Kia ora! This term in drama, we have been learning the root elements of drama. To learn this basic knowledge of drama, we played games and created some plays. I am going to show you the work we have done, some details about the lessons we learn and a video of one of our plays.

Root elements of drama-

• listen to your own cues when needed
• Make eye contact with the person you are talking to
• Exaggerate expressions
• Play recognisable characters that will let the audience remember
• Show your commitment, contribution and teamwork in your team
• Use different speaking tones to talk to other characters when in a play
• Show respect to the person performing
• Use your body to create different atmospheres during a play

How we learnt it –

• Create a short play based on a children’s book
• Create your own original character with detailed background and personality
• Create puppets in groups that are characters in your team’s own unique story
• Play cue games that train our focus and concentrate in plays rather than forgetting lines and cues
• Create a unique silent movie that will make the audience enjoy and feel glad they came
• Rewind, reverse, fast forward during a play
• How to enjoy your play from the bottom of your heart and do the best you can do

The plays we acted –

In the sessions, we played multiple characters and different types of plays. The videos I am going to show you the two videos of two of the plays we have done this term and a description about it. Let’s get into it!

The three Billy Goats Gruff –

For this play, I went into two groups because one of the groups in my class was missing a person. The story is about three goats who were hungry and wanted to cross the bridge to eat some french grass. However the dridge is the troll’s property and he did not want anyone clip clopping on his/her bridge. The characters I played were the big goat and the troll. I had an incredible amount of fun when I was acting this play, whether it was shouting at the troll or being the hungry troll, it was truly one of a kind. To view both videos, please click here & here.

Please click the image below to view a video regarding what we have learnt about the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Silent Movie –

For the silent movie, we created a comedy story where everyone except the secret assassin bar staff dies. In this play, we got to get into groups of 5 and choose between five characters. The five characters were Harley the piano player,
Shane a gold miner, Rowan the bar staff, Dakota the sheriff and Carson the outlaw. The role I played was Carson the outlaw. Please click here to view the video.

Please click the image below to view a video regarding what we have learnt about silent movies.

Conclusion & Reflection –

In conclusion, I have learnt that drama is not all about acting, it is almost 99% teamwork because throughout the term I have learnt that teamwork is something that we have to learn to create a successful play. It is similar to life, without teamwork, I doubt I will be able to live to this day as the person I am. The part I have enjoyed the most was ceateing the play about the Three Billy Goats Gruff because it let me be creative with the base story I have. I hope in the future, we can act a bigger variety of plays.

Thank you for your time and patience,

Divya

Kia ora! Today in science we have been learning about what is forensics, how it is used and fun facts about it. To learn this our teacher made a set of questions and allowed us to use our own way to present it. My group -includes my, Ethan and Jan- chose to create a poster. I am going to show you the posters we have created and the conclusion of today’s class.

Our Poster –

Please click here to view our Poster. If you cannot access the poster, please view the images of our poster below.

Conclusion & Reflection –

In conclusion, I have learnt a more detailed definition of forensics, how forensic scientists to use dirt and DNA to find a person and some interesting facts about forensics. The part I enjoyed the most was to research the story about Archimedes because I never could have imagined that the people from the past could understand so much about physics and how the water moves. Overall I enjoyed this class because it taught me about the story of Archimedes and how dirt/soils solve crime. I hope in the future we can do more work about real crimes that have happened in the past, and how forensic scientists figure out the criminal’s identification.

Thank you for your time and patience,

Divya

Kia ora! These two weeks in social studies we have been learning about the devastating tragedy that happened in Pike River Mine. We learn about this mine by completing a set of slides that teaches us about different aspects of the tragedy and how to prevent it from happening again. I am going to show you the slide show I have completed and some images of the explosion.

The Completed Work –

Please click the image below to view the slideshow.

Photos –

The image above is from this website.

The image above is from this website.

The image above is from this website.

Conclusion & Reflection –

In conclusion, I have learnt the importance of health and safety and how Pike River Mine’s depressing explosion could have been prevented. I am really angry about the fact that the company of Pike River Mine did not prioritise their staff members health and safety in the mine and allowed this to happen. The part where I most enjoyed about this class was to create a poster to promote about the health and safety instalments that Mine’s should have because it made me learn more about how we can help prevent another tragedy like Pike River Mine. I truly enjoyed this class because it made me learn about Pike River Mine -which I have never learnt about before- and it made me realise the dangers a miner could have in their daily life. I hope in the future we can also learn about other mistakes that people has made and how to fix them.

