List Poem | Distance Learning

LI: To write a list poem that describes a topic by painting a picture with your words.

My culture is the red and white flag that hangs proudly in the Kingdom of Tonga

It is the fresh mango picked off a tree to make an otai

The ta'ovala worn to show respect 

It is the oil that drips down her skin as one performs a  tau'olunga

The lea faka tonga spoken by my ancestors 

It is the hymns sung on sunday mornings,

The 15 minute prayers that seem to be 9 hours along with it. 

My culture is, Tongan

List poems are a simple way to get into poetry writing that can be based on ideas that are familiar to you. Lists can be an inventory of items, people, places, or ideas. List poems don’t require rhyme and often involve repetition. My list poem was based on "My culture is...". In this poem I expressed what it means to be apart of the tongan culture. 

I enjoyed writing this poem because I could truly express what my culture is. 

Liberty

LI: To write an abstract noun sentence.

An abstract noun is something that can’t be physically touched, as in a feeling (happiness, fear, love, etc) also the 5 senses. This week, LS2 have been learning about Metaphors and Nouns. We got into pairs and were introduced  on what is nouns , what we see in the poem ( the structure) and the 5 senses. In our pairs we created our own poem about an abstract noun of our choice. The abstract noun me and my partner chose was 'Liberty'. Liberty means freedom or freewill. 

Jealousy

LI: To write an abstract noun sentence.

An abstract noun is something that can’t be physically touched, as in a feeling (happiness, fear, love, etc) also the 5 senses. This week, LS2 have been learning about Metaphors and Nouns. We got into groups and were introduced  on what is nouns , what we see in the poem ( the structure) and the 5 senses. Our group created a Metaphor about happiness; Happiness is the blooming rainbow that shines when the sun comes out after the rain. A Metaphor is a comparison of two things without using ‘like’ or ‘as’. We created our own poem as a group about Jealousy.  

5 minutes of Camp

LI:  To recount a 5 minute snapshot of one experience you had at camp

Me against the heights of the beam

I had so many thoughts in my mind, I wondered what it would feel like if I was at the end of that ladder. I wasn’t really a fan of heights but I always challenged myself to overcome  it.  Despite all the dismay going through my head a rush of confidence wavered around me, I can do this! 

The wind slightly hit the surface of my face as my feet left the ground. Before I even noticed I was already at the end of the ladder. I took a deep breath, I encouraged myself to go further. Slow and easily I climbed up the staples of the pole. I drew closer and closer to the desired target. 

Finally, my feet were on the log. “Turn around!” they said as I was trembling with fear. The fear of falling off the beam. I grabbed a hold of the rope that was connected to me, each step I took I tightened my grip. Tears were forming in my eyes, I can’t cry just yet! I was breathing rapidly as my heart pounded. My face felt as hot as a boiling kettle! Please- I was so close to bursting out in tears, but I held it in and kept going. 

All of a sudden I found myself at the end of the log. I was proud! I hugged the pole tightly before I turned around and walked to the middle of the log. The support team below me encouraged me to do a little dance. A dance! What the-! Do they want me to die! I mustered up the courage to let go of the rope for a little while. I waved my hands around for a bit then gripped the rope right after. 

Phew! Finally it's time to go down. “Slowly crouch like you're going to sit down, straighten your legs then push off” the instructor said. Following those steps I came down successfully. As I came down I burst into laughter, mocking myself how scared I was. I was relieved, this experience was none like others before. 

Last week we had our annual school camp held at Kokako Lodge. My 5 minute snapshot shows my personal voice and I have tried hard to paint a picture with my words to describe what I was doing and how I felt. In this recount I have showcased my feelings towards one of the activities during camp, as you can see I am potraying how I felt on the High Beam activity. 

This activity was really fun! Mainly because I was able to express my personal feelings and experience through learning. 

C.A.R.E Explanation | Writing

 LI: to create an explanation using TEEL paragraphs. 

Link to Explanation Video

This week for writing we were focusing on using TEEL paragraphs in our explanations. As there are structures for different forms of writing the structure of a paragraph is known as TEEL; T for topic sentence, E for elaborate ideas, E for explain, and lastly L for linking topic to main question. We were revising explanations as next week is testing week. In groups we created an explanation explaining why it is important to use CARE values. I collaborated with Juel, Sulia, Heavenly and Afatia for the session. In our groups we voice recorded ourselves saying the explanation showing our explanation on a piece of paper. 

Explanation | Making wise choices

 LI: to structure and write an explanation. 

Why is it important to make wise choices? 

Have you ever thought about the consequences when making choices? Have you ever thought about what happens next? Well, with that in mind, your consequences will change drastically for the better. When making a wise choice, it can be; picking up rubbish, helping someone out, anything that makes you feel relieved in a positive way. The outcome from making wise choices is much more different than a bad decision. 

Making the wrong decision might not always have a good outcome but, can be a time for you to ask yourself, did you really want to make this choice? Knowing the difference between choosing and making the wrong decision is very important. Many people make the wrong decision by struggling through peer pressure and stress or making wrong decisions to feel relieved or feel good, this is called dopamine. 

