Switching from the computer sweet to the Chromebook really helped me. In the computer sweet, the connection is slow and you will have to wait till it is your turn to go on the computers. It is harder to do group projects because one computer can be crowded with all the people in the group. Using a Chromebook, doing group projects are much easier and quicker to finish because you can discuss and email others in your group and be more collaborative.You can use the Chromebook anywhere at any time. The Chromebook helps you to finish my work at your own pace either at school or at home. You can be more creative using the Chromebook and you can get information faster. You can also connect to the world, see what the world is doing and share your work to the world. I experienced to use new applications to be more creative. The recent apps we worked on were sketchpad, booktrack, dogonews and studyladder.
Friday 27 March 2015
Recycling glass bottles
Recycling Glass Bottles
by Amy
I wonder where all the old bottles and crushed bottles go? What are the recycled glass bottles used for after the cycle when it is recycled and melted? What are the new glass bottles made from?
New glass bottles are made from silica sand. The silica sand is melted in a high temperature furnace. Recycled glass bottles can be made very similar but costing less and using up less natural resources.
The process starts when people take all their used glass bottles, containers and jars to a bottle bank. Then the glass bottles, containers and jars are all taken by a truck or lorry to the recycling plant. At the ‘recycling plant’, all the bottle caps or lids are detached. After all the bottle caps have been detached, the glass of the bottles, containers and jars, are crushed into fragments.
Have you wondered where the crushed glass goes? The crushed glass is then taken to the bottle factory by a lorry or truck. Then the crushed glass is mixed with a small amount of silica sand. When the silica sand and the crushed glass is mixed, it is then melted in a lower temperature than the new glass in a furnace.
Out of the furnace, is the hot liquid glass. Then the hot liquid glass is transferred into a machinery that make the hot liquid glass into bottles. Recycled glass is as strong as new glass. Glass can be recycled a lot of times without losing its quality.
Contamination of water
Contamination of water-good or bad
By Amy
Have you ever thought if water contamination is good or bad? Did you know what will happen to the marine animals when the streams, lakes and oceans are all contaminated? Did you think of what will the world be like when all the seas and oceans are contaminated? Do you know what actually causes water contamination?
Litter that has been thrown in the drain causes water contamination. Then the litter, that was thrown in the drain goes straight into the sea. Some marine animals mistaken the litter as food and gulps it down. If the marine animal’s stomach is full of litter, the marine animal can fall ill and die. If this keeps happening, and the marine animals are still continually mistaking the litter as food and eats it, some marine animals can lead to extinction. Thus, it affects our food chain. If the food chain is affected, some other animals that depend on the certain animal that is near to extinction can be pushed the other animals that depend on the certain animal into extinction too. What will happen to us, humans, then?
Pesticides can also cause water contamination. Gardeners and farmers spray pesticides their fruits and vegetables to prevent insects to damage your fruits and vegetables. When it rains, the pesticides get washed away and flows in the seas and oceans. The marine animals living the the sea or ocean can be affected by the pesticide that has flowed into the seas or oceans because pesticides can be poisonous to marine animals.
Not only pesticides and litter causes water contamination, however cattle waste does. The cattle waste can be on the ground any time. When it rains, the cattle waste gets carried away in the rain and flows straight into the seas and oceans. As a result of this, our lakes, streams, seas and oceans can be polluted.
How do you like it when the lakes, streams, seas, and oceans are all contaminated? You can stop throwing litter on the ground and instead put it in the right bins. Gardeners and farmers should be more careful about pesticides.
Fruit flies
Fruit Flies
By Amy
As I stride past Grey Lynn, there is a tall sign saying ‘Beware, you are now entering a fruit fly area’. I wonder why other countries fear fruit flies. I wonder why fruit flies are such trouble makers in New Zealand.
Fruit flies are causing a lot of trouble in New Zealand. They have been to New Zealand twelve times. Firstly, they seriously damage our fruits and vegetables. Since our fruits are damaged, we will not be able to sell to the other countries. The Ministry of Primary industries are trying to eradicate these fruit flies by using an insecticide called Bifenthrin.
Due to our damaged fruits, our economy will go down. When the economy goes down, our health will be also affected because we won’t have enough vitamins in our body.
To eradicate these horrible pest from damaging our high-quality fruits, you must stop dumping the fruit’s remaining onto the ground after you finished the flesh from the fruit.
Deforestation explanation
Deforestation
Do you know what it will be like if there was a lot of deforestation happening on earth? Have you ever thought about the animals that live in the rain forests? Did you know what will happen to the animals if they keep doing this? There is much more things that will happen which will cause problems.
Firstly, it will affect the habitat of an animal. Sometimes, most of the animals can’t adapt to a new environment and are pushed to extinction. Not only that, it will also affect our food chain.
Secondly, it causes flooding. It is because when it rains, there is plants to absorb the water from the roots, but when there are no plants to do that, it leads to flooding or sometimes droughts.
