SUMMER IS COMING TO AN END... (final SLJ post!)

Activity 3: Concluding the Journey [10 points]

Sadly, the Summer Learning Journey has now come to an end. It is time to reflect on everything that you have learned about the environment and, particularly, about how you can protect and preserve it.



On your blog please tell us:

What is one thing that you learned from participating in the Summer Learning Journey programme this year?
I learnt a number of different things surrounding a variety of topics throughout the 2018-19 Summer Learning Journey... not only did I learn to make my blog posts more interesting through the use of Digital Learning Objects, and how to attribute images, I learnt all about New Zealand history, its forests, its animals, etc, etc. One example is: I learnt about the tomtit bird - what it looks like, what its call sounds like, their diet, among other things. I also learnt that New Zealand is 30% forest. Oh, and I got to put on my conspiracy theory hat when I learnt about the legend of the Taniwha! Overall I learnt so many cool things that I wouldn't be able to list them all, but I can confidently say that I totally enjoyed all of it. 

What is one thing that surprised you?
One thing that surprised me is... well, all of it! I actually remember saying to my form teacher, "I'm travelling throughout the holidays so I'll be able to blog my experiences!" - thinking that the objective of the Summer Learning Journey was to post as many personal blog posts as possible as your day. Well when I got into it I was very surprised to find that we actually had the opportunity to learn and share our creations with the world like I've always loved to do. I actually enjoyed the idea of learning rather than blogging about my day better than what I anticipated, so that's a plus. 


What is one thing that concerned or upset you?
If you have read some of my blog posts, or participated in the Summer Learning Journey yourself, we learnt about the NZ environment, its animals, etc. It concerned me to learn about the endangered native species of NZ, the natural resources of Earth that humans are depleting, the impact that deforestation has on our country, etc, etc. It made me concerned and upset for our environment, but it also inspired me to look after our environment a lot more.

What is one thing that you (or your family) can do, moving forward, to help protect our natural environment?
My family personally do our part for the environment through the use of eco-food wrap made from beeswax, resin, and Johoba oil, and banning the use of plastic bags (we use reusable bags not only for our groceries but for our fruit and produce we get). My older sister is probably the most protective of our environment out of all of us, she uses a wooden toothbrush (which I'm about to order) runs an environmental Facebook page, and is vegan, among other things. Ever since I got back from Indonesia and I didn't eat much meat I can say that I'm considering cutting out things like chicken and pork from my diet, one, because the way chickens and pigs are kept in cages is horrendous, and having been shown a video of how they're killed was disgusting, but that's another story.

Before we end the Summer Learning Journey I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who's commented on my blog, or even simply viewed it. Although I didn't manage to quite keep up with it as I was travelling for most of the time, I had a really amazing experience and I'm most definitely doing this again if I get the chance. I'm about to go into Year 10 with the best possible mindset I've had in a while. 

Well, I guess this is farewell to all you lovely little bloggers until the Summer Learning Journey 2019 begins! Bye!

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Protecting Our Own 🐬

Welcome to another Summer Learning Journey post! I'm writing this post at Sydney Airport, a few good hours away from boarding our plane to Denpasar, Indonesia. I hope you enjoy!

  

Activity 1: A Flying Fox [4 points]

New Zealand has some of the most beautiful forests in the world. Both New Zealanders and tourists, alike, enjoy walking through these forests. Unfortunately, constantly walking through forests can damage the plants and animals (flora and fauna) that live there. In an attempt to protect the local flora and fauna, an eco-tourism company in Rotorua came up with an idea. The Rotorua Canopy Tours Company designed a series of ziplines that sit above the forest canopy (top). People can ‘zip’ from one section of the forest to another, looking down on the beautiful natural areas below. To see what ziplining looks like, check out this video.


I have tried ziplining and I really enjoyed it, however, I must admit that I was pretty scared to try it at first. How would you feel if you had the chance to go ziplining in Rotorua? 

