and everyone was keen for a splash...maybe parents and teachers were not so keen!

Line, angle, line...triangles

In maths for the past couple of weeks, we have been covering Geometry. We spent some time at the end of our unit learning to construct triangles using a compass, ruler and protractor. We were good enough at it that explaining and demonstrating was a natural next step...check out this film made by Finn and Tyrin, or otherwise check out individual blogs.

Ki-O- Rahi, Our new favourite PE game!

Check out our first attempt at Ki-o-Rahi. We had so much fun learning a totally new game...Thanks so much to Taurean and Marcus (Room 9) for sharing their skill!
Ki o Rahi is a traditional Maori ball game which is fast moving and played on a circular field, involving swift passing and manovering of a 'ki' (ball). We have all increased our te reo vocabulary and have been exposed to maori concepts of mauri - the interconnections between everything.
Looking forward to having another go tomorrow...I am having to sharpen up my refereeing and scoring skills too!

Understanding Sustainability

Our inquiry topic this term is SUSTAINABILITY. In groups the class created a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of the sustainability concept. Check out Taurean's fantastic efforts and others on individual blogs. Thanks Taurean for sharing!

We have a winner!

Jasmine has completed the 'reading outside the box' challenge!!! A fantastic accomplishment. Check out Jasmine's blog to read up on reviews of the books she has read. Who will be next?

Smarties Party....maths can be fun!

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Investigating probability was fun today. After creating a table to show the fraction and percentage of each colour in a packet of smarties. We determined the probability of finding certain colours...it was pretty tricky determining the probability of selecting the same colour, if given the opportunity to blind select twice...but we did it. Ratios are also more fun when you get to eat the materials!

How to multiply: Maths fun

Just had to post this interesting method of working out multiplication equations...we had fun in maths today exploring this approach. Very clever!

Change inquirymakers- Beach clean up

The beach clean-up crew had their 'action day' on Friday. Equipped with plastic bags, gloves and gumboots we were all set to leave our mark on Clifton Beach.
Kahori from the Cape Kidnappers Sanctuary met us at the start point to explain to us the connections between the our beach action and the sanctuary up on the cliffs- it help reinforce the purpose and relevance of our 'action'.
The next step for this group is to analyse the rubbish we collected and inform others.
A great day out of the classroom!

Spring fair and Candy Floss!

All keen and ready to go on the 'CANDY FLOSS' stand at the Spring fair!
We went through cloudy, rainy, windy and, sunny weather..but barely noticed- that busy were we!
Thanks to all the helpers and wig wearers...a truly hectic day.

Social dancing in full swing!

Our PE focus has switched from cross country to social dancing for the remainder of the term. We are getting right into the swing of things...with some fancy moves! 

Change makers...endless possibilities!

Room 15 is full steam ahead on our 'Changemakers' inquiry. 

Vicky Butterworth from BikeNZ met with the bike safety action group to discuss possible actions they could take in the community on Wednesday. 

The 'liven up your life' mural group have been busy securing support from the local business community to create a fantastic mural for the community dental clinic.

The 'Mercy ship' group are making awesome progress with their fundraising plans, while the 'Environment group' has made contact with a number of conservationists and are busy formulating their  action plan.

We have been most impressed by the enthusiasm and support shown to us by the businesses and individuals we have approached. It is very affirming and empowering for us all. Keep posted for more updates on our progress!

ABC: Electives style

The students involved in the Sign language elective created this video today to illustrate their learning of the NZ sign language alphabet! Check it out and join us by becoming sign language suave.

Youth expo

Room 15, along with all Year 8's at HNI, travelled to Napier to attend the youth expo on Wednesday. We learnt about the effects of drugs and alcohol on people and the possible consequences of the choices we make. Comedian Mike King and Musician Tipene kept us all entertained and engaged in the presentations...while students from HNHS did a wonderful job of opening the expo with a real life scenario skit. We are left with much to consider and discuss in class and hopefully will remember some of the lessons we learnt when faced with making our own choices!

How to change the world.

