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Tuesday 26 November 2019

Climate change/Global Warming:

Climate Change/Global Warming:


What is the greenhouse effect?
Radiation from the suns hits the earth and about half of the radiation is being absorbed by the earth's surface which warms it.  The other half of the radiation is being reflected off and then gets absorbed by the greenhouse gasses, and then it hits the earth's surface again making the earth warmer.


Effects of Global Warming:
ACCORDING TO SCIPAD (PG241)

Weather Patterns:
Global warming may lead to dramatic changes in regional and seasonal weather patterns. This may lead to more intense and more frequent storm events such as tropical cyclones.


Sea-level rise: Rising sea levels would flood coastal towns and communities. New Zealand's ports would be swamped. Coastal railway routes and roads would be flooded.

Agriculture:
Changes in climate may affect the viability of crops in some areas. Crops that are typically grown in the North Island may be able to be grown in the South Island.

What is the solution to climate change?

What is the solution to climate change?


Thursday 21 November 2019

Greta Thunberg - Climate act on summit 2019

Greta Thunberg is a climate activist who is protesting for climate justice. In the video, most people think that she should 'learn some manners' whilst protesting. But coming from our point of view it was appropriate to say it like that because she was serious about it and people need to come to the fact that she is right."They only attack her because they can't attack the science in this" - quoted Greta.

In the second video the presenter was being rude. He was comparing her life to kids in other countries who have suffered more, he also showed examples of other reporters on her side however he was disagreeing and saying they were "pretending to take her seriously." This reporter has no proof of her being wrong and so he attacks her because of shes a child which makes her an easy target.  

Tuesday 19 November 2019

Forces: Science

Aim
To build the fastest Wind racer out of the materials we were supplied.

Equipment 
Trolley (Cart chassis)
Cardboard
1 meter of paper roll
Scissors
2 meters of sellotape
Metal rod

Method 

1) Put the Metal rod into the trolley
2) Tape the strips of cardboard onto the base of the Metal rod so the base of the sail is formed.
3) Cut out a large triangle of paper and wrap it around the Metal Rod to form sails
4) Secure the sails onto the chassis with tape and tape any extra flappy bits down.
5) Make sure it is all secure and stable
6) Use the leaf blower to see how far it travels and the speed it travels.

Observations:


Before we started to prepare our wind racer, we did some research on how we would design the paper, use the cardboard, and pick which type of trolley we would use. We decided to cut the paper into a triangular form because we thought this was an easy way it would capture the wind and also design, and this would be our sail. The way we used the cardboard, was that we would put it underneath the paper as support for the sail. When it came to the trolley we didn't have any ideas on what to do with it and so we just kept it as it was. 

Conclusion:

Our wind racer didn't end up getting that far, and this was due to the paper being very weak and ripping and so it affected our distance and speed. But overall i'd say we did pretty well as working as a group.


Results: 
*Forgot the results, sorry*
*Also don't have a picture because I ended up doing this blog on paper and drew it instead.*
*Student teacher lost the paper^* 

Acids and Bases:


Neutralizing Acids and Bases
Aim: Neutralize Sodium Carbonate using Hydrochloric Acid

Equipment: 
  • Test tube
  • Test tube rack
  • Sodium Carbonate 
  • Hydrochloric acid 
  • Dropper bottle/pipette 
  • Universal indicator solution 
Method
  1. Place 1-2 mL of Sodium Carbonate into test tube. Add 3 drops of universal indicator
  2. Using a dropper bottle add Hydrochloric Acid and Sodium Carbonate one at a time until the solution is neutralized. You'll need to do this in drops otherwise you could potentially miss the neutralization point.

Discussion: As you can see in the middle we managed to get the colour green which represents the liquid being neutral. If we were to add too much acid it would begin to turn either red, yellow or orange and once we began to add alkaline it turned either blue or purple. 

Conclusion: In the end, we made the liquid neutral, and so we completed our aim. 

Understanding the pH level:
The pH level is a scale from 1 - 14, 1 being the strongly acidic and 14 being strongly basic or alkaline (Alkali is another word for basic). The middle is 7 or green which means the liquid would be neutral - in other words, it's not an acid or base, it just normal. 