Thank you for your time,

Divya

Kia ora! Today in literacy we have been learning about the meaning and how to use direct and indirect speech. To learn about this type of speech, we have completed a set of slides regarding the knowledge we need to know about indirect and direct speech in order to use it in writing. I am going to show you the slides we have completed and some explanations about direct and indirect speech.

Direct Speech –

Direct speech uses quotation marks and the exact speech the speaker uses. For example:

1. “We are definitely going to be late if we don’t pick up the pace,” said Maria.
2. “Good bye!” shouted Charlotte. “We will miss you!”
3. “I am starving, is the food ready yet?” asked John.

Indirect Speech –

In indirect speech, there are no quotation marks because you are told what the speaker said instead of the precise  wording and information the speaker said. For example:

1. Jack said the floor was slippery.
2. Louis said to move the shelves to the other corner.
3. Kate said the blankets were soaking wet after the sudden rain, so she kept them outside for the hot sun to dry it.

The Completed Work – 

Task One – Direct & Indirect Speech 

Please click the image below to view the slideshow.

Task One – Direct & Indirect Speech 

Please click the image below to view the slideshow.

Conclusion & Reflection –

In conclusion I have learnt how to use quotation marks properly, what direct and indirect speech are and how to use them. The part I enjoyed the most in this class was learning about how to use the quotation marks properly because I have never properly looked into quotation marks and how to use them. Overall I truly enjoyed this class because think it is extremely useful for us to learn how to use them, especially because we often read books or write narrative writings which mostly uses direct and indirect speech to portray how a person is feeling and what a person is saying. I hope in the future we can do work about the four sentence categories, which includes interrogative, imperative, exclamatory and declarative sentences.

Thank you for your time and patience,

Divya

Kia ora! Today in wananga class we have been learning about sportsmanship, the most important part of any competitive or non-competitive sport. Sportsmanship is all about being fair, encouragement, kindness and patience. In this class we have learnt about sportsmanship by creating a DLO posters about sportsmanship and reading through a slide show about sportsmanship and the importance of it. I am going to show you the poster me and my group -which includes me, Felice and Shreeya- created and the websites we have used as referenced throughout the work.

The Work We Have Completed –

The Websites We Have Used –

This is the slide show we have read through and understood before completing the work.

Please click the image below to view the slide show.

This is the website my team used to create the poster.

Please click the image below to view the website.

This is the website my team used to find the quotes mentioned in the poster.

Please click the image below to view the website.

Conclusion & Reflection –

In conclusion, I have learnt a detailed definition about what sportsmanship is, how to show it and what websites have the most and the best inspiring quotes. The part I most enjoyed in this class was finding the inspiring sportsmanship quotes because in the process of the research, I found the quotes very understandable and useful. I truly enjoyed this class because it reminded me the importance of sportsmanship. It showed me how hard and difficult it can be if a player is not showing sportsmanship and how fun and easy it can be if players are showing sportsmanship. I hope in the future we can do more work around how different sports players and their groups portray sportsmanship.

Thank you for your time,

Divya

Hello everybody! Today in maths we have been focusing on algebra, which is replacing unknown numbers as letters (A,B,C etc.) We have learnt how to create a set of maths questions, how to answer algebra questions and practised our logic through tasks and work sheets. I am going to show you the video we have used to learn about the task, the questions we used to do our practices and the work sheet I have created for people to try.

What is Algebra?

Algebra is replacing unknown numbers as variables. The reasons why we learn algebra is to :

• Practice our logical thinking skills that can be useful in complex mathematical equations/problem
• To acquire the foundation skills for statistics
• To acquire the foundation skills for calculus
• To solve equations efficiently

These skills can be useful in jobs, cooking, DIY projects, shopping and more.

The video we have used to learn about algebra –

Please click here to view the video.

The questions we used –

Please click the links below to view the websites.

-Implied Multiplication

–Solving Basic Algebra Equations (1)

–Solving Basic Algebra Equation (2)

–Solving Basic Algebra Equations Using Addition & Subtraction 

–Solving Basic Algebra Equations Using Multiplication & Division

-Activity 1

-Activity 2

-Activity 3

-Activity 4

The work sheet I have created –

Please click the image to view a clear version of the work sheet.

Conclusion & Reflection-

In conclusion, I have learnt a lot more about how to calculate equations that include algebra. The part I enjoyed the most was creating a work sheet because it let me learn how to write an equation and explain it to another person. The part I least enjoyed was completing the tasks because we missed a few maths classes due to swimming classes, making the time we can finish the work extremely less. I enjoyed this class because we got to create a mathematical work sheet. I hope in the future, we can have more time to complete work, especially if we need to go to other classes during that subject.

