Art: An End-of-Term Reflection

 Hi there! 

Today I will be writing about what I have been doing in Art class the past couple of weeks.

In Art, we have been recreating and studying photographs by Slinkachu, we have also been learning about another artist, John Baldesarri. 

Slinkachu is a street artist who is from England who leaves miniature figurines out and about in bustling city scenes since 2006. He waits for real life scenarios to affect the mini figures. For example, he might leave mini figures by a melting ice block in the sun and come back later and see the results.  He has three best-selling books with his various art pieces.

John Baldesarri was a conceptual artist who influenced and transformed Los Angeles into a contemporary art place. He was an American artist who started out as a painter and then later moved on to photography and also combined them together to create his artworks.  He would paint with bright colours over black and white images. 

Earlier in the year, we learnt about focal points, leading lines and rules of thirds too. Here is an image with focal points, leading lines and rules of thirds:

Here are some of the images I made which were inspired by both Slinkachu and John Baldesarri:

This is one of my Slinkachu inspired photographs which I took. This was one of my first attempts at creating a "Slinkachu Style" photograph. I'm not really happy with the photo but it helped me take better photos later on.  

This is also a Slinkachu inspired piece of work.

You've seen the originals; here are my Slinkachu-Baldesarri images:

This was my first attempt at creating my own "John Baldesarri-Slinkachu" piece of art. 

As you can see, I have "painted" on colour in various places in the image; this is what John Baldesarri did to his photographs and I feel like I have channeled this well. 

I think I have done really well making my pieces of artwork. I am proud of the work I created over the past term, and also enjoyed creating them. I have enjoyed learning about Slinkachu, David Lethinhal & John Baldesarri. I had a lot of fun creating artwork which is inspired by them too. However, I think that if I were to do this again, I would try to incorporate more of Slinkachu's style and technique into my photos because I feel like I didn't channel it enough as I could've. In this class, I have learned:

   - How to work and gain skills on Adobe Photoshop

   - How to mix different styles of art together

   - To take good photographs on various devices (iPad, smartphones etc..)

   - About different artists and how they make their artwork. 

   - How to use Adobe Photoshop on different operating systems such as iOS and

Windows

Here's a question I'll leave you with; if you could change something I have done in the art above, what would you change? Comment that down below, just remember to be nice :)!

Thanks for reading!

Science: The Digestive System

Hi there!

In science, we have been learning about the human digestive system. In pairs, we made a presentation about the parts of the digestive system. Here is my presentation:

Thanks for reading!

Wananga: EOTC Days Research

 Hi there!

Next week, Hornby High students are going out of school for 3 days to do some fun activities before the school year ends. In this blog, I will be writing about different places we will be visiting and facts/information about them. 

We will be going to:

• A local pool
• Adventure course
• Day out in the central city

We were required to learn some things to do with the places we are going and blog about what we have learnt. 

Here is a poster with some water safety tips which can be put into use at a pool:

While in the city, we will be visiting Margaret Mahy playground, here is some information about Margaret Mahy:

Why was Margaret Mahy a famous New Zealander?

Margaret Mahy was a famous New Zealander because of the amazing children's books she wrote. Margaret Mahy was born in Whakatane in 1936 and wrote her first story at the age of seven years old. She went to Auckland University and Canterbury University and graduated in 1955. After this, she attended a Library School in Wellington and received a Librarian's diploma. In 1967, she started working for the School Library Service in Christchurch, during this time she wrote stories which were published for the New Zealand School Journal. In 1969, her first book, "Lion in the Meadow". In 1980, Margaret became a full time children's author. She went on to win numerous awards for the books she had written and wrote over 160 books. In 2012, Margaret Mahy passed away from cancer. In 2015, The Margaret Mahy Family Playground was named in her honour and was opened in the central city of Christchurch. 

Our last activity will be going to the thrilling Adrenalin Forest. 

Adrenalin Forest is an adventure park with flying foxes and obstacle courses; in the treetops. 

When I am at Adrenalin Forest:

- I will show Commitment by doing obstacles even when I am scared of them. 

- I will feel Achievement when I finish the whole obstacle course. 

- I will be Resilient by not letting the fear of being high up in the trees stop me - from enjoying myself. 

