Tomorrow, When The War Began - Chapter 9

Why, in Ellie's opinion, is Cobbler's Bay and Wirrawee so important to the invaders?
Ellie says that the invaders are most likely using Wirrawee as "a corridor to the big towns and the cities.", as no one would expect Wirrawee to be invaded. As for Cobbler's Bay she mentions that it's a great bay and that the invaders are most likely using it as a port base for ships.

Corrie and Ellie reminisce about how innocent they were in high school and even a few days ago. Why were they still innocent then? Why are they no longer innocent?
They claim they were still innocent then as they still believed that the an invasion would never happen in Australia and that they were safe. Because they now know they are not, they have been torn away from their former innocent without realizing it. The following quote further proves my point as they state "We believed we were safe. That was the big fantasy . Now we know we're not, and like you said, we'll never feel safe again, and so bye- bye innocence."

Why does Homer think splitting up is a good idea?
Again Homer believes that if they split up then if two of them get taken then there will still be three people out there trying to survive and vice versa for three of them being taken. It would also take less time to complete tasks if they did it as a five and, if they're in less number it would be easier to hide from the invaders.

Why do you think the author added a few lines about an Australian jet flying overhead?
Probably to show that there is a possibility of the group being saved and there are people fighting back that might save them. This gives the reader a sliver of hope that everything might be alright.

By blowing up Corrie's house, what does the invading force demonstrate to the teenagers?
It shows the teens that any sign of life or possible 'rebels' in the town will be killed without mercy. The invaders are trying to scare the group off and are also going "We know you're here and we're not afraid to kill you."

Why do you think Corrie reacted the way she did?
Probably cause she just saw her house blow up? And they were just in there? Which means she almost died and the last of what reminded her of her family are gone now? Like I don't know what you expect me to answer here.

Tomorrow, When The War Began - Chapter 8

How does Ellie feel about the lawnmower incident?
Ellie seems to feel like this incident is a burden. She seems to feel like she killed someone and it's not justified.

How does she think the others will react to her story?
She worries that they're going to make a big deal out of it and act as if she is a war hero. Ellie mentions that she 'didn't want to be Rambo, just me: just Ellie.' Luckily no one does react that way, instead they comfort her and Homer even says that the killing is justified.

How do they actually react? Why?
They react with sympathy and comfort her. Kevin, who she thought was going to make the biggest deal out of it, actually just sat there grim-faced. Homer comforts her by stating that the invaders broke the rule book first and how they have no choice.

Homer says, "This is war now, normal rules don't apply.. They're the ones who tore up the rule book, not us" What does this say about his character? What do you think of the validity of his opinions?
Homer has a point to what he's saying. The opposition know what they got into and know that there would've been people who put up a fight. It's also the only way they can play fair. If the group continued following the rules, more then half of them would be dead by now. Breaking the rules to fight a group that have already broken them is the only way to survive.

Fi talks about the 'shadows', during their reconnaissance. What are these shadows? and what are the implications due to their existence? 
I have no idea what the shadows could possibly be but I sort of hope it's something along of aliens. I don't know why and I feel like that might be a little cliche. Even though it's a little cliche and if it was aliens I might be a bit disappointed but I still really like aliens Or even it they were some sort of creature that wasn't Earthly would be cool.

What pieces of information from the book inform the reader that this invasion wasn't entirely peaceful? Find at least 3 examples.
The first sign that this wasn't peaceful is the unusual bush fires described on page 53. There are 6 different bush fires and the reason they're unusual is because, as Ellie describes it, 'It was really too early in the year for major bush fires, but too late for burning off.', this means that something extreme may have potentially happened. Another example is in the story of what Homer and Fi saw when they went further in town. Homer says "Must've been a bit of a battle I think - there were two police cars, bot on their sides, and a truck just down the road that had crashed into a tree.", Homer carries on by mentioning that there were no bodies Fi mentions that there was plenty of blood. The 3rd example is the complete willingness of the guards to shoot at anything that moves. This proves that the guards/soldiers are ruthless and are ready to strike whenever and that this ruthlessness could've caused major violence when taking the town over.

Tomorrow, When the War Began - Chapter 7

Which people in the group are starting to stand out as leaders? Is this surprising? Why/Why not?
Someone who is standing out as a leader is Robyn but this isn't very surprising as we are told the she is the netball team captain. Homer is also standing out partially as a leader which is surprising as he seems to be someone who wouldn't really take lead and just kind suggest ideas. Ellie also was standing out as a leader by leading Kevin and Corrie through the showgrounds and the idea to blow up the lawn mower.

