Day 5 (Week 1, The last day of the week!) - SLJ

Hey lovely peoples! Guess what!?... It's Day 5! That means the last day of week 1! Yay, we are nearly moving to week 2! on the next day!  So just bear with me! Let's go~

DAY 5: Blink and You’ll Miss It

Activity 1: Towering Timbers [4 points]

There is a long and rich history of logging in New Zealand. Logging involves cutting down trees. The people who cut them down are called loggers. The trees that they cut down are sold and used to build things (eg. houses), to make products (eg. paper), and to generate (create) heat and power. Over the past two centuries, many of the trees in New Zealand have been cut down by loggers.

Left: NZ native forest Right: A logged forest

Some people like logging because it creates jobs for the loggers and generates money for New Zealand while others are against (opposed to) logging. Many of those opposed are worried that logging will damage the environment. It might also force animals who live in trees (eg. owls) to find new homes.

What do you think about logging?

On your blog tell us whether you think logging should be allowed in New Zealand. Be sure to provide at least two reasons to support your argument.

In my opinion, cutting down trees/ logging is extremely bad for our environment, why?

Here’s why:

There’s a word called “Deforestation” - that means removal or clearance of forest. Deforestation affects a lot of things like:  

• Oxygen - Based on my research, 90% of oxygen trees can produce in a year, so that means, no trees no oxygen. If there’s no oxygen then we won’t be able to breathe, then we could just die.
• Climate change - Deforestation control the climate change as well, the more we cut trees, the more the weather became crazy and out of control at all and it affects us.
• Greenhouse gasses -Greenhouse gasses are a huge role that controls by trees in the forest, it absorbs the fuel global warming. So the more we cut trees and not replanting it, the lesser trees get, when the lesser the trees get, the greenhouses gasses entering the atmosphere.

So please, when you cut trees it’s small or huge still replant it so it won’t cause a lot of problems to our planet. Here's a LINK to find out more about this

Activity 2: Living on the Edge [4 points]

While it can get quite cold in New Zealand, it rarely drops below freezing (00C). Most of the time the temperature in New Zealand is pretty mild. This is not the case in the tundra. The tundra is an area of land (biome) that is cold, dry and completely treeless. Did you know that the average temperature in the tundra is -280C?

Over the past few years, however, the temperature in the tundra has been rising and the weather has been changing. Let’s imagine that your teacher decides to take you on a class trip to the tundra before the weather changes too much and you aren’t able to go.

On your blog, write a letter to your best friend or a family member telling them about your trip to the tundra. To earn full points your letter must have a greeting (eg. Dear…) followed by 5 – 6 sentences of information about what your experience.

  

Here's my fake letter that I'm sending to my friend Jolly Rose about my "Trip" to Tundra. (I wish all of this is real)

North pole, Tundra (Biome)

22 September 2019

Dear Jolly Rose,

Kamusta Jolly Rose! My trip to Tundra was adventurous!, It was freezing cold there, the temperature was -28C. I felt like I was in a giant freezer! The ground was frosty and there are no trees could be seen even a single tree! It was just like a dream come true!

We also learn the two types of Tundra, which is Alpine Tundra and Arctic Tundra. Alpine Tundra is the area of land high in the mountains above the tree line. Next, the Arctic Tundra is located far north in the northern hemisphere along the Arctic Circle. There are huge areas of tundra in northern North America, northern Europe, and northern Asia as well.

Here are facts that I’ve learned while I was there, there’s a thing called “Permafrost’, Permafrost means a layer of a topsoil ground that remains frozen in years, that’s why even a single tree never grow there because the ground is frozen.

I really enjoyed my trip to Tundra, even thou it’s called I’d really like to come back there!

Kind regards,

Elisha Mae.

Activity 3: Going, going….gone [10 points]

Over the years, scientists have made some surprising discoveries. One of these discoveries

is that we have entire cities (e.g. Jakarta, Indonesia and Venice, Italy) that are slowly sinking into the ocean. Scientists believe that one day, the cities will disappear completely under the water. Yikes!