Found this video...while it fizzes out at the end, it does give us something to think about! Our 'Change makers' inquiry topic is moving forward- check out our word clouds as we prepare to demonstrate some Change maker qualities of our own!

He aha te wā?/ E hia ō pakeke?

For Te reo Māori in Room 15, we have been exploring numbers so far this term. We have begun to apply this knowledge to telling the time and responding to questions about age.
Each student has created a presentation that shares this learning- Below is Carys's fabulous effort! Check out others on individual blogs! 

1.Time

He aha te wā?
(What is the time?)

Tekau meneti ki te rua karaka te wā.
(Ten minutes to two o'clock.)

Record and upload voice >> 
2.Age
E hia ō pakeke?
(How old are you?)

E rua tekau ma rima ōku pakeke.
(I am twenty five years old.)

Online recording software >>

Applying algebraic formulae to real life

In maths at the moment we are working on algebra, we applied the use of algebra into a daily life situation. We used the scenario of running a cafe to produce these spreadsheets. Big thanks to the two students from Room 13 who shared their knowledge with us. We will be extending this tomorrow with a mini project. 

Here is Charlotte's... 

Name...	Soup...	Meal...	Dessert...	Drink...	Total...
Bob	4	6	4	3	$77.00
Greg	2	4	6	7	$77.00
Bella	12	30	16	7	$313.00
Caitlin	7	20	13	6	$218.00
Chloe	30	50	20	10	$530.00
Ally	3	7	3	2	$72.00
Jack	34	23	5	3	$303.00
Finn	12	27	9	9	$273.00
Emma	19	33	11	11	$351.00
Teddy	9	11	12	13	$189.00
Adam	5	8	18	7.5	$162.50
Willow	17	37	17	2.5	$365.50
Mia	16	34	26	3.333	$382.00
Sophie	1	2	7	5	$59.00
Total	171	292	167	89.333	$3,372.00

Algebra equations

Following on from our Algebra lessons of last week we are exploring algebraic expressions. Found this youtube clip as a backup reminder...remember methodical steps, one at a time!

Class novel for term 3

The 10pm question by Kate De Goldi.

This novel is gearing up to be a good one! Written by a New Zealand author, we are introduced to Frankie Parsons, a talented year 8 boy with a quirky family, a best friend Gigs, and a voice of anxiety constantly nibbling in his head. When a bold, inquisitive new girl arrives at school, Frankie's carefully guarded world begins to unravel, leading him to a painful confrontation with the ultimate 10pm question.

We are finding it easy to relate to the characters...especially when the opening chapters have included references to completing a science fair investigation! Keep an eye out for student reviews later on in the term!

An overview of Room 15's Science investigation entries

Tyrin put together this awesome presentation using Thinglink- hover your cursor over the picture and then click on the links that appear. Well done Room 15 and congratulations to the six students representing the school at the Hawkes Bay competition!

#CrossCountryHereWeCome!

Created with Padlet

Change Makers- If not me than who?

For inquiry this term we are investigating "Changemakers". We used the Haiku Deck app to illustrate our initial understanding of the concept of Empathy. Check out the efforts of Mila, Imogen and Ella here; and others from room 15 on individual blogs.

Communication Scenarios- Pubertal health

One of the task's I set the class during pubertal health was to create a video demonstrating three different communication choices for a scenario they may face. This is Max, Finn and Miharo's creation- check out the others on individual blogs!

Budding poets

We have finished off the term exploring and experimenting with poetry. As a result we have been busy posting our latest creative efforts on our blogs...check them out.

The eye's to a window's world

I open my eyes up to the world today

I see the world spin  through the glass at the end of the room

A square, a circle ,a shape that you desire

A barrier to the outside world

The eyes to the space beyond the walls of my room

The soft solid see through slab that frames a view

I am a window

I am alerted when the morning comes

and when night is approaching

The glare of light, the shadows of darkness bounce of the surface

A protector from the weather

a mould dirt grime dust collector

an easy clean surface

A breakable block

a forceful hit will smash it to bits

I am a window

Can be open

can be closed

can be dirty

can be clean

A blank block

Can make shapes with the light

can reflect your image if the light is right

It may become cold and frosty or wet and make condensation

It does not live and it does not die it will be here for a long time

I am a window

Written by Sam Gilbert.