Indicators:
The way we identify whether a liquid is an acid or base is we use Universal indicators. A universal indicator is a liquid where you would just put in a drop of this and it will determine if the solution is an acid or base by changing its colour. Another version we use to identify a solution is the litmus indicator. A litmus indicator comes in a paper form and a solution. Litmus indicator solution turns red in acidic solutions and blue in alkaline solutions. (paper form) Blue litmus paper turns red when the liquid is acidic and it remains blue when it is alkaline. 




English - Music videos

In English, my class and I were able to watch music videos and see how it would represent women and men in these videos by the way, they dressed, acted, and how they were being viewed. In a lot of music videos, women are being portrayed as eye-candy for men, or we support men throughout our lives. Also the way they showed women in this video and what they were wearing - clothes that revealed our bodies, they made it seem as if this was something normal in our reality. The way men were being portrayed in these music videos is that they were being viewed as fancy, and in control or forced with everything and they weren't being shown as rude or serious with comparison to the girls.



Tuesday 12 November 2019

Treaty Research:

TREATY RESEARCH POSTER:


Friday 8 November 2019

The Rock Cycle

The Rock Cycle:

Wednesday 23 October 2019

Home Economics: Pasta

Home Economics: Pasta


In Home economics, My group and I were able to make pasta with the choice of choosing any type of noodles, or pasta. We had the choice of either choosing, normal spaghetti, fettucini, lasagna sheets, or rotini pasta, and our group stuck with spaghetti. As usual, each person in my group had a specific job to do. One person did the dishes, The other was getting the ingredients, while I was getting the food prepped e.g cutting the onions and garlic for the sauce. Our group really works well in organizing who's doing what and we really finish prepping and everything just in time. The sauce was already pre-made for us and so it made everything easier.

Ingredients:
Garlic
Onion
Pasta  - any type
Sauce
Water
Oil
Salt & Pepper
Origano/any spices/seasonings.

Method:

- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Save ¼ cup (60 ml) of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a large cold sauté pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and slowly heat up until the garlic is fragrant and lightly colored, about 3 minutes.
- Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked spaghetti and parsley, if using. Stir until the pasta is well-coated. Season with salt to taste.





E-asTTle writing practice: Persuasive

Swimming lessons should be compulsory for all students:


Every kid or young adult at least take 6 hours of their day being in school, and at the end of each day, we’ve all learned something new and has taken it away with us. English, Maths, science, etc. Those are some of the many subjects that help make an impact on us, but what about swimming. Swimming is one subject we should start learning as kids for it can help us all the Future. So, have you thought about making swimming lessons compulsory in school?

The first reason I think it should be compulsory is that swimming might be a sport where kids enjoy it or want to make it their career. and are thinking of becoming more professional at it. This is important because if kids are thinking of using swimming as a goal to get where they want to be in the future, then I say to make it compulsory in school   we should help them and make it compulsory; and so,  if these kids start doing something at a young age, they would start  start to developing in it. When these students get older and they can end up getting a scholarship in college or high school. An example can be my younger self. When I was young I wanted to express my rugby or netball talents as a future representative for New Zealand. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity of playing these sports when I was young and I still do. So because of having that opportunity at a young age, it really helped me to develop and think of using it as my career.  There is also one big reason why it should be compulsory, and I’ll explain that in the next paragraph.  It’s not just our career the school should be thinking about. They should make it compulsory because it’s really important for you and me, and it is our safety!


Getting into more detail, one reason I consider swimming lessons to be compulsory is that it’s for our safety  to keep us from drowning! Many people from all around the world have passed away from drowning, and this includes elderly, adults and young kids; so having swimming lessons can keep many people from drowning and can keep us all safe. Having swimming lessons can really decrease the number of deaths from drowning, or it can make people save other people who are in danger of drowning. When we start to learn something at a young age and carry on learning it throughout the years, it starts to become easier for us and we start developing in that specific subject or sport. This might even decrease the number of deaths from drowning, or it can make people save other people who are in danger/drowning. Hopefully, you understand, if not the next paragraph will sum it up for you. 

In conclusion, its a big yes for me when it comes to swimming lessons being compulsory in school. Its all about safety when we’re inside a school or outside of school.  When you’re crossing the road, always look left and right, when you’re swimming at the beach, always stay in between the flags, etc. Examples like those have stuck in our heads for a long time because its one of many things that go under the category ‘being safe’, and also because we were taught this when we were in a student kindergarten or primary. When it becomes much easier to swim, then these children or kids will start using it for their future. What do you think, do you think I have persuaded you enough to say yes to this statement.

