Summer Learning Journey Week 4 Day 5

DAY 5: The Sky’s the Limit!

Activity 1: Environment Day - Beat Plastic Pollution [4 points]

Every year we celebrate World Environment Day in June. On World Environment Day we do what we can to protect our planet. This year the focus is on reducing the use of plastic bags and water bottles. Watch this Environment Day video to learn more about it!

What could you and your family do to protect the planet?

On your blog tell us three things that you could do to help save the planet.

1. I could get rid of plastic in my environment.

2. I could help people in need by helping them when they fall down and giving spare change to homeless people. 

3. I could set a good example to little kids by educating them and telling them to do good things.   

Activity 2: Adoption Day [4 points]

Not only can you help the planet by reducing, reusing and recycling, you can also help to save animals and plants by ‘adopting’ them. To ‘adopt’ an animal through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), you need to visit they're adopt a species page, read through the list of animals and choose one.

With the WWF, you don’t actually adopt the animal and bring it home! It’s a symbolic adoption. In this case you pay a fee ($55.00) and the money is used to provide food and care for your chosen animal. Visit the WWF site and take a look at the animals who are available for adoption. Choose your ‘top three’ animals from the website.

On your blog, list the three animals that you have chosen and then compare and contrast them. How are they similar? How are they different? At the bottom of your post, tell us which of the three animals you would most like to adopt..

The animal that I would adopt would be the Cheetah. The reason why I would adopt the cheetah is that I could train it to chase down thieves or bad people which would be a good idea because Cheetahs are a lot faster than humans.

Activity 3: Concluding the Journey [10 points]

Sadly, the Summer Learning Journey has now come to an end. It is time to reflect on everything that you have learned about the environment and, particularly, about how you can protect and preserve it.

On your blog please tell us:

1. What is one thing that you learned from participating in the Summer Learning Journey programme this year? That Greenhouse gases increase Smog, Mold and Pollen
2. What is one thing that surprised you? That the Earths oceans are polluted badly.
3. What is one thing that concerned or upset you? That New Zealand is going to be underwater in the future
   
   
4. What is one thing that you (or your family) can do, moving forward, to help protect our natural environment? I (My family) could help get rid of rubbish and plastic in my environment.

Summer Learning Jounrey Week 4 Day 4

DAY 4: Making Promises

Activity 1: Campaigning for Conservation [4 points]

New Zealand is home to so many beautiful, unique and, sometimes, endangered animals and habitats. The Forest & Bird organisation is working really hard to protect vulnerable animals and places in NZ. They are doing everything that they can to raise money and to raise awareness so that everyone knows about these issues. These are called ‘campaigns.’ Check out the Forest & Bird campaigns site to learn more about them.

Imagine, that you have been hired by Forest & Bird New Zealand to work on one of their campaigns. It is your job to come up with a catchy slogan for the campaign. A slogan is a short phrase or sentence that is used to advertise something. Check out examples of common slogans and logos below.

    

On your blog, tell us which campaign you have chosen to support and provide us with a slogan for that campaign.

I would choose the "Predator Free New Zealand" campaign because they are focusing on making New Zealand Predator Free. They are also trying to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050. The slogan I made up for this campaign is " Clean, Beautiful and Predator Free"

Activity 2: The Plastic Pledge [4 points]

Over the past few decades, some of New Zealand’s beaches have become dumping grounds for waste and rubbish. Almost 80% of this waste is made up of plastic items. Yikes!

Some companies in New Zealand have heard about the problem and agreed to cut down on their use of plastic. Countdown supermarkets, for example, have announced that they will stop giving out plastic bags to customers.  What do you think of this idea? What do your friends and family think? Is it a good idea or not?

For this activity, please ask one member of your family and/or a friend what they think about Countdown’s decision to go ‘plastic bag free.’

On your blog, tell us what they think about Countdown’s decision to stop using plastic bags.

I couldn't ask my older brothers because They normally just tell me to go away. So let me tell you about what I think about countdown’s decision to stop using plastic bags. I think its a good idea because plastic is killing sea animals. I also think its a good idea because there is a lot of plastic bags just roaming around our environment.

Activity 3: Restricted Access [10 points]

While much of our programme has focused on New Zealand, it is important that we also consider the environment in other places as well. One of the most unusual and spectacular sites to visit outside of New Zealand is called Machu Picchu. It is an ancient city that was built high up in the mountains in the country of Peru in South America. You have to take a train and/or walk through a series of mountains and valleys to reach it.

    

Over the past few decades, millions of tourists have made the trek to Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, this has damaged the area and the local government has decided to restrict the number of visitors to the site each year. This decision has upset a lot of tourists who really want to see Machu Picchu but aren’t allowed to go.

On your blog, tell us what you think about the government’s decision to restrict the number of tourists able to visit this special site. Is it fair? Be sure to tell us why you feel the way that you do.

I don't think it's fair because there are a lot of people who used up their time and money coming to see Machu Picchu but it held up because some government only wanted a certain amount of people to visit a place.