planets comparison

Term 4 Asttle writing sample

Have you ever wandered if life was possible on other planets?, Would it be the same as living here on Earth or would it just be like living on clouds?.......................

Our solar system involves the sun together with the planets, asteroids and comets. Our sun is a great big star which our planet earth orbits. It sits right in the centre of our solar system giving us light and warmth. Without the sun there will be no light which means we will be living in the dark.

Yesterday in class we learnt a few things about our planets. Students were selected by our teacher Ms Lagitupu to blow up 9 balloons for each planet and an extra for the sun. We had a demonstration on how our planet earth and all the other planets revolve around the sun. Person with the balloon that had the word sun on it was to stand in the middle . Whichever planet was told to orbit around the sun they would do so.

After that we had to give one interesting fact about each planet in our solar system. It was so easy that I knew something interesting about each planet. If you’re wandering what is a planet? Well a planet is a celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around the sun. In our solar system there are 9 planets all together. Mercury is closest to the sun. Going in order Venus is next following our planet Earth then mars. These four planets are classified as the inner planets.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are planets too. Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. Saturn has rings made out of billions and pieces of ice. These four planets are known as the outer planets. Pluto the ninth planet is a dwarf planet. Our planet Earth is very lucky. Why? because we sit where the sun doesn't shine so hot for us to get sunburned and when its cold we dont freeze and get to cold.

Having life here on earth is a miracle. If you do not know we are the only planet that humans exists and live on. Thanks to earth’s gravity we wont be floating in the air. Everything is still which makes things much easier to do. I enjoyed everything from yesterdays lesson on our solar system and I never knew most of the things that were taught by our teacher.

Hope to learn more about the solar system through out this term!

Term 3 Highlights

" Keep your eye on the ball". Our term topic was based on the RWC (Rugby World Cup). Team 5 classes have been given 4 contries to learn about so students have been very busy. Our class got given Fiji, Scotland, England and Italy. The reason why this is one of my favourite highlights are because its exciting and the more you watch the game the more you get overjoyed.

Another highlight for Term 3 was going down to Tamaki College for Technology. There are different subjects but cooking was my favourite. Cooking the food then eating it, mmmmmmm that was delicious. Unfortunately last week was our last session with our head chief Ms Heka. It was fun being in her cooking class and hope that I go to Tamaki College next year!

Similes

The Baby is as cute as a little puppy
The Baby is like a dream come true
The Baby is like his mum very quiet as a mouse sleeping

The Monkey is as flexible as an athlete
The car is as shiny as gold
As brave as Albert Einstein
As smooth as a fluffy cushion
As soft as a warm blanket
As happy as Samoa winning the Rugby World Cup!
As loud as fans cheering for there country
As warm as a hug
As large as the Eden Park Stadium

Learning about Picasa

Silly Sports day

“ Come on, come on, we might be late” I said. There I was on the school courts with a bunch of girls hurrying towards the bottom field. I could see that everyone was there. My class was right next to our school playgrounds and Rooms 22, 19 and 20 were a bit far from us. It was Silly Sports day and I was really excited. We first started off with our own class.

Mrs Lagitupu had already organised a game called Ball Tiggy. There were different coloured teams. red, Blue, Yellow and Green. I was in yellow. Our aim was to try and get our opponents out by trying to get them out by tagging them with a ball. Our hands and our feet were always used to dive, dodge and to put up targets. It made me feel exhausted but I was okay at the end.

It was time to switch. Next up was Miss Tito. We were asked to line up while she showed us a few demonstrations before we started. The ball will go on the slingshot then you had to use your strength to try and aim for one of the hoops. Our class were really aiming for the pink hoop. Points were all we wanted so that we could beat the other classes. Unfortunately we didn’t get our results but I’m pretty sure that we won.

Keeping my balance is one of the biggest things I hate to do. But for Mr Harris’s game we had to. My partner was Mauina. Tying a knot on both of our legs were really hard and hurtful. We had to walk to a cone with a Spoon and tennis ball on our hand and also with a knot tied around our legs. Difficult was the word that was in my mind. I persevered a lot and hoped that my partner and I did well.

“ NO!”, it was our last game but luckily we had Mrs Nua. I was waiting to play her game because it look fun. We were divided into 4 groups and I was in group 4. In front of us was a bucket filled with water and a sponge and at the back of us was a bucket that had nothing in it. The first person had to dip the sponge into the bucket filled with water, then had to pass it on until it reached the last person. Last person will then squeeze it into the bucket with no water. The bucket with the most water wins. Group 1 had won both rounds and became the winner.


Sports day was finished but school wasn’t. It was lunch time already and I was ecstatic. Hope that we have it again.

' Are we there yet?'

With a sigh I sat down on our school courts feeling nervous. The wind was already giving me goosebumps. I looked around to see if anyone was nervous but they all seemed confident. We were all in groups from Year 7 girls to Year 7 boys. The Year 8 girls were next, then the Year 8 boys. I intended to walk it but then I decided to persevere and give it my all.

