Summer Learning Journey - Day #10 : Coming to an End

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #10 of the Summer Learning Journey and also my last blog post for 2017! It's been a really amazing journey blogging! Anyways, let's begin!

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Activity 1 : VE Day!

After six long years of fighting, World War II finally came to an end in 1945. The entire country was ecstatic and parties were thrown all over New Zealand to celebrate VE Day (Victory in Europe).

I have been asked to imagine that you were living in New Zealand in 1945 and you had to plan a VE day party at your house. Who would you invite? What would you do to celebrate?

If I had planned a VE party I would invite my family! My cousins, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunties, grandparents, great - grandparents, parents and more! We would have a BBQ, a huge swimming pool, sport games playing, music, cold beverages and food, and heaps more I would include!

Activity 2 : Making a Fashion Statement

In the years following World War II, things slowly returned to normal in New Zealand. Soldiers returned home and settled back into regular life; and national sporting teams, like the New Zealand cricket team, got back together and started playing matches again. In the late 1940s, men and women would go to watch these events, men wearing hats and suits and women wearing dresses, hats, and gloves.

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1940's Fashion!

I have been asked to compare clothes from the 1940's to 2017. Is there any differences?

The differences I see are the bright colours in the 2017 clothing fashion but there is lack in the 1940's fashion.

Also I can see that the difference with the shoes are very big. In the 1943 picture the shoes are very classic and basic but with the 2017 picture the shoes are very trendy.

I rather wear the 2017 style. It's really trendy and i'm used to wearing similar to the 2017 picture.

Bonus Activity : Sweet Tooth

Purini ( Steamed Pudding )

When World War II ended, a number of people from Europe moved to New Zealand looking for a peaceful place to live and raise a family. When they came, they brought recipes and foods from their native countries with them, including hamburgers, pizza and other delicious foods.

I have been asked to post my favourite sweet food/desert on my blog. Rachel's is a Chocolate Chip Cookie with Tea.

My favourite desert is Bread and Butter Pudding. Yum! My great - grand mother makes these delicious deserts sometimes when I go to her house. The name for it in my Fijian Culture is called '' Purini " - steamed pudding. We usually eat it alongside with Custard, Cassava Cake, Bread with Butter, Jam and also Tea.

Here is my great-grandmothers recipie I found in her cook book hiding in her kitchen :

You will need :

• 3 cups plain flour 
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 tin coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground clove
• 2 litre pudding tin

Instructions : 

1. Melt sugar in a small saucepan on medium heat. Do not burn sugar. 
2. Put in some coconut cream slowly to the melted sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Stir well slowly. 
3. Stirring constantly, bring the syrup to the boil then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the whisk ingredients together.
5. Fold the sugar syrup into the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Pour the batter into the buttered pudding tin and steam for 1½ hours in a large pot over the stovetop.
7. Test if fully cooked with a skewer inserted into the middle of pudding and return to stovetop if necessary.

Thank you for reading!

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

31/12/17

Last day of 2017! How will you celebrate it? We are going to watch some fireworks in Auckland City! ,

Mitchell

Summer Learning Journey - Day #9 : Another World War

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #9 of the Summer Learning Journey Blogging Programme! Let's Begin!

Activity 1 : An Eventful Experience 

WWII was made up of many battles and events. I have been asked to follow this link to read more about the timeline of WWII.

Troops!

I have been asked to choose two key events about what happened on those days. On my blog I have to write a short summary of two events including the names of people involved and where the event happened.

• 24 July: Due to US assuming control in Fiji, 2 NZEF troops from Fiji return to New Zealand
• 28 July: Japanese troops move into southern Indo-China

These events took place in 1941 and 1942. The People involved were the troops from Fiji and Japanese Troops, and the events occurred on a war ground.

Activity 2 : A Call to Arms

Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa Ngarimu!

Over the course of WWII, approximately 140,000 New Zealanders were sent overseas to serve in the war. Many were sent to fight in huge battles, including the Battle of the Atlantic that lasted for 2064 days (over 5 years)! The Battle of the Atlantic came to an end in 1943, in large part due to the heroic efforts of people like Lloyd Trigg, a pilot from New Zealand. He was awarded a special medal from the New Zealand Government for his bravery. It is called a Victoria Cross (‘VC’ for short). A total of 22 New Zealanders have been awarded VCs.

I have been asked to click on a link to find a list of VC winners! I have been asked to choose one from the Second World War and tell you about him on my blog!

I have chosen Sir Moana - Nui - A - Kiwa Ngarimu the first Maori Soilder to win a VC! He got awarded this reward on the 4th of June 1943! He earned it by shooting alot of German fierce men who tried to attack their several machine gun posts!

He was a very brave hero!

Bonus Activty : Women at Work

Both men and women served in World War II. Many women chose to enlist as nurses and be stationed overseas caring for wounded soldiers. Rachel's nana was one of those nurses. She (Dorothy) spent much of World War II working on a large Red Cross ship that was stationed off the coast of Cairo, Egypt.   

