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Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Inquiry Learning
Inquiry has started with a hiss and a roar this term for Waka Whanake!
We are looking into Taupo's ecology this term and we have been super busy so far. We spent the first two weeks preparing for an audio conference with Michel Dedual and our friend from LEARNZ Andrew Penny.
Our audio conference topic was Preserving and Improving Taupo's Freshwater Ecology. Phew! What a mouthful! We needed to come up with some questions to ask our experts so we had to do a lot of research. There were heaps of words we didn't know so we did some research and made a visual dictionary in our classroom to remind us.
Here's a of the questions we came up with to ask Michel and Andrew. (We're a clever bunch!).
On Tuesday it was audio conference time. We used a funny machine called a Polycom. It works just like a giant speaker so we could all hear what was happening. We all had different jobs during the audio conference. Some of us had to ask the questions and some of us had to take notes. All the schools in New Zealand could've tuned in to listen to us if they wanted!
We learnt so much from the audio conference! Check it out...
We did so well that Andrew even sent us this certificate! ...
Waka Whanake, post a comment telling us the most interesting fact that you learnt from our first three weeks of inquiry!
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Trout Art
Near the end of last term, Waka Whanake created some stunning pieces of trout art as part of our inquiry.
These pieces took a long time and we put a lot of hard work and care into creating them!
We used watercolour paint for the blue background. While we waited for that to dry, we painted newspaper green and ripped it into pieces to make it look like lake weed. We also painted pieces of paper with brown, purple and black and then laid glad-wrap over the top to make it look like it had creases and cracks, just like rocks. We ripped these up into small pieces and glued them to the background. Next we sketched a trout in pencil and smudged charcoal with our fingers to create shading. After cutting these out, Miss Fraser sprayed them with hairspray which stops the charcoal from smudging any more.
What was the best part of our Trout Art? What did you find really challenging?
These pieces took a long time and we put a lot of hard work and care into creating them!
We used watercolour paint for the blue background. While we waited for that to dry, we painted newspaper green and ripped it into pieces to make it look like lake weed. We also painted pieces of paper with brown, purple and black and then laid glad-wrap over the top to make it look like it had creases and cracks, just like rocks. We ripped these up into small pieces and glued them to the background. Next we sketched a trout in pencil and smudged charcoal with our fingers to create shading. After cutting these out, Miss Fraser sprayed them with hairspray which stops the charcoal from smudging any more.
What was the best part of our Trout Art? What did you find really challenging?
Water Cycle Investigation
In Room 19 today we investigated how the water cycle works.
We discovered that the water cycle starts with the sun. The sun heats up water and the water turns into water vapour (which is just like hot air). The water rises. This is called evaporation.
When the water rises, it cools down and the water vapour changes back to water. This is called condensation. When the water joins together, it forms clouds. When the clouds get too heavy, the water falls back to the ground like rain. This is called precipitation.
Miss Fraser showed us an example. She boiled the jug. As the water became hotter, some water vapour started rising up. Miss Fraser and Luke held a bowl over the top of it. The water vapour filled the bowl then it turned back to water and stuck to the sides of the bowl. When enough water had collected, it started dripping down the sides because it got too heavy.
We also watched this video which helps explain all the tricky words like evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
With a buddy we made our own water cycles in a zip lock plastic bag. If you want to make one at home, here is what you need to do...
Materials:
zip lock plastic bag
vivid/sharpie
piece of scrap paper (to draw your plan)
water
blue food colouring
sellotape
Method:
1. Draw a picture of the water cycle on a scrap piece of paper. When you are happy with it, draw it onto your plastic bag with a vivid.
2. Mix two drops of food colouring with 1/4 of a cup of water and pour into your plastic bag.
3. Make sure it is sealed tight!
4. Sellotape your bag to the window in a sunny spot.
Wait and see what happens...
By Miss Fraser, Luke D, Luke R, Zach, Sophie, Fin, Seth, Jade and Jazmyne.
We discovered that the water cycle starts with the sun. The sun heats up water and the water turns into water vapour (which is just like hot air). The water rises. This is called evaporation.
When the water rises, it cools down and the water vapour changes back to water. This is called condensation. When the water joins together, it forms clouds. When the clouds get too heavy, the water falls back to the ground like rain. This is called precipitation.
