Summer Learning Journey Week 3 Day 3

DAY 3: Taking Flight

Activity 1: Bird of the Year! [4 points]

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many different kinds (species) of native birds.  Sadly, about a third of our native bird species are at risk of disappearing forever (becoming extinct).

Each year, Forest and Bird New Zealand hold a ‘Bird of the Year’ competition where people can vote for their favourite native bird. This year, the winner was the kererū (or woodpigeon).

Go onto the Bird of the Year website, look through the native birds on the site, and choose one that interests you.

On your blog, write a short description of your bird. Where does your bird normally live? What does your bird normally eat?  Post a picture of the bird underneath your description. Be sure to attribute your picture properly.

The bird that I'm going to write about is the Barn Owls. Barn Owls eat mostly voles, shrews, mice and sometimes rats. Barn owls are the most widespread of all owl species and are found on every continent except Antarctica. A group of owls is called a parliament. Most owls hunt insects, small mammals and other birds. Owls have powerful claws which help them catch and kill prey.

Activity 2: Flying Foxes [4 points]

Not only is New Zealand home to many native birds but we also have a number of native bats. Some of these bats are really small while others are much larger. None, however, are as large as the largest bat in Australia. It is called the flying fox (pictured below) and it has a wingspan of up to 6 feet or 2 metres. Wow! That is taller than most of us!

Flying foxes usually sleep during the day and hunt for food at night, using their ears to guide them through the darkness. Like other bats, they have the best hearing of any mammal. It is their ‘superpower.’

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? If I could choose, I would like to be able to fly. It would make it possible for me to fly back to Canada and visit my family whenever I wanted. How amazing would that be?!

On your blog, tell us what superpower you would like to have and why you’d like to have it.

The Superpower I would like is Superspeed. The reason why I would like super speed as my superpower is that I can come first in all of the cross countries and marathons I attend.

Activity 3: Wind Beneath My Wings [10 points]

Birds and bats are just two species of animal that are able to fly. Did you know that some fish, squirrels and snakes are also able to fly? Check out the ‘Top 10 Flying Animals of the World’ website to learn more about these incredible animals.

Once you have explored the site, choose one animal and create a digital learning object (DLO, eg. a poster) that tells us all about the animal. Be sure to include at least three interesting facts and a picture or two of your animal! Please follow these instructions for attributing your pictures properly.

Here is an example of a DLO that was created about lions.

On your blog, post a final copy of your DLO.

Summer Learning Journey Week 3 Day 2

DAY 2: The Air Up There

Activity 1: Bee Informed [4 points]

One of the most important, but least talked about, animals in New Zealand is the bumblebee. It was first introduced to New Zealand in 1885 to help pollinate a special plant called the ‘Red Clover.’ Today, bumblebees do many other important jobs, including the pollination of greenhouses and orchard crops. If the bees did not pollinate the plants, they would not survive.

For this activity, we would like you to become detectives and learn more about the mysterious, and often ignored, bumblebee. We will provide you with four sentences about bumblebees from the NZ Bumblebee Conservation Trust website and it is your job to fill in the blanks with the missing information.

On your blog type out the four ‘Unbee-lievable Facts about Bumblebees’ and fill in the blanks for each one.

Unbee-lievable Facts about Bumblebees

1. The word ‘bumblebee’ is a compound word (bumble + bee). The word ‘bumble’ means to hum, buzz, drone, or move ineptly or flounderingly.
2. Bumblebees can fly very quickly. They can reach ground speeds of 15 kilometres per hour (km/h).
3. Bumblebees can do more work and carry more pollen than other bees, including honeybees. In fact, they can do 50  times as much work as a normal honeybee.
4. The number of bumblebees is declining in New Zealand due to a number of factors, including industrial agriculture and climate change . [insert any two causes of the declining number of bumblebees].

Activity 2: Carbon Sinks Don’t Stink! [4 points]

Every day a chemical compound called carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced and released into the air.  If it isn’t removed, it can become toxic for humans. Fortunately, there are a number of places where CO2 is absorbed (removed from the air). Two of the most common places are forests and oceans. They are called ‘carbon sinks’ because, like a sink, they gather, clean and drain things away that we don’t want. One of the largest carbon sinks in New Zealand is a forest in the south-western part of the South Island. It drains away 60% of our unwanted carbon!

