Robotics

This week we started a Robotics Unit. We are building our robots and learning to write the programmes to make them move. We are very excited and are looking forward to problem solving and working collaboratively to programme our robots to move through a maze successfully.

S.T.E.M. Design a Water Slide

During S.T.E.M the past couple of weeks the children have been working collaboratively to design and construct a water slide. In their small groups they had to draw and label 3 or more different water slides. They had to share their ideas clearly and listen carefully to each other. 

The materials available to use were 10 straws, 3 cardboard tubes, a bowl to catch the water at the end, masking tape or sellotape, foil or Glad Wrap.

The success criteria was the water will be able to travel down the slide and end up in the bowl and not soak through the slide. The slide will have an access ladder or ramp.

Most of the water slides were successful. When reflecting on the activity and their collaboration skills; they commented that it was hard to make sure every one did their share of the work and some children found it hard working with others to complete the task. A couple of the groups found it difficult to transfer what they had drawn on paper to physically making their design.

The Brilliant Blizzard

The Brilliant Blizzard

The most important, whitest, windiest and iciest place in the world is… Antarctica. Antarctica is a very fascinating place. The white, and the ice just makes me wonder about the history and how everything just came to what it is now. Antarctica used to be at the top of the world but throughout    the years it came to the very bottom.                    

Antarctica sounds like people are right next to you whistling so loud into your ear. The ice of Antarctica sounds like a cold crackling fire. The ocean sounds like heavy splashes of water into your drink. The crashing icebergs sound like bags of ice getting smashed by a hammer. It sounds so amazing. Antarctica is the best place in the world.

Antarctica feels like frostbite is nipping the end of your toes off. Antarctica feels like you're sleeping outside in a pool on a cold winter's night. Antarctica feels like you are a snowball and the cold never stops. Here in NZ when it is winter we think it is quite cold but you should feel what it's like in Antarctica. In the summer here we have the sun stretching fiery fingers down on us and it is just amazing but down in Antarctica it is sunlight all the time but it is still freezing.

Antarctica looks like the biggest mountains covered in hundreds of snow layers. The snow is the whitest thing you have ever seen. The colors are like the most beautiful things ever. It just makes me speechless.

In my opinion Antarctica feels freezing and bone-chilling. Sounds extraordinary and mind blowing. Looks amazing and the best place in the world.

Author - Phoebe (Room 6)

The White Continent

  The White Continent

             Antarctica is the coldest,whitest, most amazing place on earth.

Some people go there to study the life cycles of animals. It is a very interesting place.

The climate of Antarctica is the coldest on Earth! The lowest air temperature was on the 21st of July 1983. The temperature was -89.2 C. This is very cold compared to what we get!

Antarctica is so dry that scientists believe that it is a desert! It hardly ever rains in Antarctica. Antarctica is fascinating. Most of the snow that we see isn't just falling it is getting blown around in the wind.                                                                         

Antarctica has katabatic winds just like us but… when we have katabatic winds they come from the mountains and give us warmth. In Antarctica they come from the mountains that are covered in  ice and brings bone-chilling cold.

Antarctica is 25% bigger than Europe. It is the least polluted of all continents. Antarctica is bigger than New Zealand by about 40,000 sq. miles.

Antarctica has two main areas, East Antarctica and West Antarctica. They are separated by the mountains. West Antarctica is the smallest of both of them, because of all the ice Antarctica is the highest out of all the continents.

In my opinion Antarctica is a one of a kind extraordinary place to be in. I also think that it is very cold . I would love to go there someday and find out what it is like to be there.

Author: Phoebe (Room 6)

Stepping up with Leadership

Friday Winter Sports at Hornby High School

One of our new Whakarua class members is playing hockey for the very first time. Erika, from Punui-o-toka, took the time to show Joanne how to hold her stick and hit the ball. It was fantastic to see her taking the initiative to be there for a new South Hornby Hero!

My Audience

Being Cybersmart is COOL!

We often share personal information when we are online. The people we share with could be our friends and family or people we don't know. We need to make smart decisions about what personal information we share online.

S.T.E.M. Bridges

For the last 2 weeks our task was to design a bridge that would hold 340g of weight for 20 seconds. The materials allowed were - 30 straws per group and a teacher’s (Mrs Jack’s) handful of playdough. Scissors, a metre of string, 4 paper clips and masking tape.

We had to remember what a bridge was and work together collaboratively to complete the task. First we designed 3 different types of bridges. We picked one to create and test.

We were very successful. Nearly all of the designs worked and held the weight for the amount of time.