Status Bubbles

I think this status bubble should display your first name only because people could look you up in the phonebook and only your friends could she it. Mood meter that describes how you are feeling (emoji).  Describes your hobbies so people who enjoy the same thing can talk to you about it.

You could bring the bubble don't to your eyes / hold it in front of you and face time or call friends all at once so you can all chat about stuff at work or school or something. It would say if you were in primary, intermediate, high school or university. I should say if you are single or married. Have setting like only these people can see whats on my bubble.

I think this would change day to day life and interactions because you could know what each other like and talk about that. You could know if someone was not enjoying themselves or if they are. I think this would be really interesting to try out.

Clever Names

Does Oscar The Cat Have A Sixth Sense? One Doctor Certainly Thinks So

WALT: take notes and make notes reading an article

SC:
-use keywords and phrases to take notes
-use symbols and pics to take notes
-turn keywords, phrases, symbols and pics into full sentences.
-visualise

Original Article 

When the administrators of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center inProvidence, Rhode Island, adopted six 'therapy' cats from an animal shelter, they had no idea that among them was one that possessed an uncanny sixth sense to predict theimpending death of terminally ill patients.

Oscar the tabby cat's story begins in 2005, when the newly born kitten was placed on third floor of the nursing center, home to patients that are in the last stages of illnesses like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer. The kitten spent the first year lazing around and watching the bustling activity around him. Then, just before his first birthday, Oscar began visiting each of the 41-patients on the floor regularly, just like the doctors and nurses did.

Initially, the hospital staff did not pay much attention to the feline's behavior. However, after some of the people that Oscar was snuggled next to passed away, they began to notice a pattern - the cat only went close to those that were a few hours away from dying. Otherwise, he would curl up on a desk and spend the day sleeping.

To test if it was just a coincidence, the staff tried to place Oscar next to a patient they believed was close to dying. But the paranormal cat refused to stay put and decided to snuggle next to someone else. Turns out he was right because 'his' patient died that same evening, while the one whose death the nurses had thought was imminent, lived on for another two days.

Among the biggest believers in Oscar's paranormal powers is Dr. David Dosa, ageriatrician and Assistant Professor at Brown University. He is so convinced of Oscar's unusual 'gift' that he not only published a paper about him in the New England Journal of Medicine, but also wrote a book. Entitled "Making rounds with Oscar: The extraordinary gift of an ordinary cat’, the 2010 publication outlines the various pieces of evidence he has been able to gather about the cat's predicting powers. Also convinced is the hospital staff who has been using Oscar's foretelling abilities to inform family members so they can bid farewell to their loved ones before it's too late.

Of course, not everyone believes that Oscar has a sixth sense. Some feline experts think that his perfect timing may have to do with a certain smell that the cat has come to associate with death. Others speculate it may have to do with the lack of movement in people that are about to die.

Then there are the skeptics who maintain that Oscar's record is not as perfect as it has been made out to be. They think that the hospital staff and Dr. Dosa have simply 'cherry-picked' the occasions when Oscar has been accurate and ignored the ones when he has not. Fortunately, none of this negative chatter has affected nine-year-old Oscar who continues to provide comfort to sick people in their final hours!


My piece

Girls College Orientation

Today we went to girls college for our orientation. We sat down and heard the first speech of our 2015 head girl. We meet all the top girls and Miss Valentine and Mr Chapmen. Head girl ( Ana Morris ) , Deputy ( Rosemary Barker ) , Sports captain ( Naomi Stewart ) and Arts Director ( Philippa Artus ). The year nines and tens showed us around the school. The school was really big and I must admit I was a bit lost on what was where. I am really looking forward to French and Dance and Stage challenge. I would really like to join as much as I can while I am there. I found out that we have 3 periods and lunch starts at 1:30. I am really looking forward to college.

Movie Challenge Reflect

Movie Challenge reflection
Embed your movie into your blog. Write a reflection underneath that outlines

What your group did well? - I think we worked well and had good editing

What would YOU do differently next time? I would be my character like I was her and acted a bit better

Based on the criteria, how would you improve your movie if we gave you time. Change the angles of us playing tennis and walking. Sound quality could have been better. 