Let’s imagine that you could design a sink that could gather up and then drain away any foods that you don’t like. On your blog, tell us what you would put in your special sink. If it was me, I would put rice pudding, brussel sprouts, custard, parsnips, and seafood chowder in the sink. Yuck! What about you?

On your blog, list all of the foods that you would put in your special draining sink.

A list of all the food I would throw away in to my special draining sink. (All the foods I don't like)

• Eggplants
• Mashed Potato
• Peas
• Peppers
• Rock Melons
• Pumpkin
• Cumber
• Zucchini

Activity 3: Flying Fungi [10 points]

In the middle of winter it can get quite wet and damp in New Zealand, can’t it? When it gets really damp, it is common for things like mould and fungi to start to grow. We can often see them on the walls, ceilings or floors of our houses or outside on footpaths, buildings or roadways. Some types of mould and fungi are so small that they can’t be seen. Some of these tiny fungi/mould can be found in the air. They are called ‘airborne fungi’ and they can be unhealthy for us.

Let’s imagine that we tested the air in your classroom and found 7 different kinds of mould. Eek! The cleaner says that it takes 5 days for each mould to be eradicated (removed). If the school had to remove each mould one at a time, how long would it take to remove all the mould from the classroom?

On your blog, tell us how you would solve this tricky math problem. Be sure to also post your final answer in days or weeks.

Summer Learning Journey Week 3 Day 1

DAY 1: A Heated Debate

Activity 1: Togs or Trackies? [4 points]

New Zealand is a pretty lovely place to live, isn’t it? Apparently, New Zealand (NZ) is also a pretty lovely place to visit. In 2017 approximately 2-3 million people came to visit NZ as tourists. Some of them chose to come in the middle of our summer, while others braved it and came in the middle of winter! When do you think is the best time of year (season) to visit NZ?

If you would like some help making a decision, feel free to read the Go New Zealand website. It has lots of information about the seasons in NZ!

I, personally, encourage my friends and family from overseas to come and visit NZ in early spring. The weather is usually warm and dry and the tourist attractions, beaches and holiday spots are less busy than they are in the middle of summer.

On your blog, tell us what time of year you think is best for tourists to come and visit. Be sure to share at least three things that tourists could do while they were here in NZ.

In my opinion, The best time to visit New Zealand is around Summer because it is not that hot compared to Australia. The three best things to do in New Zealand (In my opinion), is to go to Rainbows End, Go for a swim on the beach and Visit the Botanical gardens.

Activity 2: You are my Sunshine [4 points]

People in New Zealand love spending time outdoors. Unfortunately, the sun is very powerful and the rates of skin cancer are incredibly high in New Zealand. In fact, they are higher than anywhere else in the entire world! To protect ourselves against skin cancer, we need to be careful about how much time we spend in the sun. We have to be ‘Sunsmart.’

Read the SunSmart website.

On your blog, list five different things that we can do to protect ourselves from the sun this summer!

Click here for a link to a Sun Smart report that I wrote. I hope you like it

.

Activity 3: Burning Up… [15 points]

While it can get hot in New Zealand, especially in the middle of summer, it gets even hotter in places like Dallol (Ethiopia), Dasht-e Loot (Iran), Tirat Zvi (Israel), Kabili (Tunisia) and Bandar-e Mahshahr (Iran).

The hottest temperature on record in each place is: Dallol: 41oC; Dasht-e Loot: 71oC; Tirat Zvi: 54oC; Kabili: 55oC; Bandar-e Mahshahr: 51oC. Crazy ‘eh?!

For this activity, you are asked to use this information to create a graph. The graph should have a title along with the names of each city and their hottest recorded temperatures. You can draw the graph by hand or use a computer programme like Google Draw to create your graph. It’s completely up to you!

Here is an example of a graph:

On your blog, post a picture of your graph.

