TEACHER EXAMPLE

Kia ora koutou,

This week in Maths we have been looking at negative numbers (WALT understand negative number lines). Our task was to show our understanding of how negative numbers move on a number line by using the Interactive Whiteboard Software. I had a label a blank number line and use Numicon shapes 1-10, then show how I can represent the negative side using shapes again.

This is my number line:

There were two possible ways to represent the negative numbers:

1. Place the Numicon shapes under the number line to show that they are negative;
2. Place the Numicon shapes above the number line but positioned so they reflect the positive shapes.

It was important for me to label my number line, as if I didn’t, the shapes would just make a pattern!

How would you show the negative numbers on the number line?

In Week 7 Matuku went swimming at King’s Swim School.
We loved riding on the bus where we sang our favourite waiata.
At swimming we learnt a lot from our friendly instructors and showed how independent we are in getting ready all by ourselves.
We can’t wait to go swimming again next year.

This afternoon some very people came to school to pick up their grandchildren. I was given permission to share this photo and I was so excited to see this really awesome car. We learned that the car was filled up and it took a whole tank of petrol to travel from the top of the South Island to Christchurch. We learned that it took 5 hours to travel that far in this car, and that this car is in mint condition.

Thank you for sharing everything that is special and unique to this car that belongs to your grandparents L. We appreciate it. Plus we got to hear the really cool RT with a very loud speaker too. There is no way anyone won’t notice this fabulous vehicle. I look forward to hearing of your adventures you’ve had this afternoon.

Kei te mihi ahau, Whaea Muriel.

This week the Rabbit reading group have been reading a story about Mars. Have a look at their work to find out what they learned about Mars.

Lee

Lily

Palvit goes to mars

Aadhyasri

Today we have been learning how to show a multiplication sentence as an array built with rods and pegs.

Aim: To understand and remember how to find the South Celestial Pole.

Research: Youtube Video

Research Questions: 

1. What does Circumpolar mean?
2. What is the name of the two stars that point at the Southern Cross?
   1. What are the names of these two individual stars?
   2. How far away from Earth is the brighter star?
3. What are the names of the stars in the Southern Cross?
   1. What is the name of the 5th star in the Southern Cross, which is on the Australian flag?

Method: 

1. Open this site, and copy down (including the pictures if you can) the three different ways of finding South using the Southern Cross.
2. On your copy of a Starmap, find the Pointers and the Southern Cross, and then use one of the methods to draw the way of finding the Southern Celestial Pole.  
3. Which would be the easiest to use 

Results: Attach a photo of your Starmap with your chosen method drawn on it.

Discussion: 

1. Which method of finding the Southern Celestial Pole do you think would be the easiest to remember, and therefore use outside?
2. Use Stellarium-web.org to find the Pointers, Southern Cross, and then calculate where the Southern Celestial Pole is.
3. For Wairarapa Māori, the Southern Cross is called Māhutonga. This is a compound word: Māhu and tonga. What do those two words directly translate into English as? Why is that a good name for the Southern Cross?
4. For Tainui Māori, the Southern Cross is called Te Punga. What does that translate into English into? Why is that a good name for the Southern Cross?
5. What are the constellations which are the prow and stern of the Waka? HINT
6. Why is the milky way called Māngōroa? HINT

We had lots of fun on Friday making cornflour slime in our inquiry groups. We were exploring the difference of state between solid and liquid and wondering why slime is so unusual.

Check out our photos!

This week, some Whāriki Nui learners are writing an information report about Pandas.

Today we watched this video and wrote a shared brainstorm.

Do you know something you could share with us about Pandas?

Aim: To build a sundial.

Research: Find a youtube video on how Sundials work.

Method: 

1. Cut around the outer edge of the Sundial diagram.
2. 
3. Fold the centre vertical line up, and the 2 True South lines down to create a triangle (called the Gnomon) that stands vertically from the horizontal paper sundial face.
4. Make sure the Gnomon stands vertically, at right angles to the sundial face.
5. 
6. Place the Sundial flat and level, with the Gnomon (triangle) pointing toward True South for the Southern hemisphere.