Criteria:
Teamwork

Able to work collaboratively as a team to produce a movie

Quality of message -

Life Ed theme. Shows understanding or learning from Life Ed programme

Able to use film making conventions

Camera angles, dramatic intention

Sound quality

Ability to ensure all dialogue is heard

Waimarino 6th November

Splash. There are kids swimming towards me like sharks. The first boy struggles to climb me but keeps going. He reaches the top and his face lights up with excitement. The next person is a girl. She also struggles but I help her along and she makes it to the top. 4 other people struggle to climb me. After they all get to the top I feel quite left out because the just bouncing on the water tramp and totally ignoring me. I let my legs drift slowly, just swaying in the water. Then one of the boys try to run across the inflatable tub  and falls off. I laugh so hard. Then the boy climbs up me and jumps back on. Splash!!! of they jump and into the water.

Lots of people went on and off heaps of times but then we came to this boy I think his name was Davin, he couldn't get on. About 4 minutes pasted and he still wasn't up. All of his friends were helping him get up and then in the last minute he got got up.

Next I see them all kayaking and think to myself this has been a great day. They all leave and now its time to sleep

Life Ed Blog post

We have been in life ed twice now and Michael has told us about some drugs that are the worst for our body so here they are so we went and researched them.....

What is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is potentially a very addictive drug. It belongs to a group of drugs known as ‘Stimulants’ and works by releasing high levels of the brain chemical dopamine, stimulating brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. It is classified as a Class A drug.

What are some of the ‘Street’ names for Methamphetamine?
In New Zealand it is most commonly known as P but other names include Meth, Speed, Pure, Crystal, Ice, Crystal Meth, Crank and Glass.

How do people use it?
Methamphetamine can be snorted, smoked, injected or eaten.

What are some of the short term effects?
The short term effects include increased alertness, paranoia, hallucinations, insomnia, loss of appetite and many more.

What are some of the long term effects?

Long term effects can include fatal kidney and lung disorders, brain damage, depression, violent and aggressive behaviour, lowered resistance to illness and weight loss.

Before and after using P

The story of William who killed his daughter Coral.

They arrived at the South Featherston School about 8.17am. It was pouring with rain. Storm got out and ran inside but Coral refused.

Williams later told police she got cheeky to him and he "lost the plot". The police summary of evidence records that he "flew into a rage such as he had never before experienced".
From the driver's seat he reached into the back, half climbing over the seat to punch Coral repeatedly, holding her with one hand while hitting with the other.
He broke her jaw in two places, just below the right ear and on her chin. Her jawbone was protruding on the left-hand side of her face.

Her blood was everywhere, including all over his hands and her face. The autopsy concluded that the bleeding from her mouth would have been "torrential".
When Williams' rage abated, Coral was collapsed on the car floor unconscious. None of the other parents arriving with their children apparently noticed what had occurred.
In a panic Williams drove off, heading south away from town.

America's Favorite Giant Panda Celebrates First Birthday

Every animal turns one so why was Bao Bao's first birthday so special?
On Saturday, August 23rd, over 300 people lined up outside Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C., to participate in the first birthday celebration of one of its cutest and most precious residents - America's favorite giant panda cub, Bao Bao.While first birthdays are always special, this one was even more so, given that only one other giant panda born at the National Zoo, Bao Bao's brother Tai Shan, has survived to celebrate this all-important milestone. Both, are offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian - giant pandas on loan from China as part of the conservation effort to revive thedwindling population of these beautiful animals. The zoo's first panda couple, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing that were a gift from the government of China, bore five cubs. Unfortunately, all of them perished within a few days!

How did the zookeepers celebrate it?

It was therefore no wonder that the zookeepers went all out to celebrate the momentous occasion. In keeping with ancient Chinese tradition, the party commenced with the young panda being offered a choice of three honey-dipped bamboo shoots. Next to each, was a colourful hand-painted poster labeled 'Long Life,' 'Good Health' and 'Many Cubs'. Given that the panda's first choice is believed to predict its future, it was fortunate that Bao Bao immediately gravitated to the 'Long Life' bamboo.

What are some of the things Bao Bao has learnt during his first year? What are some of the things in store for her before she turns two?

Bao Bao's keepers are now hoping to teach her to present her paw when she needs to get her blood drawn and lie down, during her monthly ultrasound. As the year progresses, she will gradually stop drinking her mother's milk and then just like pandas in the wild, move away from 'home', which in Bao Bao's case means shifting to a separate enclosure. Of course, this will only be a temporary home. That's because at the age of five, Bao Bao will follow her brother's footsteps and head to the special giant panda breeding program at the Wolong Nature Reserve in China's Sichuan Province.