Summer Learning Journey Week 2 Day 5

DAY 5: Wasting Away

Activity 1: Off the Menu [4 points]

Fishing is a really common activity in New Zealand. In fact, people have fished in New Zealand for centuries. Unfortunately, over the past few decades, some people have caught too many fish in one area and left the region without enough fish to refill (replenish) the stocks. When this happens we call the area ‘overfished’ and it is closed to all private and commercial fishing. If people are caught fishing in these areas, they are required to pay a fine (money). The maximum fine for fishing in a restricted area is $100 000.

What do you think about this rule? Is it fair that people are charged up to $100 000 for overfishing?

On your blog, tell us what you think about this rule and why you think it!.

I think that it is fair that people are being charged up to $100,000 for overfishing because the population of our fishes is going down and these people are making it worse for the fishes. another reason is that fishes are living creatures and fishes plays a very important role in nutrient cycles.

Activity 2: The Black Drain [4 points]

Approximately two-thirds of all rivers and one-half of all lakes in New Zealand are too polluted to swim in, according to a recent article in an online newspaper. One of the most polluted is the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Pollution enters the river from a local pulp and paper mill, from local farms and through the local sewage system. Many other rivers in New Zealand are also polluted with waste from businesses and farms.

Use Google to help you find two other polluted rivers in New Zealand.

On your blog, tell us:

1) The names of the rivers. Waikirikiri river and karamu stream

2) The location of the rivers. Hawke's Bay and Canterbury

3) What is being done to clean up the rivers (if anything) Nothing 😢😢

Activity 3: Faded Glory [5 points]

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, made up of 2900 individual reefs. It is so big that it can actually be seen from space! The reef is located on the east coast of Australia and many people believe that it is millions and millions of years old. For most of its life, the reef has been a healthy, vibrant ecosystem. Over the past thirty years, however, it has changed dramatically. Much of the beautiful bright coral has become bleached and has lost its colour. Sections of the reef have also been damaged by tourists, cyclones and the introduction of new, damaging invasive species.

The Australian government is working to protect and preserve the reef. Each year they spend about $200 million dollars repairing and protecting the reef. It is a lot of money and they could really use some help raising the money (funds) required to repair the reef. This is where you come in!

On your blog, list three different ideas or strategies for raising funds to preserve the Great Barrier Reef. What could you do to fundraise here in New Zealand?

Three ideas for fund raising.

• Car wash
• Lemonade stand
• mowing peoples lawn.

Summer Learning Journey Week 2 Day 4

DAY 4: Spectacular, Spectacular

Activity 1: Planes, Trains and Automobiles [4 points]

Arguably, one of the most dramatic and spectacular (beautiful) places to visit in New Zealand is Milford Sound. It has been referred to as the ‘eighth wonder of the world.’ It is a beautiful fiord (steep valley) that was formed when big pieces of ice (glaciers) melted. The melted glaciers created a beautiful river that is surrounded by dramatic cliffs and snow-capped mountains. People who visit Milford Sound are able to take a boat cruise through the middle of the fiord, walk around the area on the Milford Track or fly above the fiord as part of a private helicopter tour.

Let’s imagine that you had the chance to visit Milford Sound by boat, foot (walking) or air (helicopter). Which option would you prefer?

On your blog tell us which of the three options you would take to explore Milford Sound. Be sure to tell us why you have chosen this option.

I would rather choose to explore Milford Sound by flying in a helicopter. The reason why I chose the helicopter is that we can see more mountains and other things by flying other than walking or being in a boat. Another reason is that I haven't been in a helicopter.

Activity 2: It’s All in the Name [4 points]

Over the years, people have suggested that we come up with a new name for the pool. What do you think we should call it? Take a minute to let your creative juices flow. Rotorua is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations. It is a city filled with incredible forests, mountain biking tracks, lakes, and geothermal wonders, including hot springs (geysers) and mud pools. One of the most famous geothermal pools is called the Devil’s Bath at Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. It is a neon green pool of stinky water.

On your blog, give us a list of three to five options for the name of this geothermal pool. Put a star (*) beside the name that you like the most.

Noisome Lake *
Demons Pool
Fetid Lagoon  

Activity 3: Picture Perfect [10 points]

While New Zealand is home to some beautiful waterfalls, there are a number of stunning waterfalls in places like Canada and South Africa. In Canada, the largest waterfall is called Niagara Falls. It sits on the border between Canada and the United States of America. Thousands of tourists flock (go) to Niagara Falls every year to see the falls and to have their picture taken in front of this natural wonder. Over the past few years, people have started taking ‘selfies’ and posting them online. Do you ever take selfies?