This is my practice persuasive writing, and the words that are highlighted are the sentences in which I edited after I finished it, and the words with the lines struck through them are what I would delete-after.

I am aiming to improve my writing in the following 3 areas: Ideas, Organisation, and Sentence structure. I will improve my ideas by giving more detail on the way I could explain and I could be using ''Using philosophical(deep) thoughts.'' One way I can improve my organization is that im not just linking it to the next paragraph, but linking it to the outer world, or use "I, you, or we" and compare the idea to a situation I've been in. I would really like to improve my language features by using new language features that I've never used before, such as: Repeating my words, Alliterative writing, humour, and using a Rhetorical question that has depth. One way to improve my sentence structures is by using emotional language so that I can make my argument stronger and also making sure my ideas are being expressed clearly.

_________________________________________________________________________________


Tuesday 22 October 2019

Volcanoes:

Volcanoes:

How do volcanoes form?
Volcanoes usually form around the area where two tectonic plates make contact with each other, or due to the movement of them. While these two tectonic plates make contact, they're forming friction which then causes the crust of the earth to melt. When the crust begins to melt it makes the rock underneath the crust to turn into magma all because of the great temperatures created by friction. Once the magma reaches the earth's surface, a volcano is formed.

Where are volcanoes usually formed?
Volcanoes are usually formed when a tectonic plate sinks into the earth's mantle underneath another mantle. One place where volcanoes are found is the: ring of fire. This is because of how this place has many subduction zones.

Mount Etna:
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano(a volcano built up of alternate layers of lava and ash.), placed on the east coast of Sicily, Italy. According to research, This volcano is placed above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian plate.

When did it last erupt?
2014 - 2019 and is still ongoing

Damage: 
Triggered a 4.3 and 4.8 magnitude earthquake that injured 28 people and left 600 people homeless. 
77 human deaths 

Stories/Myths/Facts:

- Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and also one of the most frequently erupting volcanoes in the world.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Elephant toothpaste ingredients:
- 4 spatulas of potassium iodide in 20mL of water - speeds the reaction
- 35% (or 20%) hydrogen peroxide
H2O2 + H20 + O2
- Dishwashing liquid
- Food colouring

Method:
Add the potassium to the 20mL of water
In your volcano, add you Hydrogen peroxide, dishwashing liquid, and food colouring
Add the potassium iodide and water in the volcano - take it outside* explode outside*
_________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion:
Once we added the combination of Potassium Iodine and water to the things inside the volcano, it took a while for it to react. When it did react it came out really slow but big and really good because of the colour and the glitter. Also, the city was saved.




Monday 21 October 2019

Gods:

In social studies, my class and I have been focusing on Cultural Beliefs and Values. One thing that most cultures believe in are: Gods. The task we were given to do, was pick a Maori God and find a familiar god in either: Greek, Roman or Hindu. As you can see I picked Tangaroa and Poseidon. They are both the gods of the sea in their culture. In the digital poster I created, there is a little amount of information about them.

Thursday 26 September 2019

Gymnastics: Physical education

What are we doing in p.e?
For over the past few weeks, 10ak has been working on gymnastics and learn a sequence from the different types of equipment. One thing we've been working on in p.e is coming up with new ways or strategies that can help you improve on something you're having trouble with.

Here are some videos of me trying to do a sequence on the floor, the parallel and the tramp:
_______

Tramp Sequence:
10 controlled jumps
Seat drop
Half turn
Tuck jump
Half turn
Seat drop
Stop

When I was doing the tramp sequence, I wasn't making it run smoothly. As you can see I stopped a lot and relied on Nia telling me the next moves. So when I get the opportunity to do the tramp again, one thing I would like to improve on is remembering the sequence, and that goes for the rest of my videos as well.

Video:


___________________

Floor Sequence:
Forward roll
Half turn jump
Backward roll
Cartwheel

When I was doing the floor I could see I made a mistake when I was doing a cartwheel because I went crooked. So next time we do gymnastics I will practice extending my legs and arms out more, and also my backward rolls. One thing I think I did pretty well was remembering the next step and running it smoothly.

Video:


___________

Parallel Bars:
Jump to lower arm and take 4 steps
Straddle jump
Backward dismount

I just learned the sequence for parallel bars on that day but overall I found it really easy to remember. One thing I think I need to work on is making my legs more straight and slow down when im taking steps whilst doing the lower arm walk.