Medical Nurses ( WW2 )

I have been asked to imagine if I were a nurse like Dorothy on a large medical ship. I also have to carry on this 8 - 10 sentence long paragraph ! Let's Go!

One day you are walking along the deck of the ship when you hear a loud bang. You start to run as you see smoke coming from the far end of the ship. You run towards the room where your patients are waiting to receive treatment from the doctor. Just as you arrive at the door to their room you hear another loud bang and you…jump. I raced to the corner of the room inside and hid. The Nurse was carefully caring for another patient. As I saw her injecting medicine into the other patient and he yelled " Ahhhh" she was an undercover nurse. She covered his nose and mouth as he couldn't breathe. I shriecked and tried not to make as many noise as I could. He stopped breathing. " No " I thought. I mustn't make a sound. She walked out the room and I was relieved. I broke the window and she saw me. I ran and jumped into the real medical boat. It seems like it was a haunted one. It sank and was never to be seen again.

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

29/12/17

 

Summer Learning Journey - Day #8 : The Great Depression

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #8 of the Summer Learning Journey. Let's Begin!

Activity 1 : Dealing with Stress 

In New Zealand, many people lost their jobs during this decade. Experts predict that as much as 30% of the population was unemployed. It was a very stressful time for families.

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Sadly, many of us still experience stress in our lives to this day. When I feel stressed I try to go for a walk or pop into my local gym for a quick workout. Exercise makes me feel better. What about you?

I have been asked to tell you on my blog what I do to relax or de-stress. Here is what I do!

I simply either read a book, write letters, draw pictures or even watch a movie. That's what I love to do to relax.

Also my tips to dealing with stress are to just have a little rest, sit down and think or just get focused on something else!

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Activity 2 : Offering a Helping Hand

During this period, people struggled to find work both here at home and overseas. It was a really tough time for people living in the Great Plains of the United States because they were hit with a huge drought that lasted for most of the decade. Many crops were damaged and farmers were not able to make enough money to feed their families.

I have been asked to imagine if I were alive in the 1930's and post on my blog what I would've done to help these families in need. I have been asked to list 3 ways I would help fundraise for these families.

• First of all I would probably create a bake sale. Bake cakes, cupcakes, homemade cookies and many more that would be in a bake sale!
• Second of all I would sell clothes to the rich for money and fundraise as many money as I can! It would be great!
• Lastly I would make a lemonade stand and sell lemonade for around 50c or $1.00 for a cup of fresh lemonade. It would be delicious!

Bonus Activity : Paying it Foward

In the mid-1930s, things began to change for the better in New Zealand. More people were able to find work and receive a steady paycheck. They were still careful, however, with their money and rarely, if ever, bought treats or gifts for one another.

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I have been asked to imagine if I were to time travel back to the 1930's and name what kind of things I might want to bring back such as : lollies, chocolate, clothes, mobile devices, and more.

I would bring :

• Lollies and Chocolate ( so they can taste some sweets from this generation )
• Clothes ( They can see the transition of clothes over the past years )
• Devices ( I would bring my chromebook to show how we learn instead of using chalkboards )
• Vehicles ( they could maybe look at some cars and see how they have changed over the years )

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

28/12/17

Summer Learning Journey - Day #7 : The Roaring 20's

The Gold Rush!

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #2 of the Summer Learning Journey! Let's begin!

Activity 1 : Popular Culture ( The Silent Movie )

The 1920s saw a massive surge in the number of people going to the movies. Huge new cinemas were built in both Auckland (The Civic Theatre) and Dunedin (Empire De Luxe).  The most popular type of movies showing at local NZ cinemas were ‘silent’ films. Gold Rush is an example of an iconic silent film. It features a famous actor named Charlie Chaplin.

I have been asked watch a trailer from a movie named The Gold Rush.

On my blog I have to tell you if I would enjoy or like watching a movie with exactly no sound.

I have finished watching the trailer to this movie!

Well I wouldn't mind it i'm just use to watching movies with thrilling music. It looks very cool!

Activity 2 : Art Decoration

Tamara De Lempicka!

In the 1920s a new artistic movement emerged in New Zealand (and around the world). It was called ‘Art Deco.’ The picture to the right is a classic example of an ‘Art Deco’ piece. I have been asked to look at this painted picture and review and rate it! Yes! I do like this picture. It's really detailed and it's a beautiful masterpiece!

I have been asked to rate it! I have to say i'm rating it a classic 8/10. It's perfect but just needs a little bit more work! What would you rate it?

Bonus Activity : Crossing the Tasman

In 1928, a crew of four men flew, for the first time, across the Tasman from Australia to New Zealand. One of the men on board the Southern Cross airplane was a New Zealander named T.H. McWilliams. His job was to operate the radio in the airplane. Unfortunately, the radio stopped working shortly after take-off and the rain and ice were so heavy that the pilot, Kingsford Smith, couldn’t see out of his front windscreen. Yikes! Fortunately, the plane made it all the way across the Tasman landing in Christchurch after a 14 hour trip.

Crossing the Tasman!

I have been asked to imagine if I was one of the crew members on the aircraft, and write a poem of how I would've felt. Here is my poem I have written!