For this activity, choose one of the following three selfies. From left to right: Selfie #1, Selfie #2, Selfie #3

On your blog, write a short story about what you think is happening in the picture. Be sure to tell us where you think the people are and what you think they were doing at the time that they stopped to pose for the selfie. To earn full points, the story must be 8 – 10 sentences long.

Selfie #1

I really think that the guy in the middle is a well-known celebrity where he comes from. He also kinda looks like he's from the Pacific islands. The other people around him look so pleased and excited to be taking a photo with him. I'm not sure why he's famous but I either think he's a good sports player or he did something heroic. But if he does play any sports, I really think he is a rugby player. But if he did do something heroic, he should be appearing on the news or on the internet. I think that he is a rugby player more than a hero because he looks like he's a very good rugby player. But if he doesn't play rugby nor a hero, my other thought is he is a famous bodybuilder because he looks like he goes to the gym a lot.

Summer Learning Journey Week 2 Day 3

DAY 3: First You ‘Sea’ Me, Now You Don’t…

Activity 1: Night Owls [4 points]

Here in New Zealand, we have many amazing and unique sea creatures, including penguins. The blue penguin, or kororā, is particularly special because it is the smallest penguin in the entire world! Blue penguins are typically found on the east coast of the South Island in places like Oamaru but they can be hard to spot as they rarely leave the water. If they do come onto land it is usually at night, when most of us are sound asleep! That’s because they are nocturnal. Not all of us, however, sleep all night. In fact, some people love to stay awake late into the evening. People who like to stay up late are called ‘night owls.’ Are you a night owl or are you an early riser, like me? I typically wake up every day around 6:00 a.m. and jump out of bed, ready to start the day!

On your blog, tell us whether you are a night owl or an early riser. Then, tell us about the rest of your family. Are they the same as you?.

For me, I think that I'm a night owl type of a guy because I normally go to sleep around 12 am and wake up around 7 or 8 0-clock. My family is an early riser. I know this because I'm always the last one to wake up and the last one to be ready for school.

Activity 2: A Local Delicacy [4 points]

Whitebait is a very special fish in New Zealand. It is rumoured (believed) to be a very delicious fish. Some restaurants in New Zealand make dishes that feature whitebait, including whitebait fritters. Have you ever tried whitebait fritters? They are a favourite dish for many of my friends. I, personally, prefer foods from places like Mexico and Italy. Pizza and nachos are two of my all-time favourite foods! In fact, I often make homemade pizza with Aronui on Friday nights using the same ingredients (pizza base, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, red onion, basil and feta cheese) each time.

For this activity, please choose a favourite food and find a recipe for it.

On your blog, share a list of the ingredients that you need to make this food. You must type out the list of ingredients yourself (and not simply copy and paste it from a website) to earn full points.

Ingredients for Pizza

• Dough
• Cheese
• Flour
• Tomato sauce
• Mozzarella
• Pepperoni
• Ranch dressing or Mayonnaise

Activity 3: The Midnight Zone [10 points]

One of these creatures is called the ‘Colossal Squid.’ A colossal squid can weigh as much as 495 kilograms (kg)! Here in New Zealand, we have a full-sized colossal squid on display at Te Papa Museum in Wellington. It is the only specimen of its kind in the entire world! This squid weighs approximately 500 kg. In 2018, a team at Te Papa decided to move the giant squid from one area of the museum to another. Deep in the ocean, far below the surface, lies an area called the ‘Midnight Zone.’ It is called the midnight zone because it is always dark or ‘pitch black’ in this area. Much of the deep sea has yet to be explored by humans, however, we do know a little bit about the creatures that live here.

Let’s imagine that the average adult can lift 25 kg and the average child can lift 15 kg. How many adults and children will it take to move the giant squid into its new room at Te Papa? [Note: There is more than one right answer to this question.]

On your blog, tell us how you will solve this maths problem. You can write your answer in words, use a Sketchpad image or post a video explaining how you would figure it out. Be sure to give us your final answer.