Video:



Ways I can improve/strategies:
Extend my legs when im doing a cartwheel or on the tramp
Make my actions flow more and don't stop
Keep my neck tucked in while doing a roll

Wednesday 18 September 2019

Souvlaki: Home economics

This term we have been looking at a cultural unit, where it consists of making food from other countries, or countries where we export and import food from. In the previous lesson, I had the privilege to make Souvlaki. Souvlakis is a popular greek food that has small pieces of meat, vegetables and also sauces, like the yoghurt sauce and the marinade.  Here is the ingredients we needed for our souvlaki last Friday.

Ingredients:
100g - 150g Beef - Weiner, schnitzel - shredded
2T oil
Tortilla/Souvlaki wrap
Cucumber
Capsicum
Tomatoes - cut flesh
Lettuce - chiffonade
Marinade sauce - Red onion - finely chopped, Fresh oregano
Yoghurt sauce tzatziki - Greek yoghurt - added freshly, chopped mint, parsley, grated cucumber.

Didn't make sauce *was already made for us*
Process for cooking meat:
- Shred beef and put in marinade.
- A drop of oil in the pan - then add the beef
- Heat temperature to cook the meat- sizzle (so it seals in the moisture)

Once done with beek create your souvlaki!


Wednesday 28 August 2019

Home economics: Vegetarian Sushi

Vegetarian Sushi:

Teamwork aspects:Every person in my group each was assigned a certain job, for example, Mine and Chloe's job was separating the rice evenly into 4 plates. The boys were assigned to getting all of the ingredients and also the dishes. We all had the initiative to do stuff, and help each other out.

Skills:
- We all knew what we were doing
- We all listened to the teacher and watched carefully what she was demonstrating
- We washed and dried our dishes when we had spare time

Improvements:I think our group could improve on getting our equipment a lot faster, and getting right into it as well. Overall our group is doing really well.

Ingredients/Method:
- 4-5 nori sheets
- 2 cups of sushi rice
- 1 red pepper, julienned
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- wasabi

STEP 1: Wrap your sushi mat (bamboo mat or folded kitchen towel) in a large piece of cling film. Put the mat down, put a nori sheet on top of the mat, shiny side up. Grab some rice with your hands and spread it evenly on the nori sheet leaving 1 cm margin at the very top. As well as spreading the rice evenly, keep on pressing it into the mat. Keep a bowl with water handy so that you can clean your fingers if they get too sticky.

STEP 2: Stack vegetables at the bottom of the sheet. Be careful not to overfill the roll.

STEP 3: Using the mat, slowly start rolling the roll squeezing it tightly with both hands as your roll. Go back every now and then to make sure everything is tightly bonded.

STEP 4: Once you get to the end, dip your finger in water and brush the water on the margin to seal the roll. Finish rolling and set the roll aside. Repeat the last 4 steps with the remaining nori sheets.
rolling vegan sushi step by step
Once you’ve rolled all sushi rolls, cut them into 1 cm slices with a sharp knife.

Monday 26 August 2019

Writing prompts 12: Children of Blood & Bone

Chapter 79 – Zélie
Inan’s amber eyes trap me in the truth of his betrayal, but it isn’t the gaze I know. He’s a stranger. A soldier. The shell of the little prince. Note: It is interesting to think about how Zélie became an empty “shell” after Saran tortured her. After talking with Saran, Inan became a shell, also.
Think back to when Inan said they had no choice but to kill the maji.
Zélie said “There’s always a choice.”


This message can be compared to when you are going through phases or problems that can remind you of things that have scarred you before, like going to war. When people go off to war, they usually come back a lot fearer than usual, this is because they saw and done stuff they didn't want to do or see. Some things can remind a person of the past or of the memories that they want to forget, 'shell' - hiding.

Tuesday 20 August 2019

Social Studies- Paragraph about Cellphones

Are students addicted to their cellphones? If so, is that a problem?

Paragraph:
In the generation we live in right now, there has been a lot of technology impacts or changes compared to how many there was in the past. One technology change that has made a big difference to many young lives are cellphones. I believe that for most teenagers they use their cellphones 24/7 or are addicted to it, which is a problem. Research has shown that being addicted to your cellphones or even just using them can cause you to have health problems. These health problems can include Mental health problems, vision problems and also neck strains. Some news shows or sites have shown where kids have made bad decisions all because of a certain video game they have played. So, my answer to this question is Yes, I do think teenagers are addicted(Well most of them) And it can be a problem if you are but even if you're not it still is a problem.

