Critical literacy

In English, we're looking at critical literacy. We've started by looking at how media portrays various things, in particular, men and women.

Omi - Cheerleader

Cheerleader by OMI portrays women in a sexual manner. Not only that, but it also shows women as only being there to cheer on the efforts of men. Men, however, are barely shown and are more seen as being providers while women cheer them on and are there to support them

Robin Thicke - Blurred lines F.T Pharrell Williams

Not only does Blurred Lines objectify women in a lifeless sexual manner, but it also talks about the blurred lines of consent and about how the girl does actually want it. Everyone knows there is nothing blurred about the lines of consent. Men are shown as being classy and expensive while the women are shown as being sex objects there for male consumption. 

Marina and the Diamonds - How to Be a Heartbreaker

Although How to Be a Heartbreaker shows men as being predominantly muscular white men, they are still seen as having fun and not, you know, looking dead inside. If you compare this to the two above, the men here are having more fun and generally look alive and well. Marina is the only woman being portrayed in this music video. She's seen as being a player and playing the field quite often. 

Charli XCX -  Boys

Out of the previous four music videos, Carli's video "Boys" is the least sexualized. It's mostly her friends just, you know, chilling out. Also, this song is a bop and the music video is really fun and not lifeless. No women are in the music video except for a few seconds where they have fake mustaches. 

Te Tiriti o Te Waitangi Essay Plan - Social Studies

In the 1830s England discovered Aotearoa and had begun to send Whalers around the country, in particular, Kororareka which is now known as Russell. However, with no set rules and regulations for whalers, their lawless behavior and free trading among the Maori tribes of New Zealand caused various problems. These problems could’ve been controlled, if not stopped entirely with the help of a treaty.

Lawless Behaviour

State your point 

Lawless behavior is one reason why the Treaty of Waitangi was needed

Why your point matters

Lawless behavior was one of the ways disease spread throughout New Zealand killing hundreds of Maori people. It also caused countless unreasonable acts of violence between crews and the prostitution of young Maori women.

What evidence/facts m I going to use to support my point?

For Example, 

• Kororareka was given the reputation of being a hell hole
• The death rate because of excess violence  
• The rapid spread of diseases 

Sum up your point

The rate of violence, prostitution, and the spread of disease would've been able to be controlled and regulated with the help of a treaty.

Maori Rights and The Missionaries 

State your point

The rights of the Maori people were being violated by European settlers and whalers

Why your points matter

The rights of the Tribes of Aotearoa were being violated by Europeans and were not being acknowledged. 

What evidence/facts am I going to use to support my point?

For example.

• The taking of land from the Maori people
• The kidnapping of members of various tribes
• The senseless killing of various Maori people

Sum up your point

With the help of a treaty, the Europeans and the Maori would've been able to reach an agreement while still protecting the rights of the Maori people.

Musket Wars

What evidence/facts am I going to use to support my point?

• The fact that this caused the death of 20,000 people
• The rapidly changing borders of land ownership.
• The free reign of trading between Europeans and the Maori.

State your point

The musket wars could've been prevented if we had regulation and control over Europeans and Maori tribes

Why your point matters

It matters because the musket wars dramatically changed the population of the Maori people for the worse.

Sum up your point

With a treaty, the trading between the Pakeha whalers and the Maori tribes would've been able to be controlled and regulated. 

Declaration of Independence

Open with your question

But New Zealand already had a Declaration of Independence, so did we really need the Treaty of Waitangi? 

Answer your question

Yes as the Declaration of Independence did not cover the South Island, it was not signed by all the chiefs of Aotearoa and was only designed for trading between the nation of England and the Tribes of Aotearoa.

Evidence

• The number of chiefs who signed the declaration of independence does not equal the same number of chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi 
• The declaration of independence does not include chiefs from the South or Stewart island.

 Sum up your point

The declaration of independence was only the foundation of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Israeli Couscous salad - yeah, this ain't it chief.

So last week we made this salad thing that wasn't that great. Um, the salad, yeah that was a thing we made. I was actually telling my Dad about the salad (for context my Dad's side of the family is Jewish so I've had my fair bit of food. Dad is also an Israeli citizen and lived there for roughly 3 - 5 years.) and he said that we completely messed it up with the lemon dressing and I quote "Why would you put a dressing on it? Like, a little bit of lemon yeah but dressing? Really? I'm sorry but you've totally butchered the recipe". He even said that it wasn't actually an Israeli salad and wants to know where Miss Hindson got the recipe from. Anyway on with the actual practical report thing that I'm supposed to write.

Team Aspect

We worked pretty well as a team I think. Not all of us were there and having a fourth person probably would've kept us at the same pace as the rest of the class but, we did finish in the end after speeding up the cooking of the couscous. Yeah, I mean we worked well together and we remembered everything. I did, however, get told off for not adding enough salad but the couscous was enough. 

Review

Personal

Yeah, I did not like it. It tasted bad. The dressing was not good in any way, shape, or form and I have no idea how we could make it better other than skipping it completely. 

                            Finished product                                                                              Dressing ingredients

  

 

Chop Suey

Last week in home economics we created an abbreviated version of chop suey.

Team Aspect

Last week we had two additions to our group. This is due to the fact that quite a few people were missing so a group of two was split up with one of them joining us making four. We then had one other addition meaning us and one other group had five people. I was a bit worried about how our group would work with one extra member and two new people. Luckily, my worries were put to rest as once the practical began everyone immediately took a  role and we were able to get started straight away. My job was to look after the noddles which was fairly easy, Tana prepared the vegetables, Connor, if I remember correctly, prepared the meat while Memory and Ella collected ingredients. I might've got some the roles wrong as I don't quite remember exactly. Everything went smoothly and we were able to complete everything on time. 

End Result

The end result was delicious. I've never had chop suey so I don't really have anything to compare it to but I assume that it tasted pretty similar to a chop suey made from a non-abbreviated recipe. The noodles were a bit weird but I didn't not enjoy it. I think it was quite good and quite a successful recipe and practical.

