A Story On Bullying

Task: 
By Period 4 on Monday, write a paragraph on your blog to tell a story about bullying that really made you stop and think. 

Across the globe, 77 percent of students have been bullied. Whether it was verbally, online, or physically, the internet is full of the tragic stories written by these victims, or, in the worst scenario, their grieving-families. Here is the very tragic story of one of the most infamous bullying incidents of all time.

Amanda Todd: Her Story.
The most infamous bullying story was a viral YouTube video, posted back in September 2012, by a fifteen-year-old girl named Amanda Todd. In Amanda's case, she was sexually exploited online, by a man who blackmailed her into doing disgusting things on camera. If she refused, the man would post revealing pictures of Amanda. However, Amanda refused, and the picture was shared. 
The exploitation of Amanda Todd lead the young girl into a spiralling depression. This lead to her parents moving their daughter to another school, in another city. However, putting the bullying to a stop was unsuccessful, as the man continued to stalk Amanda. She was horrifically cyberbullied. A fake Facebook account under the name of Amanda Todd was sharing revealing photos of her. 
Amanda was shifted to a second school, but things remained the same. Female students tracked Amanda down, and horrifically, Amanda was beaten up by a group of them, in a ditch. This had terrifying consequences. 
Amanda's father rescued her, bringing her home. That night would be traumatic for the parents of Amanda Todd, as the girl attempted suicide by drinking bleach. Miraculously, Amanda survived this incident. 
In her video, the fifteen year old admitted tragic things, quoting this:

I’m struggling to stay in this world, because everything just touches me so deeply. I’m not doing this for attention. I’m doing this to be an inspiration and to show that I can be strong. I did things to myself to make pain go away, because I’d rather hurt myself then someone else. Haters are haters but please don’t hate, although I’m sure I’ll get them. I hope I can show you guys that everyone has a story, and everyones future will be bright one day, you just gotta pull through. I’m still here aren’t I?

Amanda Todd would last for only another month. Her life tragically ended in October 2012, after months of cyber, verbal, and physically bullying. This was an extreme case of bullying, but this video was an example of just one case. Bullying occurs all around the world, everyday. You may never know what's going on with someone. But by the time Amanda shared her story, and communicated her problems, it was too late.
This story really reminded me to talk to someone about my problems. This case could have been prevented if Amanda had done this. Whether it's a support group, or just your parents, it doesn't hurt to talk to someone about your feelings. Help this world become a better place and stop bullying. 

Hauora: Taha Hinengaro

Taha Hinengaro

The second dimension of Hauora; translated as psychological wellbeing in English.

What is Taha Hinengaro?

Taha Hinengaro is one of the four dimensions in the Maori philosophy of Hauora. In English, it translates to psychological wellbeing. An individual in a bad mental state, i.e not depressed/suicidal, psychotic, schizophrenic, etc, would not have a balanced Taha Hinengaro, as they lack a good psychological wellbeing or state of mind. An individual who is happy, social, extroverted, and in a good mental state, would have a balanced Taha Hinengaro. 

What can I do to have a balanced Taha Hinengaro?

To have a balanced Taha Hinengaro, you will require a good mental state of mind and health.

To maintain good mental health, your body will require...

 - A good sleep cycle. Make sure you get 8-10 hours of sleep per night, and nap if you are tired. If you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to overreact, become angry, and concentrate less at work or school. It is also likely you will be fatigued during the day. 

- To exercise frequently. Not only is exercising very beneficial to the body, it also makes you happier. Aim for at least one hour of physical activity per day. You can do things such as going for short walks, jogging or running, participating in sports and fitness. 

- A healthy diet. Eating healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables are prone to make you happier and less tired or hungry. Living on a diet of sugary, fatty foods is bad for your body and may make you gain weight. 

- To spend time with your whanau and friends. Hang out with your friends at school and sit down with your family at night. Make sure you get out of your bedroom and socialize at least three times a day. Being isolated can lead to feeling lonely, depressed, and sad, which are all signs of an unbalanced Taha Hinengaro!

Above is my digital learning object (DLO) based on Taha Hinengaro that I created in Google Drawing. Who in this drawing do you think has a balanced Taha Hinengaro? The isolated person, alone on his laptop underneath a blanket on the right, or the people talking with each other happily on the left?
I believe my DLO demonstrates that having social connections with people everyday contributes to having a balanced Taha Hinengaro.

How is having a balanced Taha Hinengaro demonstrated in real life?
At work and at school, people work in groups everyday. People who have a balanced Taha Hinengaro, and spend time with others instead of being alone, are much more likely to work well in group settings, because they are around people more and know how to act. This is not only demonstrated in groups, but in lots of different social situations, such as being in a classroom with other students. An unbalanced Taha Hinengaro, for example being sad or sleep deprived, can effect your learning, as concentration levels are low. 
People with a balanced Taha Hinengaro work better in groups and are more likely to do well at school, as they are more alert and concentrated!