Some of the residents (people living in the cities) have taken pictures of their neighborhoods and written stories about their lives in order to make a record of what ‘life was like’ in their city before it disappeared.

Let’s imagine that New Zealand was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean next week (Eek!). Before it sinks you are asked to write a blog post telling people what life was like in New Zealand in 2018.

On your blog, post a description of life in New Zealand in 2018. Please remember that the people who read your post will have never been to New Zealand or even seen a picture so it is your job to ‘paint a picture’ of New Zealand using your words. You can also post pictures if you wish. Be sure to fully attribute the pictures.

For the past few years living in New Zealand is like a dream come true, because in New Zealand here, all the people are nice and kind, well some of them. Especially for Asian people like me, people in my country that would like to go here would willingly sell anything just to come to this wonderful place. So it's a blessing for me and my family that we came to this beautiful country.

But sadly, It's just so upsetting that knowing this flawless country would sink next week, but there's nothing we can do stop it. So that's why I'm gonna tell you, awesome people, my life was like in New Zealand before this gorgeous country sink to the ocean fully.

After two years of living here, I can only describe it with one word "Amazing", New Zealand is just a simple country filled with amazing and astonish flowers and nature. The people that usually live here are called Maori and Kiwi.  Kiwi's love cars and you can see a lot of cars here driving every day.

The country of New Zealand won't be called as a country without these two great islands, which is the South and North Island. In this two great Islands, my city which is Christchurch, is part of South Island.

New Zealand's capital city was Wellington (one of the cities In North Island), but Auckland (another city in North Island) has way more population than Wellington, cool right?!

You don’t know how much people in Auckland, It’s over 1 million+ of the population of people living in Auckland!

In New Zealand, there are also four seasons, which is Winter, Summer, Autumn and last but not the least my favorite one is Spring. When it’s winter season it’s super cold but when It’s summer season It’s freakin’ hot. The weather in Christchurch is so crazy, for example, In the morning it was a sunny day but when like time for Lunch, the weather changes so rapidly.

Speaking of weathers, I remember when I and my friend went to school and it was Winter season, the field was frozen like it’s an ice skating rink. Every step we take, the more the slippery or shoes get and “THUG!”, I and my friend fall onto the frosty ground.

New Zealand has a also a native land bird living here and nowhere else around the world could be found. The name of that bird is “Kiwi” not the people here that I mentioned earlier, it’s the national bird. Speaking of “Kiwi” there’s actually three types of Kiwi in NZ (New Zealand).

1. Kiwi - The people that are actually living here, not the people that came from the other country.

2. Kiwi - The Kiwifruit

3. Kiwi - The Kiwi Bird (national native land bird)

The main language of this country is Maori and English, The “New Zeland” word in Maori is “Aotearoa” that means the long white cloud.  

I hope you guys the Day 5 activities of mine and stay tuned! Bye, see ya next week! Please leave a feedback or comment to help me improve my blogpost next time! Bye have a great holiday!

Day 4 (Week 1) - Summer Learning Journey

DAY 4: More than Meets the Eye

Activity 1: Scaling New Heights [4 points]

Aotearoa New Zealand is a country of mountains and valleys, dense forests, and sparkling oceans. At the centre of the South Island sits the tallest mountain in the country, Aoraki Mt Cook. It is the place where Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to reach the top (summit) of Mt Everest, learned how to climb mountains. It was pretty difficult for him, at first, but Sir Edmund Hillary did not give up and, in 1953, he achieved this dream of climbing Mt Everest. His face can now be found on the New Zealand $5 note!

Let’s imagine that you met Sir Edmund Hillary in real life and were able to interview him.

On your blog, post five questions that you would like to ask Sir Edmund Hillary about his life.