The Incredible Human Machine Grid challenge!

We had some fun doing these tasks over the term. Check out individual blogs to see how we got on! 

WALT: recognise and describe the systems that work together in the human body WALT: explain how the human body responds to a specific challenge (physical & psychological responses) WALT: describe mechanisms that help humans cope with challenge (stressors)

Compose a rap/music lyrics: About a challenge to the human machine- viruses, smoking, alcohol, diseases, immunity to penicillin...	Timeline/flow chart: Investigate and record evolutionary changes to the human machine over time- record predictions regarding changes into the future.	Design a menu: Make a healthy, balanced meal plan for your family for a day.  Remember to consider the food groups and their specific role in health. Include costing and a list of ingredients.	Exercise Plan: Design a 5-10min dance/exercise routine to music that would encourage others to ‘be active’. Consider what parts of the body you are exercising. Be prepared to instruct the class.
Complete a personal food and activity log. (2 day period) When completed: Categorise the food groups. Create graphs to illustrate the information you gather. Make generalisations about your diet and exercise. Could you make any recommendations to yourself?		You must aim to complete 5 activities. We finish at the end of week 8. As you complete an activity and have it marked, highlight the square on your grid.	Design a piece of equipment: to support a person with a disability. It must include an illustration, written description and be related to a real need.
Profile an Athlete you admire. Remember top athletes are talented, but really they are just like everybody else- they did not start out as champions. Some sample questions you may wish to answer; Why did they choose the sport they have?, What was an example of a low point and how did they deal with it? Greatest achievement?	Presentation: Select one human body system. Become an expert by creating a presentation that informs. The challenge is to create something that is entertaining/  interesting. Body systems are: Respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive, Skeletal, Muscular, Nervous, Digestive, Endocrine, Immune.	Create a TV commercial. (1 min) Select a specific product eg; soft drink, make-up, sports shoe, hair product. The goal is to reflect/ parody how real commercials often rely on manipulating a viewer’s self image to make them desire a product. Write a script, identifying a product, audience, brand name. This is the only group activity task.	Write an exposition: Should the NZ government impose a “fat tax” on unhealthy foods? Take a stand on the above issue and compose an argument to support your opinion. (You have a strong opinion on another issue?- if it fits with our inquiry focus go ahead!)

Wonderful writers

This term one of our writing focuses has been on creating effective explanations. We came up with a topic of particular interest to us before forming three questions that we wished to answer. After extensive researching,we began forming our explanation texts...aiming to demonstrate our strong writing voices, structure appropriately and make precise vocabulary choices.
Here is Emma's effort. Check out our individual blogs!

Arthritis

Have you ever had trouble grasping a jar or opening a lid? This is something people with arthritis have to deal with on a day to day basis.  There are over 140 types of arthritis, but about 5 types are common in NZ. Arthritis is a disease that causes tightening of the muscles, inflammation of joints, weakening of the fingers, hips and many other joints.  Some of the effects that you can see are: nobly joints, crooked fingers or inflamed knees. Many medications are in place to help fix the symptoms that arthritis brings.

There are many different types and versions of Arthritis. In New Zealand the most common type is OA (Osteoarthritis). Almost half of people aged over 60 and virtually all over 80 have OA. On the other hand Reactive Arthritis is more common for people aged 20 - 40 but it can also affect young women and children. As you can see arthritis affects anyone no matter what age you are there is a possibility of getting arthritis.

Arthritis makes people weak and sore in the particular area that they get it in. Everyone with arthritis has to deal with the pains and injuries on a daily basis. Some of the effects that you can see from arthritis are: inflamed knees, nobly joints, crooked fingers. Sharp pains and aching joints affect the way people work and move.  For example, OA can feel like broken glass in your joints. Imagine that cracking, smashing sound when you are simply trying to bend your knee or leg.