Miss Fraser showed us an example. She boiled the jug. As the water became hotter, some water vapour started rising up. Miss Fraser and Luke held a bowl over the top of it. The water vapour filled the bowl then it turned back to water and stuck to the sides of the bowl. When enough water had collected, it started dripping down the sides because it got too heavy.
We also watched this video which helps explain all the tricky words like evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
With a buddy we made our own water cycles in a zip lock plastic bag. If you want to make one at home, here is what you need to do...
Materials:
zip lock plastic bag
vivid/sharpie
piece of scrap paper (to draw your plan)
water
blue food colouring
sellotape
Method:
1. Draw a picture of the water cycle on a scrap piece of paper. When you are happy with it, draw it onto your plastic bag with a vivid.
2. Mix two drops of food colouring with 1/4 of a cup of water and pour into your plastic bag.
3. Make sure it is sealed tight!
4. Sellotape your bag to the window in a sunny spot.
Wait and see what happens...
By Miss Fraser, Luke D, Luke R, Zach, Sophie, Fin, Seth, Jade and Jazmyne.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Nothing Ever Happens Poetry
Waka Whanake read a fantastic Poem by Lorraine Williams called Nothing Ever Happens. We used the structure of her poem to create our own inventive, funny pieces of poetry.
Using our e-learning skills and a fantastic app called Aurasma, Miss Fraser recorded us reading our poems.
You need to download the Aurasma app to view the videos. Here is a link to the Apple app or the Google Play app.
Once you have downloaded Aurasma, click the triangle menu button at the bottom of your screen.
Then click the magnifying glass button and search "Waka Whanake". Select to "follow" us.
Click the square viewfinder button on the bottom of your screen (the one in the middle) and hover your device over the pictures below. Make sure the whole picture is in the frame and there is no glare or shadows on the picture.
In a few seconds, the video should start.
Good Luck and happy watching!
Using our e-learning skills and a fantastic app called Aurasma, Miss Fraser recorded us reading our poems.
You need to download the Aurasma app to view the videos. Here is a link to the Apple app or the Google Play app.
Once you have downloaded Aurasma, click the triangle menu button at the bottom of your screen.
Then click the magnifying glass button and search "Waka Whanake". Select to "follow" us.
Click the square viewfinder button on the bottom of your screen (the one in the middle) and hover your device over the pictures below. Make sure the whole picture is in the frame and there is no glare or shadows on the picture.
In a few seconds, the video should start.
Good Luck and happy watching!
What do you think of our poems? Have you written a great poem that you could share with us? We love your comments and feedback!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Enviro Week
Last week was enviro week at Waipahihi. Mrs Wills organised lots of great events to get us all thinking and acting enviro friendly. One of the challenges was to create an outfit out of recycled goods. Here are some of the amazing entries from Waka Whanake...
Zoey's dress was gorgeous. Zoey's mum and her spent all weekend on this creation. She used plastic bags, newspaper and pages from magazines.
Anna sewed her own bag. She glued old material onto it for decoration and collected loads of Dad's old bottle caps and shells from the beach to attach to the handle of her owl bag.
Here are Lewis and his little brother Tate. They came 3rd in the creation competition. They made an owl using all sorts of things from their Dad's workshop and from around the house.
Zoey's dress was gorgeous. Zoey's mum and her spent all weekend on this creation. She used plastic bags, newspaper and pages from magazines.
Pippi and her mum made this stylish hat. They used and old light shade and hot glued plastic bags on every second wire and then made newspaper bows. They used crazy looms to tie them on. She has a gorgeous bow made out of a plastic bag tied under her chin.
Anna sewed her own bag. She glued old material onto it for decoration and collected loads of Dad's old bottle caps and shells from the beach to attach to the handle of her owl bag.
Amber made this beautiful dress out of old parachutes! Her dad helped her cut the amount of parachute needed. Her Mormor (Swedish for Granny!) who very kindly sewed it for her. She cut the bottom off the dress to make a belt. And glitter for bling!
Noah made a robot outfit out of boxes from Pack n Save. He had to cut a flap so that he could see. He used sharp scissors to cut the middle of the box out so that his Dad could tickle him!
Here are Lewis and his little brother Tate. They came 3rd in the creation competition. They made an owl using all sorts of things from their Dad's workshop and from around the house.Monday, May 5, 2014
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