I keep forgetting to take pictures of our preparation so sorry about that.

Butter Chicken - Home Economics

Last week in home economics we created a butter chicken dish. Luckily everyone in our team was present and able to participate. However, only two of us actually wanted to eat the butter chicken so we got it all.

 Team aspect

Because everyone was here we were able to evenly spread out the tasks among everyone. Some of us did need to be given some direction and use initiative  but  we did eventually get ourselves sorted which allowed us to blaze through the later half of the practical. Memory was handling the gathering of ingredients, chopping them, and creating the sauce while Jordan was collecting various spices, Conner was slicing the chicken, and I was watching over the rice. Miss Hindson complemented Memory on the sauce she created as the ingredients had been measured exactly, allowing a wonderful sauce to be created. 

Review 

I thoroughly enjoyed the butter chicken. I don't eat butter chicken often but what little butter chicken I have eaten, ours was pretty good if I may say so myself. The sauce was probably the best bit and luckily we cooked our chicken all the way through. Some kids in the class before us claimed they felt a little sick after eating their chicken so they believed they hadn't cooked it all the way through. Lucky for us we didn't feel sick after eating ours. I thought the dish was delicious which was good as Conner and I had double of what we were suppose to have. This is probably one of my favorite dishes that we've cooked this year so far. 

Mayon Volcano

Volcano Pt. 1 -  Research

How are volcanoes formed?

A volcano is formed when magma from the Earth's mantle makes its way to the Earth's surface. As it erupts the magma comes in contact with water. This causes the liquids to harden and build up. This is why volcanoes commonly have the mountain/pointed shape. 

Where is the Mayon volcano?
The Mayon Volcano is located in the Albay province on the large Island of Luzon in the Philippines. The Mayon is an active volcano and is one of 53 active volcanoes in the Philippines with 25 (including Mount Mayon) of them belonging on the Island of Luzon. The Philippines has plenty of volcanoes due to the fact that they're right on the border of the infamous ring of fire.

When did it last erupt?
Mount Mayon last erupted in late January 2018 when it began to slowly spew out small-medium amounts of lava and produce large clouds of ash. This lasted for two weeks, during the time the city was evacuated while power and water were cut off from the danger zones. This was to ensure no one would try and return while the volcano bubbled. Scientists were unsure how this slow vomiting of magma would end. There were two options, 1) Mount Mayon will continue to let off pressure and continue vomiting for a few more weeks, or 2) Mount Mayon will have a violent eruption. At the moment I can't find anything major that happened except for some more eruptions and pyroclastic flows but nothing significantly dangerous. However, Mount Mayon has continued to produce a steady stream of ash clouds.

Lol never mind it did eventually erupt but I don't think it was drastic? Like, I don't think anyone died? Also, fun fact, people kept sneaking back into the village because of there being a popular cockfight in town? When you've gotta evacuate town but you've placed your bets on your neighbor's rooster.

Photo of a steady stream of lave making it's way downtown the side of Mount Mayon.

Damage caused by Mount Mayon

• An unexpected eruption in 2013 killed five climbers while also injuring seven.
• In 1814 there was a devastating explosion which killed 1,200 people
• The 2018 eruption damage thousands of farmer's crops and land. It also caused a spike in vegetable and fruit sales. 
• Mudflows caused by Mount Mayon has also damaged roads.
• Mount Mayon eruptions usually affect agriculture the most. 

Formation

Mount Mayon is known for its clean, symmetrical formation. This formation is caused by the fact that Mount Mayon erupts so often. Because it erupts often, it has no time to deteriorate in shape, hence keeping a satisfying symmetrical form.

Myth/Story
It's believed that Mount Mayon was formed due to the death of two lovers. The Daughter of Chief Makusog, Magayon, had hundreds of suitors due to her beauty and kindness. One of her suitors was Pagtuga who, in an effort to win Magayon's favor, would send her all kinds of gifts. This effort, however, did nothing to win her favor.

One time when Magayon was bathing she slipped on the rocks and fell in the water, as she didn't know how to swim, she screamed for help. Luckily, a man named Pangaronon was passing by and was able to save her. This began a good relationship between the two which ended up with the two being engaged. Once Pagtuga heard of this marriage, he kidnapped Makusog, Magayon's father, and threatened to kill him if Magayon did not marry him. She agreed to marry Pagtuga in order to save her father but in an effort to save his love, Pangaronon showed up to the wedding and had a battle with Pagtuga. Pangaronon struck Pagtuga, killing him. As Pangaronon and Magayon embraced a poisoned arrow struck Magayon. While Pangaronon was kneeling over his dying love, one of Pagtuga's soldiers stabbed him.

As years passed by, Mount Mayon began to form where the two lovers died. It's believed that when the volcano is rumbling and might erupt, Magayon is being bothered by Pagtuga. When the volcano is calm, she is being held by Pangaronon. It is thought that Pangaronon is kissing Magayon when the clouds meet at the top of the volcano.

In January 2018, a photo was taken that showed how the formation of the clouds resembled that of Pangaronon and Magayon embracing each other. Even though this is really cool, it also meant that the volcano could erupt due to the size of the clouds. This was proved true as this is the same eruption I was talking about earlier.

Photo taken by Ciriaco Santiago III

Volcano Pt.2 - Construction + Explosion

When it came to creating a volcano to construct and explode, we decided on Jessica's volcano (which you can find here). We had to days to construct a volcano which we would later paint. The aim was to create a volcano that looked similar to the volcano chosen, for us that would be Mount Vesuvius. We would then pour an elephant's toothpaste mixture into the bottle and hope that it would explode.

Equipment + Ingredients

• 4 spatulas of potassium iodide
• 20mL of water in a beaker
• Dishwashing liquid
• Food coloring (optional)
• 20mL of 35% Hydrogen Peroxide. NOTE -  Because Hydrogen Peroxide is incredibly dangerous, please use gloves while handling it and pay attention to what you're doing. 

