Wānanga: Personalised Passion Projects

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my Personalised Passion Passion Project with you! Here it is below:

Thanks for reading!

Art: What I have been doing so far

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing what I have been doing in Art class so far this term. We have done: 

- 10 minutes of drawing outside with different art supplies

- Propaganda research 

Since Term 4 has started, after arriving to class, we go outside to draw what we see with various art supplies. We stay outside for about 10 minutes, drawing what is in front of us as best we can and majority of us go back since we have finished, while some people stay since they haven't completed their artwork. Below is a slideshow I made show-casing what I have drawn:

We have also been doing research about propaganda in class, seeing what images are try to tell us and make connections with them. At first, we did thumbnail sketches of posters trying to sway people's opinions, some were posters from movies and others were old war posters. 

After this, we created inspiration sheets with cuttings from newspapers and stuck them onto large pieces of paper. We made links between images and tried to see what connections we could make. We then started to make thumbnail sketches by combining images from our inspiration sheets with the first thumbnail sketches we did or with our imagination. Here is a slideshow showing my work:

I am currently working on doing photomontage inspired by Hannah Höch to make my 'cake trapped in a box' and will then go over it in colour, inspired by John Baldessarri. 

What do you think of my work? 

Thanks for reading!

Science: Solar & Lunar Eclipses

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about lunar eclipses and solar eclipses, something we have recently learnt in Science class.

Solar eclipse in Maba, Indonesia

A solar eclipse happens when light from the sun is blocked by the moon, preventing it from reaching earth. This creates pitch black darkness during the day, however it is only for a short period of time. The place where a solar eclipse happens will be completely dark. The last full solar eclipse happened on March 9, 2016. This eclipse was fully visible in parts of Indonesia and it was partially visible in Australia, south Asia, and east Asia. The next solar eclipse is supposed to happen on December 4 this year in Antarctica, while the next one in New Zealand is due to happen on 22 July, 2028. Below is a diagram of a solar eclipse:

 

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is blocked by the earth and it disappears, as the sun's light cannot reach it, therefore, making the moon unable to reflect light. So, while it is night time and there is a lunar eclipse, the moon will temporarily disappear. The last lunar eclipse in New Zealand happened on 26 May, 2021. The next lunar eclipse in New Zealand is going to happen on 19 November, 2021, however it will not be a full eclipse, only partial. Below is a diagram of a lunar eclipse:

Thanks for reading!

Science: Volcano Research

 Hi there!

Kīlauea erupting on 26/10/2018

In Science class, we have started learning about Earth Science. Today I will be sharing my knowledge about Kīlauea, a Hawaiian volcano. 

Kīlauea is located on the largest island which makes up the islands, Hawai‘i. It is the southeastern most volcano on Hawai‘i. It is a shield volcano, it is called this because it looks like a broad volcano which looks similar to a shield. 

Kīlauea is special because it is home to Pele, the Hawiian volcano goddess. Chants and oral traditions tell of lots of angry eruptions of Pele after the arrival of the first European on the island, a missionary named Rev. From topography, it appears Kīlauea is only a bulge on Mauna Loa, so it was thought to be a neighbour and not actually a separate volcano. Research shows Kīlauea is a separate volcano which produces its own magma plumbing system, more than 60km below the surface. 

Not an image of the current eruption

Kīlauea is currently erupting, it started on the 29th of September 2021. There isn't any damage as the lava is still in the crater and only affecting one vent. However, this is good news for the scientists who research Kīlauea. The volcano summit colapsed in 2018, so it is the first time since the 2018 that lava has been seen at Kīlauea since then. 

Thanks for reading! 

Science: Hedgehog Research

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my knowledge about hedgehogs. 

Hedgehogs or Erinaceus europaeus are animals that primarily live in forests. They are instantly recognisable due to their prickly spikes. They are mammals and are also carnivorous creatures, eating slugs and sometimes even rabbits. Their bodies can span 12.7cm to 30.5cm and their tails span 2.5cm to 5.1cm. They generally weigh around 400g to 1.1kg, according to National Geographic. They are nocturnal animals but don't spend a lot of time out at night. They will usually scavenge for food 2-3 hours after the sun sets, they do this again about 6 hours later. 

How do Hedgehogs show M.R.S.G.R.E.N.? 