Do you think that taking Kevin's dog Flip to Corries house was a mistake? Explain your thoughts?
I think that it's not a bad idea as they just left the do there and didn't take Flip with them the whole ride. At the moment it seems that the group won't be returning to Corries house, so having Flip there shouldn't cause too much trouble but because this question came up I'm nervous now.

What does Lee mean when he says 'we might have to make some ugly choices'?
THEY WERE GONNA KILL FLIP THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS.

How is Ellie's image of Kevin change in this chapter?
Initially, Ellie describe Kevin as 'President of the Show Society and playing cricket for the club on Saturdays and talking about fat lamb prices and bringing up his three kids'. Kevin is described as being your typical Australian and now we see that that may not be so true. He seems much more willing to risk things and listen to people even though he was describe as a bit arrogant.

Is the decision to split into smaller groups a wise one? Give reasons
I think the logic behind it is extremely reasonable as the idea that they won't be easily caught in smaller groups is better then going in one large group. It also allows them to complete tasks faster, therefore getting out of town faster. It also means that if 2 of them get caught the other 5 can try and get them out instead of all seven of them being caught and no chance of rescue coming.

Why is it the Ellie's group decides to act 'illogically' and survey the showgrounds together?
Because this would allow the group to have some form of idea of what they're up against and where the citizens of the town may be. They may even be able to get someone out or figure out what may have possibly happened during the five days away.

Why does the idea of a female soldier surprise Ellie?
A female soldier would surprise Ellie because a you don't normally see female soldiers as there's still a small stigma around female soldiers and there not really something you would expect.

If your parents were captured in a situation like this, would they been 'sensible' or would there have been violence?
My Dad would definitely not behave sensibly as he doesn't really like the police or anything like that. He also gets pretty upset when driving and someone cuts him off so I feel like he would get pretty angry. As for my Mom I have no idea cause she's the type that might put up a fight but at the same time she avoids trouble and getting into things that involve her.

How is Ellie 'transformed' after she steps out from behind the tree near the showgrounds?
Ellie describes the moment as she 'stopped being an innocent rural teenager and started becoming someone else, a more complicated and capable person, a force to be reckoned with even, not just a polite obedient kid.' Essentially Ellie used to be a very quiet girl who did what she was told and almost an angel child. Now we see her taking risks and leading people by going first.

Ellie and Kevin's quick-thinking allowed them to turn a ride-on lawnmower into a bomb. Was this a moral decision? Did they do the right thing or should they have surrendered themselves? 
Their actions would be completely justifiable as no-one knows what they might've done in that situation. They know that they didn't want to surrender themselves as they had to protect the others so what's left? Plus now there's roughly three less guards they need to worry about. They can also now tell the others what they're up against.

Predict what has happened to Robyn and Lee.
I think they may have been taken as they didn't know that the guards were out looking for people and the guards may have taken them. They may also just be stuck at the house because of the guards and they don't wanna risk it.

Boomerang - Jojo Siwa's brand new hit single

In social studies we are finishing up or migration and research on indigenous Australians/Aboriginal people. We wrapped it up by creating our own boomerangs and testing them. The purpose of this activity was to put what we had learned and what we researched into a practical activity. I was also a fun way to end the topic/term.

The story behind my boomerang is pretty simple as it was inspired by the dreamtime. The dreamtime in Aboriginal culture is the belief/religion of the Aboriginal people who believe that the world was originally the beginning and that the land and people were created by spirits. The yellow circle represents a star and uses dots to break up the two skies. The red and yellow are commonly used across aboriginal art.

I believe my boomerang painting and throwing went pretty well. The first time I threw it it didn't go very far but, once I changed my throwing position it went fairly far and landed upright. I didn't have anything prepare for the other side so I just won't show the other side. I did however change my design and made it simpler and more spread out. This allowed the paint to be  done much more easily and I was able to create a better and nicer looking design.

Also what an icon Jojo is.

Tomorrow, When the War Began - Chapter 5 + 6

Chapter Five

What does Corrie's choice in career say about her? (she wants to be a nurse btw).
Corrie's decision to become a nurse in countries that need nurses the most showcases her caring nature. It shows that she A) doesn't want to stay in Australia which is also proven by the way she wants to travel everywhere before becoming a nurse, B) She is extremely caring and wishes to help and comfort people, C) She's most likely empathetic and wants to help those in need.

The group's ability to avoid arguing with each other is rare - do you think there would've been more drama if you and your friends went into the bush for a week?
I don't think so because my friend group are pretty tight and none of us have any problems with anyone else. I think we'd get into dumb fights that aren't really fights such as Natasha getting worked up when I say soccer instead of football or when we tease each other.