With this topic in mind, people become addicted to drugs and their mindset towards the world and people around them changes. This is not a positive change. Becoming addicted to drugs can really affect your mental and physical health. If you are being pressured in taking drugs by friends or family, you are not in the right environment. You can seek help from social workers from school or in your community. If being pressured, feel the confidence to say no!

Many people take drugs and become so addicted that their future is not very bright, but it is never too late to stop. When people are very addicted they can get caught up in trouble with bad people. These bad people are drug dealers, drug suppliers and more. If you get caught up in this trouble you can be sent to prison for a long amount of time which can separate you from your family and friends. 

In conclusion, feel the confidence to say no! Listen to that small voice in your head, no matter how quiet it is listen to it! Think about your future and learn from your mistakes, always know you are the most important person in your life. Move on, stop taking drugs. 

This week we have been creating explanations. Our theme for our explanation was about making wise choices. We had the chance to choose our own topic. My topic was based on making wise choices connected to drugs. Using the information from the DARE Program I learnt that drugs are a substance that is very addictive and can be very dangerous in the wrong uses. With the help of Sakshi, I have checked my explanation to make sure there are no irrelevant sentences and use of words in it. 

5-7-10 | Lightning never strikes twice, does it?

LI: To use 5 - 7 - 10 to write creatively.

This week for writing, using our imagination we made a story by getting an idea from a scene picture. In pairs Sulia and I worked collaboratively to help each others writing. We had 5 minutes to write the begginning of the story, 7 minutes (x2) to chat with your partner and talk about how we could make our story better and 10 minutes to finish off the writing. The story we made was based on the picture below. 

                                         

Fear of lightning

Lightning never strikes twice, does it? That was the question that occupied the frightened minds as they crouched, huddling beside each other , next to the pile of dusty sacks in the base of the windmill. KAPOW! The lightning growled with rage. “I don’t think we’ll get back home in time, Margaret” Julie worrily mumbled. 

4 hours earlier…

“Julie! Julie! Let's go for a run around the reserve!” Margaret exclaimed, “Yup! Sure!” Julie replied. “Mum, we’re off!” Margaret shouted. Margaret and Julie arrived at the reserve, they were surprised that they couldn't see another person in sight as the reserve is always full of people. As we arrived at the reserve the sky started to overrun with grey and dark clouds, we never thought much of it and continued running around the fields. We ran about 3 laps, after an hour we started to get tired and looked for a resting place. We sat against a tall oak tree, the rain started pouring down so we rushed towards shelter inside a windmill. 

The rain poured down violently from the gloomy sky, “Margaret! If the rain keeps up then we’ll never get back home on time and it might even become a thunderstorm!” Julie cried, “Awh! Noo!” Margaret exclaimed. There were stairs in the windmill that lead to a small room, Julie and climbed up the stairs curious to what might we’ll find. As we entered the small room there were 2 windows, one , we thought we could stay in there until the rain cleared up. 

About half an hour passed and the rain wasn’t stopping. All of a sudden “KAPOW!” A strike of lightning soared across the sky, Margaret has astraphobia. She has a fear of lightning, her fear of lightning appeared when she was the age of 5. The sound of thunder and lightning makes Margaret tremble with fear. Due to the lack of reception Margaret or Julie couldn’t call anybody to come and rescue them. 

Julie and Margaret huddled together until the storm stopped. Luckily the storm stopped before night fell, so Julie and Margaret headed back home with relief. 

Ancestors Poem | Writing

LI: To write a poem to describe ancestors by using the literary devices of alliteration, onomatopoeia, metaphor, simile and rhyme. 

This week the students of LS2 have created poems using literary devices as in figurative language and more. The poem we wrote was based on our ancestors and our culture. I am a tongan female. My poem shares my identity and my taonga in the sentences written. Writing this poem really connected me to my family history and my ancestors. Being a tongan female, I have linked myself with my family village and my culture. I am proud of my heritage. 

Should we become a cashless society?

LI: To consider both sides of a provocation.

What is a provocation? - a provocation is an action or speech that triggers a strong feeling about a topic.

This week for writing in pairs or groups of 3 we have created a DLO showing the good and bad things about becoming a cashless society. Using our smart researching skills we found the good and bad things of becoming a cashless society. Using News hub we found out some places that only pay using card. Becoming a cashless society means only paying using techology and credit cards.

Maritime Museum Trip | Recount

LI: To create a recount about the trip to the maritime museum.

This week LS2 and Room 5 had the opportunity to go and explore the Maritime Museum. We went to invest more of our topic of inquiry this term, Explorers and Adventurers. We were put into groups of 5 with an adult as a supervisor. We experienced new and interesting things about back in the day exploration. Way before there were planes, cars or trains people travelled by ships and wakas. People had different ways of navigation. Instead of using google maps people used the environment, drawn maps, compasses and more. We had to create a recount of the day.