Word search

Dangerous Decibels

Today ( 25.8.14 ) we went to a lesson with a lady called Toni and we learnt all about how to care for our ears and how we can prevent getting hearing lose. We learnt about the volume decibels ( db )of things like if you stand to close to fireworks ( 140 db ) you can get serious hear ringing in your ears. Things like washing machines, food mixers and Piano practice are all fine for your ears because they have a very low db. Up to 85db is safe for peoples ears.

We did lots if testing with a tuning fork like we taped it on the ground then put it close to our ears and it ringed for awhile and then did the same but instead of putting near our ear we put it on our hand and it almost stung our hands. Then we did it with a ping pong ball and this showed that the more you hit the tuning fork on the ground the higher the ping pong ball went. 

We also learnt that sticking Q tips in your ear can make your ear drum break. Your ear drum is so delicate it can break like tissue paper.

Thank you Toni

Mining Cavern Transforms Into World's Largest Underground Trampoline Park

How is Bounce Below different from other trampoline parks?
Trampoline parks are sprouting up all across the world. However, they all pale in comparison to Bounce Below - the world's biggest underground trampoline park that opened in the historic slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales, on July 3rd. Nestled in a massive cavern that is located inside a 100ft deep and 60ft wide former slate mine, it provides visitors with a bouncing experience like none other. 

What are some of the things visitors will experience at Bounce Below?

Visitors to Bounce Below begin their journey with a safety briefing, after which they all don overalls and safety helmets and embark on an old mine train for the short ride into the mountain. Upon arrival, the guests encounter a sight that makes even the most seasoned trampoline park visitor, gasp in awe - a series of trampolines spanning a whopping 10,000 square feet, all connected by slides, the biggest of which is a mind-blowing 60-foot plunge, as well as, chutes and ladders. The whole experience is made even more surreal, by the vibrant colours that illuminate the cavern.

What are the two ziplines called? What is special about each one?

Velocity or Titan that lie within 45 minutes of each other. As you may have guessed, neither is ordinary.The mile-long Velocity, which stands 500 feet above the ground is not just Northern Hemisphere's longest zipline, but also, its fastest, allowing daredevils to fly across at speeds exceeding 100mph. With over 8km of ziplines, the newly opened Titan is no slouch either. Besides being the largest of its kind in Europe, it is also the first in the world to feature four lines, side-by-side. This means that families and friends can experience the thrill of flying across at 70mph, simultaneously! And they are not done yet. Zip World is now focusing its efforts on building the world's first underground zipline - So stay tuned!

This looks like so much fun 

Master Chef

Here are some photos of us doing Master Chef

I don't have any of us practising because I got the idea today.

Challenge 1

Was make a pasta dish. We made Pasta pesto with rosemary chicken

Challenge 2

Baker Delight. A chocolate brownie with hot Ganache 

Challenge 3

Perfect Pie. Pecan Pie with whipped cream on the side

Challenge 4

Pizza. We made a pizza with.. well everything on it. 

We also got to create the cover for our pizza box

Challenge 5

Mystery Box. We made jacket Potatoes with mince,onion, carrot,baked beans and Cheese

Maori Myth

For Homework we made a Maori myth and mine is 

How Maui Slowed The Sun

Homework

For homework we can design our own challenge.

I decided to do it on how our Hockey team is improving towards AIMS Games.

Hear are some photos at the Winter Tournament

( Unfortunately we could not get any of as playing but I will describe the games )

For the Winer Tournament the games were only 8 minute half's with a one minute break. So they were short sharp games. We had quite a lot of break time in between so here are some Selfies and Photos.

Our team was so good that I never touched the ball.

Unfortunately could not get any photos of the game but there is one thing

WE WON THE TOURNAMENT

So to celebrate we decided to practice something

Japanese Scientist Builds Robots That Look Eerily Human

What are androids?

An android is a robot or synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human, especially one with a body having a flesh-like resemblance. Until recently, androids have largely remained within the domain of science fiction, frequently seen in film and television..

Name the three robots Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro has created for the 'Android: What is Human' exhibition? What are their respective roles?

