Summer Learning Journey | Day 7 | Activity 2: It's Cool To Be Kind

The second activity for day seven of the Summer Learning Journey programme is a commenting activity where we reply to someone that has given us feedback.

The purpose of this activity is to use open questions and practice using our vocabulary skills to reply to others.

The first thing that I did was take a screenshot of a comment that someone has posted on one of my blogposts and insert the image onto a google draw.

After that, I typed up a reply in a text box on the same google draw and double-checked the reply to make sure it had a greeting, a thank you, connection, detailed answer to their question and an open question. I copied the text and pasted it as a reply to that person's comment.

I enjoyed using my understanding of vocabulary, communication and open questions to continue a comment thread.

What I found challenging was thinking about an open question where I would get an answer that could potentially teach me more about that person.

LI: to use our knowledge of comment threads.

Summer Learning Journey | Day 7 | Activity 1: 3D Lucky Paper Stars

For the first activity of day seven of the Summer Learning Journey, I created 3D lucky paper stars from strips of paper.

The purpose of this activity is to challenge our ability to create new things and follow instructions as well as channel our listening and understanding skills.

The first thing I did for this activity was watch a short tutorial video that explained how to create different sized 3D lucky paper stars in a step-by-step procedure.

To make 3D lucky paper stars, I took multiple strips of paper (the size of the strip of paper will alter the size of the 3D lucky paper star at the end of the procedure). I first created a knot and continuously folded the remaining piece of the strip of paper to make a pentagon. Finally, I made a dent into each side of the paper and it created a 3D star shape.

I really enjoyed creating multiple lucky stars and it was a great opportunity to reuse scrap paper, create decorations and learn how to make something new.

What I found most difficult about this task was repeatedly folding the remaining bits of the strip of paper so that it would match perfectly with the sides of the pentagon, however I managed to complete this task.

I could challenge myself by making even bigger 3D lucky paper stars because they are really fun to make and they look amazing.

LI: to use our comprehension skills to create something new. 

Unfortunately I could not take an image of the stars I created but here is a preview of what the 3D lucky paper stars look like.

Summer Learning Journey | Day 6 | Activity 2: Te Huarere

The second activity for day six of the Summer Learning Journey programme is a Maori activity relating to weather and revision.

The focus of this activity is to apply our knowledge of the Maori language to expand our understanding of Maori vocabulary usage.

The first thing I did was read a list of weather types in English and Maori. The list included fine/sunny, hot, cloudy and rainy.

Fine/sunny in Maori is paki. Hot (weather) in Maori is pūāhuru. Cloudy in Maori is kāpuapua, and rainy in Maori is hāuaua.

I gave three different answers for the question "He aha te tohu huarere?" meaning "What is the weather forecast?" The answers I gave were "He rangi paki", "He rangi hāuaua" and "He rangi kāpuapua" I included images to give a visual reference of the sentences and weather.

What I most enjoyed about this activity was giving different answers to the question "He aha te tohu huarere?", because I learnt more about the Maori language and when to use it.

I could improve my ability to use Maori more often so that my knowledge of the Maori vocabulary doesn't go to waste.

This was a great opportunity to use my understanding of the Maori language and apply my knowledge of different languages.

LI: to apply our knowledge of Maori vocabulary.

Summer Learning Journey | Day 6 | Activity 1: Maui me te Ra

The first activity for day six of the Summer Learning Journey summer programme is a Maori based activity where we have to learn about how Maui slowed down the sun and write a poem, haka or song about it.

The purpose of this activity is to expand our Maori vocabulary and learn more about the Maori myths and legends. It is also to apply our writing skills to share our understanding.

The first thing I did for this activity was watch a video that told the story of Maui and his brothers slowing down the sun.

At first, the sun moved quickly, therefore the days were very short and there was not much time to get things done. So Maui came up with a plan to force the sun to slow down. He gathered his brothers and they created magic ropes, strong enough to hold the sun. 

Maui and his brothers travelled by night to a great hole in the earth which was where the sun would rise. They built a stone wall near the hole and readied themselves. When the sun rose, Maui's brothers tied their ropes to the sun's ends. Maui took his grandfather's jawbone and attacked the sun with it, making the sun weak. 

Maui's brothers bound the sun to earth using the magical ropes. The sun was too weak to move quickly across the sky, so instead the sun moved slow and the days grew longer.

I wrote a ballad poem telling the main points of the story. A ballad poem is a rhyming poem that is often used to tell a story. 

I included the main points of the story to shorten my poem and so the audience could get a clear idea of the major events.

What I found fun about this activity was researching different words to use for my poem and expanding my Maori vocabulary.

What I struggled with most about this activity was completing the last verse of my poem, mainly because I had to maintain rhyming and keep the syllable count even so that it would go well with the rhythm of the poem.

I could improve my vocabulary use and use more Maori words. I could challenge myself by creating a different poem and using more complex and advanced wording.

