Archives for Class Work

Creating an Imitation Rainbow Spectrum

Posted by  on Monday, May 21st 2012     

In class we created an Imitation Rainbow Spectrum using just the primary colours RED, YELLOWand BLUE. We could have done this using paint but it is very limited, unless you spend a lot of time with the creation. A far more impressive spectrum can be created following this procedure.

Goal: Creating an Imitation Rainbow Spectrum

Things we need:

  • Food colouring (RED, YELLOW, BLUE)
  • Plastic Container with lid (we used preformed soda bottles)
  • Rain Saver Crystals (100g)
  • Spoons
  • 1 Litre water jugs x3

Procedure:

Step 1
Fill each of the three jugs with water and add food colouring so you have one jug of each colour RED, YELLOW, BLUE. A good strong colour will give better results.

Step 2
Add 3 or 4 tea spoons of Rain Saver Crystal to each jug and stir. Let it stand until the crystals have soaked up all the water and food colouring.

Step 3
Start adding the mixture to the plastic container/ preform starting with RED, YELLOW, BLUE and then RED again. Make sure you have an even about of each layer. Make sure layers are packed tight and then close the lid. Extension: Experiment with different combinations and what the possible results will be.

Step 4
Observe your creations for the next 24/48 hours as the colours start to bleed and all the colours of the rainbow are formed. The end product should look like the example below.

RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, INDIGO, VIOLET
(Roy G. Biv)


click picture for larger version

? Question ?

If I was to stir a rainbow in my mixing bowl it would turn WHITE. 
If I was to mix all the primary colours together it would turn BROWN.

WHY ?

category: Class Work
tags: , , ,

What causes a rainbow?

Posted by  on Tuesday, May 15th 2012     

One of the most important experiments on light was made by Isaac Newton. He was the greatest of all English men of science. He discovered that sunshine (white light) is made up of many colours. Over 300 years ago, Sir Isaac Newton passed a beam of white light through a prism. A prism is a triangular piece of glass, which allows light to spread out into a band of six colors. These colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Newton then sent this light through a second prism where the light became white once again.

What did Sir Isaac Newton do?
He first took the white light apart and then he put it back together again.

The most common example of a spectrum is the rainbow created in nature. The rainbow is caused by sunshine (white light) shining on water droplets that are in the air just after a summer shower. Thousands of these water droplets break up the light, just like Sir Isaac Newton’s prism. Can you make a rainbow? Of course! Make your own rainbow by turning on the garden hose, which has a nozzle that will make a fine mist, or spray. Make sure the sunlight is coming over your shoulder. You have made a rainbow.

If light is white and all we see is light why do things appear different colours?
Objects absorb some of the colours in the white light and then reflects the rest. The colours that are reflected provide the colour of a specific object. Think about these three basic colours (Red, Blue, Green), if an object absorbs green but reflects blue and red then the object will be purple. The mix of blue and red light gives us purple.

Did you know?
The computer screen you are looking at now can only produce three colours – Red, Blue and Green. So how do we see white on the screen? It follows Newton’s experiments on light and puts the three colours all together to create white.

EXPERIMENT TO TRY

Colour Wheel

  1. Print out this template (you may need a PDF reader like the one from Adobe).
  2. Cut out the discs and then put a toothpick, or pencil, through the centre. You may need to fix the disc with a bit of sticky tape.
  3. Spin the wheel and have a look at the colours that are created. Look at the outer ring of the first disc shown above and the colour should disappear.
  4. Repeat with the other patterns and colours.

Note: You may need to stick the paper on to cardboard if your paper is too thin.

Bring your complete wheel to school and receive some Rees Dollars for your effort.

Fun Facts about Light

We do not know of anything in our universe that travels faster than light. The sunlight we see today left the sun 93 million miles away to reach us about 10 minutes later. Light from stars farther away may have taken billions of years to reach our eyes. How many times can light travel around the world while you are saying your name? ……………..more than four times.

category: Class Work
tags: ,

Class Rewards: REESBANK

Posted by  on Wednesday, April 4th 2012     

This term we have successfully used Monopoly for our table based rewards. Hundreds of Hotels and Houses have been collected by everyone. Congratulations! In Term 2, I would like to introduce a new system, REESBANK, the online virtual bank account for each of you.