There standing next to the start line was Ms Vaafusuaga. After calling up the Year 7 boys it was our turn next. Walking to the start line was really making me shiver. Then 'Clap' the two pieces of wood on each of Ms Vaafusuaga's hands hit each other. It was time to run.

I ran as fast as I could and started to jog when I went passed the second cone. I could see Etta all the way in the front and decided to start running. Going up the hills and over bridges was really tiring. I kept on screaming out ' are we finished yet?' But there was no reply. Teachers were there to help us if we needed directions or First Aid.

Finally arriving to the finish line was really exhausting. I was also happy because I came 10th and my running was worth it. Even though there were sometimes that I walked or jog I still managed to get through it and come 10th. I thought Cross Country was boring but at the end its really not. I enjoyed it a lot and I am so happy that I ain't here next year.

Samoa

Samoa is one of the countries competing in this years Rugby World Cup in NZ.

My sister's trip

Before 8:30 in the morning I was already packed for my sister’s trip. We were ready to go to the Museum. Across the road was my sister’s school. I could see vans arriving and parents with their kids. My sister was already across the road hopping into the van. I was a helper and also with some other people, so I had to keep an eye out on the little ones.

I tried keeping my patience until we finally headed towards our destination. I hopped out of the van with excitement, to see lots of people heading in and out of the museum. Firstly we had to take the roll to see if everyone was here and luckily everyone was. We were approaching to the door until I saw Mrs Tuala. She is a teacher form my school. Her daughter came on the trip too.

We were asked by the museum people to go upstairs to begin our trip. I saw the Kiwi and many living creatures. Some were big and some were small but were very fascinating to look at. Still looking around I went to Pacific livings, to see different cultural things which was very overwhelming. There were artifacts from Tongan, Samoan, Cook Island and also many other pacific cultures. It was really fun.

After that we had a long big feed. The food was nice and it was really delicious.
We didn’t have much time so we decided to go back to school and have a little play then go home. I really enjoyed it and I hope to go there another time.

Final Design

My final design is:

I chose this design because: I believe that is very outstanding. To me it is also very easy to understand.



Evaluation:

* Does your sign meet all the specifications and requirements of the brief? If so, how?

* What is the purpose of your sign? Do you think your sign will help eliminate a problem in the school or street? If so, how?
Yes it can, because I know that the seniors will listen and if not then we will just leave it to Mr Burt.

* What did you do well? I made it easy to understand.

* What difficulties did you come across while making your sign? Hard to draw so I took a screen shot.

* What can you do next time to improve your project? Hand it in on time.

Design 2

Design 2

Plus:	Minus:	Interesting:
It is bright.	The juniors might not understand	From far you can still see it. Readable

Design 1

PMI
You need to come up with at least 2 different possible sign designs and complete a PMI for each. This should include some feedback from an adult or a peer around the school who would represent the stakeholders.

Plus:	Minus:	Interesting:
It's easy to understand. Clear and also readable.	People might not follow the instruction	Its very bright stood out.

Brief Development: 1st Brief

Conceptual Statement:
(What is the concept or idea behind your design brief? e.g “To produce a sign with a message that helps eliminate the issue of...”)

“To produce a sign with a message that helps eliminate the issue of running in the school.”

Specifications:
(The measurable must haves ie. the things that are important to designing an effective sign e.g. sign must be easy to read etc...)

1. Bright
2. Easy to read
3. Stands Out
4. Big enough to see and read
5. Creative
6. Specific
7. Strong enough/Lasts Long
8. Clear


Constraints:
(Musts that are beyond my control e.g. Must be completed by the end of the term)

1. Project is due in week 7
2. Sign has to have a clear message



Resources:
(things I need to make the sign)
* Metal
* Paint
* Cardboard
* Paper

Planning Log

K

eep a record of both what you intend to do and what you did over the course of the next 3 weeks as we work through the Technology Process.

Week 5Week 6Week 7What I plan to doBrainstorm IssuesResearch question ideas for signsplanning log, make signsMaterials I will needPaper,Pen,IdeasGoogle Docs Questions
People/Sources I need to consult for more information.Peers/Friends/Yourself/TeachersPeers/Friends
Year 7 & 8 kids
What did you find difficult and why?Get more ideas for a good signAnalyse the data check the answers
What I will do next as a result of any difficulties.








STAKEHOLDERSThe Stakeholders are the people who have an effect on the production of your productThe Primary Stakeholder is your client ie. the person or community of people that your sign is going to be created for. eg. ….Wider Community Stakeholders:Key Stakeholders:Primary Stakeholder:Parents
Visitors
Caregivers
Community



Students
Year 7/8
TeachersMe



ATTRIBUTES: These describe the physical (what it is like) and functional (what it will do) characteristics of a product. These characteristics are key or essential for the successful function of a product and should be re- evaluated at each stage of the design process.