On your blog, tell us how you would feel about going ziplining in Rotorua. Try to use some descriptive words (adjectives) and action words (verbs) in your post!.

GIF provided by South Park on Giphy!

I believe I would be absolutely petrified if I ever got the opportunity to go on a zip-line in Rotorua. As my Mum says, it's easier said than done: this is something I've learned time after time here in Australia (like the time I held a snake on the Gold Coast!). However, I would at least try to build up some courage to go on the zip-line because the feeling of regret is one of the worst feelings in the world to me. One time I didn't go on a roller coaster at Sea World and I still shudder about it to this day...

The zip-line sounds like it would be a fast adrenaline-rush, that almost makes you feel as if reality has been altered. The trees below, no matter how beautiful they are, would be a blur, but the view of the mountains are crystal clear still water would be surreal. 

I think that after the zip-line, I would definitely not regret doing it, despite my immense fear at the beginning. It would truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience as I've never been on a zip-line before, and I don't think there's a zip-line anywhere near Christchurch (at least, not to my knowledge). My older sister has been on a zip-line in Hawaii and she said it was awesome, so that helps. 

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Preserving The Past 🕒

DAY 1: Preserving the Past

Activity 1: World of Wearable (WOW) Art [4 points]

If we want to protect our natural world, we must be thoughtful about what we make, how we make it and how we dispose of it (throw it away). At the moment, the waste in New Zealand is separated into two main categories: 1. Recycled items (eg. bottles, cans, paper) and, 2. Non-recycled items (rubbish). Most of the rubbish is collected by rubbish trucks and taken to a rubbish tip (landfill) where it is dumped and never used again. Much of the recycled material is to taken to a place where it is sorted, separated and sent out to be used again.

The idea of reusing materials was taken to a whole new level by a woman named Dame Suzie Moncrieff who, thirty years ago, created an event in New Zealand called the ‘World of WearableArt’ (WOW). WOW takes place in Wellington (and in other cities) every year. Artists from around the world create outfits made entirely from recycled materials.

Let’s imagine that you were invited to this year’s WOW awards and you were able to interview the creator.

On your blog, list five interview questions that you would like to ask Dame Suzie Moncrieff.

Activity 2: Guardians of the Sea [4 points] One of the largest rivers in New Zealand is called the Waikato River. It is found in the central part of the North Island of New Zealand. The river (awa) was given the name ‘Waikato’ (meaning flowing water) by a group of men and women from the Tainui iwi who, legend has it, travelled down the Waikato years ago and settled in the area. According to Māori legend, the Waikato River has hundreds of taniwha (mythical water spirits) living in it, guarding the sea. Unfortunately, the Waikato River has become polluted in recent years and is, sometimes, closed to the public. This is very upsetting for many people, especially for those who believe that taniwha live in the river. Please click here to read about taniwha and watch this short video about taniwha. Once you have finished learning about taniwha go to your blog. On your blog tell us whether, or not, you believe that taniwha exist. Be sure to explain to us why you feel this way.

A rock carving of a Taniwha near Lake Taupo.

I honestly believe there is a possibility that taniwha exist. I'm a conspiracy theorist/alienist/believer of the supernatural, and to the best of my knowledge of random facts, only 5% of the ocean in the entire world has been explored. That would 
provide a substantial area of space for taniwha to breed without being seen by anybody. More evidence to the 'Taniwha Conspiracy' includes, well, evolution was a thing. Back in the Jurassic period of the Earth, there were aquatic animals. It would come as no surprise that these aquatic animals evolved into many more species that lived underwater, but in the deepest, unexplored parts. The taniwha, according to Maori legend, is recognisable by it's reptile-like appearance. Maybe if the Taniwha was described as an enormous, sparkly purple and pink neon unicorn-thing, I wouldn't be so invested in researching this theory, because, well, it's obviously not going to be real. But the taniwha description is so similar to what could possibly be the result of evolved species of crocodiles, turtles, and other aquatic creatures back in the early periods of Earth. However, because of the fact that Taniwha were only widely-reported to be seen in a time period that was a time long, long ago, and the lack of evidence of living Taniwha in the present, DESPITE the development of much aquatic-based technology development, I don't believe Taniwha are around now, or were around for much longer after Aotearoa became more populated. I don't know. Maybe my conspiracy radar is a little wonky. But in conclusion, I believe the Taniwha were once creatures of this Earth. What about you? 