Hauora: Taha Tinana

Taha Tinana

The first dimension of Hauora; in English, translates to physical wellbeing.

What is Taha Tinana?

Taha Tinana is one of the four dimensions, or walls, in the Maori philosophy of Hauora. Taha Tinana, or physical wellbeing, revolves around health, fitness, and your body. 

What do I need to do to have a balanced Taha Tinana?

In order for an individual to maintain a balanced Taha Tinana or physical wellbeing, they would require to be in good health, by maintaining a healthy diet (cutting back on junky, fatty, sugary foods, and more fruits and vegetables), a good sleep cycle (getting 8-10 hours of 
sleep per night) and sustain no injuries or illnesses. 

How is having a balanced Taha Tinana demonstrated in real life?  
We do activities each and everyday that involve having a balanced Taha Tinana. Examples of this include fitness before school every morning, P.E class in school, out of school sports teams and club (playing netball and rugby on Saturdays, rugby league and hockey on Sunday etc.) and in-school sports such as Friday-night basketball, and winter rugby, hockey, netball and football, on Friday afternoons. These activites all contribute towards having a balanced Taha Tinana.

In some jobs across the world, such as the police force, military/army, and sportspeople/athletes/jockeys, you will be required to have a balanced Taha Tinana, as there is a level of fitness and health involved. These jobs are much more likely to recruit a strong, healthy person who has a balanced Taha Tinana, rather than an obese, lazy person, who has an unbalanced Taha Tinana. 

What is an example of Taha Tinana? (DLO)

Above is a digital learning object (DLO) I created on Google Drawing to demonstrate a food pyramid. 
My DLO displays the recommended portions and what foods you should consume each day to help maintain a good diet. As a part of an active lifestyle including exercise, a good diet will alway contribute to having a balanced Taha Tinana and physical wellbeing!

The Anatomy of The Brain

The Human Brain

The human brain is a large organ located in your head, responsible for every bodily function you have. 

What are the brain's main functions?

The brain allows you to think, learn, and your body to function properly. It is in control of essential necessities in your body, including your heartbeat, breathing, blinking, and digesting food.

 How does the brain do this?
It sends signals through hundreds of billions of nerves and neurons, which are found in every area of the body. There can be as many as 1 trillion nerves/neurons in your body. These messages sent from the brain through nerves tell the muscles/bones etc. to see, feel, move, taste, hear things, and so on. Neurons, especially in the brain, develop the more they are trained. You strengthen your neurons by learning and studying new things.

Basically, the brain sends messages through nerves to allow your body's organs/muscles etc. to function normally and properly. 

How big is the brain?

Typically, the average human brain weighs approximately 1,400 grams, which is about half as heavy as a brick. The brain accounts for only 2% of your body weight. Compared to other creatures on Earth, the human brain is very large. The fruit fly has the smallest brain on Earth, consisting of approximately 250,000 neurons. The jellyfish is the largest creature on Earth without a brain. 

What are the different parts of the brain?

The human brain is made out of three main parts. These parts are named the cerebral cortex (ce-ree-brool), cerebellum, and brain stem. 

Cerebral cortex

This portion of the brain is in charge of a range of different things, as it is the largest and most developed part. Most importantly, the cerebral cortex is involved in planning and organization, language and information processing, motor function, determining intelligence/personality, and feeling things. It covers the cerebellum, and looks like a 1.5 - 5mm thin grey matter on top of the brain. The cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes that each do different, specific things. 

• The Frontal Lobe is responsible for 'planning/organisation, speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving'.
• The Parietal Lobe is responsible for 'body movement, orientation, and recognising different things'
• The Occipital Lobe is responsible for 'visual processing'.
• The Temporal Lobe is responsible for 'processing different music/sounds playing at the same time (also known as auditory stimuli) memory, and speech. '

Cerebellum (ceer-re-bell-um)

This portion of the brain is responsible for muscle coordination, precision, motor control, and balancing the body. For example, the cerebellum makes sure your limb muscles don't flail out randomly. People with the tourettes disease have a morphed cerebellum. The cerebellum is located at the back of the skull. Although this region of the brain is most important for precision and balance, some areas of the cerebellum can help with language and mental skills. 

Brain stem

The brain stem is located beneath the brain, at the rear, connecting the brain and spinal cord together. The brain stem is responsible for several different necessities, including the heartbeat, body temperature, hunger, thirst, breathing, blinking and swallowing. The brain stem is typically small but is essential for proper bodily function and sensory connections - for example, it controls heartbeat, sweating, and breathing. The brain stem is divided into two - the hindbrain and midbrain. The brainstem is also connected to your face and neck nerves. 