Results: Picture of your Sundial

Discussion:

1. The needle on the compass points to Magnetic North. Is that the same as the North Pole (Geographic North)? What is the difference? Hint
2. The Earth spins once every 24 hours (one day). This makes it look like the sun is travelling across the sky. How many degrees does the sun travel each hour? 
3.  On our sundial, when it’s pointed True South, it will indicate that the time is 12 noon when the Sun is highest in the sky. Is that correct? Hint 
4. If it’s not true, what time is Solar Noon today? Hint
5. Does the sun rise at the same time every day? If not, why not? Hint
6. Why do we have daylight savings in NZ? Hint
7. We use Greenwich Mean Time to arrange the time zones around the World. Which country was the first to have a standardised time? And why? Hint

During week 3 and 4 we are reading the big book Fearless Phill. We decided we could describe Phill and share it with everyone on here. What do you think of Fearless Phill?

During week 3 and 4 we are reading the big book Fearless Phill. We decided we could describe Phill and share it with everyone on here. What do you think of Fearless Phill?

Ronin wanted me to share his awesome writing from yesterday. We were practising narrative writing and imagining that our school garden went wild and took over the school!

One day at school I was going to play football but the plants started going crazy! The plants like tomatoes were spraying tomato sauce at people and they couldn’t move. The pumpkins were trying to eat people! So I ran to Toroa but then a giant carrot went underground and destroyed the classrooms. So I pulled the secret lever and I got a flame thrower and lots of armour. Then I got back up and got my flame thrower. I used my flame thrower to kill all the plants. Finally the garden got back under control!

The Junior Athletics day is coming up in Week 4 of this term, so we have been practicing hard in the afternoons to master all the activities. Here you can see some of Toroa practicing their jumping and weaving in the obstacle course. We love being outside and trying all the different rotations!

This week we have been learning about Multiplication.We used Numicon rods and shapes to multiply and write our two, three, five and tens times tables. Did you know, that when you multiply 2 numbers together, the answer is called the ‘product‘?

We have been reading articles about animals. Here are some facts and photos. We hope you enjoy them.

This week we have been learning to share our opinion about a story. Have a read of what the Turtles thought of their reading book ‘The Builder’s Pet’.

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Check out some of our learning. 

This week we have been reading the Big Book When Barney went to the Vet. After we read it together we made a list of all the adjectives for each animal the student chose and we wrote a new ending to the story.

Aim:

To run a Gel Electrophoresis Kit.

Research:

https://youtu.be/ZDZUAleWX78

Theory:

DNA is a ….. made up of 4 smaller nucleotide units, which are abbreviated…..

These units connect in specific pairs, …. connects with …., and ….. connects with …..

The DNA we used for this experiment is from ….. In its linear form. Lambda is a virus. Viruses work by….

Restriction enzymes are specialised at cutting DNA and recognise…

Gel Electrophoresis uses ……., 

And so because the backbones of the DNA strands are negatively charged, when you put a positive electrode at the far end of the gel to the wells, they will want to move through the gel.

The Gel runs for 10 minutes, and then we look at the stripes that the DNA lengths make in the Gel.

Method:

We practised by using the ….., putting dots of coloured water onto paper sheets. Then we did the experiment.

**Copy (in your own words) instructions 1-6 on Page 7 of the booklet.**

We had 5 samples,

U label means Uncut, and was put in well number ….

H label means ……., and was put in well number ….

E label means ……., and was put in well number ….

D label means ……., and was put in well number ….

L label means for ……, and was put in well number ….

Results:

Predicted Results:

Copy the table from Page 6 in the booklet (photocopied as your handout).

Actual Results:

Photos of your complete Gel.

Discussion:

1. Some discussion questions