- I can show Respect by listening to instructions given to me. 

- I'm most looking forward to going on all the flying foxes. 

Thanks for reading!

Health: Year 9 Discovery

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about what I have been doing in Health class for the past couple of weeks. 

In Health we were set a task that required us to research a topic of our own choice and display the information we found. Our set success criteria was:

• Linking answers to the key concepts
• Described strategies that will improve outcomes in relation to our chosen issue
• All 5 BIG questions are answered in detail
• Our work is well presented and we are proud of it

The topic that I chose was brain development in teenagers.

Here is a photo of myself working on my tasks:

Firstly we had to decide what level we would work at to achieve and then we chose 5 BIG questions we would answer about our chosen topic. Once we had our 5 BIG questions we started to research about them. From there we had to decide what our final presentation would be. I chose to make/create a Kahoot quiz about teenage brain development. I chose to do this because I felt it would be a good, interactive way of showing my learning. I have learned that these strategies are helpful to use if they are struggling and want the best time of their teenage years:

• Thinking before you act
• Surrounding yourself with good influences
• Talking to adults when you need support

Here is a planning sheet I had to keep track of my work:

Here is screenshot of my completed quiz:

It was challenging when I had to find answers to the 5 BIG questions I chose as it was difficult to find some of the information I needed.

I coped with the challenge by researching more and asking my teacher about where I could find good, reliable information. 
Next time I will try to work more at home to reach my timeline quicker.
I am really proud of the questions I have answered and the work I put in at school and in my own time.

Lastly, here is a picture of what I am most proud of from my Health Discovery:

Thanks for reading!

Film Study/English: Coraline Timeline/Freytag's Pyramid

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about a timeline I made regarding the film, Coraline in Film Study/English.

Here is a Freytag Pyramid about Coraline:

• Exposition: 
• In the exposition of Coraline, we are introduced to the Pink Palace and the area around it. We also meet Coraline, her parents, Wybie and the other tenants of the Pink Palace apartments. Coraline begins to explore the area and meet new people along the way also.
• Complication:
• The complication introduced in the film is when Coraline finds the small, sealed up door in the living room of their new apartment. Wybie also gives Coraline a doll which looks exactly like her, which we then find out is spying on her. 
• Rising Action:
• The rising action in Coraline is when Coraline goes through the small door which leads to the ‘Other World’. She continues to go back to the ‘Other World’ and interact with the ‘Other People’ in the ‘Other World’. 
• Climax:

• The climax in Coraline is when the other mother offers/gives Coraline the box with button eyes inside it. 

• Falling Action:
• The falling action in Coraline is when Coraline doesn't accept the button eyes, the lighting changes when this happens too. The 'Other Mother' also starts to show her true colours towards Coraline, we also see how she treats the people from the 'Other World' too. Coraline tries to escape from the 'Other World' but fails. 
• Resolution:
• The resolution in Coraline is when Coraline prepares to go back into the 'Other World' one last time to save her parents' soul's. She gets a jade triangle from Miss Spink & Miss Forcible which helps her find the souls of the lost ghost children stuck in the 'Other World'. Most importantly in resolution, the final battle between Coraline and the 'Other Mother' occurs. This is when we see Coraline fighting her way out of spiderweb which belongs to the 'Other Mother'. 
• Denouement:
• The denouement in Coraline is when she drops the hand/claw of the 'Other Mother' into the 'never-ending' well we are introduced to in the beginning of the film. The denouement also includes all the characters we have met throughout the film all having a nice time together in the front garden at the Pink Palace Apartments. This is the ending of the film and it ends in nice, happy way.

What am I learning?

I am learning how to lay out a timeline explaining different parts of a film.

How does this work show my learning?

This work shows my learning because I was able to understand and explain the different parts in a Freytag Pyramid while studying a film.

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?

I am not currently wondering anything. 

Thanks for reading!

Film Study/English: Character Challenges

 Hi there!

Here is a slide show I made about Character Challenges in the film, Coraline.

What am I learning?

I am learning how to identify and record challenges characters face in films.

How does this work show my learning?

This work shows by learning because I have explained they way the characters' act, challenges they have faced in the film and how they have reacted to these challenges. 