That is my study of the anatomy of the brain. 

The Anatomy of Organs

The Anatomy Of Organs

Today we had a task studying Anatomy. We had to trace around ourselves on a large sheet of paper, then draw inside the bodies where we think the inner organs are located. After seeing how accurate or inaccurate our diagram, we ranked our diagram on a scale of 1-10. In our diagram, the majority of the organs were located correctly. However, the liver was on the incorrect side of the diagram and the heart was too far to the left and completely behind the lungs. There were several organs that were located exactly correctly -- the kidney, brains, lungs, and stomach. Overall, we gave ourselves a 8/10 because we could have placed  organs more accurately.

Here are some photos of our body diagram.

Above is the photo we compared the body to. 

Golden Buzzer Comment Moments

Quality Blog Comments

Above is my digital learning object I created on Google Drawing to demonstrate how to write a quality blog comment. All of this information should contribute to a professional comment that reaches the quality criteria.

Today we learned how to write quality blog comments. Comments should be thoughtful, positive, and helpful for the writer.

Below is a video to watch to help learn about quality blog comments.

Why don't you use your newfound blogging skills and leave me a comment? I love getting feedback from different people! 

Why we play games: The importance of warm ups

What are the purposes of warm ups?

Warm ups are found in drama and musical theatre, P.E, sports, and singing. 

* Prevent injury. 

* Relax mental and physical tension.

* Prepare physically and mentally for performance work.

* Help you be more expressive with your body.

Warm up ideas:

Danger men at work tongue twister
Used in: Drama, theatre, musical performances, singing, narrating

Zombie game

Used in: Drama, theatre, dance

Sneak Up On Granny

Used in: Dance, drama, theatre

DIY Archimedes Screw

An Archimede's screw is a Greek-originated machine used to move things such as  water, seeds, and steel to a higher level. Today we had a practical experiment and made our own Archimedes screw, using household items. Here's how to make your own!

Materials

Flexible, clear piping 
Hot water
Coke or V aluminium Cans (need to be tall and thin)
Waterproof/duct tape 
Two buckets or large bowls

Method

1. Soften the piping in hot water.
2. Securely tape four cans together with duct/waterproof tape, to make one tall can. 
3. Tightly wrap the tubing around the can with approximately 10-15cm between intervals.
4. Using waterproof/duct tape, secure the tubing at the top and bottom of the cans, making sure you don't obstruct the waterway. 

We put the screw in a basin of water at an angle and slowly rotated it. 

This is what the can looked like as we wrapped the tubing around it.

Now that the Archimedes screw is constructed, gently place it in a basin of water at a slight acute angle. Place a bucket at the end of the waterway to ensure you don't spill any water. Have one person hold the first bucket with the bottom of the tube in it at an acute angle.
Slowly rotate the screw with your hands, and water should come up through the tube, out of the end, and into the bucket.

 As the screw is rotated, the water from the bucket goes into the tube and continues going up as it is rotated, then coming out of the other end. 

How can we make it more efficient?
We could have added a handle at the top of the can to make rotating the screw much easier, and prevent having to rotate it constantly with our hands. Most of the ancient Archimedes screws were equipped with these, although nowadays in modern society, they are powered by a motor!

It worked!

This photo shows the water coming out of the end! 

I have published my research about this fascinating invention before, make sure to check it out under the 8MtScience2017 tag!

Market Day Results!

This morning we got to calculate our finances that we earned at yesterday's Market Day.

In total, we had 190 50c tokens, which means we made $100.50! However, we used $14.40 to buy supplies, which meant we earned a profit of $86.10!

Last year at Market Day, my group (which sold bath bombs/cosmetics) made $81 and we were awarded with the Highest Profit and Business of The Year!

Although the awards are not being announced until Friday, Business of The Year and highest profit is a goal my group strive for. I can't wait for the final results! There were some fantastic stalls at the Market Day and it's sure to be a close competition!

If you were at Market Day and purchased something from us, how did you like our product?

How to create Perler Beads!

This year for our Business and Enterprise Kete, me and my group created and sold Perler Beads! You might not know how to make them, so here's a tutorial! Enjoy!

Materials

Perler/hama beads.
These are colourful, small beads.
These are found at craft stores such as Spotlight, or online.

Hama beads.

Pegboards
These are small white trays that you arrange the beads on. 
These are found at craft stores such as Spotlight, or online.

Pegboards.

Baking paper

An iron.
Get parental supervision while using this! When hot, it can be potentially dangerous! 


Method

1. Arrange perler beads on the pegboard to make it look like your design. For example, if you were making a lemon wedge, you would need to arrange the beads in the shape and colour of a lemon wedge. You may need a specific shape of pegboard for your design. If your design is circular, you will need a circular pegboard rather than a square one. 