The front runner in this race is Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro who has spent over 20 years trying to build human-like machines. Over the years, the Osaka UniversityRoboticist has released numerous prototypes. However, it is his latest exhibition'Android: What is Human', which opened at Tokyo's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), on Tuesday June 24th, that is creating a stir, both nationally and internationally. There names are  Otonaroid (Otano means adult in Japanese) and the juvenile Kodomoroid (Kodomo means child in Japanese)

Why are androids more difficult to build then normal robots?

Android researchers begin by making a complete plaster cast of a human model, right down to the teeth. They then spend hundreds of hours molding and painting the features so that the robot closely resembles the human it is being modeled after. That, is the easy part! Then starts the arduous process of installing the complex machinery and countless hours of programing so that the androids not only replicate human gestures and facial expressions, but also, think like them. It is no wonder that most scientists gravitate towards building 'easier' industrial robots.

Critical Thinking Challenge:

Some people believe android robots are cool. Others think they are a little creepy. What side are you on? Why?

I don't really know because they could help the world by doing stuff we don't have time for but they aren't the prettiest things.

Video Of The Week - British Competition Honors Naughty Pets

Why did Direct Blinds ask people to post pet pictures on their Facebook page?

Three hundred of Britain's badly behaved pets recently got their day in the sun, thanks to a nationwide competition to honour the naughtiest of them all! The contest, organized by Direct Blinds an online supplier of custom window coverings, asked owners to upload photos of their pets caught performing their naughtiest deeds, on the company's Facebook page.

What title did Yodie win? What did he do to deserve it?

Though they were all shockingly mischievous, it was Yodie, a German Shepherd and Keeshond Cross, that captured the judges' attention. However, it is cushions that the pooch seems to hate the most. One of his biggest fights with them came during a two-week period when Yodie was unwell and ordered by the vet to stay at home. Vitty believes that he was so bored that he decided to attack every cushion he could put his paws on and distribute the shreds all over the house. The family needed the money to get more cushions.

What are the 2nd and 3rd place winners known to do frequently?

In second place was another dog called Harry, whose favourite hobby is to shred newspapers and magazines. 

The funniest and most talented however was Stoops, a black cat who came in third place - She apparently loves to open the fridge and hop in to lick the tops of the cold milk bottles.

Critical Thinking Challenge:

What is the naughtiest thing that you have seen or heard a pet do?

I got new puppies and they are very cheeky they bite my mums nice table and baskets then when we look at them they have a little innocent face that says "i'm not doing anything "

Joey Chestnut Wins Hot Dog Eating Contest for Eighth Consecutive Year!

Who was responsible for making Nathan's hot dog contest famous? How many hot dogs did he eat?

When Japan's Takeru Kobayashi devoured 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes, that it gained international fame. Though Kobayashi, who won the event for six consecutive years until he was dethroned by California rookie Joey Chestnut in 2007, is long gone, the contest which is now streamed live on the ESPN channel, has become a July 4th tradition - one that is watched by millions of people every year.

How many years has Joey Chestnut won the contest prior to this year? What significant event occurred before the contest began?

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, who has dominated this competition for the last seven years. He ate 69 hot dogs and buns the 30-year-old had managed to devour in 2013. .Though he could not pinpoint the cause we have a feeling that it may have had something to do with the fact that his longtime girlfriend and competitive eater, Nesile Ricasa, had agreed to marry him on national television, just minutes before the competition.

What happened in the women's contest?

In the womans contest three-time defending women's champion Sonya 'Black Widow' Thomas did not fare anything. She was defeated by Miki Sudo from Las Vegas, who ate 34 frankfurters, far outpacing Sonya's 27 3/4

Critical Thinking Challenge:

What in your opinion makes food eating contests like these so popular (a) with contestants (b) with viewers?

( a ) Because they might want to be on tv or want to be seen. They might be looking at the people and how they do so they and can get better next year.

( b ) I wouldn't really like to go to one so I really don't know why they would like to see it. I would only go if it was for charity or to a good cause.

Bali Trip

These baskets are called Canang sari and they are there to give gratitude and life back to the gods and they do this tree time a day. It is a duty and an honour to do this. 

This school i'm doing is Green School in Bali, Indonesia. Green school is giving its students a natural, holistic and student-centered education in one of the most amazing environments on the planet. 