Method

1. Pour the hydrogen peroxide into the mouth of the bottle in your volcano. 
2. Add a squirt of dishwashing liquid and, if you so please,  a few drops of food coloring.    NOTE - The more dishwashing liquid you add the more bubbly the mixture will become. 
3. In a beaker combine the potassium iodide and water. Mix until potassium iodide has completely dissolved. NOTE - Keep this mixture away from the mixture in the volcano. They react fairly quickly and cause quite a mess
4. It's suggested you do this outside as this mixture is quite dangerous if you're physically exposed to it (i.e, on your clothes, hands, etc). Pour the potassium peroxide mixture into your volcano and stand back. It may take a while for it to explode. 

We decided to add glitter to our volcano and it was definitely worth it. It looked really cool.

                                            Before                                                          After

We added too much dishwashing liquid which caused it to come out more as a blob.

via GIPHY

Pasta - Home Economics

For our first week back of Term 4 we cooked spaghetti bolognese. We were able to choose from a variety of pasta. My group chose fettuccine. We also only had three of us so we had more pasta to share.

Teamwork aspect

Our group worked well together this time around which is really good. The hard part was telling if the pasta was al dente (pasta that's cooked correctly) as we weren't quite sure whether it was cooked or not. I think it was Memory who made the sauce which was really nicely done. The sauce was also really only the flavorful thing with the pasta as we only had pasta, sauce, and cheese. I think everyone enjoyed it the simplicity of it even though we were a little behind. We started off well but we did start to be all over the place and a bit confused. I think in the end it worked out well but we do have to work a little on staying organized throughout the practical.

Results

The pasta came out really well and it looked nice. I enjoyed it and I found the sauce really good too. I don't really know what I could add to make it better but it all came together really well. 

E-asTTle Writing Practice - Persuasive

I am aiming to improve my writing in the following 3 areas: punctuation, sentence structure, and vocabulary. I will do this by writing with a variety of different sentences which will also allow me to use different types of punctuation. I will also use a better mix of complex and simple words.

         = Edited/Changed Parts

Tane Mahuta - Maori God of the Forest

Around the world, there are many different types of cultural and religious groups with various types of gods. A common theme among these groups is to have corresponding gods, each responsible for a different aspect of the world. For example, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest while Posiden is the god of the sea. If you compare different gods, they often have similar names, for example, Hestia, the Greek god of  the hearth, and Vestia, the roman equivalent, 

The Flamin' Heath Lives On!

This term in science we're focusing on forces and motions. To look at how forces work and the push-pull effect, we created land yachts. Below is how we created.

Aim
To build the fastest land yacht out of the materials we were supplied.
Personal Aim
Make the best sail out of the whole class

Equipment
Trolley (Cart chassis)
Cardboard
1 meter of giant paper
Scissors
2 meters of cellotape
Metal rod

Method 

1) Put the Metal rod into the trolley
2) Tape the strips of cardboard onto the base of the Metal rod so the base of the sail is formed.
3) Cut out a large triangle of paper and wrap it around the Metal Rod to form sails
4) Secure the sails onto the chassis with tape and tape any extra bits down.
5) Make sure it is all secure and stable
6) Use the leaf blower to see how far it travels and the speed it travels.
7) Divide the distance it traveled by the time it took in order to work out the speed it traveled at.

Results 
Our land yacht traveled at a whopping 1.18ms-1! Even though that doesn't sound too big, it's further than Nadia and I expected it to go. It managed to go a distance of 6.4m which is quite far and makes me proud of the Flamin' Heath. Now you may not know why we're calling it the Flamin' Heath. Well, that's when the sail design comes in. I didn't know what to decorate it with so Chloe suggested I draw Mr. Heath. I asked him if he wanted to pose and he said to just do whatever's natural. I was able to do it over the weekend so this is what I came up with.

Discussion
We were hoping that wind would catch the sail and push our yacht forward. Realistically we should've created a stronger base/structure for our sail to rest on. This would've allowed our sail to handle the force of the wind better and cause it not to turn or rip.

Conclusion
Our land yacht came out better than we expected which is good. We didn't win 1st place but we did win most creative

Everything but not actually everything I know about Japan

What I've learnt about Japan
One thing I learnt about Japan is the history of tea ceremonies. I always thought that they were a female-dominated field but, as it turns out, it actually started out as a male-only profession, was then later taken up by females, and now there is a re-accruing interest among men in the field of tea ceremonies.

I also learnt that tea ceremonies were also a social thing and would be used to welcome guests. Hosts would host a tea ceremony before a meal in a building known as a tea house which was a small building that was detached from the house. At one end of the building contained an alcove known as the tokonoma, inside a traditional scroll was on display along with some sort of flower arrangement. Tea was also a Zen ritual which is pretty cool. Zen Monks would actually drink tea after long periods of meditation in order to keep them going.

How does Japanese food and presentation compare to New Zealand?
Japanese food uses seafood and grains together more often than New Zealand. Japanese meals also taste lighter but are extremely filling. In New Zealand, we often have bigger meals, we have full roasts, have various side dishes, etc, while in Japan their meals are smaller but just as filling.

Presentation-wise, Japan varies depending on the mood they want to present or how practical it needs to be. Bentos are an easy compact way to store lots of food in one place for a long period of time, while in New Zealand we often re-use containers for lunch and various other things. Japanese food is also occasionally presented in a cute or "kawaii" way. In this case, they use various anime and cartoon characters on products or sometimes as a way to present food. In New Zealand, we just put it in there and hope it looks good. In a restaurant, it would be present nicely, but at home, we don't really put in the effort as our lunches are often pre-packed and all we're doing is putting them in a container. Maybe if you wanted the aesthetic then you would put in the effort but it's not the
most common thing to see here.

