Mitchell - WLJ - Day #3 - Wild Eyes

Hey bloggers! Today is officially Day #3 of the Winter Learning Journey. I have had so much fun blogging the past days! Let's begin!

Activity 1 : Adopting a Native Animal

Curious Kiwi is going to be my tour guide today! He is going to take me around to visit the Otorohanga Kiwi house and Native Bird Park, where most of his family lives. It takes 5 hours to get from Dargaville to the Native Bird Park, so I leave at Breakfast and arrive at Lunch. I decide to help by adopting a little critter! Here is my little critter:

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I have decided to adopt a Brown Kiwi! The Scientific name is named a Apteryx mantelli. The name's pretty hard to pronounce! Here are 3 interesting facts about the Brown Kiwi. 
1. Kiwi can live in between the ages of 25 and 50! That's amazing.
2. Did you know? that there are 68,000 Kiwi left in NZ. Were losing 2% every year.
3. Did you know? that there are 5 different species of Kiwi. The brown kiwi is one of them.

What kind of animal are they? Kiwi. What do they eat? Kiwi's normally digest seeds, grubs, and different kinds of worms. They also eat heaps of fruit, small crayfish and eels.  Where do brown normally live? They live on the North Island normally in luscious forests.

Activity 2 : Possum trouble!

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After my great visit to the Otorohanga Kiwi House, it's time to hop back in the bus and travel to Hawkes Bay in Napier. It's really popular for their wines and more. I decided to take a walk with Curious Kiwi in the park. We see some trees with leaves that are damaged. Curious Kiwi tells me that they are damaged my local possums. People are working very hard to trap these possums.

I have been asked to post my opinion on my blog on whether New Zealand should be predator free or not. Here's my opinion: I think Possums should not stay in New Zealand but be put in a special area. 

I think people should start to trap all possums in New Zealand and put them in a special area where they cannot harm anything. 

Also I think possums should stay out of New Zealand because they damage New Zealand Native life such as plants, and also Kauri trees an much more. They also kill Native birds too.

I also think they should not stay in New Zealand because the cause trouble and also harm things around themselves.

Bonus : The Moa

After a long day of exploring I decided to relax. I have dinner with some friends and head to bed. As I'm about to fall asleep I hear something moving outside! What could it be? It sounds like a large bird! Maybe it's a Moa.....

I have been asked to complete a challenge on a new website that has recently been launched named Wild Eyes! I have to complete the Giant Moa discovery mission! To earn full points I must post a picture of my Moa on the Wild eyes website and on my blog. Let's go!

Here is my Wild Eyes selfie I created. I simply took a photo on my chromebook and uploaded it to the site. I like really funny! You should try it too! 

Well that's it for now bloggers!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
10/07/17

Mitchell - WLJ - Day #2 - NZ by Land and Sea

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #2 of the Winter Learning Journey! I'm really excited. Let's start!

Activity 1 : Travel Diary

After travelling throughout Auckland, I have been asked to read about either Rangitoto Island, Tane Mahuta, and KereKere. I have chosen to write about Tane Mahuta.

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I really enjoyed Tane Mahuta! I loved the luscious green and the Kauri trees along the way. I also loved seeing the birds and hearing the native birds making sounds. It was awesome! It took 5 minutes to walk on the tramp. Fun fact: Did you know? that in 1928 Nicholas Yakas and other bush walkers discovered the tree Tane Mahuta.

Activity 2 : Questions for Laura Dekker

I have been asked to imagine I met Laura Dekker and would have to provide some questions for me to ask. I have also watched the video and it was pretty amazing she is the youngest sailor in the world. Here are my questions I would ask her:

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#1 - What does it feel like being the youngest sailor?

#2 - When did you start solo-sailing?

#3 - Is sailing difficult without anyone helping you?

#4 - Do you get tired as you are sailing?

#5 - Do you have any advice for kids who would love to sail around the world?

Bonus : Family Interview

After interviewing Laura Dekker I have been asked to interview one of my family members! I have to ask them what is what is their 5 favourite things to do outdoors. I have decided to interview my mum. Here are her responses:

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#1 - Camping

#2 - Skiing

#3 - Playing sport

#4 - Going for walks

#5 - Swimming at the beach

There you go!

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

09/07/17

  

Mitchell - WLJ - Day #1 - 100% Pure NZ

Hey bloggers! Today is the first day of the Winter Learning Journey! I have been waiting for this to happen since I finished the Summer Learning Journey. I am so excited to start. Let's begin!

Activity 1 : 100% Pure New Zealand!

I have been asked to view the Tourism NZ Website and click on the Facts - NZ People - tab and read. Then I would have to find 3 interestingly fun facts about the amazing people of New Zealand! The facts have to be written in my own words. Let's go!

Image attribution: http://kingston.ac.nz/

Fact #1 - Did you know the population of NZ which calculates to 4.4 million New Zealander's, conclude of 69 % of - European descent, 14.6 % are indigenous Maori people, Asians take up 9.2 % and finally 6.9 % of non - Maori Pacific Islanders.

Fact #2 - Did you know? that 3 quarters of New Zealand's population reside in the North Island! Yes, 1.3 million people living in Auckland that's heaps. Then other cities such as Wellington, Hamilton and Christchurch is where all the rest of the 3 quarters reside.