Deforestation also operates climate change. The soil in forest are moist, but without the trees to cover the sunlight, the soil will become dry. It is called soil erosion. Due to soil erosion, fruits and vegetables won’t grow.
You can utilise all these problems with one single way, when you want to cut down a tree, make sure to plant another seed to replace it.
Thursday 19 March 2015
Wednesday 18 March 2015
Fossil Discovery
A Fossil Discovery
by Amy
The scientists, Paleontologists, have long suspected that hippos evolved from a family of plant-eaters. They could not confirm it because the fossils of ancient hippos were found way back 15 million years ago.
Lihoreau and his research team searched for hippo fossils, they found a jaw from an anthracotheres mammal. They wanted to find additional remains belonging to the ancient mammals. Finding the teeth was so helpful because when they figured out it was an ancient animal and other remains in the same area.
The ancient hippo weigh no more than 220 pounds. The scientists believed that the animal was related to the whales. Lihoreau called the hippo the real African mammal because it was originally from Africa.
Friday 13 March 2015
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone book review
By Amy
This story is about a boy named Harry Potter. His father and mother used to study in ‘Hogwarts’. There also was a family called the ‘Dursleys’. They hated the Potters. One day, Voldemort planned to kill Harry Potter when he was a baby. First, he killed Harry’s father but when Mrs. Potter tried to protect Harry, she got killed too. When it was Harry’s turn to face death, Voldemort suddenly lost his powers so he ran away. A giant named Hagrid brought Harry to the Dursleys. That was why he had to live with them. He wasn't treated fairly and usually got punched by their son, Dudley and his friends. One unusual day, a giant who brought him to safety appeared, he came to take Harry to Hogwarts, where his parent used to study. When he arrived at Hogwarts, he was grouped in Gryffindor. He made a new friend named Ron Weasley. Soon he settled in.
The author wanted to give a message of being brave and alert. If you don’t be brave, you won’t be able to overcome your fears.I recommend this book to 11+ because it is about a boy trying to defeat evil. The story is nicely described and told. I also recommend this to people that likes wizardry stories.
Thursday 5 March 2015
Nikau trees
Nikau
By Amy
Most palm trees grow in warm tropics, unlike the nikau tree. It grows in a cold climate. Nikau trees are the only native palm trees in New Zealand and the only palm that grow so far south.
The early settlers, the Maoris and Pakeha eat the round-shaped part of the nikau. When you want to get the food, you cut and destroy the whole tree. It is because the round-shaped part of the nikau is near to the top of the tree. The tree grows up to fifteen metres tall. If people keep doing this, the nikau tree will soon die out or become extinct.
Nikau trees have certain parts that is very useful. The fronds are used for building roofs and they use the leaves for making clothings and baskets.
Wednesday 4 March 2015
My Biopoem
3rd February 2015
Amy,
who has two siblings
whose favourite sport is swimming,
who is awesome, sporty and sleepy,
who lives with her mum and dad,
who likes to eat donuts,
who wants a giant-sized ice cream, an Xbox and a parrot,
who feels good when it is lunch time,
who loves to eat ice cream cakes on a hot, sunny day,
who hates the feelings of felines,
who hopes to go to America one day,
who is afraid of heights,
who enjoys playing on computer games, drawing cartoon and watch television,
who likes to wear cool shirts, Nike shoes and jandals,
who wonders why it is so hot today,
who knows for sure she have parents.
Monday 2 March 2015
Book Review
The Terrible thing that happened to Barnaby Brocket
By Amy
This story is about a boy named Barnaby Brocket. He had a brother called Henry, a sister called Melanie and parents Alistair, the dad and Eleanor, the mum. The family wanted to live a normal life. When Eleanor gave birth to Barnaby, she was shocked. Barnaby floated into the ceiling and bumped his head into it. Having a baby that floated wasn’t normal. Eleanor gave him a very heavy rack sack to keep him on the ground. One day when he turned eight years old, his parents had a plan. The plan was to let him go. So the following day, Eleanor brought Barnaby to a random place and cut off his rack sack and soon he floated up and up and up.
In the story, he met lots of people and when he finally reached back home he went to the hospital. After a few days, he went loose from the hospital bed and floated up, up and up again.
My favourite character was Barnaby Brocket. He was very courageous because he knew he had to get back to his family even though they didn’t want him. The author described him as an extraordinary boy that floated and couldn’t stop floating.
There was a conflict when his parents argued whether to let him go or not. Eleanor wanted to let him go but, Alistair didn’t want to let him go. It didn’t take long till Alistair finally made up his mind to let Barnaby go.
The author wanted the readers to give the message of believing in self. If you don’t believe in yourself you won’t be able to do what do think you might be able to do.
I enjoyed this book very much. The author used fascinating adjectives to describe Barnaby Brocket. I recommend this to 10+. I also recommend this book to people that like fantasy books.
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