Week 8, Term 3
This week, especially today, we have been busy preparing for the grandparents concert held tomorrow. I have been caught up with band, choir, and jump jam performing tomorrow afternoon.
Although I have been busy with these things I have still had time to do a load of maths. I have been doing work on expressions. I learned that if an equation looks like this: p= 2, q= -3 find: 2pq. then you have to multiply p and q before you multiply it by 2. So, 2 x -3 (p x q) = -6 x 2= -12. I also learned that Eg. 2m squared (m=4) You must do m squared before you multiply it by 2: 4×4= 16 x 2= 32. This work also made me revise my notes from the start of the year:
negative x negative = positive
Negative x positive = negative
positive x positive = positive
For another learning intention I learned that if an equation is like: 4a + 3b + 2a + b then you can simplify it by finding like terms: 4a and 2a are like terms so they can go together to create 6a. Then you do the same with 3b and b = 4b So the simplified version of it would be 6a + 4b. And you can later work that out if you have the values of a and b.
1 comment September 22, 2011
Week 7, Term 3
Yesterday students from Belmont Intermediate school traveled down from Auckland to compete against our school in a sports exchange. I am billeting a girl from the school and her name is Emily.
In maths this week I have been learning about patterns and rules. I learned that in algebra if you find the rule to be M= nx7+1 can then simplify it by writing it as 7n+1 remembering that n7+1 would be incorrect because if you have a number and n next to each other to signal multiplying the number has to come first.
Also, I have learned that if you have to substitute the given “x” value then you do just that:
Eg: y= 5x + 3 if x= 9 x is next to the 5 so it means you must multiply 5 by 9 then add 3 to the answer to get your final answer, so: 5×9= 45 + 3=48 y=48
In tech arts I have been working on making my circuit with LED lights and a little thing that makes the LED’s turn on only when it’s dark. Now I have to put the circuit to something to make it look good. Some examples we were given was a door alarm which had a buzzer instead of LED’s or an LED light shining into a piece of plastic that might have writing on it or is cut out to be a shape such as a star so the writing will glow when it gets dark. I learned what you have to do to make the circuit work and how to put it together, I had to solder the wire to the copper to insure that it works properly.
1 comment September 15, 2011
Week 5, Term 3
This week I have been busy with Maths. In maths I have learned that to find the circumference of a circle you just multiply the diameter by pi. So if you only have the radius of the circle you will have to multiply the radius by two before you multiply it by pi. To find the diameter of a circle by the length you just do the opposite: divide it by pi. To find the area of a circle you must multiply pi by the radius squared. In maths I have also learned all the different parts of a circle. Now I can draw a circle with all the parts and label them correctly.
In tech arts we have started design. Mr. Monk talked for an hour about what we are going to do and all the safety rules we have to follow. After two lessons I had finished my spinning top. It took me ages to decorate it the way I wanted but the outcome was outstanding. I really think the feathers finished it off! Today there weren’t many of us at tech because there was college testing, but that meant that the saws and drills were always available when I wanted to use them. Today I finished a mobile to hang from the roof. Hanging from it I out long twisted bits of plastic so that if there was any wind they would turn and look cool. I learned that when I put the holes in the plastic with the drill I had to go slowly because other wise the end could snap off.
Add a comment September 2, 2011
Week 4 Term 3
This week in maths I have done some work on finding the perimeter of a variety of polygons. The other learning intention I had was to find the area of a variety of polygons. I learned that to find the area of a parallelogram you just multiply the base by the height. I also learned that to find the area of a triangle you have to multiply the base by the height then divide the answer by two. In one exercise I had to find the area of a rectangular paddock in hectares and two of the sides were 2km and 3.2km. I had to make the kilometers into meters, (200m by 3200m) and then get the number of lots of hundred meters so it would be 2×32 and the answer is 64ha.
In Science we had a test to show Mrs. Tyson what we learned we don’t know the results yet, but I think I did pretty well. The questions were about changes of state, molecules, atoms, and other stuff we learned over the last 11 weeks. One question asked us to label the different parts of the atom so I labeled 5 things: nucleus, protons, neutrons, electrons, electron shell. Luckily Mrs. Tyson wasn’t worried about spelling.