      

Three questions about Rice

1. Name three types of rice
2. Where does rice grow?
3. Name 5 countries in which rice is commonly found in dishes. 

Final Gymnastics Blog

We've finished our Gymnastics unit and have completed our sequences. The focus was to keep form throughout the sequence, it also needed to flow well.

Beam

The beam was one of the more simpler ones for me personally. I managed to complete the level two sequence which was pretty cool. I forgot the sequence but I know it had a straddle mount, dip walks, pivot, arabesque, straddle dismount, and something else that I don't remember.

Floor

 My floor work took a while because I couldn't do a backward roll. It always hurts a little when I do it/I'm scared I'll break my neck. With some help, I did, however, figure it out how to do it. I also learnt how to do a round-off which was cool. I think I got it looking right, the only problem I have with it is the way I landed my backward roll but the main part is that I managed to actually do a backward roll without breaking my neck. 

Trampoline

I've enjoyed the trampoline so I always want to do my best on it. In the video, I messed up my turntable but I managed to land my backdrop fairly decently though. I probably should've spent more time on it or going for the second level instead of the third. Otherwise, I'm pretty proud of how I did though. The hardest part was doing the one bounce in-between cause if you mess up one of the moves then it sort of throws you off completely. 

Gymnastics....again

So for the last week of term, we're just making sure we have sequences and stuff like that down and good. I re-filmed the trampoline sequence and I still have to work on my backdrop.

Because I couldn't quite get the backdrop, I decided to focus on my floor work. I wasn't sure how to do a backward roll but, with some help, I finally go it, thank god. I completed my sequence but I forgot one move, I'll probably try to remember it and possibly re-film it. Learning the backward roll wasn't that hard

Gymnastics

In PE we're working on learning gymnastic sequences. My friend Chloe and I are working on the horizontal bar and we want to get it before the end of the term. We've gotten really invested in it and are pretty determined to do it. However, we can only do it for a certain amount of time cause it really does hurt your guts and hands after doing it for 10 mins straight. So far I know the trampoline sequence and I just need to memorize it. I also need to memorize the balancing beam one as well. Here are videos of me doing them and then failing miserably

For the trampoline, I've just got to remember the sequence and work on my backdrop. For the beam, I think I've gotta work on my jump-off, jump, and the pivot cause I stumbled a bit when I did it.

Changing technology essay

Technology has dramatically changed over time. What the Ancient Egyptians, The Ancient Greeks, and Cavemen once found new and interesting, are now everyday technology that we don’t give a second thought to. These technologies include papyrus paper, baths for relaxation, and visual communication. All of these technologies were able to advance the world in the right direction.

One of the most notable technologies invented was papyrus paper. Invented in Egypt around 3000 BCE, papyrus paper was a flexible writing material that was able to hold ink for a long time. This invention revolutionized the world as before most people drew and wrote upon cave walls, stone, and animal hides, among other things. This allowed for the transportation of information to be much easier. It also allowed for the creation of technologies such as books, letters, legal documents, and many other things. The papyrus paper was created from papyrus plants, therefore not many other countries could replicate it. This allowed the Ancient Egyptians to export papyrus paper around the world, hence changing the way people write and share information.

We wouldn’t be able to share information if we didn’t have a way to communicate, this is where the Cavemen come in. During the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages, Cavemen would communicate through visual art pieces commonly drawn on caves. This form of communication would later be known as Cave art. Cave art was used to tell stories, warn others of predators, and share various bits of information. Cave art would later influence modern language, most notably hieroglyphics. Cave art was able to be used all around the world but, much like modern-day language, different symbols represented different words, similar to how the Japanese have one way to write the word ball that’s different from how New Zealanders write ball. Cave art was the beginning of both language and visual arts.

While the Paleolithic and Neolithic age introduced language and visual arts, the age of the Roman Empire introduced the concept of relaxation. The Romans introduced bathhouses once the invented aqueducts. Aqueducts were used to transport freshwater over large bridges, would then run through an underground sewage system, and into the city of Rome. Baths would be heated by an underground heating system the Romans called using the hypocaust system. This system worked by building the baths on pillars, leaving enough space for furnaces, the heat from the furnaces would float up and heat the water without the smoke touching the water. Think of it as a plate on top of a pot of boiling water. Bathhouses introduced the concept of relaxation for many as the fee to enter was kept small enough that anyone, whether poor or rich, could come in and relax after a long week or day. It also served the purpose of being a popular social spot. Men and Women would be able to socialize (in separate baths of course) while being able to relax and just, chill out. Social bathing is still common today, places like public pools, Hamner springs, onsens, hamams, and various other places around the world.

Technology has changed over the past decades and will continue to change as new inventions come out every other week. Inventions such as phones, electric scooters, and wireless headphones will be looked back in a way similar to how we look back on inventions of the ancient world; nothing special.

Home Economics - Slavanka? Shlavanka? Shlovanka? I don't know

Last practical in Home Economics, we made wraps that I don't remember the name of. However, I do know that they have shredded beef and various veggies. You also put that tzatziki sauce in it and it tastes good.

Team aspect

There were only three of us in the group present but, luckily, there wasn't much to do and we could easily split the tasks. There isn't much to say except I we worked really effectively this practical and we worked well as a team. We got everything done and we all got to make our own wrap thing. We had to wrap them up in the foil which was a bit tricky as we loaded ours up, but it was definitely worth struggling through cause it tasted and looked delicious. 

         

Reviews

Personal Review

I absolutely loaded mine up with food and multiple sauces such as tzatziki, sweet chili, and this really nice bbq relish. The meat was also very good and Conner did a great job at cooking it. All in all, I really enjoyed it and found it extremely good. 

Team Review

Everyone in the team seemed to enjoy theirs too. We all had a variety of things each but everyone seemed to enjoy theirs.

Notes

Tzatziki -  We made the tzatziki sauce by using greek yogurt which had a slight tang to it. We added juice from cucumber by cutting it open and letting it sit in the air. Afterward, we squeezed the juice from the cucumbers into the sauce. We also added fresh mint leaves and fresh parsley. 