This is green school

Dozens of toothless Garra rufa fish, which are about the size of minnows. They are also known as doctor or nibble fish. They suck and gently nibble away at dry and dead skin.

A method (originally used in Java) of producing coloured designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to the parts to be left undyed.

Saraswati temple Kingdom of Ubud is dedicated to honor the Hindu Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning, literature and art.

Term 2 Reflection 2014

Positives
- A positive is that me and Zoe trailed for Master Chef and got in and have mad it through 7 rounds and are now we are in the final.
- I trailed for hockey and got in the C team but then had a random go at goalie and they liked me so much I got in the AIMS Hockey for goalie.
- Dancing on stage for Jrock and having a wild time.
- A positive is that I have goals to work towards and set me up for collage.

Minus
- Is that I have no minuses.

Interesting
- Fun moments with my friends have been a very interesting time.
- The book we are reading is Demon Dentist and it is a interesting book but is really funny as well.
- Kia Kaha with Constable Den came in and talked about bullying and how to ignore bullies and that was one of the most interesting and funniest days.
- I really enjoyed Dave coming to our school because he really inspired me to make more friends and he's really funny to.

Caveman poo suggests they may have eaten vegetables

SC:
- Use at least 3 of the 7 servants
- Questions must make sense
- Question MUST have a question mark.

1. Ancient specimens of poo from Southern Spain was left how may years ago?

50,000

2. Were was Researchers examined to find ancient specimens of poo?

Southern Spain

3. What did they also find in the poo apart from the veggies ?

Traces of meat

4. What did the consumed a regular portion of?

Plants, such as tubers, berries, and nuts. 

5. Who says "they used their teeth as tools, biting plants, among other things."

Anaira Sistiaga

6. What kind of teeth do they have?

Neanderthal teeth

7. They were close evolutionary cousins of our own species so what are they ?

Homo sapiens

A Pair Of Shoes

The sun was blinding me as Keelin walked out the door. The sun was as hot as lava. Keelin's toes wriggled around nervously in side me. During our walk to the field I thought to myself " I will not let Keelin down and I will try my hardest ". As we got onto the field we had to wait awhile before we could warm up.  When we were called we warmed up and went strait to the start line. I made shore my laces were tight against me. BANG! the sound vibrated right through me. We ran around the field as fast as we could ( but not to fast otherwise we would be out of breath ). I looked around to see

Oh no, MUD. The mud squished in between my grip but I didn't let a little thing like that let me and Keelin down. We keep running and running and it felt like forever. I could hear all the parents, kids and even the teachers from the other house were cheering me on and that made me feel really good.

As we got to our 2 lap of the field I was feeling like I was going to melt but I could not let myself down or Keelin down. As I got to the finish line I was so out of breath but I was so happy it was done.

Two-Year-Old Peanut Crowned World's Ugliest Dog

How many years has the 'World's Ugliest Dog' contest been around? How many contestants did it attract this year?

On Friday, June 20th, 29 dogs along with their doting owners came to Santa Rosa, Californian to participate in a rather unusual competition. One that seeks out and honours the World's Ugliest Dog'. Now in its 26th years so that means it has been going for 26 years WOW. 

How did this year's winner Peanut get his 'ugly' looks?

The two-year-old shelter dog was badly burnt in a fire which caused him to lose his lips, most of his body hair and eyelids. As a result, his eyes constantly water. Add some sharp teeth to the mix and you get an evil looking dog. I think that that is really sad and he is lucky to be alive. I hope he wasn't badly injured like a broken leg or something from panicking. 

What is the organiser's main purpose for organising this unusual competition?

Before the event to ensure they are healthy, and also has a 'pep' or should we say 'pet' talk to confirm they are happy and well-taken care of.The competition is also a great way to honour these pooches, many of whom owe their unusual looks to human abuse. But most importantly, it raises awareness for their adoption by showing the world that physical detractions do not prevent dogs from becoming loving pets.

Critical Thinking

Do you think this is an appropriate title for the competition? What would you change it to?

I think that maybe it is a bit strong like you wouldn't make a competition for the ugliest person so why make ones for dogs.  Some titles for it could be

• A very unique dog
• Special dogs
• Not the most prettiest dogs
• Interesting dogs 

Word Search 

Australia's Favorite White Humpback Makes A Rare Appearance

What is so special about Migaloo?