We are still doing running and some of us are trying to complete half a marathon. I think I have done 36.4km so far. Yesterday in total I had run 29.2km but after running 7.2km. (which I am very proud of). But one of the main reasons I run so far was to miss out on pubertal change (and to catch up with everyone else because most other people are on 35km.)
1 comment August 25, 2011
Week 3 Term 3
This week we had cross country and I came 36th. Hopefully all the training that we did payed off!
Maths: I finished my maths this week and learned that you can label the axis’ on a graph. I also learned that the point where the axis’ cross over is called the origin. Also, if a point has an x-coordinate of 0 then the point will only move up. The opposite goes for if the y-coordinate is 0 – (it can only move right.)
More maths: the labels for the axis’ on a point graph are called variables. Also that you don’t always have to do a line graph with numbers down and across the axis’, sometimes you can use a point graph which doesn’t show the exact number. But a point graph still shows (for example) which one is the heaviest and longest.
Even More maths: I have learned what bearings are. If there is a map of NZ and you want to know the bearing from Hamilton to Rotorua then get out your protractor, point it north and measure the angle from Hamilton to Rotorua.
I have learned that if it says ‘Find the grid reference for Auckland and Auckland’s dot on the point graph is in between the numbers on the axis’ then you can make the grid reference a decimal number.I have completed the two vocab builers we were given and have learned a few new words.
Add a comment August 19, 2011
Week 2, Term 3
This week in maths we have been given a new sheet to work off and do individual activities. We are now doing activities about rotations and symmetry. I am working my way through these exercises quite well. I have remembered what vectors are. I have learned that the number on the right or the bottom determines whether the shape moves up or down. And the number on the left or top determines whether the shape moves right or left. I also learned the with vectors the negetive numbers means the shape moves left or down, and the positive numbers mean that the shape moves right or up.
In English we have been given a new type of work. Mrs. Crowe has included a crossword as well as the vocabulary builders, which I think is quite fun. In the crossword that we got I have come across some words that I don’t know. Like “Marzipan”, I learned that it is a type of icing. We still get the comprehension work sheets though, and we have recently been given a new sheet of comprehension work to do.
Writing. We have to do a piece of persuasive writing. We started doing it on the subject of cell phones in class, and now we can either extend the one we started or start a new persuasive writing on another topic. I chose a new topic, it’s: “The local council want ideas for teens” I think that I need to work on acknowledging that the reader might have a different opinion.
Earlier in the week we had a lady from Sport Waikato come and teach us how to play Turbo Touch, which is a modified version of touch. I really enjoyed the game and one of the many things I liked about it was the fact the if a team was off they could still help. Because there was four teams and they were paired up. So two teams would be playing against each other and the subbing team could catch the ball and pass is along the sidelines or pass it back in court.
Add a comment August 11, 2011
Week 3, Term 2
This week in maths I have learned about dividing fractions and mixed numbers. We have also been going over how to multiply fractions and mixed numbers.
For writing everyone in the class had to hand in a character description. Our learning intention for this was: To write a detailed description, in an original way, so that the character is revealed to the audience through the use of figurative language and/or extended metaphor. I handed mine in on time with confidence. I believe I tried my best with this piece of writing and tried to use a lot of different types of sentence starters. The person I based my piece of writing on was my brother in-law, Jeremy. I described him as a spider.
In tech arts this week I chose my material I wanted to use for my jersey and then cut out the body and arms for it. Next week we will probably start sowing the different pieces together to get some idea of what it is going to look like. The pattern of material that I have chosen is leopard print. I am also going to add a hood and pockets to my jersey.
For sports I was chosen to represent our class in volleyball. We versed room 12 and won, 37-23. In Friday sports I am in soccer and this week we had Mrs. Dawson as a coach. We did some warm ups then played a game of soccer, girls verse girls. My team won.
Languages. In French we learned how to say when our birthday is. mine is the 2nd of January, in French that is deux janvier. In Japanese I have been learning about the numbers one to 20. I also learned how to say good morning, hello/good afternoon, and goodbye. Hello is Ohiyou, O-hi-yo-u it’s easier to say if you break it into vowels. Hello/ good afternoon is kanichiwa, and goodbye is syonara. I apologize if I have spelled these Japanese words wrong.
Add a comment May 21, 2011
Week 2, Term 2
This week was a very busy week for me. I started the week by heading off to Totara Springs for a music camp with most of the band. We all really enjoyed the time we spent there and most of us would have stayed the rest of the week. Sadly we all had to come home on Wednesday.