Why do you think Ellie and Lee feel uneasy just before their return to Wirrawee from the Bush?
I believe Ellie and Lee feel uneasy mostly because of the sheer amount of planes flying back and the 6 different bush fires they could see. Ellie mentions that "Two looked quite big. It was really too early in the year for major bush fires, but too late for burning off." I think along with the fact that earlier Lee's joke suggestion of World War Three might've just been sitting in the back of their minds. They also might have an extremely strong gut feeling.

What do you predict will await the group back home, why do you think this?
I believe that some sort of trouble may be awaiting them due to the fires, suggesting something may have gone wrong at the show. Similar to how when you're away for a few days and when you come back so has happened all at once. An example could be how my Mom and I went away to Queenstown and came back to learn a house blew up. I believe that something may have happened at the show.

Chapter Six

What is the first sign something is wrong at Ellie's house?

The fact that the dogs aren't making noise or aren't running out to greet Ellie. Ellie mentions that usually they' run out and make lots of noise when she came home. 

Who is the first person to really realize what is happening?

The first person to suggest something such as a war might've happened is Robyn who starts to list everything and mentions that "Something really bad is happening, something quite evil.". However Lee is the first one to mention that there was most likely some sort of invasion which started a war.

What is Ellie's response to this person's caution? Why do you think she reacts this way?

Ellie reacts in a reasonable way for someone who is facing the fact that their family may be dead. She starts yelling at Robyn for saying that they've "got to assume that they're not down the pub or gone on a holiday". Ellie is shocked that Robyn believes that Ellie's parents would leave the family's dogs to die.

How is the pace in this chapter different from the chapters before?

This chapters pace is a little faster then the previous ones which can showcase the sense of urgency and fear that the characters are faced with. Because the story is told in first person, it also means that we hear Ellie's thoughts which are probably racing at the moment. The pace of the chapter showcases this and shows how the characters went from a chill camping trip (read about at a slow pace) and the new sense of fear and urgency they feel (read at a fairly fast pace).

If you were in this situation, would you test the radio? Give reasons for your thinking. 

I would test the radio mainly because what's the worst that could happen? I wouldn't know if the radio worked or not and there's a 50/50 chance that it will. I'd view it as worth a try.

Do you think that the way the teenagers reacted to the realization that Australia may have been invaded and at war is realistic? Why/Why not.

I think so because they are very shocked with Ellie even saying "Absolutely not possible. These things just don't happen, not here, not in this country." which shows just how shocking this is. They also react and start freaking out about there own families and whether they're OK. They even almost break up the group and go to each others house but they decide against this. 

Tomorrow, When The War Began - Chapter 4

In English we have began our book study on Tomorrow, When The War Began by John Marsden. The book is set in Australia and is described as the story about 7 teenagers entering a place called hell for a 5 day trip, only to return to hell. At the moment I'm at chapter 4 and I'll probably writing a blog post similar to this one after each chapter.

Do I think the way they handled the snake situation was appropriate?
I don't know much about getting snakes out of your sleeping bag but, the way they handled it seemed appropriate. They all calmed down, thought the situation through, and made some sort of plan to rid of the snake. Although they ended up losing the snake and freaking out they still had some sort of plan. I think the plan that one of the characters had about drowning the snake wasn't very appropriate though.

Ellie claims that ‘Hell’ is only a label and that people label things all the time, often ignoring or overlooking certain labelled places or things. She then comes to the conclusion that ‘Hell was people’. Is she right? What’s your opinion, on labeling and Hell?  
I think Ellie is right in a sense that a place isn't necessarily Hell unless someone claims it is. People are usually the ones that decide if something is Hell or not and, as the group go further and further into "Hell", we learn that it isn't that bad and rather a label that was placed on it without any further investigation. She also states that "No place was Hell, no place could be Hell. It's the people calling it Hell, that's the only thing that made it so." This can be interpreted as Ellie saying that what people claim is Hell when, in reality it isn't. So, in a sense, Ellie is right in the way people are Hell as they label things that aren't necessarily Hell. 

My opinion on things such as labels is that for some people it's necessary while, for others they don't think they're completely necessary. Personally I like labeling myself and who I am (Jewish, student, lesbian, kiwi, etc) but if I met someone who didn't like labeling themselves I wouldn't be crappy about it cause if that's what they're comfortable with then cool. I'll respect that cause in the end I don't really care whether you label yourself or not. I also believe that some people forget that labels aren't a permanent thing for everyone, i.e I'm not always going to be a student, that's going to change someday or I'm not going to always be a teenager. Labels shift and change for people and you should experiment with labels.

