Category: Tohatoha | Share

Summer Learning Journey – Art in the Web ( Step it Up )

For this task we were handed the assignment to carry on our learning about spiderwebs, and their unique talents and specialities. Using an A4 paper and folding it multiple times before finally drawing out the shape, using scissors to carefully cut it out, into your last final piece. Unfortunately, I did not do the second task which was to use a toilet paper roll to make a spider, although it did look very cool to do!

I learnt that many spiders use different patterns to create their homes, and some of the new things I have learnt and taken in is that, spiders can create a tunnel web, and nets. Making them natures artist !

They also know what lines to step on so that they don’t get stuck in their own traps, and some scientists also suspect that the spiders use zigzags, to warn off the birds to tell them to stop.

Another fun fact I’ve learnt was that they reuse their old silk by eating it up and recycling it through their digestive systems !

Diorama

For Art, we had connected our topic from  ‘ a moment in time ‘ (what we were doing for writing) with a creative art idea called a diorama. A diorama is a 3d minitaure scene where its most commonly made in a box, using paper, cardboard, and ect.

For my diorama I had used a photo with Dame Whina Cooper giving her testament on her thoughts and opinions, towards a crowd of people, also putting one of her famous slogans ” Not one more acre of Maori Land ! ” In the bottom left corner, depicting a scene where it completely focuses on the intesity of Dame Whina Coopers words. The background also portraying the calmness of the silence her people gave, making sense because her march was a peaceful protest.

I really enjoyed this because it was really theraputic and it took time to figure the meaning behind each image!

A Moment In Time

LI: To find information that answers your questions and tells us an important event or time in history in your words

For Writing, we got gifted the challenge to pick a historical event whether it was local or worldwide, and research about it, by using our smart searching skills. After that we created a DLO summarising all about the interesting facts we found out from our search. Then to explain our information futher we had a fun activity to use the things we learnt and put them on a google vid, then recording ourselves say it ! I really enjoyed this activity and found it really intriguing to learn different and moer things, about the past of my culture, and the things we can achieve in life !

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Today LS1 gave some of the people in ls2 a chance, to create a quirky and creative Alien, with all having to be a family friendly. My alien is a bacteria organism ,that was made by humans from 2030 after leaving there rubbish on mars, because someone had accidently dropped one of them, and after 500 years it became alive. She travelled the planet meeting others like hickiepickiewickie, and hickiepickiewickie reckons that she reminds him of pumpkin spice latte, therefore giving her name as ” Pumpkin Spice Latte “.

Malala Yousafzai Poster

LI: To identify the main arguments Malala presents for education and peace. 

For this task we have been handed in the challenge of making a poster on one of Malala Yousafzai’s key messages in her speech, when she made when she turnt 16 years of age. She was a protester that fought for women’s justice to have the opportunity to be educated, and she also mentions is her speech the Taliban and the things in humanity that make it bad ! This included poverty, racism, social injustice, racial bias, gender bias and much more. She called upon the many leaders to change their political view, and thanking the people who were praying for her, and the ones that helped her recover from when she had got shot on the left side of her face. What I found interesting is that she didn’t let anything define her on what she is and didn’t let anyone put her down !

Dino DLO

LI: to research questions about your dinosaur including their habitat, diet, predators, and protection.

For Inquiry, we were challenge to create a presentation about our dinosaurus which was a Ankylosaurus. Before we did this challenge, we made by hand a dinosaur egg. When we opened it we discovered an Ankylosaurus, we gathered facts about our dinosaurus and used our knowledge to put on our slide. In our presentation we included predators, appearance, protection, habitat and their diet. Something we enjoyed about this challenge was we get to participate in this inquiry and we get to learn about the history of dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Eggs

  • LI: To understand how scientists discover, record and learn from fossils.

For our researches on our chosen dinosaur eggs, we had a challenge to imagine that ourselves were like Mary Anning, a paleontologist, and find some dinosaur eggs in the bushes ( outside ) , then excavating the rare phenomenon, and also taking a photograph of the eggs. We then opened up Adobe Express to refine our image to what it might’ve looked like in a prehistoric/ old-fashioned picture way, after our research on our dinosaurs ! My buddy and I had an ankylosaurus as our fossil, and what an interesting fact we found out was that, scientists think that an ankylosauruses armour could change its colour whenever in danger. This task was amusing to do because we had to create our own egg then after we all picked random eggs, while excavating it was a blast !