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?

I am wondering if this activity is able to be used out of film studies. 

Thanks for reading!

P.E.: Gymnastics

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about what I did in Gymnastics.

My focus was learning how to do some basic Trampoline jumps and movements. 

My 3 activities were:

1. Straddle Jump
2. Pike Jump
3. Tuck Jump

I really enjoyed doing Gymnastics today, I liked the variety of options we had to choose from when doing it. I would definitely do it again.

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: Colour & Lighting in Coraline

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about how colour and lighting enhances the film, Coraline.

There are spoilers in this text for the film. 

In Coraline, when we first see the 'real world' all the colours are faded, dull and unexciting. It seems like almost every object or thing has a grey undertone. The only thing which is bright is Coraline, which shows she is a character we will be following as well as the stray cat's eyes. The lighting seems artificial, cold and dull in the house too. 

When we first see the 'other world' in Coraline, it seems so much brighter, it seems a lot more welcoming and loving. The lighting is much warmer and makes us feel like the 'other world' is a better place. It also seems like Coraline fits much better in the 'other world' because everything is brighter and warmer, like Coraline. 

After the Other Mother gives Coraline the button eyes for her to get sewn into the place where her real eyes actually are and refuses the lighting and colour changes. It is still bright, but brighter than it actually should be to seem welcoming. The colours are really vivid and it gives scenes with this colouring an eerie or scary effect. The lighting is artificial, which actually tells us something bad will happen to Coraline. 

When Coraline finally returns to the 'real world' after challenging the Other Mother and winning the 'real world' seems more inviting than it was before Coraline discovered the 'other world'. It is brighter and warmer, in a natural way which gives us a sense that the 'real world' is a safe and welcome place. 

Thanks for reading!

Wananga: Yr9 Leadership Workshop

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about what I have been doing in my Yr9 Leadership Workshop during Wananga time on Wednesday mornings.

Over the past 2 weeks, I have been participating in a Yr9 Leadership Workshop. My first task was to create a slideshow with some qualities and traits I thought a leader should have. I also had to record myself talking about these qualities and traits too. 

Here is a brainstorm of qualities and traits I think a leader should have:

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: Coraline Theme Guide Booklet

Hi there!

Here is a blog post about a Theme Guide Booklet I have in English/Film Study regarding the film, Coraline.

What am I learning?

I am learning to analyse different themes in films.

How does this show my learning?

I have showed my learning by creating a guide for people to use while watching a film to understand the themes displayed. 

What am I wondering?

Currently, I am not wondering anything.

Thanks for reading!

Art: The Dancer, The Tamer & The Person

Hi there!

This a blog post about some Hannah Höch inspired pieces of photomontage artwork, The Indian Dancer, The Tamer and The Lustige Person. Our lesson objective was to find out what processes were involved in making a Hannah Höch type image, except, digitally. 

I created 3 pieces of photomontage, all inspired by different Hannah Höch images. I first recreated the 'Indian Dancer' piece, then the 'Lustige Person' and lastly, the 'Tamer'.

Here are my recreations:

The Tamer recreation

The Indian Dancer recreation

The Lustige Person recreation

In the recreation of the Tamer, I really like the the bottom left hand corner of the piece.  In the original image, there is a head of a seal also in the bottom left hand corner with human eyes. I changed this slightly, so instead I placed a the head of a tiger in the corner and put the same eye on each side, except I flipped it so it would look slightly different. I am really happy with how it turned out. 

In my second recreation with the Indian Dancer my favourite part of the image would probably be the way the cartoon face lips kind of match up with the real face. This was on accident, I didn't even realise it fit in like this but it turned out working really cool. 

In my last recreation, my favourite part was the person's feet. In the original image, the woman's feet are a lot bigger in comparison to what feet normally look like. I like this because it makes the image seem kind of awkward which was interesting. 

I liked making photomontages as I explored a new way of creating artwork which was a lot of fun. I learned that you can create art all sorts of ways, and that art doesn't have to be perfect. It can be awkward and have pieces which don't fit in properly, but it can still be art. 

What do you think? 

What could I work on for next time?

Thanks for reading! 