Questions that I'll ask if I could meet Sir Edmund Hillary in real life:

• What are the reasons why you climbed Mount Everest?
• How was your experience climbing the Mount Everest?
• Who inspired you and make you have the courage to climb the mountain?

Activity 2: Pancakes and Maple Syrup? [4 points]

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many spectacular sights and natural wonders. One of these is the Punakaiki Rocks and Blowholes located on the West Coast of the South Island. The Punakaiki rocks attract tourists from all over the world who are keen to see these amazing rock formations. Many people think that they look like pancakes stacked on top of one another. Pancakes are one of my favourite foods! They are delicious and pretty easy to make.

For this activity, you are asked to choose one of your favourite foods. On your blog, write the name of your favorite food and then tell us how to make it. You may need to ask a family member, friend or Google (!) for help if you do not normally make this food for yourself.

Ok guys, so my favorite food is Leche Flan! This food is good to eat for dessert. 

Leche Flan is very easy to make so here are the recipe of how to make this smoothest and creamiest dessert you'll ever taste: 

Ingredients:

Leche Flan

• 12 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 can (354 ml) of evaporated milk
• 1 can (410 ml) of condensed milk
• 1/2  cup of sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Vanilla extract
• Water, for steaming 

Caramel

• 3 tbsp. Water
• 1 cup light brown sugar

Cooking Procedures: 

Ilanera is this pic

1. Prepare individual llanera (or two 9 x 2 in. / 23 x 5 cm. flan molds); set 
2. Prepare the Caramel: In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil; reduce the heat to low before adding the sugar. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes or until the sugar caramelizes or turns amber. Immediately pour the caramelized sugar into prepared individual flan molds. Swirl the flan molds to evenly spread the caramel. Set the molds aside.
3. Prepare the steamer. Place a steamer in a large saucepan or a wok. Pour in water to just below the steamer; bring to boil.
4. In a bowl, combine evaporated milk, condensed milk, sugar, and vanilla. Gently pass the beaten eggs through a strainer into the bowl. Stir to combine and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared flan molds containing the caramel.
5. Cover the molds with aluminum foil, arrange into the steamer (water should already boiling before placing the molds inside); steam for 30 minutes or until firm. Set aside to cool and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
6. To serve: Run a knife along the edges of the flan molds to loosen. For individual flans, turn the molds over onto a platter or individual plates. For a larger flan, place a platter on top of the mold; holding the platter tightly to the mold, quickly turn upside down. The flan should come out easily with the caramel on top.
7. Bon appetit!  Enjoy your creamiest and smoothest dessert!

For the help of google, I couldn't do the recipe so yeah thanks to google! because I don't really know how to cook this dessert. My parents used to cook this to me when I was young so yeah and that's how I like this dessert food.  Here's a LINK to the website that helps me with the recipe.

Facts: 

• Leche Flan looks like pancakes but the only difference between those two is that Leche Flan is made by Filipinos and the pancake is made by Americans!

Activity 3: Salt and Pepper [5 + 5 possible bonus points]

Deep in the heart of Bolivia (a country in South America) lies a natural wonder unlike anything else. It is a massive area of salt, over 10 000 km2 large, that is referred to as the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Tourists who visit the flats often stay in hotels made completely out of salt (salt hotels). This is not the only unique hotel that you will find around the world. In fact, you can stay in hotels made entirely of ice (ice hotels) or glass (glass hotel). Let’s imagine that you were given enough money to build your very own hotel.

On your blog tell us where you would build your hotel and what you would use to build it. For an extra five points, use Google Drawings to design one room in your hotel. You can also use a paper and pencil to draw your room, take a picture of the drawing, and post it on your blog

Here's my Hideous drawing of one of my "Rainbow Rooms"

If I could build a hotel in the future, I would build it here! lol, so I would use bricks and metal to build it just like normal hotels. I will name this hotel "Rainbow Pink Hotel" because I love the color rainbow! Even thou in that picture my drawing doesn't look like a rainbow... But I would still name it Rainbow Pink Hotel.