‘Shameful stain on NZ history’: Polynesian Panthers push for dawn raids apology’

LI: To evaluate (form an opinion) the text and respond to the provocation

For reading we were given the task to read a text explaining the Polynesian dawn raids, and how it affected people. Then after reading the text we had to form a DLO about the provocation on , if the government of today ( 2021 ) apoligise for the mishaps of the government (1969). During this task we had a lot of reasons to think why and why they shouldn’t of had done this, but ultimately we all came to the conclusion of agreeing on they should of apoligised because without the confirmation of their wrong doings, the next generation will probably carry on the generational trauma . Something I found interesting was that when Jacinda Ardern was apoligising they put a mat on top of her head and it was lifted off, making it very interesting to watch because it was the first time I witnessed such a thing ! I really enjoyed this because we were learning about the past of NZ and acknowledging on what people have done to our culture and what they’re still doing.

Mary Anning

LI: To create a DLO that tells Mary Annings story from her perspective story.

LS2 was tasked with capturing the inspiring story of Mary Anning, a pioneering fossil hunter and paleontologist from the early 19th century. Born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, England, Mary grew up in a family that faced financial challenges. Despite these hardships, she developed a fascination for the natural world around her, particularly the fossils that could be found along the Jurassic Coast, a region renowned for its rich geological history.

We have also created a Kahoot that will be coming shortly.

In 1823, Mary made a remarkable discovery that would change the course of paleontology: she unearthed the first nearly complete skeleton of a plesiosaur, a marine reptile that had long puzzled scientists and fossil enthusiasts alike. This groundbreaking find not only showcased her keen observational skills but also highlighted her relentless determination in a male-dominated field. Furthermore, her work on the skeleton of an ichthyosaur, another significant marine reptile, further solidified her reputation as an astute researcher and contributed valuable knowledge to the scientific community.

Despite facing significant obstacles, including gender bias and financial difficulties, Anning’s contributions to paleontology were profound and lasting. She is often recognized as one of the first paleontologists, paving the way for future generations of women in science. Her ability to meticulously extract and analyze fossils, as well as her dedication to sharing her findings with the broader scientific community, laid the groundwork for numerous discoveries in the field.

Mary Anning’s legacy lives on today, not only in the fossils she unearthed but also in the inspiration she provides to aspiring paleontologists and scientists. She remains a symbol of perseverance and passion for natural history, reminding us of the importance of curiosity and resilience in the face of adversity. As LS2 prepares for their own dinosaur dig, understanding Mary Anning’s contributions serves as a powerful reminder of the impact one dedicated individual can have on the scientific world.

I really like this activity as it gave me the opportunity to learn about the various discoveries made by Mary Anning throughout her career as a paleontologist.

Something I learnt was that plesiosaurus is actually not a dinosaur, but a large reptile that has been extinct for many centuries, while I also learnt that she got struck by lighning, and still managed to be one of the two children , out of TEN to have survived childhood ! 

Fossil DLO

LI : To recognise different types of fossils, and how they are formed.

Just visualise that everywhere you look in any direction is jam-packed full of nature, there seems to be no end in sight, only plants, and exotic, strange, mysterious living organisms. Thump , thump, thump … there seems to be a big bellowing thing heading your way, making your way passed the muddy land, moments passed, then out of nowhere your survival instincts catches on… RUN. Your calves start aching your heavy heart hasn’t stopped pumping adrenaline, strangely you break a cold sweat then CHOMP! Well luckily that thing that had just ate you up is now underground, extinct and forever encased in mother nature’s arms, dating back into the ages of middle earth lived dinosaurs! These animals were part of the reptilian family and are presumed to be apex predators in the days, while also being named friendly giants for some of them being strictly herbivores, but then after the ‘ catastrophe ’ most of life vanished out of existence, leaving nothing but memory. Then Humanity started to take over and then we started discovering bones, patterns, strange dents in the surface of earth, most discoveries being Body fossil meaning that it were the leftovers of prehistoric animals, and if you look towards the image on the left it shows a picture of an animal’s skeleton cemented in the ground floor, this tells how might’ve the animal appeared to be with its features, structure, ect. In contrast to the picture on the right is showing rand streaks of lines into the ground, these are called ‘ Trace Fossils ’ where the animal had left either footprints, teeth marks and also unhatched eggs, these are utilised to help our further understanding on how they live and what they did on a daily basis of life in the Jurassic Period!