Thursday was also a busy day for me, I think I worked for 30 minutes over all in class that day. I arrived at school and traveled by bus to the founders theater in Hamilton. I went with about half the rest of the choir. We went there because that night we had a concert with Suzanne Prentice. This was just a rehearsal leading up to the exciting night. We spent most the day at the founders theater on hard wooden planks of wood, (I wasn’t fast enough to grab a proper seat). The concert was that night, it started at 7.30 and we were finished by 10pm, that meant that I got home to bed at 10.30. The following morning I woke up and was really tired especially after all those late nights at camp too. My parents suggested I take the day off today because they knew I had a sleep over at school for production in the weekend. I took them up on their offer and managed to finish my maths, working from home this morning, this proves that I wasn’t just wanting to get off school work. haha
Add a comment May 21, 2011
Week9, Term 1
This week I have been down in Wellington for our class camp.
We traveled there by bus and on the way down we stopped to have a look through the army museum in Waiouru. We had a guy show us a little about it, then we all got into our activity groups and had a wonder around. In my activity group I had Caitlyn, Lauren, Lisa, and my dad was the parent in our group.
Once we had left the army museum we still had to sit though more long hours on the bus.
Finally we arrived at the Top 10 holiday park in Wellington. All of us hopped of the bus to collect our belongings and have a stretch. After picking up our suitcases, we grabbed a key and headed to the girls dorms to find the door marked 87. We unlocked it and sorted out the bedding arrangements. Caitlyn, Lauren and I had already agreed that I would be sleeping on the bottom bunk, Caitlyn would be on the top bunk, and Lauren would sleep on the single bed.
After a good nights sleep we all got on the bus and headed to the botanical gardens. After arriving at the gardens from the cable cart we wondered around the gardens for half an hour. Then we split into two groups and got let into the Carter observatory and watched a movie about Pluto. and after that we went to ONTV and the other group went to the sound house.
The next day we went to parliament to have a tour of the building. First we entered the bee hive to have a little told to us about it. Then we started the tour and went though to a different building to see some pictures of past prime ministers.
Wednesday we went to the sound house whilst the other group went to ONTV. The guy at the sound house had really lame jokes, but he had Chloe almost in tears. That’s how hard she was laughing at his bad jokes.
Thursday we all tramped onto the bus and traveled to Lower Hutt to go to the pools. It was so much fun, we all got a pass to go down the hydro slides. Caitlyn and I went down the black hydro slide five times.
The next day, Friday, we left at 6:45, which meant that we had to get up super early. I was so tired. But I had a lot of time to rest on the way back home.
Add a comment May 21, 2011
Week 8, Term 1
This week I have almost been able to catch up in maths. We have been doing a lot of work on integers. The learning intention is ‘to use integers to solve problems. I have done the work from the NZM9 book and have now started on the worksheet that is about the same thing.
In English my group is working on our inquiry. But the other day there was no spare computers, so I started on the vocabulary builder worksheet. There are a lot of words on this sheet that I don’t know the meaning of and some of them aren’t even in the dictionary. I will have to go onto the computer to search for those words. Hopefully by the time that I have finished the worksheet I will know some different words which should stretch my vocabulary, which will help my writing to be more interesting.
In tech arts we have finished doing food and have now moved on to do music and dance. We have started the first two lessons off with dance. For dance we had to make a dance to suit the theme ‘hip hop’. Everyone got into groups of 3-5 and I formed a group of three with Caitlyn and Lauren. My team had an advantage as Caitlyn does hip hop. The dance had to be two minutes long and had to include 1 cannon, 4 freeze frames, 1 mirror, different formations, and some symmetry. Our dance that we put together was approximately 45 seconds long and included 3 freeze frames, one cannon, a line and a triangle.
Yesterday (Tuesday) the Makuhari students arrived from Japan and we had a big powhiri to welcome them. We will be having two students from that school in our classroom tomorrow. Because they’ll be in our class we will be having Friday sport a day early, so it’ll actually be Thursday sports.
The whole class is going to camp next week and it is going to be so fun! Getting out of the classroom for a week and
My goal for next week is to have as much fun on camp as possible and follow instructions!!!
1 comment March 25, 2011