Science: The Anatomy of the Human Hand

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about the anatomy of the human hand, something my class is learning about. 

The hand is made up of the following:

• Joints
• Joints do the following:
• They allow us to move our fingers in many different ways such as bending our fingers, flexing them, spreading them and bringing them in. They are also important for pinching things as well as grip. 
• Bones
• Bones do the following: 
• They give our hands form and stability. Without them, our hands would flop over and be like jelly. We have 3 types of bones in our hands:
• Phalanges, our finger bones
• Metacarpals, bones in the middle of our hand
• Carpals, our wrist bones
• Fun fact: each hand is made up of 27 bones!
• Cartilage
• What does Cartilage do?
• Cartilage covers the end of joints to help movement be smooth and help those movements glide too. 
• Muscles
• What do Muscles do?
• We have two types of muscles, flexor muscles and extensor muslces. Our flexor muscles bend our fingers and thumb, while the extensor muscles straighten them out 
• Tendons
  
• How tendons work:
• Tendons work to make our fingers move. They are basically strings inside our hand.
• Ligaments
• How Ligaments work:
• ligaments are really just tunnels for our tendons. Our tendons can slide up and down through the ligaments. 

Below are some photos of the hand:

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: The Language of Film

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about the language of film and showing you a crossword puzzle I made about the language of film too. 

What am I learning?
I am learning about different terms in film, what they mean as well as why they're important.

How does this work show my learning?
Because I created a crossword puzzle, it shows that I know what specific film terms are as well as what they mean. I can also help others learn about these topics too. 

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?
I want to know about other techniques used in film, I would like to learn about these because I want to be able to identify different things in films when I am watching them. 

Here is my crossword:

Thanks for reading!

Hurumanu 5 Reflection

Hi there!

Today I will be talking to you about my reflection in Hurumanu 5, Maths and Science.

Over the past 13 weeks we have covered a lot of things in Maths. We have covered things such as Algebra, questioning mathematical images and solving problems within them, Geometry, Angles, Triangles and Tessellation. 

In Algebra, we started off using images of things such as different fruits to represent numbers and try figure out what they were instead of using letters, I like this because it was fun to do while still engaging.  We then moved onto using letters to do this as well as doing activities regarding Algebra in some workbooks.

We also did things such as working out how many shapes are within a shape, for example we would have a 3x3 grid made up of squares, then we would have to try figure out how many more square we could make too. 

In Geometry, we used textbook activities and drew shapes in our books. We then rotated, reflected and translated the original shapes.

We learnt about different angles as well, this also related into when we learnt about triangles.

When we looked at triangles, we learnt about the different types of triangles and different parts of a triangle. 

When looking at Tessellation, we got do make our own piece of Tessellation artwork, we also looked at an artist who was called M.C. Escher who made very intricate tessellation artworks. 


Here is a slideshow I made about how Algebra relates into Science:

Overall, I really enjoyed this Hurumanu. I liked it because we learnt about interesting topics which were made to help us understand them better. I would have liked to have spend more time on Algebra and Geometry to further my skill. The teachers were great and if I could do this Hurumanu again I would!

Thanks for reading!

Wananga: Do You Support the End of Life Act?

Hi there!
Today I will be writing about the End of Life Act, one of two questions from the upcoming Referendum in New Zealand. 

Do you support the End of Life Act?

Because this is a public blog, I don't feel comfortable sharing my stance on the question on the Internet. 

However, I will share some information on the matter to help you, the reader develop an opinion. 

3 Pros

• You are the only person who can decide if you want to die.
• There are 4 different ways you can die
• A person must be 18 years of age or older

3 Cons

• If you are just visiting New Zealand then you aren't eligible for assisted dying. 
• A person who is unable to make their mind up because they aren't mentally well they won't be allowed assisted death.
• A person can ask to be assisted with dying but the doctors are the ones who decide if they are eligible. 

Here is a link to the End of Life Act website: End of Life Act Referendum

Thanks for reading!

Art: Hannah Höch Informational Poster

Hi there! 

Today I will be blogging about an informational poster about Hannah Höch. The poster features 10 facts about Hannah and 5 pieces of her artwork. I found it really interesting learning about her and then also making artwork which was inspired by her.

Thanks for reading!