Unfortunately there is no real cure for arthritis but there are, fortunately many ways to control the symptoms with medications. There is a list of medications that you can take  to help Arthritis like NSAIDs and DMARDs. You have to take these before you try any of the self injected medications; Humira, Enbrel.  Humira is a fortnightly self injected medication that is for Rheumatoid arthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis amongst other diseases and things. Enbrel is a weekly self injection. This is for RA, Psoriatic arthritis, JIA and AS.

Arthritis is a disease that affects the joints and muscles and  causes pain in the particular area. Although it has no cure, you can take medication to help the symptoms.

Links/Bibilorgraphy:

Arthritis NZ:  http://www.arthritis.org.nz/

Humira:  http://www.humira.co.nz/

Enbrel:   http://www.enbrel.co.nz/

Blossuming artists!

This week Room 15 have been busy working on our sculptures...wire, then tinfoil, then paper mâché, finally a paint job! We'll post reflections and pictures of our completed work over the next week...keep watching!

TK technology challenge

Half a packet of spaghetti pasta, 20 marsh mellows,an egg and 30 minutes. Instructions: Build the tallest freestanding tower...supporting the egg. Simple??

Poser Art

In Room 15 we have been exploring our incredible human machine. After a yoga PE lesson, we created poses using a cardboard skeleton, to which we added colour. A colourful addition to our classroom wall. The challenge was demonstrating our pose with our own body! Our next step is to recreate this pose using wire, to produce a sculpture. We'll keep you posted on how successful we are. Below are the creations of Ella MacKenzie and Sam Gilbert.

Transplant victims!

The challenge was set! In groups of four construct and plant every major organ into the "patient". Needing correct size, shape and colour..it proved quite a challenge for many!

A real fun way to explore the human machine.

Sensational senses

Exploring whether our tongues still detect flavours when our other senses are inactive. What an incredible human machine we have! 

This explanation about our tongues in a school journal has reinforced what we need to aim for in our own explanation writing this term.

The Incredible human machine brainstorm

We created initial brainstorms using a variety of mind mapping tools this week.  Our next step will be to identify a topic that is of particular interest, formulate some 'FAT' questions to research and eventually craft an informative written report. Keep a watch on our blogs as we will be creating posts to show our progress.
Here is Sophie's brainstorm...check out others on individual blogs.

Treaty of Waitangi inquiry finale

I am busy lining things up so that I can update the class blog...because so much is happening and being achieved in Room 15 already this term- BUT.... WAIT! My students have alerted me to a  major omission. At the end of last term we created and shared with each other some AMAZING timelines of major events in New Zealand's history that are linked to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. You need to check these out!
A huge amount of effort went into creating these and a number of new timeline apps were explored.
As a taster, here is the link to Jasmine's superb creation- check out others on individual blogs
http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/272010/Treaty-of-Waitangi/#vars!date=1842-03-13_12:33:48!

The Incredible human machine

We have started discussing our 'incredible human machine" and gosh...what a lot of amazing options and variety of interests we have in our class in relation to this unit! This youtube clip was shared by another teacher...I just had to post it!

Courtenay's Showme

In Room 15 we have been learning how to add and subtract fractions. Here is Courtenay's show me, where she explains the process she follows when solving a word problem. Check out individual 'show me' maths learning by clicking on the individual blog links.  

Transformation in maths with style!

Our focus in maths over the past couple of weeks has been Transformation. Found this fun way to remember the properties for reflection, rotation, translation and enlargement!

Matahiwi Marae visit

Created with Padlet

We headed off to Matahiwi Marae today to kick off the HNI Kotahitanga week. A very valuable experience for many of us, which prompted us to create a Padlet to share our new learning! A great way to start the week!

Kotahitanga Week

We had a number of students in Room 15 working hard on creating a banner that represented our class. This is our finished effort, which is now hanging in the newly created wharenui (our school hall). Taurean and Jacinta did a fantastic job on Friday explaining the design features of our class banner- Well done guys!