With your sign in mind, complete the following attributes table:
AttributeMethod of MeasurementSpecificationeg. Eye catchingsign will appeal (be noticed) by stakeholdersSign must be clear, stand out and be creativeSizeSmall/Medium/LargeBig enough to fit words/images.Easy to readColourAppealingStand out/ReadableCreate awareness (e.g. clear message)
clear messageDurable/ Weather resistant
sign must be made out of strong cardboardIdeal location (in the right area)
must be in the street or breeze

Design Progress

Names of people in my group: Mauina, Muii and Sharon


Your task is to design a sign that will clearly assist in eliminating a problem within our school.

Type of sign:	Purpose of the sign:
‘No Smoking’	Keep a free smokefree area. No smoking in inside.
‘Give Way’	Traffic sign. Look out for traffic. E.G: Cars/Trains/Buses.
‘Slow Down’	Near pedestrian crossing. Traffic sign.
‘Chewing’	No chewing in school grounds.
‘Littering’	No throwing rubbish around our community. Keep area nice and tidy.

Brainstorm some Ideas/ problems that we have around our school environment.

*Chewing inside school grounds
*Throwing rubbish around the school not putting it in the bin.
*Spitting, Children could stand on the spit.
*Kicking on the courts when we are not aloud to.
*Running inside classrooms


ISSUE CHOICE AND JUSTIFICATION

You need to think and expand on your answers, one sentence is not sufficient.

What is your issue in our school?
Littering


Who does it affect?
Mr Malloy, Mr Burt, Teachers.

Why is it happening in our school?
Kids walk and eat, Don’t care, Not putting rubbish in the bin, Lazy.

When does it happen?
Play time , Lunch time , Before and After school.

Where is it happening?
Street, Around the school, Outside classrooms.

What needs to happen to prevent this issue?
Bin It , Signs, More Talking/ Punishments/Consequences, Monitors, More bins.

Reports

Recently I have received my report from school. My results were very disappointing. Reading, Writing and Maths are the subjects that I am going to be working on during the holidays. To improve this I am going to be reading at home, practicing my maths and also using the thesaurus for my writing.

In class I need to focus more on my school work and pay less attention on other things such as talking. I also need to use the ‘Language of Success’, respect others and contribute to discussions. My listening skills are very unsatisfactory. This means I need to always listen to the teacher.

My next steps is to try to be a role model for the younger ones and to be more considerate of others in class. I have to “Take charge” of my learning to achieve more on my school work.
Next Term I am hoping to move up a level for my reading, writing and maths and to use “ The language of success” at all times.

During our Street assembly our Principal Mr Burt had a korero about “Why we are one of the richest children in the world ?”. At first I thought that he was lying but then when he told us about his trip overseas I thought back to myself “Oh what if he is right”.

Mr Burt said during his trip he went to a school that really needed money. They had ceiling handing down, curtains wrecked and wires hanging out of walls. It was so horrible to look at. There classes had very loving kids and teachers but there school is broken down. In front of there school there are steel bars and a Guard with a gun. To get inside you have to give your stuff to check if there are any illegal stuff.

Homes are another problem. Many people have lost there homes and are now living in the streets searching for food. They sleep with no beds and nothing comfortable to keep them warm. They also go to sleep hungry and have no food to eat at times.

I thank Mr Burt for going overseas and bringing back great technology for our school to use for our education such as the Net-books. They have been very fun and easy to use. Now I know that we are very special and its all because of Mr and Mrs Burt.

Term 2 Highlights

This term it has been very busy but mostly full of excitements. For the past few weeks students have been involved in School competitions, sport tournaments and school entertainments. The year 5-8 entered movies at the I AM Making Movies Competitions. Our Year 8 extension girls from Room 21 won the Supreme and the Best Story Telling. It was a joyful moment.

Hip Hop
This term we have a Glee Club organised by Mrs Muliamasealii. There are all sorts of groups such as Singing, Hip Pop, Jazz and Ballet. I’m in Hip Pop which is lots of fun. Four Tamaki College students come on Monday and Friday to help with after school practices. In week 11 I will be part of the Glee performance and I am looking forward to it. We will preform on a Thursday after lunch at 2:00 in the school hall. I so cant wait!.

Taoga Time
Taoga time is when you go to different classes to learn something new.
This term I am in Mr Harris class. Science is what we are learning about. We have Taoga time ever Friday's after Morning Tea. Next Term we will be moving to a different taoga time group which means we are going to have a new teacher. With Mr Harris
we have learnt that Science is a way to view the world and has defined methods of research and “knowing”.

Tamaki Tech!

Every Monday at Point England School the Year 7 and 8's go to Tamaki College for Tech. We leave school at 8:30am and should arrive there at around 9. For Tech there are 5 groups. Each group takes different subjects. There's Science, Electronics, Food Tech, Graphics and Wood work. I'm in Science.

My teacher is Mr Dewan. For the past few weeks in his class we have been learning about things like Acids, Chemicals and things that we have to know. Science for me is very interesting and I find it quite easy to understand. Today our class was learning how to know what temperatures are. We got divided into groups and then got to work. If you do not know it is the last day in Science. Every Term we move to different groups and I cant wait to see what group I am going to next.
I hope that it is fun like Science.