Writing Prompts 11: Children of Blood & Bone

Chapter 66 – Inan
Father stands in his night robes, scanning a faded map. No sign of hatred. Not even a hint of disgust.
For him, carving MAGGOT into a girl’s back is just another day’s work.

In that instant it hits me: Zulaikha’s death. Zélie’s screams. They don’t mean a thing to him. Because they’re maji, they’re nothing.

This message can be compared to what happened 71 years ago, which was the apartheid. This is because of how cruel they were treated and how many of their deaths meant nothing to the English and Afrikaaners.

Monday 19 August 2019

Writing prompts 10: Children of Blood & Bone

Chapter 63 - Zélie
  “You know what intrigues me about your kind? You always start in the middle of the story. As if my father didn’t fight for your rights. As if you maggots didn’t burn my family alive.”
  “You can’t enslave an entire people for the rebellion of a few.”
  Saran bares his teeth. “You can do whatever you want when you’re the king.” This message can be compared to any story that has two characters, for example, a Protagonist and an antagonist. This is because these two characters both have different views or perspectives on the topic they share. Just like in this situation, Zelie views her kind, Maji, as the victims of this problem, but the king sees the Maji as the villains.

Friday 16 August 2019

Technology changes

Technology Changes

In social studies, my class and I are learning about technology and its changes from the past to the future. Here is a small presentation showing different things that had a big impact of technology change in our lives.

Thursday 15 August 2019

Writing prompts 9: Children of blood & bone

Chapter 61 – Zélie
Tears sear my vision, falling fast down my face. A Healer. A child.
Yet her last moments are stained with hate.
This could be compared to / A message I take from this scene is What I take from this message is how short and cruel life is. I say this because Zu died at only age 13 and before she passed she tried to do an agreement between the diviners and the men who were killing them. This can also be compared to our reality because some people die at young ages and some also die while doing an act of kindness.

Wednesday 14 August 2019

Home Economics: Jam Drops

Home Economics
 Jam Drops

Teamwork Aspects:
Task:
- Everybody knew what they had to do and did it without having to be told what to do. The boys would be doing the dishes while the girls would be finishing the biscuits and adding the jam. We each grabbed the ingredients and equipment and also asked for help if anyone needed any.

Skills:
We all have good skills with teamwork and helping each other because we would listen to one another and tell them if we need help with something. 

Improvements:
I think our group could improve on talking more with each other, but overall everything else is fine.

I really like my group because we each understand what we are all doing. We also get our equipment ready to go(Mis en place) at the start of the lesson and we always end up getting things done within the time limit because we each have a job, like getting ingredients or doing the dishes.

Staff Feedback:

One staff member told us year 10's that the biscuits we made were very yummy, it was soft and warm inside but they also said that the biscuit needed more flavour. The sweetness was just right because if we added more sweetness to it, it would've taken the sweetness from the jam center away, but overall it was very good.

Another member said, that the biscuits would remind her of her mum and how she would bake every Fridays. The biscuits she baked every Fridays would be stored into containers and last them the week, they also didn't buy biscuits from the supermarket. 
 - Jan drops

Personal:
I think our biscuits turned out really good. The center was really soft, it melted as I would bite into it. The biscuit it was very warm and the texture of how it would break while biting into it was really good. Overall it was a great experience.

Writing Prompts 8: Children of blood & bone

Chapter 59 – Zélie
“How will me coming back to Lagos solve any of that?” I ask. “As we speak, your father calls for my head!”
“My father’s scared.” Inan shakes his head. “He’s misguided, but his fear is justified. All the monarchy’s ever seen is the destruction maji can bring. They’ve never experienced anything like this.” He gestures to the camp, face alight with so much hope his smile practically glows in the darkness. “Zulaikha created this in one moon, and there are already more diviners in Lagos than anywhere else in Orïsha. Just imagine what we could accomplish with the resources of the monarchy behind us.” A message I take from this is how easily somebody can be persuaded by the types of word or sentences that person uses and how some people will play with their emotions or feelings to get what they want.

Tuesday 13 August 2019

Research/ Experiment - Electric motors

Electric Motors:
Definition:
An electric motor is an electrical machine that can convert electrical energy into motion or into and machine. 