This is what it should look like with the beads arranged on the pegboard.

2. Now that the beads are arranged, place a sheet of baking paper on top of it. Make sure you are ironing on a stable, heat-proof surface. Laying down a towel underneath the pegboard is ideal.

3. Set the iron to a low heat. When the iron is heated up, carefully place it on the baking paper and slide it back and forth slowly across it. This will melt the perler beads. Do this for about 15 seconds before taking the iron off.

4. Gently peel the baking paper off of the perler bead. Do this carefully, as the beads might come with it! 

5. Now, gently peel the perler bead design off of the pegboard. BE CAREFUL! If it is melted enough, the perler beads will peel off in one piece. If several beads fall out, arrange them again, and iron it a little more with the baking on top. 

6. Place the perler bead design inbetween two sheets of baking paper. Now, it can be ironed for as long as you like. However, it is recommended for up to 20 seconds. Iron the other side of the perler beads, moving the iron back and forth, for about 20 seconds. Peel the baking paper off, and carefully remove the perler bead, placing it aside to dry. Be careful, as it is hot!

There! Now you know how to make your own perler beads. Feel free to use online templates, or create your own fun designs! Perler beads are an inexpensive craft activity perfect for kids and teenagers on a rainy or sunny day. 

Will you be making your own perler bead designs? 

Business and Enterprise: Market Day 2017!

For the past six weeks, the Year 7's, 8's and 9's have been working on their Business and Enterprise Kete. In this Kete, we have learnt about running a business, working in a group, and money and time management. Today we finished off the Kete with a bang - for the past month we have been working in small groups of 3-4 to create our own products. Today, at Market Day, we sold them!

I was in a group with my sister Ruby, and good friends Sammy and Chyna. We made perler beads decorations (instructions on how to make in next blog post). Our group was called Perl Jam. 

Above is a photo of our stall! We learnt a lot about advertising strategies this term, and we used some of this for our posters! I have written about these strategies in a blog post above. 


Overall, the Market Day was a fun, creative way to finish off the Business and Enterprise Kete. As well as learning about teamwork, time and money management, profiting, and running a business, it was super fun to plan and construct our perler beads. 
We can't wait to find out how much profit we made tomorrow morning!

If you came, what was your favourite thing about the Market Day? 

Adidas Perusasive Writing - Week 10

This week we were given the task of writing a paragraph to advertise global sportswear brand Adidas. This is my writing. 

Sport, leisure, and recreational activities are progressively becoming much more common in the daily lives of citizens of all ages, including yours. Whether you’re just playing for a rural sport club, training for the Olympics, or simply searching to earn status, Adidas has the best products for you. 

Adidas has been a staple in best-selling, worldwide sports and casualwear, for decades. With over 66 years of experience and remarkable global sales, Adidas offers an enormous, immensely high-quality range of sportswear, casual wear, and fitness accessories. Because of all of this, we guarantee our products are sure to have heads turning your way! 

Looking for reliable, suitable fitness gear without looking like a gym rat? Adidas promotes that! Searching for a cozy pair of durable running shoes? Adidas offers them! Longing for some trendy clothes and accessories, like Kylie Jenner? Adidas sells every article of clothing you could imagine - and much, much more! Perhaps you aren’t a sports fanatic, and are simply looking for casual clothing and sensational shoes to impress your friends. Well, hurry down to Adidas for this instantly! It has the absolute best, lowest prices, for the highest quality, trendiest and newest gear; compared to all of its competitors! Don’t get left behind! Earn those results you’ve been anticipating. Get your game on with Adidas! 

Founded 67 years ago and still going strong. Adidas. One of the most popular sports companies in the world. Shoes, clothes and even more Adidas has it all. Available in every size, you are guaranteed to find your perfect fit for everything. There are aisles full of things incredible things that even David Beckham would wear! You want cheaper prices, we have them! We offer a huge range of products just waiting for you. Shoes, Clothes, and even more, Adidas has it all! Adidas, with all your sport needs.

 After writing, we had to mark our use of vocabulary and our range of different sentence structures using a success criteria rubric. 

For vocabulary, I gave myself at R6. I believe my writing really described Adidas's products well without confusion. I gave specific, clear, helpful information to really persuade my readers.

 For sentence structure, I gave my writing an R6. I believe my information was clear and I used a range of different sentences lengths to hook the reader is, make my writing less boring, and pleasing to read. For my next steps I will work on strengthening my shorter sentences, as they are the sentence type I am least confident of using. 

There is my writing! I hope you enjoyed reading it, and you were somewhat persuaded to buy Adidas! I enjoy writing persuasively and believe advertising is an interesting topic to learn and write about. So what do you think? What marks would you give my writing? Feel free to leave feedback down below.