Thank you for your time and patience,

Divya

Kia ora! Today in social studies we have been learning about tsunamis, how the Japanese government prepares for tsunamis and how a tsunami is caused. We have learnt the knowledge above by completing a set of questions regarding tsunamis, completing a DLO about tsunamis and watching a video about it. I am going to show you the completed work and the video we watched.

The Completed Work-

Questions –

Please click the image below to view the document.

DLO – The Causes Of Tsunamis

Please click the image below to view the Google Drawing.

Conclusion & Reflection –

In conclusion, I have learnt a lot more of tsunamis regarding the causes of it, what is a tsunami and how Japan manages tsunamis smartly. My favourite part in this class was to create a DLO because it let me do some research of my own to find the information and topics that I might be interested in (such as the volcano eruptions and the landslides). I enjoyed this class because it let me learn more about tsunamis, how they are formed and the detailed definition of it. In hope in the future we can also learn about meteorite comments that have landed on earth.

Thank you for your time and patience,

Divya

Kia ora katoa! Today in wananga we have been learning about the Rangoli used in Diwali. I am going to continue on from the last blog I have completed and tell you more about the Rangoli used in Diwali. I am going to teach you what Rangoli is, what is the meaning behind it, what types of rangoli are there and what materials you are required to use to create it.

What is Rangoli ?

Originated from India, Rangoli is a type of art that is mostly symmetrical and contains a wide range of colours, motifs and intricate patterns. It is usually used in Diwali, a day to celebrate Rama, Sita and Lakshmana’s successful return after their fight against Ravana.

What are the different types of Rangoli?

There are multiple types of Rangoli, however the most used style is Freehand rangoli, a type of rangoli that is n=both easy to create and leaves you more space for creativity. Other examples of types of rangoli do include:

• Dot Rangoli
• Floral Rangoli
• Alpana Rangoli
• Sanskar Bharti rangoli
• Water Rangoli
• Stencil Rangoli
• Geometric Rangoli

What is the meaning behind Rangoli?

There are a variety of meanings behind different types of rangoli, the patterns used in the Rangoli and the colours used as well. Even the word “Rongoli” itself has a meaning behind it. The root word of rangoli is a Sanskrit word called “रङ्ग”, which means colour. After it became Rangoli the meaning changed into hope, tradition and beauty in India. These patterns are said that they can enlighten a home, attract gods and goddesses to bring happiness and prosperity to a family and also welcome guests.

What are the materials used in rangoli?

There are a variuety of ways and materials you can use to create a Rangoli. Common materials used in Rangoli include coloured powder, coloured uncooked rice grains and coloured flour.

Reference & Information Source

(Please click the logos below to view the websites)

Conclusion & Reflection-

In conclusion, I have learnt that rangoli is like a blessing to the house, guests and the family who lives in the house. I have also learnt that there are multiple different types of rangoli I have yet to learn, the meaning behind rangoli and what materials people usually use to create rangoli. My favourite part in this class was to choose the topic I wanted to learn because I already wanted to learn more about rangoli. Therefore when I was told we have freedom in what we are allowed to do, I was very excited and truly appreciated the freedom given regarding this choice. I hope in the future we can learn more about the different festivals in India.

Thank you for your time and patience,

Divya

Kia ora!  In this week’s lesson in literacy class we have continued reading the book Holes and have completed another set of tasks regarding the book. In this set of work I have learnt how to analyse a character deeply, how to learn a specific word deeply and how to comprehend a part of a story and explain it. I am going to show you two slide show tasks I have completed and a poster that I have created for the newbies in Camp Green Lake.

Tasks For Holes – Chapter 7 to Chapter 12

Task One – Make a poster for newbies in Camp Green Lake

Task Two – Response To Text

(Please click the image to view the slide show)

Task Three – Vocabulary Task

(Please click the image to view the slide show)

Conclusion and Reflection –

In conclusion I have learnt how to analyse a character from a book, how to study deeply about a word, how to comprehend and explain a text and how to create an eye-catching poster. The favourite part for me in this lesson is creating the posters for the newbies in Camp Green Lake because it allowed me use a perspective of a child that is going to the camp and what worries the child would have. I think it is fun to think about other people’s perspectives. I truly enjoyed this lesson and hope that we can have more lessons about creating posters using the information from a book or text.

Thank you for your time and patience,

Divya