Movement - Hedgehogs show movement because they can move from one place to another easily with their 4 legs. They also have claws that help them grip the ground.

Respiration - Hedgehogs do use respiration. They can turn the food they eat into energy. 

Sensitivity - Hedgehogs can sense changes to their environment, for example, they are able to sense when it is night or day and use this to decide when to go scavenging. 

Growth - Yes, hedgehogs do grow. They start very small, but as mentioned above they can grow up to 30cm or so. This doesn't just apply to their body, their spikes grow with age and their brains develop to help them have a better chance of survival.

Reproduction - Hedgehogs reproduce, they are considered endangered in Britain.

Excretion - Hedgehogs urinate and get rid of stool often. 

Nutrition - Hedgehogs eat other animals to live and grow.

Adaptations 

Prickly spikes - The spikes of a hedgehog help it repel predators. When a hedgehog becomes frightened, it will use its strong back muscles to curl up into a ball, keeping its underbelly tucked and safe while its spikes are poking out. 

Colour - The colours of a hedgehog's spikes and fur help it blend in with its environment, therefore making it difficult for predators to spot them. This also helps them to prey on animals too. 

Poison protection - Hedgehogs can make special saliva which makes them immune to certain things which are normally poisonous. They sometimes lick their spikes to spread the poison as a form to protect themselves from predator attacks.

Claws - The claws of hedgehogs are very strong, making them good for digging. 

Predator and Prey Relationships

Hedgehog and the Weasel - In this relationship, the hedgehog is the prey and the weasel is the predator. The weasel has adapted its technique over time and has become quite masterful over time. 

Hedgehog and the Slug - In this relationship, the hedgehog is the predator whereas the slug is the prey. Hedgehogs will use their pointy snout and great sense of smell to sniff out slugs to eat them. 

Thanks for reading!

Science: Animal and Plant Cells

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my knowledge between the difference of animal cells and plant cells. 

Here is an image of an animal cell:

Cytoplasm - Cytoplasm is a jelly-like material which surrounds all the cell parts inside of the cell membrane. Cytoplasm was considered to be a fluid-like substance. However, after recent research it is similar to glass-like liquids. 

Nucleus - The nucleus is a part of every cell. The nucleus is a 'storage unit' which holds the chromosomes, DNA and genes of the animal. 

Cell membrane - The cell membrane is a thin layer of protein and fat which protects and keeps all of the cell parts inside. It helps support the cell and give it integrity. 

Mitochondrion - Mitochondrion or mitochondria (plural) is a rod-shaped organelle. They are called the power house of the cell, because they play a crucial role in releasing energy. 

Here is a plant cell:

Cytoplasm - Cytoplasm does differ from an animal cell. As mentioned above, cytoplasm is a jelly-like material which fills a cell and protects and supports organelle in the cell.  

Nucleus - Every organism has a nucleus, plants aren't excluded from this! The nucleus stores chromosomes, DNA and other genetic material.

Cell membrane - The cell membrane is still a thin layer of fats and protein which encase the organelle of a cell. It makes sure everything in the cell doesn't leave and become damaged. 

(Cellulose) cell wall - The cell wall is the outmost part of a plant cell. It gives the cell structure, as opposed to an animal cell which doesn't have much integrity. It separates the exterior environment from the organelles in the interior of the cell.  

Mitochondrion - Look above for description. 

Permanent/large vacuole - The term 'vacuole' means 'empty space'. In a plant, a vacuole cell quite large, taking up to 80% of the cell up. The vacuole stores nutrients to feed the plant, it expands and shrinks regarding if it has enough water. We can see this in the form of a plant drooping and looking lifeless (vacuoles are shrinking) or a plant which looks full of life (vacuoles are expanded). The vacuole also help give structure to the cell. 

Chloroplast - Chloroplast is the organelle which makes green plants green. It is responsible for photosynthesis and are found in the leaves of a plant. 

Thanks for reading! 

English: Dilemmas Essay

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing an essay I wrote in English class based on dilemmas, our focus for this term.

For my topic, but decided to write about how literature teaches us to deal with dilemmas and used three stories to show this. The stories I chose were:

- The Doll's House by Katherine Mansfield

- Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

- The Bear by William Faulkner 

Here is my essay. 

Thanks for reading!