My christmas poem

          Christmas poem

Carols being sung lovingly by a cute children's choir 

Hats and stockings being knitted passionately by adoring grandparents   

Ripe sugar plums sweetness makes people shiver with excitement

Icing from delectable gingerbread houses being eaten by hysterical children. 

Santa’s elves in the factory getting ready for the extraordinary take-off

Treats are being handed out merrily to those who have been good 

Mrs clause sorting Santa’s sack making sure that every gift is there

Advent calendars counting down the days with sweet sensations

Snow falls heavily in the northern hemisphere on this thrilling day

the ice fishing experiment

Ice Fishing 

http://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/ice-fishing/

Aim/Purpose:

To see how salt can affect ice or react with ice

Materials 

• Small paper cups, bowl or an ice cube tray
• Glass of water
• String (yarn or kite string works great)
• Small stick
• Salt

Steps/Method:

1. Fill the cup or tray up with water and place it in the freezer.  You can also use ice cubes from your freezer and skip this step.
2. When the water is frozen, remove the ice from the cup or tray.
3. Put the ice in the glass or bowl of water. The cube will bob up and down in the water and then float on the top.
4. Place one end of the string from the fishing pole on top of the ice cube and sprinkle salt on the ice where the string is touching. Watch as the water melts slightly and refreezes.
5. After about 10 seconds, carefully lift the ice cube out of the water with the fishing pole. You caught a fish (ice)!

My results:

Salt - The string stuck really well to the ice and pulled the ice cubes up out of the water

Sugar - The string didn’t stick to the ice cubes and none of them were pulled up out of the water.  Some people started to see the ice cubes stick - but it then failed after that.

Flour - THe ice didn’t stick to the string at all 

Pepper - The ice didn’t stick to the string at all 

More salt than normal - The ice still got picked up by the string

Changing the variables

Don’t wet the string before hand 

Use only a little salt

Using lots of salt 

Try to catch the ice using sugar instead of salt 

Try to catch the ice using pepper instead of salt

Try to catch the ice using flour instead of salt

Change the time period that you wait before trying to pick up the string.

Explanation - Why does it work?

Ordinary water freezes at 0% celsius. When you add salt to water it lowers the freezing temperature. The salt you sprinkle on the ice cube lowers its freezing temperature and, since the ice cube can’t get any colder than it already is, it starts to melt. A little pool of water flows over the ice and the string sinks into it. As the ice cube melts, It weakens the salt/water mixture in the little pool; the freezing point goes back up again. The ice refreezes and traps the string.  

Resources:

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/ice-fishing-winter-science/

https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/fishing-for-ice-science-experiment/

https://sites.google.com/site/sciencekiddoexperiments/fishing-for-ice

https://www.sciencekiddo.com/salt-melts-ice-experiment/

https://www.adabofgluewilldo.com/ice-fishing-science-experiment/

https://www.rookieparenting.com/why-does-salt-melt-ice-freezing-point-experiment/

https://whatsubstancemeltsicefastest.weebly.com/about.html

subterranean and caves rm-7 inquiry rotation

Subterranean  and caves inquiry

Define subterranean-

Subterranean is existing, occurring or done underneath the earth’s surface.

Define caves -

A cave is a natural underground chamber in a hillside or cliff.

Draw a diagram of stalactites, stalagmites, and columns

How stalactites, stalagmites, and columns are formed

Stalactites and stalagmites

Stalactites are formed when water containing dissolved calcium bicarbonate from the rock limestone drips from the ceiling making it form the roof. Stalagmites form when the water that drips from the ceiling falls to the ground.

Columns

Columns are formed when stalagmites and stalactites are fused together. 

   

the bird of the year writing,persuasive text the ruru

Georgia-

Ruru is the bird of the year

Introduction

I firmly believe that the ruru should be the bird of the year. These are three reasons why you should agree with me. First of all, the ruru in Maori is seen as a watchful guardian. Secondly, it has very elegant and different body features. Lastly, they have useful and unique physical features and characteristics that help them in everyday life.

Paragraph 1-

 The Maori always believed that the ruru was a watchful guardian. As the bird is the watchful guardian and known as the bird of the night,the ruru is connected with the spirit world.

When the ruru makes an occasional  high piercing noise, it signifies that there is bad news such as death . 