Collaborative Explanation | Plastic Pollution

How do you feel knowing that each year, over 1 million sea animals lose their lives from plastic waste? This is caused by the laziness of people who can't be bothered to throw their rubbish in the bin. When you litter, your rubbish leads to landfills, drains, and possibly to the ocean. 

Everyday approximately 8 million pieces of trash lead to the ocean. As the waste leads to the ocean it can attract the sea animals by mistaking it for food. The sea creatures can die by being suffocated from the plastic and can also be caught in the plastic. The plastic makes them have digestive problems and can cause them to die. 

According to National Geographic, by 2050 there will be 12 billion metric tonnes of plastic landfills. Right now there might be 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic in our ocean right now.  Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then leak into groundwater or other surrounding water sources. This can cause a range of potentially harmful effects on the species that drink the water.

Marine animals' lives are at risk due to the plastic pollution in the sea, if we don’t take action now who knows what will happen next.

LI: to make a collaborative explanation about plastic pollution
In groups of five we created a collaborative explanation. This explanation was about Plastic pollution. What we did to get information was watch a video from love your coast. This video showed the love your coast community picking up rubbish. 

Narrative Hook | The cusp of extinction!

LI: To create a hook of the beginning of a narrative.

This week for writing we have started with narratives. Using the character and setting description form last week we are starting on our narratives. We were first focusing on the hook. The hook is the beginning part of the story or the part that draws the readers attention so they would like to read more.With the advice from Mr Ogilvie he suggested that for the hook we should start the beginning from the end or start with an onomatopoeia. An onomatopoeia is words like: "SPLASH!" or "BOOM!".

Writing | Setting Description | Character Description

LI: To investigate ideas of a narrative. 

This week for writing we had started with character descriptions. In our groups we came up with ideas for a setting and characters for a narrative. For the characters all of our groups voted on the one they thought was best. The two characters were Patricia and Jarrell. Using our imagination we came up with character descriptions for them by using the characteristics from the groups. Then we made a setting description. 

Setting Description | Show and Tell

LI: To describe a setting by using the 5 senses.
This week for writing we have been using the 5 senses to describe a setting. In our writing groups we all chose a setting together and we had to make a show and tell of it using the 5 senses. The 5 senses are hear, touch, taste, see, and smell. Our setting was the skytower. We done the tell as a group and made the show individually. For the tell sentences we had to just write some simple sentences based around the 5 senses, and for the show sentences we had to add figurative language and more descriptive language.

Figurative Language

LI: To investigate figurative language.
This week for writing we have been doing figurative language. We have been understanding the the types of figurative language and the difference bewteen literal laguage and figurative language. There are  only 5 types of figurative language, they are:

Similie - (pronounced) sih - mih - lee

Metaphor - (prounounced) meh - tah - four

Hyperbole - (prounounced) hi - per - bowl - ee

Personification - (prounounced) per - son - if - ah - cay - tion

Understatement - (prounounced) under - state - ment

Recounts | Edited Recount

LI: to edit your practise recount.

This week for writing we had wrote another recount but has to be based on winning a sports competition. Mine was about our netball season in the afterschool netball comp. After our first recount we had learnt the marking criterias so we could try and improve on them. We had made an edited recount so we could see how we have improved. We had edited and added things that'll help our recounts get more points on the marking criterias.

Recounts | The day I became a Millionaire | Rubrics

LI: To revise the structure of a recount and reaffirm the marking criteria.

This week was the first session of writing for the term. We had first done a recap about a recount structure. We had some time to remember the marking criterias too for the test we are going to be next week. We had to write an imaginative recount like how we would on the test and it had to be about how we won the lotto and what we would do with the money. After that we had to mark our recounts based on the marking criterias.
The marking criterias are:

Ideas:

S&L:

Organisation:

Vocab:

Spelling:

Punctuation:

Sentence Structure:

I had gave myself 4 for every criteria which equaled up to 28.

Thneed | Print Ad

LI: To create an advert using the knowledge and skills we have learnt.

This week we had created an advert on the thneed in groups of 4. I worked with Charlize, Chris and Andrew. We had made a print advert for a thneed. A thneed is a fictional object from "The Lorax" which was origanally a book created by Dr Suess, that can be used for anything type of clothing and accessories. We had to figure out how we can show our item by just using images and a little bit of text. We had also made a name for our company called "Suess Manuess".

Advertising | Television Advertising

LI: To learn about persuasive tools in advertising. 

This week for writing we have been continuing on with advertising. We had to find ads that are showcasing NZ products with NZ celebrities. Then we had to analise an ad and answer using 5 different questions. The ad was called "the unsell". The purpose was to help people choose the right types of cars for their own safety. Then we had to use the 5 questions with an ad of our own choice.

Advertising

LI: To learn about persasive tool in advertising.

This week for writing we have been continuing with advertising. We had worked in groups of 3-4. I had worked with Charlize, Afatia and Farzana. We had found different examples of advertisments and the hacks that they use to make their food look good but in reality it is a mess. We had also looked at slogans and the different types. Then we had a try to make our own slogan about Panmure Bridge School.