The gorgeous 55 ton all white humpback whale was sighted with five other whales as they made their annual migration from the Antarctica to the breeding areas off Queensland Australia. Migaloo, which means 'White Fella' in the native Australian language, was first spotted off Australia's Byron Bay in 1991. Migaloo was the first white humpback whale ever documented. Migaloo follows roughly the same migration path up and down the east coast of Australia, there are many years when he manages to sneak away, without being seen. He has lots of fans.

Cite a few facts from the article that tell you how precious Migaloo is to the people of Australia.

Not surprisingly, he became an instant local darling and was immediately elevated to the status of 'special interest whale'. He might be the only white whale in the world. Over the years, Migaloo's fans have also built several websites dedicated to his every move and even set up an active Facebook page and Twitter account in his honour. While experts believe that Migaloo's colour is caused by a genetic skin condition called albinism, they have been unable to confirm it with scientific evidence. 'Special interest whale'. This means that boats and jet-skis have to keep a distance of at least 500 meters, while airplanes have to be more than 2,000 meters away from the mammal. Anybody caught violating this rule is subject to a fine exceeding $12,500 AUD.

Why is Migaloo known as a 'hypo-pigmented' humpback? is he the only one?

They therefore refer to him as a 'hypo-pigmented' humpback. They call him that because hypo-pigmented means loss of colour and because he is white and normal humpbacks are black its look like he's lost his colour. We never know if he is the only one in the world but I like it would be a great to se such a rare whale. Maybe if the white whale went to breeding areas there might be more white whales but I guess we will never know.

Critical Thinking Challenge:

Do you think Migaloo's special colour helps or hurts him from human predators? Why

I think that it would be quite a bad colour for predators because it doesn't really blend well with the water but I think that the mum and dad would protected him. Because he is so bright the predators might think I want to be the one who captures the whale so I think it will hurt him.

    

  

Who Knew Corn Flakes Could Look So Good?

What cereal does Rosado use to create her portraits?

Decided to pick cereal or to be more precise corn flakes, for her creations. The 30-year-old says that the inspiration to create artist portraits from grains of corn flakes hit her while she was eating breakfast, which comprised of well . . . corn flakes, and listening to oldies and R&B music. She also does some with dirt.

Why does it take so long to create each masterpiece?

Because she draws a picture hand made of the people then begins the painstaking process of crushing the cereal to the right size.  Once that is done, she uses a pin to carefully shape the nose, eyes and mouth so they look realistic . It takes her 4 Hours to do.

Name some celebrities that have featured in her cereal art series. What kind of art did Rosando unveil in 2013.

Michel Jackson ( king of pop ), Alicia Keys, Bob Marley John Lennon. I think she picked these people because they are very famous and lots of people know them. She also did a art work of a girl swinging on a chair thats connected to the tree. It is a beautiful piece of art work and it would have taken her forever to do because if she moves her hand the dirt it would smudge.

Critical Thinking 

Why do you think that artist picked Corn Flakes and not any other cereal? 

She got inspiration to create artist portraits from grains of corn flakes hit her while she was eating breakfast, which comprised of well . . . corn flakes, and listening to oldies and R&B music.

Can you think of any other everyday food that could be used to create art?

It would be really cool if she used chocolate, Marshmallows, Coloured Pencil shavings and Rice

114-Foot Tower In Budapest Is The World's Tallest Lego Structure!!!

Where was the most recent tallest Lego structure built? Who built it?

In front of Saint Stephen's Basilica in Budapest. The tower that exceeded the previous record holder by about 2 feet was made using 450,000 Lego bricks - 50,000 less than used in the tower built by the US students. The builders secured the structure with wires during construction to ensure that the hundreds of spectators that gathered to watch each day, were not in any danger.

What are the two requirements imposed by the Guinness World Records before a Lego tower can be eligible for inclusion?

The wires were removed, once the tower was ready. But that or the fact that it had been built using no adhesives (another requirement), did not seem to be an issue. Unfortunately, all the hard work has to be undone on May 26th, the day after the tower was officially named the World's tallest Lego structure. But given that this record was broken three times in 2012 alone, there are bound to be other even taller contenders sprouting up soon!

Why does the author believe that a new Lego tower record will be attempted soon?