How it works:

You will have a virtual bank account that you can deposit and withdraw virtual money from. When you are rewarded in class for completing work/ good behaviour/ etc, you will be given a REESBANK note with a $ value and a serial number.

At home you log into your virtual bank account and type in the serial number to deposit your reward money. This money will then start to collect interest, currently at 5% per month.

Special Offer

On the reverse side of the REESBANK note is a Special Offer (similar to loyalty cards) that requires you to earn five stamps that will then increase the value of your reward.

Bank Tellers

I need to employ Bank Tellers who will get paid to do some additional tasks. Checking deposits, transferring money, etc. Please leave a comment if you are interested. :mrgreen:

What do we do with our savings? 

This is virtual money, we can’t spend it in the real world. We could just save it and the students with the highest amounts at the end of the term win a special reward. Or, we could spend it with things like buying fun time, renting a class squishie for a day, etc.

What are your ideas about what we can do with our savings?

category: Class Work, Fun Stuff
tags: ,

Harmony Day: Chopstick Olympics

Posted by  on Wednesday, March 21st 2012     

Harmony Day is about belonging and getting along with people from all different nations and cultures. One of the biggest events that celebrates this is the Olympics, many countries and cultures taking part in a harmonious gathering.  We held our own Chopsticks an Rice Bubble Olympics.  Before competing we discussed the meaning behind the Olympic Flame, Olympic Rings as well as the Olympic Oath and Creed. We then stood, held our hearts in our hands and read the oath:

We swear that we will take part in these Olympic Games in the true spirit of sportsmanship and that we will respect and abide by the rules which govern them for the glory of the sport and the honour of our country.

Let the games begin: Rice Bubble Hurdles, Rice Bubble Archery, Rice Bubble Tennis, Rice Bubble Shot put, Rice Bubble Rugby and Rice Bubble Passitball.

 



more photos in the gallery

category: Class Work, Fun Stuff
tags: ,

I want to re-design my room: If you can convince your parents, you can convince anyone!! (Persuasive writing)

Posted by  on Monday, March 12th 2012     

When writing a persuasive text it can be difficult to work out the arguments of the “other side”  and responding to those arguments within your arguments. The following class task will help you see the need to work out the other point of view before writing any persuasive text.

You are older now and your room is not as wonderful as it once was.  It is time to try convince your parents to let you re-design your room.

When you go to ask them they reply:

NO!

and give you the following objections:

  1. It’s too expensive.
  2. You never even clean your room; why re-design?
  3. You already spend too much time there.  We only see you at meals as it is now.
  4. or You never spend any time in your room; why should we bother?
  5. Your brother (sister) is going to feel left out.  We can’t start redecorating everyone’s room.
  6. Your taste in interior decoration is questionable.  We can’t paint ceilings and walls in school colours or indulge in other such fads. :)
  7. I’ll end up doing all the work.  I don’t have the time or the energy.
  8. It’ll cost too much.
  9. I said “No!”

Task: Write a persuasion that will convince your parents to change their mind.

The audience for your persuasion are your parents - an audience opposed to what you have to say. You must use direct speech and powerful words, though respectful and appropriate, to convince them of your side of the issue. This is done by providing arguments against the 9 objections from your parents. You may find it difficult to convince them on all nine objections, just do your best (8 out of 9 objections could still convince your parents to say yes).

Title: I want to re-design my room

Position: (outlines the issue and your point of view)

Arguments: ….. because ……

Conclusion: (restating position and main arguements)

When you have finished create a plan of how your new room will look.

Power Words

Power words are words used to help make a statement stronger. Click below to see a few examples to do with selling.

Read the rest of this entry »

category: Class Work
tags: ,

Assignment: Speech – Why should we save the Rain Forests?

Posted by  on Sunday, March 11th 2012     

This Term our assignment is to present a speech that will persuade everyone  ’Why should we save the Rain Forests?’

Your speech needs to be 3 minutes in length (see rubric) and is due on Monday April 2nd (Week 11).