Stepping on the aircraft
Just to do a simple task
Seatbelt's buckled tight
I'm scared! I got a fright.
The engine roared and screeched,
as the Sunday's pastors preached.
In the air as my ears pop,
we reach the top and it starts to fade,
as we fly over neighbourhoods and we
make shade, after a long flight
we land and make a plan to rest
in some beachy sand.

That's my poem!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
27/12/17

Summer Learning Journey - Day #6: The Early Years

Hey bloggers! Today I am doing Day #6 because yesterday I was really busy with Christmas celebrations! Oh, Merry Christmas! Anyways Let's Start!

Activity 1 : St Joseph's Cathedral

St Andrew's Cathedral, Honolulu
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Many of the new British settlers wanted to build homes and community meeting places, such as churches. One of the largest buildings to be constructed during this period was St Joseph’s Cathedral in Dunedin.

I have been asked to search for another Cathedral and tell you on my blog what's the name, where is it located, when it was built and how long it took it to be built.

Here is one Cathedral I found named : St Andrew's Cathedral!

Name : St Andrew's Cathedral
Location : Honolulu, Hawaii - USA
It was built and opened in : 1876
It took around 1/2 years to build.

Activity 2 : The Right to Vote

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Did you know? in 1893, only men were legally allowed to vote. This all changed in the late 1800s when a woman named Kate Sheppard lead a movement in New Zealand calling for a change in law. Her hard work finally paid off when the Electoral Act was passed into law on 19 September 1893, giving women the right to vote. New Zealand was the first country to give all women the right to vote.

I have been asked to tell my blog what I think about women having the right to vote in 2015 for Saudi Arabians. Well I personally think that this is a matter of fact of strict laws. I've seen on the news and television Middle Eastern countries are very strict with laws.

I do think this would be normal but I wouldn't agree on not giving women rights to vote because they are human beings just like us!

Bonus Activity : In Flanders Fields

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The World War 1 claimed the lives of thousands of men and women from countries around the world. Every year, we remember these brave men and women on ANZAC Day (25 April). Many people go to a special Anzac Day ceremony where they read a special poem that was written for the fallen soldiers. The poem is called ‘In Flanders Fields’ by John McCrae.

I have been asked to read this poem and post on my blog my thoughts about this poem.

Yes, I do like this poem. It's really an explanation about how these soilders passed away and how they fought for New Zealand. It does make me feel a little bit sad, but kind of happy it's now over. We are very blessed to be livivng in a independent country.

Thank you for reading today's blog post!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
26/12/17

P.S - I hope you had a lovely Christmas!

Summer Learning Journey - Day #5 : The Day of a New Era...

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #5 of the Summer Learning Journey! Let's Start!

Activity 1 : Translating Phrases

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Unlike the Māori, many of the European settlers didn’t speak Te Reo Māori. Instead, they spoke English. As you can imagine, it was very difficult for the two groups to communicate because they did not have a dictionary or a translator. These days we are able to use the Internet to translate words and phrases from one language to another.

I have been asked to translate 5 phrases from both Maori and English and translate the phrases. Here are the phrases I have been asked to translate :

• Nau Mai Ki Aotearoa.
• ___ is my name.
• What is your name?
• He pai taku ki te takaro i te whutupaoro!
• Where do you come from?

I translated all of them onto Google Translate and here are the results :

Nau Mai Ki Aotearoa = Welcome to New Zealand

___ is my name = Ko ___ toku ingoa.

What is you name? = He aha to ingoa?

He pai taku ki te takaro i te whutupaoro = I like to play Rugby!

Where do you come from? = No Hea Koe?

That's the translations!

Activity 2 : Treaty of Waitangi

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On 6 February 1840, a very special document was signed by the Māori chiefs and the British settlers in New Zealand. It was called the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) and it outlined how the two groups would live together and work together in New Zealand. It was the first document of its kind to be signed in the entire world. The Treaty was signed in a place called Waitangi in Northern New Zealand.

I have been asked to visit a specific website and state 3 things I would love to do if I visited the area!

• Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where history was made!
• Taiamai Tours Heritage Journey - Travel around in a ancient waka!
• Experience Culture North - explore historic event that was placed in the 19th Century apparently shown as a play.

These are my answers! ^^^

Bonus Activity : #EarntheFern

After the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, New Zealand became a British colony. Many other countries in the world are also British colonies including Canada, South Africa, Australia, India and Malaysia.

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One of New Zealand’s gold-medal-winning Commonwealth athletes was a man named Bill Kini. Bill won a gold medal at the 1966 Commonwealth Games for being the best heavyweight boxer. He was a man of many talents! He played rugby in Ōtāhuhu in the 1960s and later moved to Whangarei.

I have been asked to imagine if I had the opportunity to visit/meet Bill Kini and prepare around 4 questions I would like to ask him! Here they are :

• What inspired you to participate in this sport?
• What was the average timing of your training?
• What motivated you to never give up?
• What was the best experience yet?

Thank you for reading today's blog post!

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

22/12/17