Tag: Reading

Shapes and Patterns Quest – SLJ #29

This Kick Start activity is all about looking for shapes and patterns, so I decided to think outside the box. Since my backyard isn’t exactly safe at the moment, I chose to use images from the internet instead. To be honest, I found this a bit challenging.

I think the hardest one was finding something that shows rotational symmetry (where it looks the same when you turn it), but I eventually figured it out in the end.

Each slide features something you might find in nature. What shapes or patterns have you discovered in the natural world? Maybe you’ve noticed them while going on a road trip or exploring the outdoors!

Waka Design – SLJ #24

This is the Kick Start activity for designing and labelling the parts of a waka I created. At first, I didn’t know some of the parts, but luckily, I read about them in the activity instructions. One thing I found challenging was building a waka with all the correct parts included. To be honest, I don’t have the best memory, so sometimes I forgot to add the ropes or even the small whare.

Despite the challenges, I really enjoyed learning more about Māori culture. As a full-blooded Samoan, I found it fascinating and fun to explore these traditions. You might also notice something unique in my design—I added a familiar spiral shape to the sails. I recently finished watching Moana 2, and I wanted to include the spiral as a symbol of new life, growth, and peace in Māori culture.

Please leave a positive comment, and don’t forget to check out Moana 2! ✨

Totally Awesome Sea Turtles Poster – SLJ #22

Finally found the Kick Start activity from Totally Awesome Sea Turtles! This one is about writing at least five facts about sea turtles and finding a picture of one too. My poster has all the facts on it, and it turned out really interesting once I wrote them down.

Now, why are sea turtles AWESOME? In my opinion, it’s because they’ve been around longer than dinosaurs, travel thousands of kilometres across the ocean, and help keep marine ecosystems healthy. Plus, they can live for up to 100 years and are super important to our planet! 🐢

What about YOUR opinion on why sea turtles are awesome? I’d love to know! 🌊

Message in a Bottle Travels – SLJ #20

For the Step it Up activity of Message in a Bottle, I thought about where my message might travel to and came up with a lot of possible places. So, my message started at the breathtaking Cathedral Cove, then travelled to the historic town of Thames.

From there, it moved on to the massive city of Auckland, before heading north to the serene Bay of Islands. Finally, it ended up in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand.

Though, just remember, this is only my opinion, and there’s a 50% chance it could have gone somewhere else! Who knows?? ✉︎

Kuaka T4 Wk 7: Response to Text Activity

Kia ora! Today for Literacy, my reading group (Kuaka) had to read a book called ‘Fever’ by Renata Hopkins. This book is about a young girl name “Carly” who happened to have a sore throat when going to camp, that’s when she meets a ghost girl that was one of the patients that must’ve died.

In slide 2 and 3, it’s the usual where I had to find synonym and the meaning for each word. Next in slide 4 and 5, had to answer the following questions from the text. I’ll be honest, I had to read the book for at least 15 times and my eyes are starting to get a bit blurry when I stayed up at 10:00 PM.

But besides from that, on the last slide is a personal response video as usual. Hope you enjoy listening to my video!

Kuaka T4 Wk 6: Response to Text Activity

Kia ora! Just finishing off Literacy work, but this task is about Tivaevae which is surprisingly a Cook Island book. On both slide 2 and 3 is finding a similar word and use it in a sentence. Then is a Google Form where I had to answer questions from the text. It wasn’t a bad score to be honest.

Next is slide 5 where I had to drag each picture below to correct the word from Tivaevae, and write why the picture matches the word in the row underneath. Slide 3 is a personal response video, I had to explain a common tradition that is part of my culture when there is a funeral. Hope you enjoy the information about my culture, Samoan.

Finally is writing a response to the following statement that reads; “It is important to remember our loved ones who have passed away”.

Anyways, please leave a positive comment and remember your love ones!

Kuaka T4 Wk 5: Response to Text Activity

Kia ora! Just finishing off Literacy work, but this task is about “U-Turn” which is about making connections between evidence to think and read critically. In slide 2, I had to insert an image that shows a picture for each key vocabulary word from the text then write what the word means!

Next is slide 3, just had to make a copy of two Google Drawings and link them below. All you gotta do is click on my two FINISHED task. Then in both slide 4 and 5 is just questions from the text.