Veggies - We prepared the veggies in a variety ways, we chiffonade the lettuce, finely diced the onion, and scooped the seeds and juices from the tomatoes so it was just the flesh of the tomato. This was so the juice wouldn't make the rest of the wrap soggy. 

SEEL paragraph planning - Social Studies

Our social studies assessment is coming up, so we've begun looking at things that'll help us in the test. So far we've done timelines and mapping, but now we have to practice writing a SEEL paragraph about our findings from a map, timeline, and graph. First we talked as a class about what these three things tell us and then began working on a paragraph. 

The information on the graph, map, and timeline tell us that as technology advanced, the human population increased. If you compare the technological advancements marked in the time line and compare it with the population increase on the graph, they line up and can tell us various things about how the world has developed from the beginning of time to now. Most technological advancements made life easier for humans and allowed more relaxation. This is proven through the invention of Rome's aqueducts which moved water into hot baths, or how the printing press was created which allowed less time creating exact copies of written text. Because there is more time for relaxation, more humans were reproducing which meant there was a significant increase in population. As time goes on, the reproduction rate has gone down. This can possibly be because the societal pressure to have kids has decreased, this along with medical advancements can possibly be the reason for a decrease in reproduction rates. However we can't confirm this with the information that we have been given as the graph, map, and timeline only tell us of the human reproduction and technological advancements.

Home Economics - Pad Thai

The goal of last weeks practical was to create a Pad Thai and Pad Thai sauce that had the sweet yet tangy flavor that Pad Thai is known for.

Team Aspect

I forgot to take a picture of ours so here is my
friend's (Meagan).

Our group worked pretty well as a team but one person was away. Because the recipe was designed for four people to be doing their own job (i.e preparing noodles, making sauce, etc), it caused a little bit of chaos as we were trying to keep up with the class while trying to create a quality meal. Luckily, we pulled through in the end and managed to create an extremely tasty Pad Thai that apparently has a "good fragrance" which I think is a good thing.

When it came to jobs, I was tasked with preparing the ingredients and garnishes. The problem was that preparing the peanuts was a task within itself as it took nearly half the lesson to prepare. Memory was tasked with two of the shorter jobs that turned out not to be that short, preparing the noodles and creating the sauce. Realistically we probably should've gotten Jordan to create the sauce and prepare the chicken as she finished first out of all of us. 

Review

Friend Reviews

I let two of my friends try our Pad Thai and apparently it was very good. She said it smelled extremely sweet but was also tangy. 

Personal Review

Personally I absolutely loved it. I really like Pad Thai and rice noodles are my favorite type of noodles. The sauce was delicious and as I said above, it was sweet but also tangy. If I made it at home, I would probably add some more veggies but otherwise I enjoyed it greatly. 

Essay Planning

As we get closer to writing the actual written text essay, we've began planning an essay without help. The hypothetical essay question for today is Describe a relationship in the book and how it helps us understand one of the characters. Our original plan was to write one paragraph about the relationship between the three characters, the second about how Fi affects Homer and Ellie's relationship, and the final one about how this affects the story overall. However, Miss Johnson advised that we instead do a paragraph dedicated to each relationship. We had to write a few quick paragraphs based off these ideas.

Paragraph 1 Example

Ellie and Homer's relationship is the most clear one in the story. Ellie describes their relationship 'As I didn't have a brother and he didn't have a sister, we'd sort of adopted each other." which tells us that they've grown close to each other and consider themselves practically related. This relationship causes Ellie to be confused as she talks about how she's jealous of Fi and Homer's relationship, which is romantic. This helps us understand Ellie as it tells us about her experience with romantic feelings and how she doesn't fully understand her feelings in general. As she grows and develops throughout the story, she also becomes more mature which allows her to understand what she's feeling and why. 

Because my group have all finished Tomorrow, When the War Began, Miss Johnson has allowed us to write an essay about any book we want. I've decided to do either Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, or The Deathly Hallows.

Tomorrow, when the war began essay plan - cont.

We are continuing with essay planning in English at the moment. Today, we looked at breaking down a question and planning our essay. The question for today was to Describe an incident which changes the course of events in the text. Explain how this helped you to understand an important idea in the text.

The incident of the group blowing up the bridge helped me to understand the idea of rebellion against old values/what they were raised to believe as it showcases the group going against what they believe in small ways. It helps me understand that the way you were raised and how you act can change depending on the situation. We see this in the text when Fi, who we know as someone who is proper, well-off, rule follower, asks Ellie "Can I do it? I've always wanted to break a window.". Although this doesn't seem like something huge, for Fi's character it shows her going against how she was brought up.

The incident of the group blowing up the bridge also helps us understand this idea of rebelling against old beliefs because the group decides to break into a oil trucking company. This is shown again through Fi and how this is her rebelling against what she was brought up to know. We see this again when, at the end of the scene where her and Ellie begin doing wheelies on the dirt bikes. This is the last thing we would expect from someone such as shy, conservative Fi to begin "wild war whoops" while they rode away. This helps us understand that the way someone is raised can be different to who they really are.

Home Economics - Pizza

Last week in Home Economics we created mini pizzas with a three ingredient dough. This took most likely from Italian influence (because we're doing cultural foods) but we weren't explicitly. We also got to choose our toppings and each person in the group had their own mini pizza.

Team work

   This week we finally had everyone in our group present which was really cool. I think we've improved  a lot as a group and everyone is starting to take part in some way or form. It's also really fun being in a group with the people I'm with. We did accidentally grate too much cheese so we ended up dumping it all on one person pizza and it ended up spilling over. I also accidentally over-mixed the batter but Miss said it was a easy fix. In total I think we all worked pretty well together. 