Hey Guys! Hope you make it to the bottom of the post! See you guys on Day 5 (Week1)!

Day 3 (Week 1) - Summer Learning Journey

DAY 3: Awesome Animals

Hey Peeps! So we are back to another blog post of Summer Learning Journey! It's now day 3!! So, as usual, sit back and relax and welcome to Summer Learning Journey Blog post (LoL:)

Activity 1: Fantastic Beasts [4 points]

In New Zealand, we have many unusual animals. One of the most unusual is the kiwi bird - a bird that does not have wings and can not fly. Pretty strange, eh?! J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, has recently written a new book about strange or unusual animals called ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.’

For this activity, please watch this cool book trailer. Year 7 and Year 8 students in South Auckland, New Zealand helped to make it. Once you have watched the video, use your imagination and create your very own beast. What does your beast look, smell, feel, and sound like?

On your blog, post a description of your beast. Use interesting adjectives (describing words) to tell us about your beast.

My beast is just simple at it seems like the other beast, Dangerous, Scary and Mysterious? but when you go down further to know this type of beast... It's not just a normal beast... It may look scary but not as scary inside. It has a genuine heart who help animals inside the forest. This beast is furry and has brown-ish skin color and has very sharp teeth, this beast has also a horn colored dark brown... and of course, it has blue eyes. 

Activity 2: The Secretive Skink [4 points]

We have a number of small lizards (geckos and skinks) living in New Zealand. One of the least common is the Chevron Skink. According to the Department of Conservation, Chevron Skinks live mostly on two islands - Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island. These islands are ‘animal reserves.’ Very few people, other than staff working for the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), are allowed to live there. The DOC staff are called ‘Rangers.’ Their job is to protect the wildlife (animals and plants) living on the island.

Would you like to be a DOC ranger and live with the animals on Great Barrier Island?

On your blog list three pros (good things) and three cons (bad things) about working as a DOC ranger. At the bottom of your post, tell us whether you would like to be a DOC Ranger or not.

Pros:

• I could help to protect the wildlife
• Visiting a place that I haven't been before
• A great adventurous experience in my life

 Tons:

• I could injure myself by protecting those wildlife animals
• Financial problems
• Homesick :(

Activity 3: The WWF: World Wildlife Fund [10 points]

In 1961, a number of people came together to start an organization called the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The main goal of this organization was/is to protect life on earth. Hundreds of WWF staff work in countries all over the world trying to protect our planet and the animals who live here. To learn more about their amazing work, click on one of the two video links below.

Clip #1: Freshwater Seals

Clip #2: Tigers

Once you have watched the video, go to your blog and, using full sentences, tell us:

1) The name of the animal the WWF is working to save.
2) What the WWF is doing to help the animal.
3) What, if any, success they have had protecting the animal.

Answers: 

1) The name of the animal that WWF is working to save is Seals and Pups

2) The WWF is working together to build snow banks for pups (baby seals)

3) The endangered cute pups will be safe now from dying.

If you make it to the end.. Thank you! See yah on the Day 4 (Week 1 )

Day 2 - Summer Learning Journey

Hey boys and girls! Today I'm gonna be posting about my Day 2 activities in Summer Learning Journey. So here it is, sit back, relax and enjoy!

DAY 2: Forest Life

Activity 1: Giants Among Us [4 points]

New Zealand has a really special environment. Many of the plants and trees found in New Zealand are not found anywhere else in the world. These plants and trees are endemic to our country.  In New Zealand, one of the largest and longest living endemic trees is the NZ Kauri tree. Kauri is mainly found in three regions of New Zealand: the Coromandel, Auckland, and Northland. The largest Kauri tree in the country is in the Waipoua Forest in Northland. It is called Tāne Mahuta. Some people refer to it as the ‘Lord of the Forest.’