Finally on the last slide is CREATE, where I had to take a picture of myself and what would be my reaction if I got in trouble with my parents. This is actually true to be honest…

 

Kuaka T4 Wk 4: Response to Text Activity

Kia ora! Just finishing off Literacy work, but this task is about “Can You Hear That?” which is referring to sounds. You’ll come across a word from the text, with a definition and in a sentence. Then a slide where I had to skim and scan (main focus for reading) through the text to explain the following.

Slide 5 is answering the following questions from the text, and slide 6 would be vocabulary as usual! Next is personal response video that I had to record myself in my own words about what sound is, how we hear it, if I found the text easy (of course I do) or if I found it difficult (of course I don’t).

Lastly I had to do a create task, just needed to draw an image of how echolocation works – I had fun with that one 😉

Please leave a positive comment ^^

Selecting the Trees – Reading Task

This task is about reading to find information and make inferences.

Read the recount of how a carver chose trees to make an ocean going canoe, then answer the questions.

 

SELECTING THE TREES

 

In December, 1979, I’d arranged a meeting with Arthur Meihana and Peter Iraia, members of the Tuhoe Trust Board, to ask if I could take trees from Whirinaki to build a double-hulled canoe. The kaupapa, or purpose, I explained, was to build a waka that would make the voyage from Aotearoa to Rarotonga and Tahiti, to prove that our tīpuna had traveled back and forth to the Islands.

 

We would use totara, and I had to select them myself, which I’d never done before. But I knew what to look for. I’d been told by my teachers not to select trees at the snowline or on the slope of a hill. The grain would be stronger in the better-nourished trees close to the valley floor.

 

When a tree is dead, standing dead, or doesn’t have sound wood, there’s often an outcrop like rata vine or kiekie growing in the crown of the tree, and a lot of the trees we saw had this problem. The forest rangers with me also pointed out the devastation caused by possums. We had to compete with them too.

 

We were looking for mature trees with thick bark. Thin bark on totara indicates that the grain is still too loose. Then we looked at the roots. If they’re soft and mushy, it means that the taproot is dying and there is a hollow in the tree.

 

The process continued for about five days. I was only allowed to take two trees, so I had to pick the right ones. If I felled a tree that was hollow and rotten, then the chance to build a sailing canoe would be gone. I really had to make my selection carefully.

 

On the last day, I finally saw two trees that suited my purpose. They were only about twenty metres apart. “These are the two,” I told the rangers. Sure enough, they were clean, beautiful trees.

Questions:

 

  1. a) Who decided it was all right for the author to take the trees?

The Tuhoe Trust Board.

 

  1. b) What other word for canoe is used in the article? 

Waka.

 

  1. c) Why was the canoe being built?

To prove that tīpuna (ancestors) traveled between Aotearoa, Rarotonga, and Tahiti.

 

  1. d) Why would the trees close to the valley floor have a stronger grain?

They’re better-nourished, making stronger grain.

 

  1. e)  What are three things to indicate that a tree might not be suitable?  

 

1 – Outcrops like rata vine or kiekie growing in the crown of the tree.

2 – Soft and mushy roots.

3 – Thin bark that the grain is still too loose.

 

  1. f) Write a sentence from the article to show the five-day task was successful.

“Sure enough, they were clean, beautiful trees.”

  1. g) “We were looking for mature trees with thick bark.” In this sentence who does “we” refer to?

The author and forest rangers.

 

  1. h) “We would use totara, and I had to select them myself, which I’d never done before.” In this sentence from the article who does “we” refer to?

The author and his team.

 

  1. i) The article finishes with a more personal tone. What is one way this has been achieved?

The author is pleased to find suitable trees, that is a personal tone.

Kuaka T4 Wk 2: Response to Text Activity

Kia ora! Just finishing off Literacy work, but this task is about The Right Beat which teaches teamwork and music if you’re passionate about it. You’ll come across some similar and opposite words that was in the book. Then a slide where I can create four questions from the text and write the answers.

Slide 5 is vocabulary, just dragging pictures to the correct word and writing down why the picture matches the word. They were quite hard but I got through easily. Next slide would be a personal response video where I had to record myself if I found the text easy to understand, whether I can read music notes or play an instrument?! So much explaining!

Lastly is Slide 7 which is just writing a response to the following statement; “Collaborating with others always makes life easier”. Remember, this is my opinion! 🙂

Please leave a positive comment! ^^