Today we had to write five questions about lockdown and the delta variant, we would ask Jacinda Ardern or Dr. Ashley Bloomfield if we had the chance. I found this very boring because I couldn't think of many questions.
1. Why didn't we keep our borders closed? We would have never got the delta variant then.
2. Why is the delta variant so contagious?
3. How exactly does the vaccination work?
4. How long until NZ is fully vaccinated?
5. When will lockdown end?
Because the Olympics have just happened, we did a research on one of the countries competing in the Olympics. Mrs. Gibson gave us all a letter (I got 'M') and we had to research a country beginning with that letter. I chose the Marshall Islands.
I enjoyed getting to draw the black-footed cat, though I think it looked nicer in the sketch. I found it challenging to find interesting facts. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could make the words easier to read.
After we did our reciprocal reading, we had to do Word of the Week. Word of the Week, or WotW for short, is when you are given three words and you have to answer questions about the word you chose. This week the words were 'gaze', 'personification', and 'juxtaposition'. I chose juxtaposition. The questions you have to answer are:
- What is your word?
- What do YOU think the word means?
- What does the word really mean?
- Synonyms of your word?
- Antonyms of your word?
- Your word in a sentence?
- [Insert picture of your word here]
I enjoyed getting to look at photos of juxtaposition because they were all very interesting. I found it challenging to put the word in a sentence and I'm not sure if how I used it is correct or not. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could find more antonyms.
For T-shaped literacy, we had to watch a video and write about five jobs we liked. We had to write pros, cons, training required, and why I might suit us. The jobs I choose were digital artist, animater, teacher, middle-distance athlete, and veternarian.
I enjoyed writing about most of the jobs. I found it challenging to write the pros of being a teacher because there aren't many. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add more detail to why they all suit me.
Digital artist:
Pros:
I can do art, which I love!
I can work from home and when I’m sick
A qualification is not necessary, but preferred
Cons:
Sometimes I’ll get art block
I’ll spend a lot of time looking at computers
Finding a client is hard
Training:
None
Why it suits me:
I enjoy art
I don’t procrastinate much
I am good at art
Animator:
Pros:
I get to do art
I can work for movie companies
Pay is high
I get to work from home
Cons:
Animation is frustrating
I’ll spend EVEN more time looking at computers
Finding a company to work for will be hard
Training:
Degree in computer animation
Why it suits me:
I enjoy art/animation
I’m good with editing to create animation
Middle distance athlete:
Pros:
I get a lot of exercise
I could go to the olympics
Cons:
Running is tiring
Travel and equipment needed is expensive
Training:
Practice in running
Why it suits me:
I enjoy middle distance running
I have good stamina
Teacher:
Pros:
I can help children
I get to do maths
Cons:
People can be rowdy and annoying
I’ll spend a lot of time at work
Training:
A specialist subject degree followed by a one-year Graduate Diploma of Teaching or a Master of
Teaching
Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Teaching conjoint degree
Why it suits me:
I’m fairly academic
I enjoy teaching my sister
Veterinarian:
Pros:
You get to work with animals
Good pay
I can do what I like
Cons:
I might have to get up early in the morning
May get bitten/kicked/scratched
Training:
Knowledge of animals and animal diseases
Animal-handling skills
Knowledge of animal anatomy, physiology and biology
Knowledge of biochemistry, microbiology and parasitology
Skill in treating animals with medicines and performing surgery
Knowledge of radiography, dentistry and lab methods
Why it suits me:
I enjoy working with animals
For literacy, we had to read 3 articles and write job profiles for them. I enjoyed getting to read the text. I found it challenging to work out what to write for the last job. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add more detail.
To be a comic book artist you need to . . .
Be creative
Be resilient
Be determined
Be good at writing
Have a degree in art
To work at NASA you need to . . .
Have a degree in science
Have a degree in technology
Have a degree in engineering
Go through two years of training
Communicate well with others
Work well in a team
To be a temporary structure builder you need to . . .
Be able to problem solve
As year 7 and 8's our class has to look at careers. Today we read an article containing 20 jobs an NZ person should study and apply for. Afterwards, we had to create fact files for 5 of the jobs, and write what has changed in the job since lockdown as the article was written in 2019.
