30 Book Challenge: Success!

Wow,  oh wow, we are amazing readers!
We started the year with a 30 book challenge and how have we gone?

We added up all the books we have read in Term 1 and Term 2.  As a class we have read a total of 1275 books.  If we share the total out, on average we have read 47 books each.  That is 47 books read in six months.  

How many will we achieve in a whole year?

We have all got 'The Reading Bug'.

Slow Writing Description Gatherer

We love using Slow Writing as a way to complete our 5 Sentence Challenges.

Here is a disaster picture from the North Island Flooding and a new sheet to help us unpack the ideas.

We will post our writing on the blog for you to see once it has been editied and is ready to publish.

Symmetrical names!

Follow this movie carefully to make an image of your name with multiple lines of symmetry or radial symmetry.  It should look like this when you have finished.

If you think this might be too tricky, then try making a reflection of your name.  Follow these steps carefully:

1.  Fold your coloured paper in half horozontally and write your name with bubble writing.  The letters must touch each other, taking up lots of the page. 

2. Cut your name out in the coloured paper, being careful not to cut the bottom fold line.

3.  Paste your name on the background paper and decorate as you choose.

4.  Be ready to share how this relates to symmetry.

Explaining lines of symmetry

Lines of symmetry - the challenge is to make your own movie or explanation of symmetry.  You will need to follow these steps.

1.  Take 5-7 clear photographs with examples of symmetry in the classroom and playground
2.   Identify how many lines of symmetry there are - 1, 2, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, multiple
4.  Insert the images into a drawing programme and add the lines of symmetry
5.  Insert the images into iMovie - explaining the learning point

Check out the rap this teacher made for his kids.  I am sure you could make a better explanation for the kids to learn about symmetry.

Symmetry Movie

Last year Lucy applied her knowledge of symmetry to make this movie.  Can you see vertical and horizontal lines of symmetry? Can you make your movie as educational as this.

Remember to use the technical language:
vertical line of symmetry, horozontal, diagonal, symmetry, multiple lines of symmetry.

Waiata: Hareruia

Post by The Northern Advocate.

Independent Learners

Are you an Independent Learner?  How are you going at meeting these success criteria?

Students who are meeting the sucess criteria will earn an Independent Learner Licence.  This will allow you to make many learning choices. You will be able to plan your morning, select where to work and who to work with.  

 Remember you will need to do these things to keep your Independent Learner Licence:
1.  Follow the success criteria.
2.  Evaluate your daily targets with 'deep thinking'.
3.  Fill in your weekly timetable and follow it.
4.  Tick off completed tasks on the class checklist.
4.  Be A+ accountable and focus on your learning.

Home Learning for Term 3

We are having 'Takeaways' for home learning this term.  Check them out below.  That means you can choose what you want to do - and how hard you want it to be.  Click on the image to make it larger.
There will be copies handed out on Monday but if you want to get started in the holidays - go for it!

I have included the reminder sheet to help you remember what h]needs to be in your book bag each day.

Pronouncing Māori Place Names

How do you pronounce those tricky Māori place names like:
Ōtautahi - Christchurch
Motukarara
Koukourarata - Port Levy
Te Waihora - Lake Ellesmere
Papanui
Aranui
Ōtākaro - Avon River
Waimakariri River 

Listen to this short movie that shows us how to break place names into vowel groups.

• Try making your own movie to teach others how to day our local place names?
• I challenge you to use this learning to help say the longest Māori place name:

Taumata whakatangi hanga kōauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pōkai whenua kitanatahu.

This name translates into English as 'the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater', plyed his flute to his loved one.'  

Locals simply call it Taumata Hill. 

Break into pieces of a consonant and vowel or two vowels together like this:

Tau ma ta wha ka ta ngi ha nga ko au au o ta ma tea tu ri pu ka ka pi ki mau nga ho ro nu ku po kai whe nua ki ta na ta hu.

Pronounce Māori words right!

A E I O U
Vowel sounds come in two forms - long and short.  Try them out with this song.  

Try the vowel sounds out with the rest of the alphabet with the following song. The consonants we will be using are:

H   K   M   N   P   R   T   W   NG   WH