Summer Learning Journey Day 5, Week 1

DAY 5: Against the Odds

Activity 1: National Treasure [4 points]

Sophie Pascoe is a New Zealand para-swimmer. This means she is a competitive swimmer with a physical disability. Very sadly, Sophie was run over by a lawnmower when she was only 2 years old. She had to have the bottom of her left leg amputated. However, despite this terrible accident, she was determined to become a competitive swimmer.

Sophie has won numerous New Zealand and world para-swimming titles, including nine Olympic gold medals. She has also won the Halberg Award for Disabled Sportsperson of the Year three times. Sophie is a great example of a New Zealander who did not let her disability stop her from achieving her dreams. She is truly a ‘National Treasure’. A national treasure is someone or something that is very important to a country.

For this activity, we would like to learn more about the things that are important to you. Please share three things that you treasure and say why they are treasures to you. Post your work on your blog.

The three things that are important to me are...

1. My Laptop! My Laptop is important to me because I don't own a phone and I do everything on my laptop.
2. My Bag! My bag is very important to me because take my bag everywhere, and my bag carries my precious Laptop
3. My Necklace! My necklace is very important to me because my mother got it for me when she was overseas. I gave my necklace a name. I called it "Suerte", which basically means "Luck" in Spanish.

Activity 2: Swimming to Safety [4 points]

Yusra Mardini is a teenage girl who was born in Syria, a war-torn country in the Middle East. She left Syria in 2015 to get away from the constant fighting and became a refugee. Yusra now lives in Germany. In 2016 she was named as part of the Refugee Olympic Team and she swam for this team in the last summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is now training for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

For this activity, read the following information about Yusra’s life. When you finish, retell the story of this amazing young woman from Syria. Post your work on your blog.

Yusra and her elder sister fled the Syrian war and set off on a perilous journey to find safety in Europe. In summer 2015, they traveled through Lebanon to Turkey before departing for Greece in an overcrowded dinghy.

Fifteen minutes into the sea crossing, the boat’s engine failed. As a professional swimmer, Yusra was determined not to let any of her fellow passengers drown. Yusra, her sister, and two others jumped into the waves and swam for three and a half hours in open water to stop their dinghy capsizing, saving the lives of 20 people.

A year later, Yusra’s courage, determination, and strong swimming skills were recognized by the International Olympic Committee and became a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team. Yusra competed at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, helping to represent 65 million displaced people worldwide.

Since then, Yusra has addressed the United Nations General Assembly and met world leaders such as US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis. She has been presented with a number of prestigious awards and has been recognized for her work by Time and People magazines.

So this story is a woman who ran away from the Syrian war to find safety in Europe. And that woman is called "Yusra Mardini" and all of this happened in summer 2015. Yusra didn't go on the perilous journey alone, she went with her older sister, "Sarah Mardini". They traveled through Lebanon to Turkey before departing for Greece in an overcrowded dingy. After a few minutes, the din gy broke down. Yusra and her sister leaped into the open ocean, stoping the boat from capsizing for three hours, saving 20 lives. After a year later, Yusra's act was recognized by the International Olympic Committee and became a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team. She competed at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. Since then, She met a lot of world leaders such as President Obama and Pope Francis and now she has been recognized for her work by Time and People magazines.

Activity 3: Own Choice [6 points]

You have now made it to the end of Week 1 and have the chance to choose your very own
sportsperson or explorer who you think has changed the world. There are no right or wrong
choices for this activity, so find someone who interests you and tell us about them on your blog. It
could be someone from your family, church, community or someone famous who you admire.

Here is an example in case you get stuck:

Jessica Watson - Skipper, Australia

Jessica Watson navigated some of the world’s most remote oceans and survived seven knockdowns and 210 days alone at sea to become the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop around the world, aged 16. On completion of the voyage, Jessica was met by the then Prime Minister who declared her an Australian hero. In a simple speech that won admiration across Australian and around the world, she responded to the Prime Minister by announcing that she disagreed with him, that she didn’t consider herself a hero—just an ‘ordinary person, who had a dream, worked hard at it and proved that anything really is possible’. Overcoming early struggles with dyslexia, Jessica became a storyteller, firstly on her popular blog and then in her bestselling, internationally published book True Spirit. Jessica was named Young Australian of The year 2011 and has gone on to lead various projects, including a team that became the youngest ever to compete in Australia’s notorious Sydney to Hobart yacht race. The project saw the youth crew finish second in their division, and Jessica was awarded the Jane Tate Trophy for the first female skipper.