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Here To Stay ☀️

Activity 2: Changing Climates [4 points]

Over the past decade, the climate in New Zealand (and around the world) has been changing. In fact, the climate has been getting warmer and warmer. While many of us like warm weather, climate change is not good news. Higher temperatures can cause glaciers to melt (leading to flooding) and increase the amount of rain that falls.

Here in New Zealand, we have noticed the change. In fact, we sometimes have torrential (huge) rain storms causing flooding, landslides and road closures. When it starts to rain really hard, Aronui and I usually hide out in our lounge and play games like Yahtzee, Monopoly and Uno. If it rains all day, we will also spend some time reading, watching movies and baking.

What about you? What do you like to do on a rainy day?  

On your blog, tell us about five things that you like to do when it is too rainy to go outside..

top 5 things to do on a rainy day by Jaime Burns

Activity 3: Let It Rain [10 points]

Over the past few decades, we have seen an increase in the amount of rain that falls here in New Zealand. We are lucky, however, that most of the rain that falls is regular rainwater and not polluted acid rain. Acid rain is rain that has bad chemicals (pollutants) in it. When acid rain hits the ground it can enter the water system, killing plants and animals. Click here to learn more about acid rain.

Let’s imagine that New Zealand was hit by a massive acid rain storm. Acidic rain fell for three days and three nights. When the rain fell, you stayed inside with your friends and family. When it stopped, however, you and your family decided to go for a walk outside. You opened the door and...

On your blog, write a short story about what happened when you opened the door and walked outside after the acid rain storm. To earn full points, you must write a story that is 8 – 10 sentences long.

Tāwhirimātea

Tāwhirimātea sent rain
with the force of a thousand oceans
i didn't think our tin roof
was going to make it

at night it was like it
couldn't make a decision
whether to stay
or to go
but in the morning
Tāwhirimātea still hadn't found his hiding place
at least not yet

the Pounamu was
corroded
dissolved
worn down
as if Maui had taken a hammer to it
tap tap tap

the trees
they were singed
as if Mahuika had sent fire to their roots
and it had crawled
up
and up
until it left the tips wilted and rusted. 

the grass resembled straw
the clouds resembled coal
as Tāwhirimātea lingered
in the sky
pondering whether or not to pay another visit
to the place we call
home. 

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Like A Scene Out of A Movie ⚡

Welcome to 2019! I'm already feeling amazing as the year begins, and I hope you are too! I spent New Year's in Caroline Bay (Timaru) with family and friends, what did you do for New Year's? 

Activity 1: The Southern Lights [4 points]


Once in a while a very special event takes place in New Zealand. It is a show of beautiful, bright lights that appear in the sky over the South Island. The lights are called the ‘Aurora Australis’ or ‘Southern Lights.’ They are similar to the ‘Northern Lights’ that are often seen in places like Northern Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. The southern and northern lights are so stunning that they often leave people, who are watching them, speechless. 

MY NOTE: I'm really interested in the Northern Lights, but it was the sound of it that got me hooked. These are the unique, mysterious sounds of the Northern Lights. I have to admit, they're pretty freaky!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIhiNcXLvxE

For this activity, you are to write a short acrostic word poem about the beautiful lights.

Activity 3: 

Activity 3: Crazy, Cool Clouds [5 points]

Have you ever looked up into the sky and seen a cloud that had a really cool shape? I certainly have, and so have dozens of other people. Take a look at the three pictures of crazy, cool cloud formations below.

