Term 3 week 7
This week I have done lots of things in and out of class. For example, the senior band performed at the information evening to the year sixes and their parents, and the three pieces we played were the ones that we have done since we first started TAI; Spiderman, Wipe Out, and Eye of the Tiger. I have also started on my inquiry presentation, a 3D piano with all the information, graphs and pictures inside, and I have already constructed and put paper mache on every thing except the lid and the inside, which I am going to line with material instead. I want to paint it black during the weekend, and have it finished so I can begin on presenting my information, as well as start painting the portraits of each of the different composers. The piano legs are going to be made out of wood, and I have already done them, but I just realised that a grand piano has three legs, not four, so I spent time on doing one that I didn’t even have to do. I got my results back for the maths test, and even though I seemed to have more than I thought wrong, I still made it into group 1 again, and we are now working on Algebra and Patterns, which I don’t find that hard, although sometimes I find a pattern which has a really hard rule to find out, and it takes me longer to work out than the others. In writing, I am working on writing my argument, which is due in on week 9, and I am doing it on the topic of allowing vending machines in schools, which I disagree with for a numerous amount of reasons, one of them being: “It would encourage children to spend money on a game they probably won’t win, or a high calorie food that is expensive and hardly fills you up for more than and hour.
Term 3 week 6
I have been doing heaps this week, as I am doing lots of extracurricular activities. Firstly, I am practising in band for next monday, because it is the band performance evening for the year sixes, and the pieces we are playing will be Eye of the Tiger, Spiderman, and Wipe Out. In tech, we made a circuit using copper tape, wires, plastic, and batteries in order to create energy to travel through it to make either a light ignite, or to set of a buzzer. I haven’t finished mine, yet, as I still need to attach the LED, but by next Tuesday I should be finished. In maths, we did a test on area and perimeter of shapes, like circles, which we have been working on throughout the week. An example of working out the kind of questions written down could be: To find the are of a circle with a Radius of 10.5cm. Firstly, you would multiply the radius(10.5) by PI/3.14, which adds up to 32.98672286. You would then simplify the answer to a decimal place, such as two decimal places, which would then make the answer 32.99cm squared. Of course, the answer is only a hundredth of a place less than 33cm, so if you didn’t specifically have to round it, the answer could be 33cm squared. In writing, I had to write a persuasive argument about a topic out of the five subjects we were given. I chose to do mine on banning high calorie foods from schools, like muffins or cakes, due to obese and unhealthy children, and I tried to persuade my reader to disagree with banning them at schools, with reasons such as: It isn’t fair on the children who are healthy and aren’t obese. I have pretty much finished all the research I need for my inquiry, and I am going to get started on my presentation, as it needs to be finished by week 9 so I can hand it in complete and in one piece.
Term 3 week 5
This week has helped me to revise and prepare myself for the projects and other things that I have been working on. Firstly, I have been practising my speech, as I am to be reading it in front of the class on Tuesday next week! I am really nervous and hope that I don’t talk too fast, as that is what I have to be careful of. It would be really cool if I was able to get through into the class final! Another thing that I have been working on is my inquiry this term, which is about who I think the greatest composer was out of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Copin, and Tchaivovsky. I want to begin to work on my presentation, because I think that it is going to take a while, but I will have to finish my research before I can start on it. I am still unsure of who I think is best, because I want to make sure I have looked properly into the music and life of each one individualy, as I don’t want to just pick the most well known, like Mozart or Beethoven, as the others have many achievements and great peices of music as well. In maths, we have started work on the circumference of circles, but as this is revision, I din’t find it too hard but am falling behind a little bit anyway because of the previous work, and I want to have it all done soon. In english, the work that I am doing is at my level of thinking, so I am able to understand it but aren’t finding the work simple, while in writing I have nearly finished a draft of my persuasive argument about schools banning junk food, which I disagree with because of many reasons, one of them being that I believe their are other methods, such as exercise, which are more effiecient and effective. My goal for next week is to present my speech in a practical and good way.
Term 3 week 4
This week I have been learning a lot of new things. Firstly, we have started a new maths topic and are focusing on area, perimeter, and volume( I call it VAP or PAV). We did the test last week, and we were put into maths groups this week. I am still in group one, which I am happy about, and the work that I’m doing is mostly revision, such as finding the area of a triangle. For example: If a triangle had a height of 3cm and a base length of 4cm, since a triangle is like half of a square, you would multiply 3 by 4 to get 12cm, and then divide it by 2 to get the answer of 6cm(the rules may vary from different triangles). In tech, it was our last lesson of science, and we sat a test where we had to show which substances were solid, liquids, or gases, which atoms would be most likely to bond to make one, and other questions relating to the subject of molecules and changes of state. As well as writing the answers down, we had to draw a few diagrams as well, like illustrating what Sodium 11 would look like. In PE, we have been continuing to run because we want to either gain a half marathon or full marathon certificate. So far, I have done 35.2kms,but I will need to run another 7kms to complete a full marathon. My speech is going to be presented on Tuesday of week 6, but I still need to put it onto que cards, and the only other homework that I have got is my inquiry, which I have nearly finished my research on, and will be soon starting on the presentation.