Paragraph 2- 

The ruru are elegant and unique with unique.  The ruru is a small, compact, dark brown owl. It has striking yellow to lime green eyes that are very bold and piercing and two facial discs on either side of the bill. The ruru’s bill is an olive green that has a very stinging and pointed end.  Their back feathers are a dark russet colour, gingerly spotted in white .

Paragraph 3-  

Lastly, they have useful and unique physical features and characteristics that help them in everyday life.first  are it’s wings, the ruru has very short and broad wings which help them to fly. Their wings are small so they can fly through the dense forest. Just like other owls, the ruru has serrated or jagged flight feathers that reduces the air turbulence. Next, is it’s eyesight, the ruru has eyes forward facing eyes. The forward facing eyes of theirs give them binocular vision. The eyes are perfect for spying on prey. The last thing is that they have really sharp claws, the ruru’s claws are really sharp to grip on to branches. Also their sharp claws are used to rip body parts off of their delicious food

conclusion

Now you have heard all my ideas explained in detail you should now agree with me, that the ruru should be bird of the year. First of all, in Maori the bird is known as a watchful guardian. Secondly, the ruru has elegant and different body features. Lastly,  they have useful and unique physical features and characteristics that help them in everyday life. Go and vote for the ruru NOW!!!

 https://teara.govt.nz/en/birds-of-prey/page-2

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/morepork-ruru/

http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/morepork

we did the baking soda and vinegar

Inquiry experiment  

Aim/Purpose : 

To see what happens when baking soda and vinegar mix/combine 

To see the reaction that occurs when these two substances are mixed

Prediction - What do we think is going to happen:

We think it will explode/ It’s going to blow up

The ziplock bag will pop open and the liquid will spill out

It could fizz up 

The bag might fill up with air 

Fizz up like soda when shaken

The air pressure created inside the bag will cause the seal on the bag to pop open

Steps:     

1.  Open up a paper towel on a flat surface
2. Put 4 levelled teaspoons of baking soda in the centre of the paper towel
3. Wrap up the baking soda in the paper towel like a package - Keep the baking soda concentrated in the middle of the paper towel
4. Tape down your package of baking soda with a piece of masking tape so that everything stays in place
5. Open the vinegar and pour it into a cup - until the cup is half full
6. Then open a zip lock bag and pour the vinegar into it
7. Hold the package inside the zip lock bag, making sure it doesn’t yet make contact with the vinegar - then zip up the bag - making sure that it is completely closed
8. Let the package of baking soda drop into the vinegar and shake the bag up a little so that they start to mix
9. Observe what happens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlmsiPxEuK0

Materials/equipment:

• Baking Soda  (4 x tablespoons) 
• Vinegar (half a cup)
• Ziplock sandwich bags 
• Plastic spoon
• Paper towel 
• Masking tape

Roles within the group:

1. Presenter - conducts the experiment 
2. Assistant - collects all the materials 
3. Videographer - takes a video of the experiment 
4. Recorder - Record the result

After students have prepared they can present the experiment in front of the class who will be the audience. The videographer can record the experiment and the recording can be shared at a later stage.  

The Result - What did we see happen?

When we had put everything in a ziplock bag and shook it up it started to fizz and rise up and expand then it popped 

Variables - How could we change the variables?

Predict what might happen if we change the variables 

Experiment - Were our predictions accurate?

Put 5 or more teaspoons of baking soda into the package - Bigger explosion/more powerful 

If there is too much baking soda and not enough vinegar, it may not work

What happened in this variable is that it took a while because it took the vinegar  a long time to activate the loads of baking soda, to explode and a lot of shaking then after ages it finally made a small popping sound.

Put more vinegar  - Bigger explosion/not pop 

In this variable when the vinegar soaked through the paper towel it practically exploded straight away.

The paper towel absorb the vinegar way faster. It made all the baking soda have the chemical reaction faster.

The Science - Why did it happen?  Here are some websites to look at…. You may be able to find other websites too!

The bag started to get larger and the paper towel got bigger. The air pressure got stronger and stronger, then it popped with a loud boom as the bag exploded.  The chemical reaction was caused by mixing the bicarbonate soda (base) with the liquid acid.  