Clouds are formed when small drops of water stick together. To learn more about clouds and how they are formed, you can watch this cool video. Once you have learned about clouds, please choose your favourite cloud picture.

On your blog, tell us what you see in the photo. What shape(s) do you see? Be sure to tell us which picture (1, 2 or 3) you have chosen and describe what you see in lots of detail!.

I chose Picture 1 (the rabbit) for this :) 


Fur looking as fluffy as ever, ears perked and tall as if it has just spotted a carrot... the rabbit is perched with her paws at her chest. The white cloud contrasts against the dark blue sky like black spots on a white rabbit. It's as if the sky is swallowing the bunny into heaven as it fades away into nothing but white swirls of nothingness. The dense cloud is shaped perfectly like a bunny, with shadows to add dimension to this furry creature. The sun makes the bunny glow at a certain angle making it even more beautiful and captivating. Life is good.

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Taking Flight 🐦

Hello and welcome to another SLJ post! I've just arrived in Timaru as of yesterday, and we've already been to the carnival twice! I hope you enjoy my last blog post of 2018 :)

Activity 1: Bird of the Year! [4 points]

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many different kinds (species) of native birds.  Sadly, about a third of our native bird species are at risk of disappearing forever (becoming extinct). 

Each year, Forest and Bird New Zealand hold a ‘Bird of the Year’ competition where people can vote for their favourite native bird. This year, the winner was the kererū (or woodpigeon). 

Go onto the Bird of the Year website, look through the native birds on the site, and choose one that interests you. 

On your blog, write a short description of your bird. Where does your bird normally live? What does your bird normally eat?  Post a picture of the bird underneath your description. Be sure to attribute your picture properly.

1. Why did this bird interest me?
Going into this I wanted to raise awareness of a bird who people may not know the name of. The tomtit hadn't even reached 500 votes yet. The yellow of its chest caught my eye, and by the time I'd read 'tom' I was interested, because my dog is called Tom. My sister also happened to like the bird because it reminded her of her cat, whatever that means... 

Here is a DLO I made explaining about the tomtit (my new favourite bird). 

Activity 2: Flying Foxes [4 points]

Not only is New Zealand home to many native birds but we also have a number of native bats. Some of these bats are really small while others are much larger. None, however, are as large as the largest bat in Australia. It is called the flying fox (pictured below) and it has a wingspan of up to 6 feet or 2 metres. Wow! That is taller than most of us! 

Flying foxes usually sleep during the day and hunt for food at night, using their ears to guide them through the darkness. Like other bats, they have the best hearing of any mammal. It is their ‘superpower.’ 

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? If I could choose, I would like to be able to fly. It would make it possible for me to fly back to Canada and visit my family whenever I wanted. How amazing would that be?!

On your blog, tell us what superpower you would like to have and why you’d like to have it.

Personally I would like to have the ability to travel back in time because I would be able to meet my favourite musicians of all time. If I had this power I would go back to the 1960's and meet The Beatles (more specifically, Paul McCartney, my favourite person in the world). Or, I would go to the early 2000's and go to a My Chemical Romance concert while they were still together (they split up a month before I started listening to them). Oh, and I would definitely go to a David Bowie or Pink Floyd concert! Okay, I should stop now before I start rambling...

Activity 3: Wind Beneath My Wings [10 points]

Birds and bats are just two species of animal that are able to fly. Did you know that some fish, squirrels and snakes are also able to fly? Check out the ‘Top 10 Flying Animals of the World’ website to learn more about these incredible animals. 

Once you have explored the site, choose one animal and create a digital learning object (DLO, eg. a poster) that tells us all about the animal. Be sure to include at least three interesting facts and a picture or two of your animal! Please follow these instructions for attributing your pictures properly.


On your blog, post a final copy of your DLO..