For the Hell part of the question, I was raised Jewish and there isn't really any Hell at all in Judaism. The concept of Hell is less of a physical thing and more shame/embarrassment that you have. This sort of links back to Ellie's definition of Hell being people, rather then a place. Although I was raised religiously, I don't really fully believe in Heaven, Hell, and all that jazz. In conclusion, to me, Hell isn't really a thing. 

What is especially peculiar about the planes that flew over Hell? 'Their ---, their ---, their --- frightened me.' Do these characteristics have any significance? 


Corrie and Keven are the the only couple in the group, but the trip was supposed to bring friends closer together. So why does Homer's interest in Fi seem odd to Ellie? 
Ellie was surprised by Homer being interested in Fi because Homer is described as being tough and not being taken seriously when it comes to emotions. This is proven when we learn Ellie's thoughts on Homer's feelings, "So after a while we started believing him when he said he was too tough to have emotions. It seemed funny that Fi, the most delicately built girl in our year, looked like being the one to bring him undone, if that's the right way to put it." This shows the Homer isn't one to catch feelings so, when he does, it's seen as odd.

Fi brushes off the planes coming back from Commemoration day. Why do you think they were flying over Wirrawee?
We're told earlier in the book and on that page that Wirrawee hold a show day that also lands on the same day as Commemoration day. These planes are suspected by the character to be flying over to show off and perform for those at the show. The fact that the characters have a reason to believe the planes are there by Fi saying "You know they have all those flypasts and displays and stuff."

Robyn claims there were dozens and dozens of planes flying over them. What is Lee's response? Is his suggestion reasonable? 
Lee responds by suggesting it might be the start of World War 3 by saying 'It's probably the start of World War Three,' said Lee. 'We've probably been invaded and don't even know it'. I think Lee's response was more of a joke rather then a serious suggestion as the group's reaction to this response is fairly light-hearted. I think his response was somewhat reasonable.

Street art

It's semester two and we have started our new topic on street and cultural art. This includes art such as Aboriginal dot art,  Filipino kut-kut, Maori tuku tuku, Cook Island patterns, Niuean patterns, along with Bencab and Mr. G. We started by answering a few questions about street art, different visual symbols, and analyzing two artworks.

Why do we look at street art and, when we do, what is our reaction?

We usually look at street art because it catches our attention. With it's colors, design, and very public placement, how can we not? When we see it we'll stop and stare at the piece with curiosity and wonder, or we'll take a step back to see the bigger picture and move around to see it at different angles.

Why do we need visual symbols and how do we use them?
We usually need/use visual symbols to trigger something, such as emotion, in our brain. Colors such as yellow can trigger us to think we'll be happy if we do this thing (such as go to Mcdonalds) or we'll associate symbols or color schemes to certain companies, schools, sport teams, etc.

What are examples of common visual symbols in our environment?
Common visual symbols that we see are usually letters, anagrams, or logos. Take LV for example, whenever we see the letters LV together we instantly think of Louis Vuitton. Another example would be burger joints such as Burger King (BK) and McDonalds (M). Color schemes that are used as symbols are work uniforms such as purple and green for Jucy rentals, or school uniforms such as yellow and blue for Hornby. We see visual symbols everywhere in our day-to-day lives.

What I was meant to learn?

I was meant to learn about visual symbols in both art and our everyday environment. I also learnt about the types of art we'll be looking such as kut-kut, tuka tuka, dot art, etc.

What did I enjoy about this process?

I enjoyed the class conversations about different visual symbols and the common visual symbols we see in our environment. I also enjoyed answering the questions too and talking to my buddy about them.

What do you think you'll do next?

I'll probably look more into the different art styles and learn more about them, their history, their meaning, etc. I'll also start looking at what styles I find interesting and want to have a proper, in-depth, look into.

Carbon dioxide gas

Aim: To show that carbon dioxide gas is produced when a metal carbonate reacts with an acid

Equipment:

• Two boiling tubes
• delivery tube and bung
• Bunsen burner
• Test tube rack
• Wooden splint
• A bottle of acid
• A small amount of metal carbonate
• Test tube tongs
• Safety glasses

Method:

1. Add a pea-sized amount of metal carbonate into one of the boiling tubes
2. Place this boiling tube into a test tube rack. Ensure you have the bung and delivery tube ready
3. Add 5ml of acid to the boiling tube with your tongs, capture the gas produced as shown in the diagram 
4. 
   