For this activity, please choose one person (changemaker) and tell us a bit about them, most specifically: The name of the person, a description of the work they do/have done and an explanation of how they/their work has had an impact on the lives of others. Post your work on your blog.

Jimmy Donaldson - AKA, Mr Beast.

Jimmy Donaldson or MrBeast is a famous American YouTuber who has always been a huge impact on other's life. MrBeast is very successful and is a Philanthropist. A Philanthropist is a person who gives bountiful donations to charities and also investigates benefits for others. MrBeast is now teaming up with a company called "Arbor Day". Arbor day is a company that plants trees. For every dollar donated, they will plant a tree. MrBeast also does other glorious things, such as Giving homeless people Thousands of dollars, providing necessities to homeless shelters and even donated $100.000 to team trees!. Jimmy Donaldson is a very inspirational man and will continue to make other people smile. 

Summer Learning Journey Day 4, Week 1

DAY 4: Individual Pursuits

Activity 1: Making a Racket [4 points]

Billie Jean King, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams are three exceptional, female tennis players. They are not only outstanding athletes and some of the best tennis players in the world, but they have fought for women to be recognized as equals to men in the game of tennis. Billie Jean King famously beat a male tennis player, Bobby Riggs, in 1973, to prove to the public that women could compete at any level in tennis.

Billie Jean King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was recently awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year - Lifetime Achievement Award.

For this activity, please read the following information about Billie Jean King from the Kiddle Website. After reading this information, please tell us three things that you learned about Billie Jean King, as well as one thing you would still like to know. Post your work on your blog.

The three things I've learned are...

• Billie Jean is considered one of the greatest female tennis players.
• She is known for speaking against sexism in sports society
• Her career started in 1959 and ended in 1983

The one thing I would still like to know is ...

• How many championships has she won?

Billie Jean King (born Billie Jean Moffitt on November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California) is
an American retired tennis player. She is considered one of the greatest female tennis players. She won many championships during her career, which started in 1959 and ended in 1983. She was known for speaking against sexism in sports and society. She started the Women's Tennis Association, World TeamTennis, and the Women's Sports Foundation. Her most famous match was in 1973. It was with a male tennis player, Bobby Riggs, who had been a champion in the 1930s and 1940s. She loved playing tennis but had to stop after an injury. Billie Jean King grew up poor. It was hard for her parents to support her. Her father was an engineer for a fire department. Her mother was a housekeeper. Her father had two jobs. Her mother sold Tupperware to pay for King’s tennis competitions. King’s family could not pay to join their local tennis club. Therefore, King learned at public tennis courts.

Activity 2: What’s in a Name? [4 points]

Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers of all time. He started boxing when he was 12 years old and went on to become the World Heavyweight Champion numerous times in the 1960s and 1970s.

Muhammad Ali was an African American man born with the name Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. When he was a young man, however, he became a Muslim and converted to Islam. When he converted, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

During his life, Ali gave a lot of time and money to various charities. He also helped to feed more than 22 million people across the world who didn’t have enough food. Despite all of his charitable work, Muhammad Ali is still best known for his aggressive boxing style and his confident personality.

Changing your name is a big deal! If you were to change your name, what would you change it to?

For this activity, imagine that you were allowed to change your name to anything that you wanted. Tell us what you would change your name to and why you would choose that name. Post your work on your blog.

My Current name right now is Siosaia. And if I had the power to change my name forever, I would change my name to Miracle. I really like the name "Miracle" because of its definition. The definition of the word "Miracle", is an extraordinary event that is believed to be caused by God himself. And also, the word "Miracle" has appeared in the bible a few times.