Thousands of people go to visit Tāne Mahuta every year. Would you like to be one of those people who got to see Tāne Mahuta in real life? Why or why not?

On your blog, tell us whether you would like to go and visit Tāne Mahuta one day. Be sure to tell us why you do (or do not) want to visit this endemic tree.

My Answer: For me, I would like to visit this wonderful place Tane Mahuta Forest, because I've never been there before and I'd like to see in real life New Zealand's great endemic trees! Because it's just so unique! Think about these you'll only see that trees in NZ and nothing else around the world.

Activity 2: Fabulous Ferns [4 points]

One of the most common plants found in New Zealand forests is the fern. It is a special, iconic symbol of New Zealand. You will find pictures of ferns on the jerseys of many famous sporting teams in New Zealand, including the New Zealand All Blacks.

Did you know that many of these teams also have the word ‘fern’ in their name? Use your best researching skills to find three New Zealand sporting teams who use the word ‘fern’ in their title.

On your blog list three sports teams that have the word ‘fern’ in their title. Beside each team’s name, post a picture of their uniform. Then, at the bottom of your blog post tell us which of the three uniforms you like best and why.

Here are the three sports team that has the word "Fern" in their title:

Silver Fern

• 
  

  

  Black Ferns 

• .

  

  All Blacks
  
  I choose Silver Fern because I like the way their uniforms were designed and plus it really fits their name, Silver Fern. The others were good too, but I just like the Silver Fern's uniform IDK, It's just me :)
  

  Activity 3: Weird and Wonderful [10 points]

  New Zealand is just one of many countries that has amazing plants and trees. In fact, the African desert is home to some pretty incredible plants, like the cactus. Some cacti are able to survive on as little as 3 milliliters (ml) of water a day. Wow!

  Let’s imagine that you are given a cactus for your birthday. To keep it alive, you must give it 3 ml of water every day.

  Over one full year, how much water will you need to give your cactus plant?

  On your blog, tell us how to solve this math problem. You can write your answer in words, use a Sketchpad image, or post a video explaining how you would figure it out. Be sure to give us your final answer in milliliters (ml).

  
  

  
  

  My answer is 1095ml of water in a year, I get that answer by multiplying 365 days x 3 ml water or 3 x 365 in an easy way. But I prefer doing the easy one, so basically, I just add up 365 + 365 + 365 = 1095 so yeah. So the answer is 1095ml water in a year. 

  
  

  Bye Thanks for reading this post and see yah tomorrow on Day 3 SLG.

Day 1 - Summer Learning Journey

Hey Maties! Today I'm gonna be posting about Day 1 Summer learning Journey activity.  I hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Welcome to the first week of the Summer Learning Journey. For our first week, we are going to be learning all about the land habitats here in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is going to be a great adventure!

DAY 1: In the Beginning...

Activity 1: The Legend of New Zealand [4 points]

According to Māori mythology, much of Aotearoa New Zealand was formed when Māui, a powerful demigod, fished it out of the sea. Legend has it that Māui created a magical fish hook from the jawbone of his grandmother and that one day he took his hook, boarded a boat, and rode out into the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Once at sea, he threw his magical hook into the water and caught a fish. This ‘fish’ was actually the North Island of New Zealand! In honour of this legend, the North Island of New Zealand is sometimes referred to as Te Ika a Māui or ‘Māui’s fish’ and the South Island of New Zealand is sometimes referred to as Te Waka a Māui or ‘Māui’s canoe’.

To learn more cool facts about New Zealand, check out the Tourism NZ website. Read the fun facts posted on the website and choose your ‘Top 3.’ On your blog, post your ‘Top 3 Fun Facts’ about NZ in your own words.

Top 3 fun facts that I've found myself:

1. It's impossible to find any snakes in the country! How unique is that?!

2. In New Zealand, 30% is a forest(I didn't know that)

3. Last but not least, Wellington is New Zealand's Capital but it's way smaller than the other city which is Auckland!