Because lots of people would like to be in the Guinness Book of Records and it would be quite fun do do. The thing is that you would need a lot of lego to do that. Another thing to do is to bet the time they did in you quicker than a week. Maybe even the author would like to do it.

Critical Thinking

What in your opinion makes building 'the world's tallest Lego structure' so popular?

Because they way they make the lego is just amazing and because of how tall it is people see it so they want to get a closer look. Because once one person has seen it they tell everybody else about it and they all want to go have a look.

Vegetarian Crocodiles? You better believe it!

1. What is unusual about the reptiles that live at Nyanyana crocodile farm?
The Nyanyana crocodiles are unusual because they are vegetarian. This is very unusual because other crocodiles like the Australian Saltwater crocodiles eat meat and live in the wild and these crocodiles eat pellets that are made of protein concentrate, minerals, vitamins, maize meal and water. There skin is mellower and other crocodile skins are strong and hard and the Nyanyana are bred for there skin. Nyanyana crocodiles also sleep throw a great bulk of the day.

2. How did they turn this way?

In 2006 Zimbabwe went throw an economic crises and the company found it impossible to find affordable meat for all 16400 crocodiles that were being raised in the farm. Desperate they had to mix meat and vegetables together to make little pellets. After noticing the change in the crocodiles diet it did not seem to bother or discouraged the growth in the crocodiles. Then they gradually toke out the meat of the pellets and now they are completely vegetarian. They are now saving a lot more money.

3. What are the crocodiles being bred for?

The Nyanyana crocodiles are known for there mellower skin. That's because the reptiles are bred for their skin, which is sold to European tanneries where it is transformed into leather and sold to fashion houses like Hermes and Gucci to make expensive handbags, shoes and belts. I think personally that this is very cruel to the animal but then again people like that kind of thing and I don't so it really just depends on if you like crocodile skin or not.



Words I didn't understand ( then researched them )

• deter -  discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences
• comprises - consist of; be made up
• mellower - pleasantly smooth or soft
• tanneries - a place where animal hides are tanned; the workshop of a tanner.

Critical Thinking Challenge 

How do you feel about the crocodiles being bred for their skin? 

I really don't like the idea of breeding for there skin because the crocodiles didn't do anything to deserve to get this done to them. I think that there is no difference for either there skin. They are living creatures and they have feeling to.

Is it different from breeding cows or chickens that are killed for meat?

Yes we all have to eat meat to stay strong but at least let them be free range so that they have a happy life instead of caged animals that never get to see light or go outside. Imagine if you never say the light or got to go outside in the sun and play on the playground or any of that, how would you feel?

Who are these people? Why are they famous?

LI:

In the holidays I attended two events related to the 150th Commemoration of the Battle of Gate Pa. Who are these two famous NZ men and why are they famous? Create a blog post with the answers to these questions. DO NOT copy and paste from the internet. Write the answers in your own words.




This man's name is Willie Apiata and he was awarded Victoria Cross for bravery after the battle of Gate Pa.

He is famous because he was the first ever new zealander to receive the Victoria Cross because during battle he carried a wounded solider across the field to get him to safety.

Born: 28 June 1972

Awarded: 2 July 2007

To learn more click here Willie Apiata




Jerry Mateparae




Why is he Famous: For being Governor General of New Zealand. He was chief of New Zealand Defence Force between 2006 - 2011 and was the second maori person to hold the office. Learn More Jerry Mateparae

Born: 14 November 1954

Service: 1972 - 2011

Karakia

Khan Academy

For homework we were to get 10,000 points on khan academy. 

Student Led Conferences

How did it go?

I think it went well and I explain mostly everything to mum and dad but the only thing was that we ran out of time and I couldn't finish the whole presentation.

What was it like having them in the class?

It was awesome because they got to see everyone's art work and all the things we do and how we do things like : The plan on the board and all that stuff.

What did they like about the process?

Mum and Dad - That it was very structured and we had time to think about what we wanted to ask before we came to the interview and there was a follow up process and we could link to the Ikan assessment.

What did I like?

That I could show them links to everything and I found that really helpful because otherwise it would take a long time to find everything. I also liked how we got to talk and explain things in our own words instead of the teacher explaining everything and we just sitting out.

What would you/they like to do differently next time?
Mum and Dad - More time

Me - Have a bit more time and otherwise I thought it was great the way it was all laid out.

Selfie

Prototec Maths

Week 10