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: The Air Up There 🌬

Activity 1: Bee-Informed (4 points)


Activity 2: Carbon Sinks Don’t Stink! [4 points]
Every day a chemical compound called carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced and released into the air.  If it isn’t removed, it can become toxic for humans. Fortunately, there are a number of places where CO2 is absorbed (removed from the air). Two of the most common places are forests and oceans. They are called ‘carbon sinks’ because, like a sink, they gather, clean and drain things away that we don’t want. One of the largest carbon sinks in New Zealand is a forest in the south-western part of the South Island. It drains away 60% of our unwanted carbon!

Mayo image source: Hellman's 

Let’s imagine that you could design a sink that could gather up and then drain away any foods that you don’t like. On your blog, tell us what you would put in your special sink. 

On your blog, list all of the foods that you would put in your special draining sink..

1. Mayonnaise
2. Any kind of pasta
3. Broad beans
4. Pulpy orange juice
5. Blue cheese

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: A Heated Debate 🔥

Selamat Pagi! Welcome to the third week of the Summer Learning Journey for 2018. I've had a great experience so far, I've just arrived in Timaru after being in Greymouth for a few days. Time to crack into some work :)

DAY 1: A Heated Debate
Activity 1: Togs or Trackies? [4 points]

Tourist Natalia Volna at Gibsorne's Titirangi Hill. 

New Zealand is a pretty lovely place to live, isn’t it? Apparently, New Zealand (NZ) is also a pretty lovely place to visit. In 2017 approximately 2-3 million people came to visit NZ as tourists. Some of them chose to come in the middle of our summer, while others braved it and came in the middle of winter! When do you think is the best time of year (season) to visit NZ? 

If you would like some help making a decision, feel free to read the Go New Zealand website. It has lots of information about the seasons in NZ!

I, personally, encourage my friends and family from overseas to come and visit NZ in early spring. The weather is usually warm and dry and the tourist attractions, beaches and holiday spots are less busy than they are in the middle of summer.


On your blog, tell us what time of year you think is best for tourists for come and visit. Be sure to share at least three things that tourists could do while they were here in NZ.

Here is my DLO created with Google Slides. 

Activity 2: You Are My Sunshine (4 points)

Activity 3: Burning Up… [15 points]

While it can get hot in New Zealand, especially in the middle of summer, it gets even hotter in places like Dallol (Ethiopia), Dasht-e Loot (Iran), Tirat Zvi (Israel), Kabili (Tunisia) and Bandar-e Mahshahr (Iran). 

The hottest temperature on record in each place is: Dallol: 41oC; Dasht-e Loot: 71oC; Tirat Zvi: 54oC; Kabili: 55oC; Bandar-e Mahshahr: 51oC. Crazy ‘eh?!

For this activity, you are asked to use this information to create a graph. The graph should have a title along with the names of each city and their hottest recorded temperatures. You can draw the graph by hand or use a computer programme like Google Draw to create your graph. It’s completely up to you!

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Wasting Away ♻️

The rough tidal pool at the Pancake Rocks.

Hello and welcome to another SLJ post! Today I actually did something I've never done before and visited the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes up at Punakaiki. I also went to the beach out in front of where we're staying and went out to Westport for this delicious chicken and chips (or in my case, chips).

A selfie I took on the beach :)

The *very rough* pool at the Pancake Rocks!

Activity One: Off The Menu (4 points)

Created using Venngage. 

Sign the petition against overfishing here. I already signed, and shared on Facebook! 

Activity Two: The Black Drain (4 points)

Created using Google Docs 

Activity Three: Faded Glory (5 points)
Created using Venngage

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Spectacular, Spectacular ⛅

Hi and welcome to another Summer Learning Journey post! I'm writing to you from Greymouth, today we visited the Hokitika Gorge and Lake Kaniere. Everything was so beautiful, but the use of 10-80, potassium-cyanide and the deforestation I saw was really devastating. I am against the use of 10-80 in New Zealand and believe there are better ways to get rid of unwanted pests that don't danger our native animals.

Alas, I hope you enjoy. 