Fact #3 - Did you know? - Around 400 years before Christopher Columbus and other sailors found land around the world, Maori people sailed across the unknown Pacific Ocean, using stars to navigate their way, they reached New Zealand (Aotearoa). They sailed in small ocean-built canoes and made their way to Aotearoa being known as the first people to land shore on New Zealand.

Activity 2 : Auckland Tourism

I have been asked to watch a Tourism video about Auckland and write 5 favourite things I love to do in Auckland. Let's begin!

#1 - Museum - The Museum is my most favourite place to go to in Auckland! I love the Auckland Museum. You get to learn about Ancient history, and also you get to learn heaps of facts and more.

#2 - Rainbow's End - I love going to Rainbow's End. Did you know? - it's New Zealand's only theme park! I love the awesome rides and how much thrill it brings to you. Also next week I am going there for my sister's birthday. It's going to be fun.

#3 - Zoo - I love to go to Auckland Zoo! I love to learn about the habitat animals live in, and what animals like to eat, what they like to do and heaps more. I just love the Zoo!

#4 -  Kelly Tarltons - Like the Zoo, I love to learn about animals. Even If they live underwater! I also like to view the penguins through the glass. They are awesome!

#5 - Sky tower - Finally my last favourite thing to do in Auckland is to go to the Sky Tower. I love to go to the top of the Sky Tower and view Auckland. It's really beautiful. You should try it.

Bonus - Flag design

I have been asked to create a flag design for the Sky Tower! Here's mine I created on a Flag designing website: 
To earn full points I must explain why I created the flag this way.
Colour: I choose the colours red,black,and white because those are the national Maori colours. I also put a star there not only because it represents the Maori New Year, but to represent a star for everyone to reach their goals and reach for the stars.

Well that's it for now!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
09/07/17

Mitchell's Extension Game - Reflection

Hey bloggers! Here is my Extension scratch Game reflection I have written about. Enjoy!

During Term 2 the Year 7 & 8 Extension group got the opportunity to make another game on Scratch. Scratch is basically a website full of code, where you can create your own games. Last term in Term 1 we created a game about the environment of Tamaki and how to clean our green space.

Anyways we also got to present those games at the Te Oro Manaiakalani Exhibition. Well this term we have been starting to create a game about this term’s topic Now that’s Thinking and the game is based about Space and the Maori New Year - Matariki.

I am doing a individual project as my other partners are working on their own one. So far I have started to shoot, move my spaceship, and more. We also had the amazing opportunity to have help from a coding expert from OMG tech Zoe, who helped alot.

Also for the sprites drawn on Hyperstudio - DLO - Tevita, Angelo and I have drawn some sprites for our game. We have drawn a spacecraft, some aliens, lazer guns, stars and heaps more sprites that will be in our game.

I also browsed through some video clips on Youtube, Mrs Lagitupu has put on for us to view. I used some coding I saw on those videos and used it on my own personal game. It was really helpful with both the game and Zoe from OMG tech.

I have only created 1 level as creating a Scratch game is very hard.

The highlights of the game was making the sprites and levels. It was very difficult. Also

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

05/06/17

Mitchell's Sweet as Poetry - Slides

Hey bloggers! Here is my Sweet as Poetry presentation I have completed. It concludes of 2 poems we have read and questions about the poem we have answered. Also we have pieces of drawings in the presentation that is relative to the poem.

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
27/06/17

Mitchell's - 40 Hour Famine!

Hey bloggers! If you didn't know a few weeks ago the Year 5 & 6 Extension group, as well as the Year 7 & 8 Extension group had the amazing opportunity to take part in this years 40 Hour Famine. It is run by World Vision every fundamental year.

Image attribution: World Vision

All money raised goes towards helping the country of the year. Last year my extension group fund raised for Syria and I think we also did it this year for Syria too. It takes part between June the 9th - June the 11th of 2017.

On the night of June the 9th the extension student's bought things such as blankets, pillows, beanbags, mattresses, Just Juice, and Barley Sugars. Also if you didn't know we were having a sleepover and we are not allowed to eat or drink - except from Just Juice and Barley Sugars, because that is apart of the campaign.

We all slept in the library. One side for the girls, and one side for the boys. After we set up our stuff we all gathered in the hall to have a meeting about what we were going to do. Also we are put into groups depending on which colour you wanted to be in.

Me and my friends were in Team Green, while my sister and other participants were in groups such as Team Blue, Team Red, and Team Yellow. It was really competitive. We were going to have lots of fun.

Our groups had so much fun because you have to dance to a song your whole group decides on. We choose the Beyonce classic - Single Ladies to make a comedy and also to entertain everyone.

After that we did something really important. We were at the sleepover for a reason and also to raise money for the people in Syria. We turned off all of the lights in the hall and lay down on the ground to feel like what it would feel like for Syrian kids who have nowhere to go.

Anyways after all of that we got to have freetime. We had 4 options. To watch a movie, hangout in the library, hangout in the hall, or play games in Creative Space - (ICT - Computer Lab). Me and my friends went around the place.

Soon after 2 - 3 hours it was getting late. We then all went to sleep at 10:00.

The next morning everyone was very tired. Also it was a Saturday morning and everyone then eventually went home. Unfortunately I only fast 20 hours as I was really hungry. Also my sister did 20 hours too.

Well that's it! Have you ever done a famine?

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
25/06/17

Mitchell's Multiplication Pyramid

Hey bloggers! Here is my Multiplication pyramid I have completed. I also showed how I worked out and got the answer to 2 questions. All you have to do is multiply.

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
25/06/17