I enjoyed getting to write about veterinarians because I already knew quite a bit about vets. I found it challenging to chose the fifth job. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add some photos or describe what the job is.
Veterinarian
You get to work with animals a lot
There’s good salary
There’s multiple fields you can work in (Equine, canine, feline)
You may get bitten, scratched, or kicked
You’ll see a lot of blood, and sometimes may not be able to help the animal
What’s changed? This job hasn’t changed much as vets continued working during lockdown. Pet
owners still brought their pets in so there was no loss of work.
Medical doctor
You’re helping save lives
Great salary
You can work overseas
Night shifts, working on holidays
You may get emotionally attached to a patient
What’s changed? Doctors had to work during lockdown treating people with COVID-19. Because
of this, they were exposed to people with symptoms of COVID-19 so they had a higher chance of
catching it.
Chef
You get to experiment with making food
You can be creative with what you make
There’s plenty of overseas options
You have to do a lot of lifting, walking, and moving around
What’s changed? Chefs didn’t have to work during lockdown as no one was going out to
restaurants. Other than that, not much has changed.
Teacher
You get to work with children
Children can sometimes be insufferable
Parents may complain
You have to do a lot of work in your own time
You do a lot of problem-solving
What’s changed? During lockdown, teachers had to work out how to teach digitally, but they were
still teaching. Nothing has really changed except they have to keep hand sanitiser in their
classroom.
Radiographer
You’ll get to help treat people
There’s a good salary
You may be exposed to radiation
You may have to work on holidays
What’s changed? Not much really as people still came in during lockdown.
After doing the weekly quiz this week I chose to research Scott Base. When we did the quiz I was very surprised because quite a few people didn't know where Scott Base was! I found so many facts that I could include them all. In the end, I chose four facts- Where and what is Scott Base, why is Scott Base green, when can you visit Scott Base, and how can you get to Scott Base. Mrs. Gibson, our teacher decided that we could get 200 house points if our blog post and caption were mistake-free. This meant that there were no spelling mistakes, no incorrect punctuation, and it all made sense!
I enjoyed getting to read so many different websites because they were all very interesting! I found it challenging to chose which facts to do, and how to lay out my post. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add a few more facts by changing the layout and size of the text.
For T-shaped literacy, we had to make a DLO (Digital Learning Object) explaining how Tokelau made their energy. Before making the DLO we had to read three articles (One Two Three). I enjoyed reading the articles because they were very informative and I learned things I hadn't known before. I found it challenging to explain why the Tokelauan council decided to change to solar energy. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add more colour. (Miro's idea)
For T-shaped literacy, we had to make a mobile showing the different types of energy. I didn't do all the types but I did potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, solar, wind, and light. I'm happy with the end result as it looks interesting, all the pieces are different heights, the pieces spin slowly, and that it's balanced. I enjoyed getting to draw the pictures (Using kleki.com) especially the flame. I found it challenging to think of colours to use for the words. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add more types of energy like chemical or hydro.
Photo's of the mobile. Sorry, they're bad quality, I had trouble holding my Chromebook up.
For T-shaped literacy, we had to watch a video explaining the difference between potential and kinetic energy. It included rollercoaster models, bow and arrows, pogo sticks, and microphones. I enjoyed getting to watch the video because it taught me a lot. I found it challenging to describe the variables for kinetic energy. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could go into more detail for the first question- What is the difference between potential and kinetic energy?
What is the difference between kinetic and potential energy?
Potential energy is energy that will potentially be used, and kinetic energy is energy of motion.
What variable(s) determine the amount of kinetic energy?
The more potential energy there is, the more kinetic energy there will be. The faster an object is moving, the more kinetic energy there will be.
What variable(s) determine the amount of potential energy?
The higher the object is, the more potential energy it gains because it has further to go down. If you were to drop an egg from one meter it would break because it had a lot of potential energy that was turned into kinetic energy. But if you dropped an egg from 3 meters it would be absolutely pulverised because there was more potential energy stored, meaning that when it fell it was faster because the potential energy was turned into kinetic energy.