LI: to learn more about Maori history and apply our knowledge of Maori myths to make a poem/haka/song.

Summer Learning Journey | Day 5 | Activity 3: Kiwi Jingle Bells

The third activity of day five is to create or write our own version of the Jingle Bells song and write it so that it is a New Zealand themed song.

The focus of this activity is to use our knowledge of Christmas in New Zealand and use inspirations to rewrite the Jingle Bells song. We also used our vocabulary, rhyming and music understanding skills to write our own quality version of the song. We also added illustrations/images for each verse of the song.

The Summer Learning Journey programme also included a video of the Kiwi Jingle Bells song to get ideas and inspiration from.

What inspired me to write the lyrics of this song was weather that often occurs during Christmas time in New Zealand and what people often do or go to during that time.

In my rewrite of Jingle Bells, I mentioned that a family was going to the beach with friends and family and they also brought cold drinks with them because of the hot summer weather.

I really found this activity fun and I enjoyed creating my own version of Jingle Bells. It was a great way to use my creativity and understanding of different things and applying my knowledge of music.

Something that I found challenging was coming up with lyrics with a certain amount of syllables that followed the rhythm of the song.

I could be more creative with the lyrics and include more things in the song that are unique to New Zealand. I could also improve my ability to choose or write lyrics that flow smoothly with the rhythm or theme of the song.

This activity is a really great opportunity to be creative and original when writing lyrics or songs. It could also help improve a persons ability to use/brainstorm ideas and apply their knowledge or understanding of a topic. I encourage the audience to try this activity out for yourselves and I look forward to seeing what you can do!

LI: to use inspiration to rewrite the Jingle Bells song.

Summer Learning Journey | Day 5 | Activity 2: Pigpen Cipher

For the second Summer Learning Journey activity for day five, I learnt how to decrypt the pigpen cipher code and use it to write messages.

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to use/encrypt and decrypt using the pigpen cipher code.

The first thing that I did was watch a video that talked about what pigpen cipher is and how to understand it. The video also explained why pigpen cipher has it's specific symbols.

Then I used my understanding of pigpen cipher to decrypt a code to find out which beach had a cave with treasure within it. This part of the activity was called 'Treasure Map'.

I learnt that the first nine letters of the alphabet are put onto a three by three grid in order from A to I. The letters in pigpen cipher are whatever lines of the grid they are touching or closest to.

The next nine letters of the alphabet are also in a three by three grid just like the previous nine letters. They also have the same symbols, however in the middle of each symbol is a dot or circle that indicates that it is the second set of letters.

The next four letters of the alphabet are s, t, u and v. Instead of in a grid, they are separated by the lines of an 'x'. Similar to the first eighteen letters of the alphabet, these letters in pigpen cipher are whatever lines of the 'x' they are touching or closest to.

The final four letters of the alphabet (w, x, y and z) are also separated by an 'x' shape. They have the same symbols as s, t, u and v but have circles in the center to indicate that they are the second set of the letters.

What I most enjoyed about this activity was applying my knowledge of pigpen cipher to encrypt my favorite beach into the code so others could decrypt it and learn more about me (most specifically what I like).

What I found challenging was decipher the name of the beach that had a cave with treasure within it, but I also enjoyed decrypting the code using my knowledge of pigpen cipher.

I found this activity really fun and delightful because I was able to learn a new secret code and I could use my knowledge of pigpen cipher to write messages or communicate with others that know this code.

LI: to learn, decrypt and use the pigpen cipher code.

Summer Learning Journey | Day 5 | Activity 1: Haka Kōkō Design

The objective of this Summer Learning Journey activity was to create our own Santa Claus clothing design by thinking about the features of Christmas and New Zealand.

The purpose of this activity is so be original and use our understanding of Santa, Christmas, New Zealand and summer to invent a Hana Kōkō design.

The first thing I did was brainstorm ideas on what I should include in my Hana Kōkō clothing design. I decided to include pohutukawa flowers and involve a summer theme because summer is the season in which Christmas takes place.

Once I thought about what to include in my design, I started thinking about the necessary clothing needed in summer. I used the google search feature on google draw to research clipart clothing that included the features I previously thought about.

I found a red shirt and added a pohutukawa flower on the front because red is a signature color of Christmas, and pohutukawa flowers were part of the design. I also found red shorts with a purple and yellow design to fit with the shirt, and because I couldn't find green or Christmas themed shorts. I included a sunhat and sandals because they are necessary summer-wear.

I named my Hana Kōkō design 'Summer Claus' because I thought it was unique and fit with the clothing design and theme. I also wrote what inspired me to create this specific design and why I included the certain features of my Hana Kōkō suit.

I found this activity interesting and exciting to do because I was able to use my ideas and inspiration to create something new. I most enjoyed coming up with the name of my Hana Kōkō  design. I encourage you to be creative and invent your own Santa Claus clothing design!

LI: to apply our ability to be creative and original.