Activity 2: It’s All in the Name [4 points]

Rotorua is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations. It is a city filled with incredible forests, mountain biking tracks, lakes, and geothermal wonders, including hot springs (geysers) and mud pools. One of the most famous geothermal pools is called the Devil’s Bath at Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. It is a neon green pool of stinky water. 

Over the years, people have suggested that we come up with a new name for the pool. What do you think we should call it? Take a minute to let your creative juices flow.

On your blog, give us a list of three to five options for the name of this geothermal pool. Put a star (*) beside the name that you like the most.

I liked the Grinch's Hideout most because I think it's something that's funny, but it's colour is related to something we all know. I liked 'hideout' because I think it would attract tourists if they thought it was secretive, all while sounding epic!

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: First You ‘Sea’ Me, Now You Don’t 💦

Selamat Pagi! Welcome to the second week of the Summer Learning Journey for 2018. I've just arrived in Greymouth and spent the day at the Devil's Punch hole, a historic bath site in Kumara and visited a cave near Castle Hill. I hope you enjoy reading my blog!

Activity 1: Night Owls

Image source: Wiktionary

Here in New Zealand we have many amazing and unique sea creatures, including penguins. The blue penguin, or kororā, is particularly special because it is the smallest penguin in the entire world! Blue penguins are typically found on the east coast of the South Island in places like Oamaru but they can be hard to spot as they rarely leave the water. If they do come onto land it is usually at night, when most of us are sound asleep! That’s because they are nocturnal. Not all of us, however, sleep all night. In fact, some people love to stay awake late into the evening. People who like to stay up late are called ‘night owls.’ Are you a night owl or are you an early riser, like me? I typically wake up every day around 6:00 a.m. and jump out of bed, ready to start the day! On your blog, tell us whether you are a night owl or an early riser. Then, tell us about the rest of your family. Are they the same as you? .

I would be lying through my teeth if I said that I was an early riser! I am a total night owl. My routine goes like this: stay up until around 5 and then go back to sleep for another 6 hours. This summer, I made it one of my goals to improve my sleep schedule and I have to say I'm seeing a difference.

As for my family, my Mum is the same as me, a night owl. She often stays up working late or watching television at night which she enjoys. My older sister De-Arna is also a night owl despite her going to University and working most days. However, this doesn't exactly run in the family: my Dad, step-brother, and younger sister are all early risers. My sister, in particular, wakes up at 7:30 even on the weekends. My Dad insists on taking us to the Farmer's Market every Sunday morning. And my step-brother is so loud when he gets up in the mornings, he wakes us at 6.

Activity 2: A Local Delicacy

I chose to find the recipe for an iconic Balinese food, Lawar, because I'm leaving for Indonesia in 13 days and I want to learn more about their dishes before I visit. It's one of my goals to get out of my comfort zone and try new foods that I can hopefully recreate at home. Did you know that because the religion in Bali is predominantly Hindu, most Balinese dishes do not contain beef?

ACTIVITY THREE
I used simple multiplication and division for this maths problem, but there are many other ways to work it out!

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Flora and Fauna 🌺

Merry Christmas! Have an amazing time with your loved ones and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ <3

WEEK 2, DAY 2: FABULOUS FLORA!

Activity One: Weaving a Tall Tale
(Here's a link to the video I watched. It's so satisfying!)

Activity Two: Mighty Mangroves!
Here in New Zealand we have a native tree called a Kiwi Mangrove. Kiwi Mangroves grow in shallow water (harbours). The largest mangrove or manawa forests in New Zealand are located in Northland and in Auckland. According to many environmental experts, they are one of the toughest and strongest trees in the world because they can survive in really harsh (difficult) conditions.

For this activity you are asked to think of someone who is very tough and strong. They can be someone who you know personally or they can be a character that you have read about in a book, seen in a movie, or on a television show.

On your blog, tell us about this person. Who are they? Why are they, in your opinion, so strong and tough?

The person I have selected is 'Spaceboy' from the comic series The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way. 