Explain how energy is transformed in a spring
When the spring is pressed together it holds potential energy. When the ends are released the potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy, making the spring bounce.
For T-shaped literacy we got to chose one-three words from the list before making a word map about our chosen word(s). I originally read it as three words and chose solar energy, thermal energy, and nuclear energy. Then I realised it was one-three and did just thermal energy so I could put a lot of work into it. I enjoyed getting to read about thermal energy because I learnt a lot of things. I found it challenging to explain what thermal energy was. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could make a longer description about what thermal energy was.
For our T-shaped literacy, we had to make a Venn diagram comparing Text A and Text B. Both texts were about saving energy and the different types. I enjoyed getting to read the texts as they were short and easy to understand. I found it challenging to find things that were the same as I misread Text A. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add more detail.
For literacy, we had to write about where we went but we had to describe a contrast. For example summer and winter. I enjoyed getting to write about going to Colgate Games at Saxton Field in Nelson. I found it challenging to think of a contrast. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could have made the caption longer and more detailed.
Tents are blowing in the wind. People are cheering, before going to marshaling. Team Leaders are calling out to runners. The runners are coming in and out of the tent. All of a sudden a tent across the field jump up screaming and clapping. Their team has won something. Stuff is happening all around, yet the world seems slow.
It’s a hot afternoon, the 1500 meter runners have left. There is a sprinkler set on the track. As the runners set off the sun seems to heat up more, as if trying to burn us. Speakers appear to amplify voices in the heat, causing athletes to stumble. The sun is blisteringly hot so people are coming around selling ice blocks. The ice blocks seem like a gift from God in this heat.
It’s raining now, the only people outside the tents are competitors. Tents are zipped up with teams inside. People that aren’t competing have all their team clothes on - Singlet, t-shirt, hoodie, and jacket. Some are even wrapped up in blankets. As competitors leave they shiver as the rain hits them.
For writing, we had to storyboard a book we knew. I chose to do The Battle Begins (Unnaturals book #1) because I knew it a lot. It's a good book and I would recommend reading it because there are many more important parts than what you see in my comic. I enjoyed getting to storyboard the book but I would have prefered getting to draw it myself rather than using StoryboardThat. I found it challenging to make the characters because they are hybrids. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could have put the title at the start because it looks weird at the end. (I don't know why I put it there)
For our quiz activity, we had to write about anything from the quiz. I choose to write about mink culling, and the minks rising from the dead. I enjoyed getting to write about minks (Fun fact: They are related to my favourite animals, the pine marten). I found it challenging to find much information about the subject. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could make it longer. I didn't do that because I didn't have as much time as we normally do.
For literacy, when we did activity 5 (We did 4 first) we had to create a piece of art. Art meant music, drawing, song, dance, or anything like that. The piece of art had to have a hidden meaning. My meaning is we are ruining the earth. I enjoyed getting to create my piece of art (I choose a drawing) because I like to draw a lot at home. I found it challenging to think of a meaning. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add more detail/make the countries the right shape.
My art:
For activity three, we had to write an artist profile for Banksy. Banksy is a well-known artist but no one really knows who he is. I enjoyed getting to learn more about the street artist (NOT GRAFFITIST!) because I didn't know much. I found it challenging to make an artist profile because I didn't really know how to do it. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add more facts.
Banksy
This un-named graffitist turned street artist is believed to be called Robin Gunnningham. Banksy lives in
Britain and chooses to use stencils rather than painting freehand.
He has been around for 47 years, his most expensive painting selling for $12.2 million. The expensive
painting, called ‘Devolved Parliament’, is a picture of monkeys in the place of members of parliament.
His most famous painting, ‘Girl with Balloon’, had a shredder inside it so when it was sold it just shredded!
The video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekzjYZHs27E
Girl with Balloon (Banksy painting)
For writing, after we made the how to play we had to create a video showing the game in action. I think now that there is a video people will understand better. I enjoyed getting to write the script and record it. I found it challenging to work with lots of people because team #2 didn't always listen. To be BTB (Better Than Before) I could add a voice-over. I didn't add a voice-over because I didn't have time.