 Reviews

Team 

It seems that everyone in the group enjoyed the pizza which is good. We did have a bit of confusion of whose was who but we did end up getting it sorted. At least we think we did. But, all in all, everyone in our group seemed to enjoy the pizzas which is good. 

Personal

I really enjoyed my pizza. I've made pizza before but never with a 3 ingredient base (the three ingredient's being yogurt, flour, and something else I can't remember). I also grabbed too much pineapple but I don't mind too much. I've also never had olive oil on a home-made pizza and I don't think it changed the taste that much.

Aliens built the Pyramids of Giza (jokes)

The pyramids of Giza are well known for their square-based pyramid stature, but many wonder how they were actually built. Because it was so long ago many theories are just educated guesses made by Scientists, Egyptologists, Geologists, and Archaeologists.

It's believed that the pyramids started as flat monuments but, as the years went on and more tombs were being buried, the pyramids started to look like stepped structures. Eventually these pyramids started to look more and more like the pyramids we see today with the first smoothed sided pyramid being built between 2680 B.C.E - 2560 B.C.E. Plenty of planning went into building a pyramids such as the Giza ones. This was due to the fact that if a brick was placed just a few centimeters off or wasn't the right size, it would mean the whole pyramid has a chance of collapsing. The method of moving these precisely cut bricks is theorized by Egyptologists to have been with wooden logs. Along with supposedly being used to move bricks, wooden logs was also how the Egyptians most likely split the stone. It's theorized that they would stuff a wooden log in a crack and proceeded to pour water down the log causing the log to expand, hence splitting the stone in half.

Many people believe that the Pyramids were built by slaves when in fact they were built by local Egyptians. This is proven by the small towns that archaeologists discovered near the pyramids. These towns often had small houses, butchers, bakeries, and enough food to feed everyone. It was discovered that workers were buried there, further proving that local Egyptians must've worked on the pyramids.

English Essay Pre Plan

in English we're getting ready to write our critical literacy essay. My group is doing a study on Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. Our essay question is Describe a key event and how it changed an important character.

Spoilers from here on down

We started by making a list of important events that happen throughout the story. These events included Corrie being shot, the group blowing up the bridge, lawnmower explosion, etc. We then had to chose a event to study, we chose the scene where they blow up the bridge.

We then had to list the some of the main characters from most important to least important. Our least important character was Chris and most important was Ellie.  We went for the middle and chose Fi. Below is a picture of our work. We changed our even and main character a few times so it's a bit messy.

Vegetarian Sushi - Home Economics

Team aspect

To start off, we had one person missing from our group which meant we only had to make 3 sushi rolls. We're getting better at working together and everyone is getting involved. Everyone played a part and we were able to get everything done in time. We did accidentally make a few too many veggies but it's better to make a little too much then a little too much. Plus one of the members in my group just ate the leftover veggies. We had to rush a little for the last two sushi rolls but they still came out looking good. One member of  our group had rolled sushi before and his came out really well.

Outcome

Team Feedback

Most of the people in our team enjoyed the sushi but one of us did accidentally over stuff the roll. Still, most of us enjoyed it or at least liked it. I don't think there is anything that we could think of that would make them much better. They weren't amazing but they weren't terrible either. 

Personal Feedback 

I really enjoyed the sushi and thought it was really good. Again there isn't much that I can think of that would improve the sushi and I thought the selection of veggies were good together. I'm also pretty proud of my sushi rolling skills as the last time I rolled sushi it didn't go as well. The paper was a little inconvenient as I almost bit the paper multiple times. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the sushi.

This sushi isn't mine by the way, it's my friend's Meagan. I was supposed to take a picture after I left the classroom but I forgot and ate my sushi before I could. On the sushi I made the rice wasn't as close to the edge of the seaweed as we were in a rush to finish. You also couldn't see the veggies either. 

Notes

There isn't much to note about this lesson as everything ran smoothly and I don't know what we could add to it. I think it would make a good meal for lunch but you do have to eat sushi the day you make it. 

Home Economics - Fish and Chips

Last Friday we made fish and chips using Nadia Lim's food bag recipe. This meant that instead of frying or deep frying them, we baked them in the oven.

Team work

One member of our team wasn't at school that Friday meaning it was only three of us. This meant that there was slightly more work that we each had to do but we did get a little more fish each. We had a few problems that were similar to last weeks, i.e: some people not taking initiative, some people starting things to early, not actually doing much to contribute. Once they were asked to do something or shown that they had to do something, then they did it and got on with it. Similar to last week though, once we got into it then things started to get going. Everyone seemed to enjoy the fish but the chips weren't as great as we were hoping but that's ok. 

Outcome

Team feedback

As stated above everyone in our team enjoyed the fish but the chips weren't as nice as we though they would be. It might be because we didn't add enough herbs and spices, we didn't cook them for long enough, we cut them too thin, etc. I don't know but if we ever make them again we will probably figure out a way to fix the problem of not liking the chips. 

Personal feedback

I personally don't really like fish cause it just tastes mushy and not very nice. However, recently I've been able to tolerate it and be able to eat it without wanting to throw up. I liked the small amount of mayonnaise and believed it added some flavor. In general, I really liked it and would make at home for me mum and dad. I believe that the cones we made out of baking paper was a nice little addition (even if it wasn't the most practical way to serve it). 

Chips that look like apples

These are uncooked by the way. 

Notes

Some notes I have are that next time we should add more herbs and flavoring to the chips as they dry up fairly easily. Along with that I might cut the chips a bit bigger because the shriveled up and I think that played a small part in why they didn't taste as good as we were hoping.

 Miss Hindson also informed us that cooking the fish in the oven is actually more healthy, as well as cooking the chips in the oven which is pretty cool.

An added bonus was we were using panko crumbs which are my favorite type of bread crumbs. They're mostly used in Japanese cooking such as tempura (which is really good).

Are students addicted to their cellphones?

We've finished the careers topic which means we have moved on to our next unit. Changing technology. We're starting with looking at modern technology and how we use our phones. We were tasked with writing about whether students are addicted to their phones or not..