I chose Spaceboy because... even from a very young age, he possesses super-strength and superhuman abilities. Furthermore, his strength is only increased when his body is replaced with that of an extra-terrestrial gorilla's. This gorilla-human hybrid is incredibly tough and withstanding, and can withstand the vacuum and cold temperature of space (hence the name). 

This is why Spaceboy soon chooses to live on the moon alongside his soon-to-be-discovered twin brother and The Rumor, whom he has an incestuous infatuation with. From this we can definitely determine that Spaceboy is extremely tough and powerful... especially for a gorilla-human hybrid. 

P.S: Definitely read The Umbrella Academy. Or at least watch it on Netflix after it comes out. 

Activity 3: Stranger than Fiction

Here on earth there are more than 298 000 different kinds (species) of plants. Some of these plants live on land and some live in the water. Follow this link to read about 10 of the strangest plant species in the world. When you are finished, choose two of the plants from the list.

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: Swimming with The Fish 🐟

Before we begin, Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate! 

🌊 Activity 1: Surfs Up! 🌊

In New Zealand we have many beautiful beaches and stunning waterfalls. One of the most spectacular waterfalls is called Kitekite and it is located in Piha, a small village west of Auckland. Tourists and locals flock to Piha during the summer season to enjoy the waterfall, the local beach, and the great surf. Have you ever tried surfing? Although I have never surfed many of my friends have and they absolutely love it. In fact, it is their favourite summer activity! What is yours?

For this activity, please take a picture of yourself doing one of your favourite summer activities. It could be anything! 

The top photo is a photo took about three years ago, when my sister, my stepdad, and I went fishing. It was my first time going fishing, and although the sky didn't quite resemble that of a summer's day sky, it was super fun and we caught some fish. 

The second photo is from two years ago, and it's of me representing Christchurch for shot put. I ended up 8th out of about 17 but in my other competitions I'd earned 1st and 2nd place in all of them. This was in December of 2016, and although I haven't been to competitions in ages, I recently got 1st in shotput and discus for Year 8 at Hornby High's athletics day last year. 

🚴 Activity Two: The Great Taupo Cycle Challenge 🚴

🐟 Activity Three: Something Smells Fishy... 🐟

SUMMER LEARNING JOURNEY: A Blog About Logs (+ more!)🌲

Activity 2: Living on the Edge [4 points]

While it can get quite cold in New Zealand, it rarely drops below freezing (00C). Most of the time the temperature in New Zealand is pretty mild. This is not the case in the tundra. The tundra is an area of land (biome) that is cold, dry and completely treeless. Did you know that the average temperature in the tundra is -280C? 

Over the past few years, however, the temperature in the tundra has been rising and the weather has been changing. Let’s imagine that your teacher decides to take you on a class trip to the tundra before the weather changes too much and you aren’t able to go. 

On your blog, write a letter to your best friend or a family member telling them about your trip to the tundra. To earn full points your letter must have a greeting (eg. Dear…) followed by 5 – 6 sentences of information about what your experience.

Activity 3: Going, going….gone

Over the years, scientists have made some surprising discoveries. One of these discoveries is that we have entire cities: for example, Jakarta, Indonesia (which I'm visiting in two weeks) and Venice, Italy) are slowly sinking into the ocean. Scientists believe that, one day, the cities will disappear completely under the water. Yikes!

Some of the residents (people living in the cities) have taken pictures of their neighbourhoods and written stories about their lives in order to make a record of what ‘life was like’ in their city before it disappeared. 

Let’s imagine that New Zealand was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean next week (Eek!). Before it sinks you are asked to write a blog post telling people what life was like in New Zealand in 2018.

On your blog, post a description of life in New Zealand in 2018. Please remember that the people who read your post will have never been to New Zealand or even seen a picture so it is your job to ‘paint a picture’ of New Zealand using your words. You can also post pictures, if you wish. Be sure to fully attribute the pictures.

1st image source: NASA
2nd image source: wallock_screen on Twitter