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/balloon-baking-soda-vinegar-experiment-kids/

https://www.science-sparks.com/amazing-baking-soda-experiments/

https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-happens-when-you-mix-vinegar-and-baking-soda

https://carrotsareorange.com/baking-soda-vinegar-reaction-experiment/

cabbage,food colouring and water experiment why plants need water

Plants Absorbing Water 

Aim:

To colour celery or cabbage leaves - Try and see how plants absorb water

Materials 

Glass jars x4 

Celery

Cabbage leaves 

4 different colours of food colouring 

Water 

Scissors/knife/chopping board to cut the celery

Method 

Fill up 4 glass jars up to around half way 

Put approximately 10 drops of different coloured food colouring into each jar

Place a celery stick or a cabbage leaf into each jar

Explanation 

Part 1 - Explain why plants need water

Plants need water because otherwise they will die of dehydration because water makes up 95% of the body. Water helps plants keep hydrated,healthy and alive. If water wasn’t a thing nothing would live and it wouldn’t grow at all. They would have nothing to drink. And the bees would have no pollen to collect they wouldn’t even be alive.   

Part 2 - How they absorb water

They absorb water through their roots,stems and leaves. The root hair is the main source of how plants absorb water. The root hair absorbs the water by cell membranes in the soil. Then the root hair cells become turgid (swollen). 

describe an animal from a specific habitat

compare and contrast rain forests

rm-6 inquiry rotation

here is a describe map describing a specific habitat. ignore the reference page

we had to write an explanation on anything we liked. here is mine enjoy

How are Pencils Made?

Paragraph 1- what is a pencil?

A pencil, also called a graphite pencil, is a long,thin writing utensil. It has a lead and a wooden casing. 

Paragraph 2-  What are the parts of a pencil and what is their purpose/function?

A pencil has many different parts including: the lead and the wooden casing. The leads can be many different colours. The lead is the part you would write with. The wooden casing is usually the colour that the lead is and is used for protecting the lead from breaking.  

Paragraph 3 - What are pencils used for?

Pencils can be used for many different things like: writing, drawing, colouring and sketching.

Paragraph 4 - How are pencils made?

First, the graphite is crushed down in a machine and then the powdered clay is put in. Next, they pick up the hose and spray the water into the machine with the two mixtures in it and turn it on. It will mix into a squishy, thick paste.You can also add colour to the mixture to make it a colour pencil. Next, the batter is then squirted out into cylindrical molds, left to dry for a bit then fired in a kiln ( a furnace or oven for burning). 

The leads are now covered in liquid wax. After that, they put wood in the machine and it will start milling the grooves. Then glue will be applied into the grooves for the pencils to stick. Then the leads are inserted into the little cuttings very precisely.  Soon after that another slot of wood, with grooves, is shot out and laid on top of the leads, like closing a sandwich. Then they are dried. 

After that, the almost finished pencils, are milled into the pencil shape we know.  Now they will start painting and stamping the pencils. First,they fill a massive bucket with paint. Then the mixer is put down and it begins mixing. The paint is then put into a massive paint mixer. The pencils are put on the machine, and then are slotted through a small hole and are covered in paint. Soon after, the machine stamps the pencil with your company label or any label you want.  Finally the pencil’s opposite end is dipped into the same paint colour as the pencil. They are then put in the drying room to dry. 

Next the pencils are put through a range of tests to see what the quality of the pencil is like. Test one is how strong the leads are. The leads are broken to see if it is harder to break or easier to break. Next is how much pressure you can put on the tip of the pencil which is also like testing the strength. After they have been checked they are then put through the sharpening machine and are sharpened. Then they go through the machine to be visually checked by someone. After that, they are sent through the packing machine, put into cardboard boxes and then the cardboard boxes are labelled with the companies label.

Paragraph 5 - Effects of the invention of the pencil.  How did the invention affect human lives and the way of living?

The pencil has changed human lives for the better. The effects of this great invention are impeccable. It has helped us write easier, draw, sketch and lots of other things.  If pencils hadn't been invented when they were, people would still be having to take hours with wood and stone, how awful would that be having to take ages just to write one word!  Can you imagine life with no pencils, getting little cuts from the stone from working so hard and think of all the endless hours doing that. That’s why pencils are the best.

Reference page 

https://www.reidinger.de/en/the-pencil/

https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/promo-university/how-pencils-are-made.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPb-slJH9Vs