Activity 3: Worth her Weight in Gold [6 points]

Dame Valerie Adams (half-sister of basketballer, Steven Adams) is a shot put champion from New Zealand (NZ). She has won the World Championships four times as well as both gold and silver medals at the Olympics. Here, in New Zealand, she has won the Halberg Award for New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year seven consecutive times (2006-2012)! She is a bit of a legend both in NZ and in her homeland of Tonga.

Valerie Adams is a proud Tongan New Zealander. There are many Tongans living in New Zealand - you may be one of them! The Kingdom of Tonga is a group of 169 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is located between Fiji, Samoa, and Niue. Many people travel to Tonga each year on holiday. Before they go, they might read about Tonga in a travel brochure.

For this activity, please create a travel brochure for New Zealand (NZ). On the brochure, include lots of great tips about what to see and do in NZ. Post a copy of your brochure on your blog.

Summer Learning Journey Day 3, Week 1

DAY 3: Team Players

Activity 1: Rugby Superstars [4 points]

Jonah Lomu was a rugby superstar. He was the youngest ever All Black, selected at just 19 years of age. He went on to have an amazing career that included 63 caps (international games) and 37 tries. Jonah was Tongan, but spent most of his childhood in Mangere, South Auckland. He started out playing touch rugby and rugby league but changed over to rugby union and quickly made a name for himself. He was very tall, strong and fast.

Richie McCaw is another example of a famous rugby player. He was the captain of the All Blacks between 2004 and 2015. Like Jonah Lomu, he had an outstanding international career in rugby union and had many achievements. In fact, he was the most capped All Black captain, most capped test rugby player and World Rugby Player of the Year in 2006, 2009, and 2010. He has been given a Halberg Award and made a member of the Order of New Zealand. As well as being an outstanding player, Richie McCaw was also a strong leader and captain.

For many people, players like Jonah Lomu and Richie McCaw are superheroes with extra special
‘superpowers.’

For this activity, let’s imagine that you could be a superhero for a day. What three superpowers would you most like to have? Please list the three superpowers, tell us why you have chosen each one, and tell us what you are going to do with them. Post your work on your blog.

The Three super-powers I would have would be...

1. SuperSpeed! The reason why I would pick super speed is that I'm always late to school, but if I have Super Speed, I would never be late to anything anymore.
2. Telekinesis! Telekinesis would be a perfect power for me to have because I'm a lazy person and can't be bothered getting up and turning off the lights. But if I have the power of Telekinesis, I wouldn't have to get up most of the time
3. Super Strength! The reason why I would pick Super Strength is just incased if anyone gets stuck under anything and needs some muscles.

Activity 2: Defying the Odds [4 points]

LeBron James is one of the most famous professional basketball players in the world. He currently plays in the NBA (National Basketball Association) for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has won numerous awards over the years, helping his teams win many important games.

Steven Adams also plays in the NBA, but unlike LeBron, Steven comes from Rotorua, New Zealand and is the half-brother of Olympic gold medalist Valerie Adams. That’s a pretty cool family connection,

isn’t it?! Steven Adams currently lives in the United States and plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team.

Despite being born in different countries, these two incredible basketballers have a number of similarities. Both men came from humble beginnings. Neither of their families had a lot of money, and neither man grew up with a father at home.

Even though they faced challenges, they were able to overcome them. Both men are examples of what is possible when you work hard and believe in yourself.

For this activity, we would like you to imagine that you had the chance to interview LeBron James, Steven Adams or another basketball player of your choice. Please tell us who you would interview and then provide a list of five questions that you would like to ask your chosen player.
Post your work on your blog.

The basketball player I would choose to interview would be Shaquille O'Neal. The reason why I would choose Shaquille O'Neal is that he is a very skilled and humble basketball player. The five-question I would ask him would be....

1.  Do you get pressured performing in front of the crowd?
2. What advice would you give to someone who wants to play basketball?
3. How do you feel when you lose a game?
4. How old are you when you started playing basketball?
5. Have you ever had any basketball injury?
6. (Bonus) Who do you look up to when you play basketball?

