🧠BRAIN BUILDING🧠

 In Kakapo class we have been learning all about the brain.  Today we got into groups.  Each group was given a different part of the brain to focus on.  Cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, amygdala and the temporal/occipital lobes.

Each group had to read through and choose the information that related to 'their' part of the brain.  After identifying this information the groups dicussed which information was important.  They conducted further research to answer any questions they had or anything that they may not have understood.

THEN... Mrs Cutler gave each group playdough. Each group had a different colour.  The task was to use the playdough to create their part of the brain into a 3D model.  For this each group had to collaborate further to check position, scale and to join them up to build our brain.

In Class Mahi Tahi

Even though we are in Level 1 - we have decided not to engage in Mahi Tahi with the three senior classes for the entirity of the term.  So... this week Kakapo had a contract activity that was Mahi Tahi as we know it..but with only our class.

The task was to create a functioning water wheel using only a selection of resources and supplies - rubber bands, skewers, balloons, paper plates, paper cups, tape, hot glue, straws, egg cartons.

 

This task required all of the 4 Cs (Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication and Creativity).  The main communication came when groups were planning - there was a lot of discussion around everyone's understanding on what a water wheel was and its purpose.

Check out the video of one of our water wheel designs and see the individual blogs to find out how Kakapo Kids found this challenge. 

Concrete Mural

One of the tasks I assigned the Kakapo Class this week was to create a concrete mural.

This could be on their driveway, a footpath, the path to the clothes line...anywhere they had a patch of concrete.  If children had no concrete they were tasked with problem solving this.  What else could they use?

We looked at examples of murals and how they were different to a regular chalk drawing we might do.

I will update this post when more concrete mural creations are shared.  Check out the individual class blogs also!

Lest We Forget

This week, Kakapo's contract had a definite ANZAC theme.  Over the past few weeks we have been learning about war time and how that affected NZ and NZers.

Children got creative making their own poppies to put in their windows ready to Stand At Dawn on Saturday with the rest of NZ.  We had poppies created out of shells, cupcake holders, origami, drawn, 3D poppies... it was amazing!

To help discuss the long term effects of the lockdown on NZ I asked children to plan a holiday anywhere in NZ.  We discussed the importance of seeing our own country and putting money back into it also.  We wrote information reports about the place we wanted to visit in NZ.

We had an ANZAC video to watch with comprehension questions.  Time lines and decimals for maths.  Plus lots of little tasks to help around the house as well.

Kakapo are ready to stand at dawn tomorrow in remembrance and acknowledgement of ANZAC day.

Mahi Tahi 2020

For those of you who are new to our blog, Mahi Tahi is where the three senior classes come together and work on a range of tasks. We chose the name Mahi Tahi because it means 'working as one'.  We used to meet twice a week, but this year we have two new teachers in the senior syndicate.  So while Mrs Cutler is the "Original", this year she is making sure we ease into the learning for everyone who is new to Mahi Tahi ... the teachers, new students and the year 5s.

Search our blog with 'mahi tahi' to see some of the awesome activities and learning we did in 2019.

During Mahi Tahi we learn about the four C's.  Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Creativity. The activities range from STEM to baking to art to school beautification to maths challenges.  Children are grouped randomly - we do aim to have one person from each year level in a group.

The aim is to instill 21st century skills in a way that every person gets to shine, take leadership, share ideas, follow leadership and practice the 4C's.  Now that you know what Mahi Tahi is - keep an eye out for some 2020 Mahi Tahi posts!

Kakapo Confessions

We read William Carlos Williams poem "This is Just to Say" about him admitting, and apologising for eating plums without asking. We discussed what it means to admit or confess something.

Kakapo kids brainstormed their confessions and ideas.

Using a similar format to Williams poem, children wrote their own poems.  We spent a lot of time re-working our writing to ensure we had interesting words that created a picture for the reader.  For example - rather than using 'yummy' to describe a chocolate, 'gooey' was used.

When it came to publishing our poems the criteria was to use a background image that related to their confession. The font had to be readable - so we had to think about the background picture.  Can the words be seen with a different colour, or was a bolder font or highlighting needed?

Children worked on a shared document to publish their poems.  There was a few challenges around this (such as accidental deletion of slides) but these were ironed out quickly luckily.

We really enjoyed reading each others poems.  We have given each other feedback and have reflected on things we may change if we did this task again.

You can read the poems by checking out the individual blogs.  We'd love to hear what you think so please leave a comment!

Te Hiku Manaiakalani Outreach 2 First Movie Festival

This year has been our first Te Hiku Movie Festival, the movies have been played on the big screen at the Te Ahu Cinema in Kaitaia on Thursday 7 November. This is one of the lucky movies to be chosen from our school. Congratulations to everyone involved in the production of this movie. Please enjoy and feel free to leave a comment below for the students.

Take Note! 💰

Tui class have been learning about NOTEworthy people in NZ. We started with the people on our NZ money.  

Sir Edmund Hillary, Kate Sheppard, Queen Elizabeth, Apirana Ngata & Ernest Rutherford.

We read, researched and wrote autobiographies before looking at how the landmarks and birds on the notes also relate to the person.  Through our literacy contracts we got into groups and researched each note and created a wall display showing our learning, pictures and quotes.

We began to ask questions about other NOTEworthy New Zealanders.  We did a bus-stop activity with several other NZers - from Jean Batten to Whina Cooper.  We were brimming with knowledge and questions.

NOW Tui class are designing their own $200 note.  They are choosing their own NOTEworthy person, landmark and bird.  Once they have designed their note they are writing to explain the reason they chose who and what they chose. 

Keep an eye out on the individual blogs to see their amazing creative $200 note designs!

The Call of Abraham and Sarah

Today Tui class were learning about Abraham and Sarah from the book of Genesis. 

Abram and Sarai lived in Haran.  They had been married many years and had no children. One day God said he wanted them to move to a new land and that he would make their family a new nation of people.  Abram and Sarai trusted God.  After travelling for a long time with all of their belongings, their animals and servants they finally arrived in the new land of Canaan.  God said that he would give this land to them both and all of their descendants. Together, Abram and Sarai wondered how this promise would come true because without children there are no descendants!

Many years passed and still there were no children for Abram and Sarai.  Abram told God how disappointed he was.  God told him to go outside and look at the night sky.  God said "count the stars if you can, you will have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky".  He said that Sarai would give birth to a son whom they would name Isaac.  God also gave them new names - Abraham and Sarah. 

One day, three visitors arrived at Abraham and Sarah's tent.  The visitors were welcomed and given food and drink.  Afterwards the men talked to Abraham and said they would be back when Sarah had given birth to their son.  Sarah overhead this and was laughing.  The men asked Abraham why Sarah was laughing saying "is anything too hard for God?"  It was then that Abraham and Sarah realised their visitors were special messengers from God.  Nine months later God's promise was fulfilled when they became parents to Isaac. 

Tui class have retold this story through animation.  Look out for their creations on their individual blogs!  

Sandra Silberzweig Inspired Portraits

Sandra Silberzweig Inspired Portraits
Kaitaia, 2019
Indian Ink & Chalk Pastel on wet strength cartridge
laminated for preservation

Bright, bold colour broken up with pattern and negative spaces.  Learning included (but not limited to) researching the artist and her inspiration through literacy, investigating shape, pattern and lines through maths, delving into colour (primary, secondary, warm, cool & complimentary) and coping with temperamental indian ink and messy, smudgy, chalky pastels

Check out the Tui Teams individual blogs to learn more!