I believe for some students they are addicted to their phones as it varies from student to student. Phones provide instant gratification and keep bringing us back whether it's through snapchat streaks, notifications, emails, etc. Although it's nice to constantly know what's going on in the world and have instant contact, phones can also have a negative side. Phones addiction in teens can cause teens to become less grounded, forget about real world consequences, and forget about what their priorities in life should be. I think whether students are addicted to their phones really depends on whether they know how to manage their phone usage and staying grounded. I believe some students get caught up in the idea of being an online star and become addicted.

Maybe if the Earth streamed Red Velvet it wouldn't have a rapidly weakening magnetic shield

If you don't know already, the Earth has a shield that protects us from various things including incoming space debris and solar flares. This shield is known as the magnetic field. The magnetic field radiates from Earth which acts as a massive magnet with the north pole residing in the Arctic while the south pole is in Antarctica. One thing to note about the poles is that we actually have two sets; the geological pole and the magnetic pole. The geological pole never moves while the magnetic one is constantly moving. Scientists suppose that the magnetic pole has moved 685 miles across northern Canada but at the moment has begun to move 25 miles a year northwest and is on it's way for a holiday in Russia's Siberia. This means that we may be in the middle in a polar flip.

Evidence of a flip

At the moment there is a region known as the South Atlantic Anomaly, or SAA for short. The SAA covers up to 1/5 of the Earth's land by stretching from the heart of South Africa, over the South Atlantic, and over into Africa. More specifically, from Chile to Zimbabwe. The SAA has a weakened magnetic field that scientists believe has happened because the magnetic field has already flipped over there. At the moment the size of the SAA doesn't seem to be getting smaller anytime soon.

Along with the SAA is the fact that the strength of the magnetic field has been weakening by five per cent each decade and, although this is fairly normal, it can still raise concern by how long this has been going on and, if you throw in the fact that the Earth is overdue for a polar flip means that we could be approaching a polar flip.

This might sound a bit scary but the chances of an actual flip happening soon is pretty 50/50. At the moment these signs are a bit concerning but none of them completely confirm whether a polar flip will actually happen. But the Earth is overdue for a reversal as it's been roughly 780,000 years since the last one, double the usual time between flips.

What will happen if a polar flip occurs?

Although a polar flip is said to not cause any threats to the world, there are some important parts to consider. The first most important part is the fact that the magnetic field will be weakened which can cause more solar flares and space debris entering the Earth's atmosphere. Solar flares interrupt electric communications which implies situations such as weakened radio communications and, most likely, weakened phone service. It would also mess up our electrical grid if it didn't cause it to go down completely. Solar flares also could cause various genetic mutations meaning I may see you all in Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. This could also affect some animal life on Earth as animals such as sea turtles, bees, various birds, and more, use the magnetic field to navigate.

A polar flip doesn't only affect life on Earth, but also life in space. It's been proven that satellites and space stations that pass over the SAA have to temporarily turn off any electronics such as computers and communicators. If the Earth's magnetic field were to go extremely weak, such as during a polar reversal, it will stop any communication from astronauts to Earth and cause most of our satellites to go down. Because there would be an increase in solar flares it means that not only astronauts but also people on Earth are at a higher chance of cancer.

Why does this happen and should I be worried?

No idea. No, seriously. Scientists don't have a solid theory or reason behind these sudden flips of the north and south pole. However, scientist do think it may be due to changes in the fluid portion of Earth's iron core. It has been proven with evidence such as fossils, that a polar reversal happens roughly every 300,000 years or so. Even though it's been a while since the last flip, the magnetic poles have slowly been increasing in speed and getting faster. Not bad? The symptoms of a polar flip happen even before the actual flip. Still not worried? Last time Earth had a flip, we had 6,000 years of magnetic instability. Doesn't sound like we're all going to die yet? A polar reversal, on average, takes a 100 years to complete. With all of that adding up we're looking at roughly 6,100 years of magnetic instability, excluding time before the flip. 

However, there is a little bit of hope. Recent studies from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science have found that the Earth's magnetic poles have been close to flipping, but then proceeded to get back on track. 

So, Molly,  are we going to all die or not?

Mate, to tell it straight to you. I've got no clue. I'm just a 14 year old writing a blog for my science class so I don't fail the electricity and magnetism unit. There is only so much I can understand and tell you. I've got sources telling me that we ain't gonna die and sources saying "ehh. We might I guess." So I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and I hope that you don't die from solar flares in the future. 

Sources

Phys.org - https://phys.org/news/2018-04-earth-magnetic-field-reverse.html

Tech Insider - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Ggs7nUjxA

NASA - https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.html

News.com.au - https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/archaeology/south-atlantic-anomaly-study-reveals-magnetic-pole-wobble-has-been-growing-for-1000-years/news-story/ccdee56533343df98b6d6400b69fab94

BBC - http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180208-what-its-like-in-the-bermuda-triangle-of-space

Express - https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1082797/North-pole-magnetic-north-pole-shift-poles-flip-magnetic-field-reverse

Curiosity - https://curiosity.com/topics/the-south-atlantic-anomaly-is-the-bermuda-triangle-of-space-curiosity/

Seeker/Discovery News - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou1BiorYRNU

Any way because you decided to keep reading here's Peek-a-Boo by Red Velvet

Changing Technology

Technology is most commonly defined as things such as phones, computers, and tablets, among other things. But technology is usually anything that improves the human way of life. This includes things such as lighters, light bulbs, farm tools, etc. Below is a list of 12 ways technology has changed.

Red and Black Co-Working Space Pitch Deck Presentation by Molly Noven

The slide is meant to demonstrate ways the technology has changed throughout history. Changes such as going from practical affects to CGI, vinyl to apps, etc.