Function:
Motors work by making electricity flow into loops of wire that are suspended inside a magnetic field created by magnets. The magnetic field that the loops of wire create push against the magnetic field of magnets; causing them to rotate. This rotation turns the axle of the motor and anything the axle is connected to. 
Used for:
Electric motors are used in most of our everyday uses. For example, it can be found in washing machines, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, fans, air conditioners, and such and such. We use electric motors for our home appliances, because not only do we use it to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy but also because it helps our machine last longer.
________________
Experiment:
Building a simple electric motor


Aim:
To build a simple electric motor

Equipment:
400mm of un-insulated copper wire, 1AA battery, 2 small magnets (approx. 10mm x 5mm) - neodymium magnets work well.

Method:

*Wasnt able to do my observations or conclusion because our magnets broke:(*
But if this experiment did work, the copper which goes around the battery is supposed to spin around. This happens because it creates a short circuit with the moveable conductor, within an electrical field, which is all needed for an electric motor.
* The shape of the wire was shaped to make sure both sides touch the magnets and this will make it spin around, which is like the electrical circuit that is needed for the electric motor. 

Monday 12 August 2019

Writing Prompts 7: Children of blood and bone

Chapter 52 – Amari
“I’ll prove myself to you, to all of you,” Inan declares. “You’re on the right side of this. My only desire is to stand there as well.”
“Good.” I lean forward to hug him, holding on to his promise.
But when his hands wrap around my back, all I can think of are how his fingers are resting just above my scars.
This could be compared to / A message I take from this scene is
Do you trust Inan? Does he deserve a second chance?
Do people in real life deserve second chances? This message can be compared to when you're making a decision on if you would trust a person after they've done something that you don't approve on. For example, we've all thought of somebody a different way because of the things people will say about them, but once we see their part of the story or what they're really like, we'd start to change our thought about them. Which was like Inan, his father made him think that maji's were the problem for Orisha, but once he saw Zelie's story and how she suffered because of his father, he realized he was wrong all along.


I do trust Inan, and I will give him a second chance. This is because he was persuaded by his father to kill all maji, and so his father is to blame for all the actions he's done.

I reckon people do deserve second chances, but it all depends on what they have done. I always go by the phrase 'forgive and forget'.

Thursday 8 August 2019

Writing prompts 6: Children of blood and bone

Ideas – Relate to the real world.
After reading a chapter, there will be a quote from the story. Write about how the idea could be relevant to the real world and its people. Chapter 49 – Amari
Strike, Amari.
Father’s voice rings in my head, but it’s not his strength I need.
Be brave, Amari. Binta soothes instead.
Be the Lionaire.
When Amari hears Binta's voice, it gives her the strength she needs "Be the lionaire." This can be compared to all of our daily lives, because we all have a person that can give us strength by what they say.

Tuesday 6 August 2019

The Power of One feedback blog post.

ESSAY:
 Copy and paste your essay into a blog post and then write a reflection paragraph by answering each of the 6 questions in bold below


Its been 71 years since the era of the apartheid, and during those times you could see how differently or poorly the black population of South Africa was being treated. In the film, The Power of One, directed by John Avildsen there is a scene where it shows Peekay and Gideon Duma running through the village and as they are coming past a big cue, Peekay asked what's it for, Gideon then explained that “The government only allows one toilet per 200 people.” This scene is juxtaposed to when it shows the English being able to use their own toilet in their own homes. The important techniques that were used in these scenes are tracking shot, non-diegetic sounds, dialogue and also a shallow focus shot. These film techniques helped the director to create an impact on the audience on what they were feeling.

One of the first techniques that are being introduced at the beginning of the scene, is a tracking shot. A tracking shot is also known as a dolly shot and transpires when the camera follows the subject in any direction. For example, the film aspect, tracking/dolly shot is being demonstrated throughout most of the scene and stops when Gideon and PK are at the water fountain. The director's purpose of this film technique was so it can allow us, as an audience, to be able to understand their lives as they are telling it, and also so it can take us down the same roads our characters face every day. This aspect can make the audience feel dejection towards the black community because of how they have to deal with being inferior towards the other languages. Anger is also another word that can have an effect on the audience after watching this scene. This is due because of the lack of respect and the injustices that was served to them. While Gideon and Peekay are running, they come past a lot of things such as people getting onto a bus, or men singing as they are working on the side of the road. When we watch this scene and we hear these men singing we know that this is a film technique known as diegetic sounds, and the opposite to this aspect is non-diegetic sounds.