5. When you think the tube is full, your lab partner should light a wooden splint
6. Carefully remove the boiling tube from under the delivery tube, taking care to keep it facing upright.
7. Insert the burning splint into the mouth of the test tube.

Results

The flame on the splint went out almost immediately. My group and I described it as almost being choked.

Discussion
The reason for the flame going out was because there wasn't any oxygen in the tube, just carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide was created through a reaction between calcium and hydrochloric acid. This as a word equation would be written as Calcium Carbonate + Hydrochloric = Calcium Chloride + Carbon Dioxide + Water.

Conclusion
The experiment worked which proves that carbon dioxide is formed when a metal carbonate reacts with an acid.

My Food Bag - Semester 1

This semester we spent two terms developing skills that would allow us to create a food bag for a made up stakeholder. We first had to decide who our stakeholder actually was and what their food requirements would be. I chose a college student who kept kosher and was preparing a meal for her and three friends. We had to take into consideration things such as time (how long it took to prepare, make, cook, etc), amount of people it would feed, what skills it would require, and if it fits the nutritional requirements. My final decision was based mostly on how much it cost and how long it took to actually make. Below is my final slide

Final practical

In the end, we chose Jakita's Thai green curry which was very nice. We as a group chose this recipe because she was the one to propose the idea and none of us objected. I think this recipe fits the dinner plate food model. We have chicken to provide the protein, spring onions, corn pieces, beans, capsicum to provide the vegetables, though I don't believe we had any starch products. I'm not sure what was in the green curry paste but I will link Jakita's blog so you can have a more in-depth view of the recipe. 

Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1/2 Broccoli head
• 250g Stir fry veggies
• 3 Spring onions
• 2 Cans of coconut milk
• 2 Chicken breasts
• 51g Green Thai paste
• 136g of rice (1 cup)
• Whole green beans

Method:

1. Cook rice (do this first as rice can take a while to cook).
2. Cube chicken and cook in a pan till white
3. Cut beans in half and prepare spring onion and capsicum.
4. Once the chicken is cooked add the veggies. Once veggies are cooked stir in coconut milk and paste. Stir and leave to simmer. Remember to stir occasionally.
5. Once the rice is cooked remove the pan from heat and serve on top of rice.
6. Garnish with either coriander or white parts of spring onions. 

Changes

The first time we did the recipe, most of the reviews from the teachers (our judges) were positive though most of them wished it had more color and was more spicey. We also had a watery sauce which was fine but we were hoping for something more thicker. This is when we decided to add corn, capsicum, and spring onion. We chopped the spring onion and mixed the green parts in and used the white bits to garnish on top. Unfortunately, we didn't figure out how to make the sauce thicker but I believe that we added too much coconut milk which caused the watery-ness. We also planned on adding coriander but forgot to add it to the shopping list. We got quite a few positives when the teachers tried our new, re-made recipe. The only problem was too little sauce and, again, not spicy enough. 

What I've learned

I've learned many things this semester which include the effort and what you need to consider when creating a meal for someone else. I also learned about various dietary needs that people have and what causes them. For example, I didn't know the gluten intolerance is caused by something in the intestine that causes gluten products to not be fully digested. 

Overall I really had fun these past two terms and I've learned a lot and I'm excited for next semester.

Jakita's blog

Shine bright like magnesium oxide

Aim: Demonstrate a reaction between a metal and oxygen by burning a magnesium strip over a flame.

Equipment:

• Stip of magnesium
• Bunsen burner
• Safety glasses (preferably tinted)
• Metal scissor tongs

Method:

1. Light your bunsen burner.
2. Hold your piece of magnesium in the scissor tongs. Ensure you are holding onto the very tip of the magnesium.
3. Place the other end of the magnesium into the bunsen blue flame (at the top of the blue flame).
4. When the magnesium begins to burn remove from flame, do not look directly at the light (unless with tinted safety glasses). This is because the light emitted from the metal can permanently damage your eyes.

Observations:

The magnesium once removed from the flame begins to burn bright for 3 - 6 seconds. The light is extremely bright and hurts your eyes even with tinted glasses.

Results:
It worked and we were able to witness a reaction between oxygen and metal

Discussion 

The light appears because of the combination of heat and magnesium producing heat. This heat causes the magnesium to give off light through heat energy which is also how the sun produces light. What' left is a white ashy substance is known as magnesium oxide and the speed of the reaction depends on how hot the flame is. 

Unfortunately, I do not have any photos as it would be too difficult when I'm trying to avoid having my eyes burnt out.

Update: I stole Jessica's photo