Week 9 Homework Challenge

Week 9 Homework Challenge

For the last week Whetu has been working on our milk bottle homework project. Like our polystyrene project we could make anything using a milk bottle, or two or three. For my project I am going to make a movie with a milk bottle in it. I have just started writing the script for it.

Now what I really need to do is finish writing my script and then get my hands on a camera so I can start filming and then after that editing.

I have not done much yet so I have not yet had to overcome any challenges, overall I think it will end up really cool and better than my last one.

Kaikoura Earrthquke

The average earthquake has a magnitude 5.0 but just after midnight in Kaikoura a much more sinister geological event occurred. The coastal settlement of Kaikoura was left devastated after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. State Highway One was blocked in several places by massive slips cutting the town's only lifeline, cows and livestock were left stranded on lone peaks of solid ground (Pictured Below) and there was even a miniature tsunami which knocked an iconic New Zealand holiday home of its stilts.

Did you know that the earthquake was so powerful it was even felt in some parts of Auckland. Imagine if the epicentre of the earthquake had been in Auckland, because of the denser population there would be much more injuries and possibly a higher death toll.

Because of the earthquake Kaikoura’s seafood industry could die out since the earthquake raised rocks out of the water by nearly two metres exposing paua and fish alike. John Key who called this utter devastation also said that it could cause major losses for New Zealand's fishing infrastructure.

Thankfully help has arrived from the HMNZS Canterbury and a few US navy ships and helicopters. Kaikoura is slowly on the mend and the country is starting to recover.

Labour Day

How did Labour Day come about?

In the 19th century, New Zealand workers fought for the right to have an eight hour working day.

Then in 1840 carpenter Samuel Parnell fought for the right in Wellington and won.

When was Labour Day first celebrated?

Labour Day was first celebrated as a public holiday on October 28, 1890 when thousands of workers paraded in the main city centres. Everyone got a day of work to attend to the celebrations. But the first official Labour Day was on the second Wednesday of October in 1900.

What happens on Labour Day?

Everyone gets a day of work which means most shops are closed, and all the schools a deserted. Everyone can sit back and have a great time. Besides everyone needs a break from work someday don't they?

Learning in the Making Conference

On Friday in the first week of term 4 we had our third Learning In The Making Conference.

We started off the day with a keynote speaker called Mark Osborne who talked to us about weird jobs such as urban farmers and drone pilots. Unfortunately the video feed on skype kept cutting out so it was sometimes hard to understand him.

The first workshop I went to was Scout Skills. Our first challenge was a race between two groups to make a compass out of wooden blocks, the end result was a draw. Next we were blindfolded and had to attempt a Burma trail. At the finish line the rope ended and we had to find our way between a pallet and a tree without the rope to guide us. For our next challenge we had damp sponges tied to pegs which were then clipped to our shirts. Then we had to squat down and try and make the damp sponge touch a candle in the bowl and extinguish the flame.

The second workshop that I went to was Fun With Flax. It was actually not as bad as I thought it would be, it was still boring though. At least I learnt how to flax weave.

The third workshop I went to was Drink Bottle Craft. First off I wrote the words,’ Go Charlie ‘on the side of the drink bottle. Next I did some polka dots which I would eventually paint over with red. After that I started reading book reviews written by Marama students.

The last workshop I did was Cooking. My group was making chocolate caramel slice. This was my favourite workshop for two reasons. Number one, I love cooking. Number two, I got to eat it.

Overall I found the conference day very fun and I am looking forward to conference number 4.

In the holidays

In the first week of the wet, damp and miserable holidays, I went on an hour long car journey to Hamilton. We first stopped off at my grandma’s house in Ngaruawahia where we had some authentic homemade Indian beef curry. Then we took a tour of one of the new subdivisions going up on the once barren former hillsides on the outskirts of Hamilton.

About an hour later we drove to an old friend of my mum and dad's house to stay the night. I really enjoyed lying on the furry rug in the lounge, next to the fire and finishing a Thunderbirds puzzle. The next day we went to The Base where I bought a watch and a light up C for my bedroom.

After I got home I didn’t do anything because of all the rain.