THIS IS IT. THE FINAL STRETCH - Chapter 21 - 22

What is it that primarily attracts Fi to Homer?
The main thing that Fi finds attractive in Homer is how he acts around her. With the group he's usually confidence and can take lead. If we compare this with the way he acts with Fi, you can see that he'll usually let his guard down and be himself around her.

What are Fi’s intentions regarding Homer?
Well, she wants to marry him and help him on what will eventually be their farm. That's sort of all we're told.

Why does this surprise Ellie?
Ellie finds this surprising because Fi and Homer are two completely different people. Fi is desribed throughout the book as being timid, delicate, and sort of proper while Homer is much more rough, bit of dumbass, and he's much more outdoors. Ellie states in a very long paragraph how it's the way she perceived both Fi and Homer is why she didn't think they would get together.
 
How do Ellie and Fi feel as they are leaving the scene on their motorbikes? Are these realistic feelings?
Fi is described as feeling elated and they what they do on the way back can imply that so was Ellie. I think these feelings are pretty realistic because if you just managed to blow up a bridge which could potentially contribute to saving the world, just escaped death, and then go to ride motorcycles, you'd probably be extremely elated.

Why do you think the group decided to blow up the bridge?
The bridge seems to be the main entry way for the army to import and export things such as convoys. By blowing it up it will put the invaders at a huge disadvantage as they won't be able to transport those things anymore. Or at least, not as easily.

What do Ellie and the others see in Ellie’s shed when they ride up her driveway?
The scene that Ellie see's in her shed is described as "The tableau in our shed was lit by a dim torch, its batteries starting to weaken." Along with this the rest of the group are couched around Corrie who was lying in Keven's lap.

What does Ellie compare this scene with? Why do you think she does this?

Ellie compares this to a popular Christian and Catholic scene known as the nativity scene. This scene depicts the birth of Jesus Christ.

What does Homer suggest the group does?

Homer suggests that they take Corrie to hospital. Unfortunately this means they have to drive her into town, pull a ding-dong-ditch, and leave Corrie in the car for the hospital staff to find. 

What does Kevin decide to do? What does this reveal about him?

Kevin decides to be the one to drive Corrie to hospital and take her in himself. Essentially he is sacrificing himself so that Corrie can get the medical attention she needs. This shows that his character loves Corrie and is willing to do anything so that she can live, even if it means putting himself in danger.

That's it. I've finished the book. Am I planning on reading the second one? Yee. I placed a hold on it at the public library so hopefully I'll get it soon. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a good read.

Making Jam Drops

 Last Friday my group had our first practical together. The week before I wasn't here so they had already done their first practical. We were making jam drops as part of our Changing culture unit. 

Teamwork aspect

I believe that for our first practical as a group, I think we did a good job. There were some things that we need to improve on such as efficiency, initiative, and getting involved. We were a bit slow at the start but eventually as the lesson continued, we got into the rhythm of things. We did have one member who was hesitant and said they just wanted to do the dishes. We did force her into making the wells in the cookies for the jam to be dropped into. When there were things to do and get for the table, some people in our group would chose to just sit and wait to be told what to do. I think as a first practical we didn't do terribly and we got along well.

Outcome

Staff Feedback:

Because no group had an even amount of cookies to slip, two got donated to give to the staff. Mrs Hindson went around with a tray and gave the out to staff who then sent in reviews. Only two teachers actually sent in reviews but they were mostly positive. They said that they were very good and it was even better that they were fresh out of the oven and still warm. 

Team Feedback:

Pretty much everyone in our team were proud of the outcome and enjoyed the cookies. Some do need to remember their containers but other then that everyone enjoyed them.

Personal Feedback:

I've never had jam drops and the closest thing to them is hamantaschen. For my first time having them I enjoyed them immensely and will probably make them again at home. I throught they were really good and wish there was more jam in them. 

I'M SO CLOSE TO FINISHING - Chapter 19 - 20

What makes Ellie think the soldiers walking past them are professionals?

Because they were descried as acting very efficient in the way they were moving and spreading out.

What do the soldiers fire at in the bushes?

The out here killing a rabbit and being dramatic about it.

What are some clues that the group is starting to think ‘more like soldiers’?

Ellie starts to think about how to take out the armed trucks or how they were starting to think about timing and what other people around them would do. This is described when Ellie goes 'If we were up a tree with rifles,' I thought, ' and one person shot out the spotlight and the others went for the machine gunner [...]'. This showcases how they are starting to plan and use their surroundings.

Do you think Homer’s plan will work? What problems do you think they might encounter?

I think it'll probably work but there are some parts that concern me. Those parts are how they're going to move the vehicle without getting caught, or getting away safely and not getting caught.

What does Homer suggest they do when the group goes up to the Heron?

Homer suggests that they create a bigger version of the lawnmower incident and use that to blow up the bridge and probably some soldiers.

What are his strategies to put his plan into action?
One of his strategies is to get the cattle in the paddock next to where the soldier who guards the bridge is positioned and, somehow, get  the cattle to charge at the soldier who will hopefully run onto the bridge that they plan in blowing up. He also believes that if they light the petrol and escape fast enough then they'll be able to escape on motorbikes.

Why is Ellie nervous about being paired with Fi?

She's nervous because it seems Ellie has a notion that Fi is still a delicate thing that is still not really prepared. Ellie is of course scared but so is Ellie and, as Ellie says, "Fi has improved heaps in that respect [...]".

What is true courage according to Ellie?

Ellie states that true courage is "When you're really scared but you still do it." This means that courage is shown in times when, even though you'd rather not do something, you push through and do it anyway.

Were her concerns about Fi realized? Explain.

I actually have no idea what this question means If it means did Fi show courage? If so, then yes, yes she did. She went around each corner, risking her life and freedom, so they could move this tanker through the streets. She showed courage by being the one on the ground, signalling Ellie when to go even though she was terrified.

What is a clue that Fi’s relationship with Homer is becoming serious?

I mean they said that they love each other over the talkies in front of their friends so I think it's pretty serious. Then again that's just my personal opinion.