Wānanga: Reflection Section

Hi there!

Today I will be writing another Reflection Section. 

Title: Usain Bolt insists he could have broken 9.5s with new 'super spikes'

Type: News Article 

Creator: Stuff sports reporters

Purpose: To inform 

Date: Jul 09 2021

Critical Literacy Question: Who would be most likely to read this text and why?

Statement: This article is most likely directed to people who are interested in athletics and sports because it is about Usain Bolt, the current record holder of the 100m Men's sprint. 

Explanation: People are interested in Usain Bolt and the 100m record he holds too, so people want to read about his thoughts on the new technology being used in sprinting spikes and his opinions on these new 'super spikes'.

Evidence: On the sports section on Stuff, it is the first article to appear.  

Thanks for reading!

Business Studies: New Zealand Entrepreneur Research

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing research I have done in my Business Studies class about a  New Zealand entrepreneur, Richard Taylor.

Document

Thanks for reading!

Science: Wind Racers

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing a blog about wind racers in Science as a part of our Forces and Motion unit. This will be a joint blog post with the other people in my group. 

Aim: To make the fastest or most creative wind racer

Method:

1. Research different types of wind racers and land yachts

2. Choose a design 

3. Choose materials for wind racer

4. Start making wind racer and make adjustments if necessary.

Results: 

Wind racer I designed

Discussion:

There were 4 forces acting on the wind racer. But before we talk about this we need to learn what a "force" is. A force is a push or pull movement that is measured in Newtons (N), after Sir Issac Newton. You may be wondering, how is force measured? Here is your answer! Forces are measured by using a newton meter, they also have a size and direction too. Here is a diagram of the four forces:

Forces come in pairs, support & gravity/weight the first pair. The second being push/thrust & friction.

Let's see this on another wooden block: 

Weight/gravity force:

- The block is exerting a force on the table in the downwards direction due to it's weight (gravity's effect on it's mass). Therefore, it's called the weight force. 

Support force:

- Since the block isn't moving, the table is also exerting a force which is equal to the force on the block in the upwards or opposite direction. This is called the support force  (or the reaction force). 

In this picture, imagine someone is pushing the block from the right. 

Push/thrust force:

- The person is exerting a force on the block towards the left. This force can be called a push/thrust force. 

Friction force:

- Friction between the block of wood and the table resists the push/thrust force. So, it is called the friction force. 

NOTE: the size of the arrows is used to show the relative size of the forces.

You can't see a force, but most of the time you can see the effect of it/what it does. Forces make stationary things move or speed up and make things already moving slow down, change their direction and their shape. 

Forces are normally put into two groups, contact forces and non-contact forces. 

Contact forces: 

- Occur when the object transmitting force is in contact with the object experiencing the force. (e.g. A screwdriver being used to open a tin of paint or a foot pushing down on the pedal of a bike.)

Non-contact forces:

- Gravity or magnetism, neither requires contact between objects experiencing force. (e.g. Moon travelling in orbit around Earth or Electromagnet picking up metal)

As mentioned above, there were four forces acting on the wind racer. The weight/gravity force kept the wind racer from floating up into the air, and the support force kept the wind racer from being crushed into the ground. Push/thrust from the leaf blower kept the wind racer moving and the friction force eventually slowed the wind racer, as there was no wind to catch on. 

Conclusion:

Yes, my wind racer worked, it travelled a total distance of 2-4 metres, something I definitely wasn't expecting to happen, as I started to second guess my design and all the things which could go wrong when we raced it. Next time, I would research more and make multiple designs. 

Thanks for reading!

Wānanga: Reflection Section

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing yet another Reflection Section. 

Title: The Tinder-box

Type: Fairytale

Creator: Hans Christian Andersen

Purpose: To entertain/teach a lesson

Date: 8 May 1835

Critical Literacy Question: What kinds of social realities does the text portray?

Statement: The Tinder-box, written by Hans Christian Andersen portrays the social realities of old times, showing realities of the poor, the rich and the middle-class.

Explanation: We see the solider go from being a middle-class citizen at the beginning of the tale, coming from fighting at war. He comes out of the tree being rich and wealthy and experiences this only for a couple of days before he spends all his money and becomes so poor he moves into an attic and can't afford even a candle. He remembers the tinder-box he stole from the old woman at the beginning of the story. He strikes the box and he once more becomes rich after the dogs bring him money. Then, he becomes kings because of all his riches. 

Evidence: It shows how people can be unwise with their money, and lose it all once they have plenty of it. 

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Stuff Article Comprehension

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my reading comprehension after reading a Stuff article about Christchurch's issues with recycling. Here is a link to the article. 

1. What % of rubbish causes a recycling truck to be dumped?

1. If a recycling truck has 10% of rubbish in it’s overall load, it will be rejected and sent off to the landfill and be used as rubbish, not recycling. 

2. What is going into people’s recycling bins?

1. Dead animals, nappies, seatbelts, chainsaws and lots and lots of items which cannot be recycled.

3. What is the current penalty?

1. If residents aren’t recycling properly, they will get three warnings from the council to improve their recycling. If they don’t the bins will be removed from the resident’s property. To get their bin back, the residents will need to pay a $97.65 fine and sign that they will obey the recycling rules. 

Do you agree?

I think that it is good that residents get three warnings before their bins are taken away. It gives them a chance to improve and not have to worry about paying a fine to get it back. 

What do you suggest?

I think that the current app made by the council should get more attention and be advertised more so that people can install it and know what can go in what bin with a simple click of a button rather than needing to research on their own.

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Greenpeace Research

 Hi there! 

In Social Studies we were required to make a brief slideshow about Greenpeace. Here is my slideshow:

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Plastic Pollution Article

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing a news article I have written in Social Studies regarding plastic pollution in our oceans.

Here is a link to my work.

Thanks for reading!