Throughout the movie, various sounds are going on in every scene. Each of these noises can be broken down into either voice, music or sounds. Depending on how these sounds are used, they are either split into diegetic or non-diegetic sounds. A diegetic sound is the things that are happening in the scene and can be heard by the character while acting. A non-diegetic is the opposite of diegetic and is something that is edited into the film and can be heard by the audience, but not the characters. The film technique, non-diegetic sounds, plays an important part in this scene, as it was used to match the mood of the character or the audience. When Gideon and Peekay start running, mellow music starts to play in the background, and as the run, the music stops and changes. The reason for this is because the music will need to fit the characters aura. The reason the director would use this aspect is to make the audience have different feelings rushing through them; also because the different types of music to reflect what is happening and what it wants the audience to feel. The mellow music that is being used at the start of this scene will have the audience feeling normal but also kinda happy. When the music stops and changes after we hear, “The government only allows one toilet per 200 people,” It makes us - as an audience - realize its an important message, and once it changes to a faster upbeat sound we start to have the frightening experience. Non-diegetic sounds are used in all movies, but not many people take notice of it. This is mainly because it is being used throughout the whole movie and we just considered as a sound effect or background music. While all the different sounds are going on in the background, Gideon and Duma are just carrying on the conversation between them. When there is a conversation going on this is known as the film aspect, dialogue.

Furthermore, A dialogue is a film technique where it is a conversation that is happening between two or more people and is used throughout the whole movie. This aspect is being used in every part of the scene, and it includes all the important things that are being said. A good example is when Gideon says to Peekay, “The law says only 2% of us can go to school. You know what you learn there? Enough bloody Afrikaans to be maids, street sweepers, or... or mine slaves. We can't even read the bloody apartheid signs to tell us where we aren't allowed to go.”  The use of dialogue isn’t just a conversation, instead, it functions in a very purposeful manner. One way A dialogue can be used is, it can reveal a character. The way the characters use or say any words can reveal their emotional/physical state and it can also give us a bit more background on them. Another way the director would use this is to send important messages to the audience. What the characters are saying in this scene will make the audience want or have the need to do something for the black community. This conversation will also give us an idea of the ill-treatment that is being used towards the black population. The film technique - dialogue - seems easy to use it, but because it has to create impact, it has to be used carefully. Many different film techniques are also being used while the characters are talking.

When the scene is coming to an end; Gideon and Peekay stop to get a drink of water, a shallow focus shot was being used. A shallow focus shot is when there is one place that is being focused whilst the background or the area around it is being blurred. In this shallow focus shot, we see Gideon walking up to Peekay and exclaims “What was different? The tribes sang together because of the myth. They came last night because of the myth. They'll come again because of the myth. A myth we don't even believe. Damn belief! Damn belief! I believe in Africa. I believe in my people. I want to believe in the future. Then what do you believe in?” Gideon then gets interrupted by a sergeant, who was at first blurred out but once he said “Mind your mouth Kaffir” he starts to become clear. The reason any director would want to use this aspect is for it to make the characters or subject stand out or to isolate it from the background. When this aspect stopped and the sergeant became clear it made the audience take notice of his surroundings. While Gideon was saying these words, we would be able to know that he was saying it with huge dignity towards his people and the myth. Me, being able to understand this makes me realize what kind of effect this aspect had on the audience. It made us understand that this very part of the scene was important for this character and understand what they’re feeling. As Gideon starts speaking the aspect gets closer towards them and this makes us get deeper into what he was feeling. 

Overall the film, The Power of One, had great film techniques running in every bit of the movie and they all had a different impact on the audience. In each aspect that was being used reveals the reason why the director would want to use this and the message behind it. Just from this scene, it can give us a bigger picture of the struggles the black population had to face in their everyday lives. It additionally showed the brutal things the English or Afrikaaners would use against the black community, whether it was physical or verbal. _________________________________________________________________________________________
- What am I proud of?
- What can I do (specifically) to improve for next time?
- What is one thing I enjoyed about learning about the film?
- What is one thing I found challenging about learning about the film?
- What is one thing I found useful/I will use next time I write an essay?
- What is one thing I am wondering about to do with writing about Visual Texts? _________________________________________________________

When I finished writing my essay and I got my results back, I was really proud to know that I am working towards my level(5) for writing. I find that really good for me because I know myself as someone who struggles to write a good piece of work. When I received my feedback from my teacher she gave me some tips that I could work on next time, which was to be more specific in the movie or the scene. I took this advice and is going to use it for my next essay, or edit it if I forget to be specific. One thing I enjoyed about the film, The Power of One, was that it was related to the real world and its problems. Next time when I get the chance to write an essay, I would also use GOLDEN, TAKO, and also SEXXY paragraphs because they helped me to write a really good essay that im very proud of. One thing im wondering about is if im ever able to use these paragraphs once more this year or term.