Activity 3: Achieving our Dreams [6 points]

The Silver Ferns are New Zealand’s professional netball team. They are based in Auckland and play against teams from all over the world. Next year they are due to compete in the first-ever Netball Nations cup competition in England.

In order to earn a place on the team, each of the players had to prove that they were one of the best netball players in the country. They have all had to work very hard, sacrifice many things, and show dedication and determination throughout their careers. In many cases, they have also had a lot of support from others - their family, friends, teachers, coaches. This support has allowed them to pursue their dreams and to, ultimately, do a job that they love.

For this activity, choose a friend or family member and ask them what their dream job would be. Then, brainstorm six ways in which you could support them in achieving their dreams. Please present your ideas as a poster or infographic. Post your work on your blog.

For this activity, I chose my brother, and he wants to be a professional Rugby player.

Summer Learning Journey Day 2, Week 1

DAY 2: Up in the Air

Activity 1: Flying Solo [4 points]

Jean Batten was a famous aviator (pilot) who was born in Rotorua, New Zealand in 1909. In the 1930s she made several record-breaking solo flights (on her own) across the world. In fact, she was the first person to fly solo from England to New Zealand - a huge achievement! She also flew a number of long solo flights between England and Australia or Brazil. When she flew, she always took a silk dress with her so that she could look beautiful at the parties she attended upon her arrival.

Amelia Earhart was an American aviator who lived at about the same time as Jean Batten. Like Jean, she also flew solo. In fact, she was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She flew all the way from Canada to Northern Ireland on her own without stopping. In 1937, Amelia Earhart attempted to circumnavigate (go right around) the world. Unfortunately, the flight ended in tragedy when she disappeared near Howland Island, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. She was never found.

For this activity, compare and contrast these two aviators. You could use a Venn diagram like the one provided below. Please be sure to include three similarities and three differences between the two women. Post your work on your blog.

Activity 2: One Small Step for Man [4 points]

Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut and engineer. In 1969, Neil and his team of astronauts flew to the moon in a spacecraft called Apollo 11. When they arrived, Neil got out of the spacecraft and walked on the moon. He is the first person in history to walk on the moon! As Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, he famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind.”

As you can imagine, landing on the moon is a very dangerous task. Many things can go wrong, and a number of astronauts have died attempting to land \on the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins (the three astronauts on Apollo 11) must have been extremely brave.

I always imagine that walking on the moon must be like jumping on the trampoline! Do you like jumping on a trampoline? My daughter Laila loves it!

For this activity, let’s imagine that you were Neil Armstrong. Write a short poem describing how you felt when you first set
foot on the moon. Post your work on your blog

My legs are shaking, With chills up my spine
We've been waiting for this moment for a very long time
We're about hit the surface, it took a long flight,
Once we hit the ground, Aldrin calls "Contact Light".
We get suited up, and ready for space
Once we step out, the sun rays hit my face.
My heart is racing, I thought space would be weird
But once I took a step, all my doubts disappeared
I planted the flag with pride in my face
All we gotta do now is to get back to where it's safe
We took a few photos and hopped back on our ship
"That ones gonna hit the books" I loudly chipped

Activity 3: Miracle on the Hudson [6 points]

Mr. Chesley Sullenberger, or “Sully” as he was known, was an airline captain (pilot) for about 30 years. In 2009, he became world-famous when he landed his airplane in the middle of the Hudson River in New York City. He was forced to make an emergency landing when both of the engines in his airplane lost power. Amazingly, all 155 people on board the A320 plane survived the landing. This
the incredible event became known as the ‘Miracle on the Hudson.’

Although Sully must have been scared when the engines lost power, he didn’t show
it. Instead, he stayed calm and saved the lives of everyone on board. What a brave
man!

For this activity, we would like to hear about a time when you, or someone you know, were brave like Sully. Post your work on your blog.

My Brave story isn't that related to Sully's story but I still think it was brave. My Brave story is about a guy named David who did a Haka all by himself with more than 100 people watching him. He wasn't forced to do it, he just did it because he was satisfied. He watched a school do a performance, that he loved, so he expressing his thoughts through a Haka, which I think is such a brave thing to do!