Term 3 week 3
This week has been really eventful, and I have learnt lots of new things. Firstly, in maths, we did a geometry and Area(ect) test. I think I did alright in the geometry, but when it came to the Area(ect), I had forgotten from last year how to do the area and the perimetre of a circle, and other key strategies, and i’m disapointed that I had forgotten all of that information. On the other hand, though, I have enjoyed doind science lately, as we have been working in chemical change and molecule change, along the way making heaps of different substances, such as soap, fart putty, and bouncy balls. In inquiry, I am working at making the table to compare the achievments of the different composers. Another task that I am working at is my speech, which I am doing on luck, and how most of the time lucky people make their luck and they wouldn’thave it if they hjadn’t grsped every oppertunity.
Term 3 week 2
This week has been really busy, as well as interesting! I learnt lots of new things in and out of class, and in tech arts. I am beginning to get back into my stride and pattern of work, and this term I am going to strive for excellence on my inquiry topic, which is “Who is the greatest composer?”. I want to make my presentation individual but original, so I was thinking of making a miniature version of a grand piano out of either wood or paper mache, and fill it with information and comparisons. If I have enough time, I would like to try to add a tape recording of a famous piece of music, like swan lake by Tchaikovsky (who is one of the candidates). Another thing that I am involved in this term is science in tech arts, which is really interesting and educational. After the gross stories that Mrs Tyson told us about past students getting badly hurt by not listening to instructions, we learnt about chemical change and how molecules change from states of matter due to increase or decrease of heat, and tested out a molecules reaction to heat on popcorn(yay!). In maths, most of the work we were doing was on revision, so I didn’t have much of a problem on with it, and in reading I have just started on a new worksheet. With writing, I am drafting a persuasive argument about cell phones in schools and if they should be used in the classroom or not, and I should be finished it by my deadline at the end of the week. At the moment, I don’t have many goals, but I want to work hard on my inquiry and seek for excellence.
Term 1 week 8
This week has been really exciting! A few weeks ago, I auditioned for the TAI school production. After a week or so, I got called back for further auditions for the main parts, along with Emily, Mia, McKenzie, and Poppy. On Wednesday, I found out I had got into the second call back! I couldn’t believe it! They told us that we would be getting a big part even if we didn’t get the part we wanted, so I if I didn’t get Scarlett or Vanessa than I would still get a speaking part. On Thursday, the notice board was up with the parts on it. I got Vanessa! I was so excited! Another thing to be looking forward to is our class camp, where we are going all the way down to Wellington and across to Picton for one of the day trips while there. Today for tech arts we had music and dance, where we watched our dances that we recorder on video and played tunes on a guitar and the keyboard. I really hope that I have a great time in Wellington, and that I don’t forget my lines or anything when I act in the production!
My goals for next week are:
To have a good time on camp and make the most of this oppertunity, and to practice music and production at home so I’m tune and word perfect.
Term 1 week 7 2011
This week I have learnt a lot of new things, like how to put numbers into standard form. If you have a number like 362.178, then you change it to 3.62178×10 by the power of 2. In english I have learnt how to turn boring simple sentences into compound and complex sentences, by joining two independent sentences together using a FANBOY, or making a compound sentence into a complex by changing one if the simple sentences into a dependant clause and adding that onto a compound sentence. I couldn’t join random sentences together, they had to be related somehow like ie “Chris owns a beautiful house in Miami, but likes to travel a lot and play baseball in different states. Even though he stays up late playing baseball, he will usually catch up on sleep; on the plane ride back home.” In band, I was given new music to learn. It is harder to learn than most of the other pieces I have in my music folder, so I will have to start practicing A LOT MORE. A couple of weeks ago I auditioned for the production that will be staged in term 2. I am hoping to get a main part in “High School Spoofical,” but if I don’t get one I have a good chance of being able to play in the band that will be performing music. My goals for next week are:
*To be able to work confidently and quickly while I do maths on putting numbers into standard/ordinary form.
*To research and find useful information for my inquiry.
*To practice and compose the new music for band.
I’m going to try to achieve my goals by using up my own time so I can benefit by having a good understanding in the maths that I am doing, finding a range of information for my inquiry so that I can have a variety of sources and get a second opinion, and rehearsing for music so I know what I have to do and be prepared.
Wearable Arts
The entire school participated in this years wearable arts competition. I entered the song inspired category, and made a dress representing the pohutakawa tree song. I made it out of onion bags, net sponges, umbrella, and red bags. We had our team competition, and I got through to the semi-finals. If I get through that, I go to the finals.
Science Fair
Since the beginning of term, the whole school have been working on their science fair project. I decided to do mine on finding out the best basic preservatives like lemonade and sugar, and testing them against shop bought preservers. At the moment they are being judged by miss Green and mr Wilson. It took me a week to finish the experiment, and about another week and a half to finish all my other work like my hypothesis and research.