Tuesday 30 July 2019

Writing prompts 5: Children of blood & bones

Ideas – Relate to the real world.
After reading a chapter, there will be a quote from the story. Write about how the idea could be relevant to the real world and its people.
"Gods help us.
I close my eyes, trying to drown the tragedy out. Through it all, the cheers never stop. The praise never ends. As we stand on the platform, the crowd rejoices as if there’s a reason to celebrate this bloodbath.
Beside me, Tzain holds me close; he hasn’t really let go since he carried me from the ship. He keeps his expression vacant, but I can sense his remorse.
Though the competitor in him has prevailed, we’re still covered in the blood of those who have fallen. We may have triumphed, but this is no victory."

Most of us know the movie hunger games. When I read this scene, I start to picture the movie: hunger games. This is because of how Zelie is participating in a game where they would kill each other to become the top or to win, which is exactly what Katniss is doing in the hunger games.

Monday 29 July 2019

Writing prompts 4: Children of blood and bones

Ideas – Relate to the real world.
After reading a chapter, there will be a quote from the story. Write about how the idea could be relevant to the real world and its people.


Be brave, Amari.
This time I hold onto Binta’s words, wrapping them around my body like a suit of armor. I can be brave. This message can be compared to me and my reality. To me, sport plays a huge part in my life and my family members know that. Whenever I have a sports game or tournament coming up my parents always give me advice because they know that I always seem to doubt myself. Their words always help me to do better in the game which is just like Amari.
Amari uses Binta's words as a message for her to keep going and to believe in herself, to be brave.

Writing prompts 3: Children of blood & bone

Ideas – Relate to the real world.
After
reading a chapter, there will be a quote from the story. Write about how the idea could be relevant to the real world and its people.
“How long?” she breathes. “How long have you been a maji?”
She hisses the word like it’s a curse. Like I’m the spitting image of Lekan. Not the boy she’s known since birth. The soldier she’s trained for years.
“The girl infected me. It’s not permanent.”
“You’re lying.” Her lips peel back in disgust. “Are you…are you working with her?”
“No! I was looking for clues!” I step forward. “I know where she is–”
“Stay back!” Kaea screams. I freeze, hands in the air. There’s no recognition in her eyes.
Only unbridled fear.

This scene can be compared to us as people. I say this because we all have somebody that's close to us or that has been there with us for a long time whether they are a family member or a friend. Kaea is the 2nd lover of Inan's father after his biological mother passed. "How long have you been a maji" this quote gives us the idea that she never knew he was a maji, even when they've known each other for a long time. What I mean is, even though it seems you may know a person because you've known for a long time, there is always something that a person is hiding or something that you never knew.

Friday 26 July 2019

Boomerangs

Last term, My social studies class and I had done some research on aboriginal history. One thing that played a major part in their history was boomerangs. Aboriginals had three types of different boomerangs and one that we all know is the V-shaped boomerang. That boomerang was used just to entertain the kids and the other two were used to hunt for food and kill wallabies or kangaroos and such. We also did some research on the type of art they would use, for example dotting art or they'll draw animals on them.

During the previous 2 lessons, we had the chance to design one of our boomerangs ourselves.

Explain the purpose of the activity?
The purpose of this activity was to design a boomerang and use the art styles they would use to describe a story or to feel what it is like to be in their shoes and designing one of their most cultures traditions.

Explain the story on your boomerangs, include the meaning of the colours?
The story I did on my boomerang was their prey. The big animal is a kangaroo, (Even though the top may not look like a kangaroo I tried to make it how they would draw it) I did a kangaroo because I know it was one of the animals they would hunt for and because it's the national animal for Australia. I did a lizard for it to stand as the big insects they have in Australia, and the lines were just as aboriginals blood.

What went well when painting your boomerang?
I think my art did really well but one thing I hoped to do better was actually finishing my designs.