Purpose: To attempt to convince the listener that we should save the Rain Forests

Research:  Make sure you research the topic, there is a lot of information available in books and online

Structure:

Opening statement - introduce your point of view (Position)

Arguments – points and evidence

Conclusion – repeat your point of view

Features: Present tense

Connectives: because, although, however, therefore, actually, so, while, nevertheless, basically, obviously, clearly, furthermore, finally

Knowledge:

  • Use good reasons and evidence to convince your readers
  • Use facts rather than just persuasive comments
  • You may wish to counter arguments
  • Try to get the reader interested and on your side
  • Use strong, positive language
  • Make the reader think that everybody else does this, agrees or that it will make them a better, happier person, Everyone agrees that…, We all know that…
  • Be informative, persuasive and friendly
  • Alliteration can make slogans memorable, eg Buy British Beef
  • Use humour as it can help get people on your side
  • A picture that tugs at the heart-strings can be more powerful than 1000 words

Marking Rubric ( 20 Points)

Time- Limit

  • 4 Points: Presentation is close to 3 minutes long.
  • 3 Points: Presentation is under 3 minutes long.
  • 2 Points: Presentation is 2 or 4 minutes long.
  • 1 Point: Presentation is less than 2 minutes OR more than 4 minutes.

Volume and Speaks Clearly

  • 4 Points: Volumes is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation. Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) of the time, and mispronounces no words.
  • 3 Points: Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time. Speaks clearly and distinctly most (100-95%) of the time, but mispronounces one word.
  • 2 Points: Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time. Speaks clearly and distinctly most (94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one word.
  • 1 Point: Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members. Often mumbles or can not be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.

Posture and Eye Contact

  • 4 Points: Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.
  • 3 Points: Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.
  • 2 Points: Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact.
  • 1 Point: Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation.

Stays on Topic

  • 4 Points: Stays on topic all (100%) of the time.
  • 3 Points: Stays on topic most (99-90%) of the time.
  • 2 Points: Stays on topic some (89-75%) of the time.
  • 1 Point: It was hard to tell what the topic was.

Content (Persuasive )

  • 4 Points: Is able to convince the audience and shows full understanding of the topic.
  • 3 Points: Is able to convince the audience and shows a good understanding of the topic.
  • 2 Points: Provides a few persuasive arguments and shows a good understanding of parts of the topic.
  • 1 Point: Does not provide persuasive arguments and does not seem to understand the topic very well.
category: Class Work
tags: , ,

Harmony Day 21st March

Posted by  on Friday, March 9th 2012     

As part of our school activity for Harmony Day on 21st March: all classes are being asked to paint and decorate a picture on a white cardboard box (one per class – already provided). The painted boxes will then be collected back and assembled together to form a ‘Holding Hands’ art work to highlight the Harmony Day message ‘Everyone Belongs‘.

Our class will base our picture on a traditional Dutch girl costume.

To help with the decoration we also need to make a few accessories. If you have time at home and a parent who can help, you can try and make the following. Leave a comment if you are going to have a go.

We need to make:

category: Class Work
tags: , ,

Voice Inflection: I didn’t say George stole my red pen

Posted by  on Tuesday, March 6th 2012     

Have you ever said something to someone and they misunderstood the meaning of what you said? When you think back over what you said, you wonder how they managed to misunderstand you.

Many times, it is not what was said, but how it was said that causes these reactions. Voice inflection can mean so much more than the actual words that are spoken. Voice inflection means to change your voice. You can vary your voice by stressing a word or phrase, stretching a word or phrase, or pausing before a word or phrase.

I have written the sentence below seven times and have underlined a different word each time. Say each sentence out loud, putting emphasis on the underlined word.  Can you work out what the meaning of each sentence is?

I didn’t say George stole my red pen

I didn’t say George stole my red pen.

I didn’t say George stole my red pen.

I didn’t say George stole my red pen.

I didn’t say George stole my red pen.

I didn’t say George stole my red pen.

I didn’t say George stole my red pen.

I didn’t say George stole my red pen.

In class we will be presenting several small group  radio plays.  Skim read the plays below and find the plays and characters you like.  In class we will vote on the plays and then decide who will get what role. Everyone will have at least one role.

Listen to the finished radioplay podcast of ‘Double Trouble in Walla Walla’ that was performed by students from my previous years.

Scripts

category: Class Work
tags: ,

BtN: A Bug’s Life

Posted by  on Sunday, February 26th 2012     

Staying with nature, if you’ve ever seen a locust or a snail at work in the garden you’ll know how much damage insects can do to plants. But did you know that some insects actually help plants to grow? That’s the lesson Australian scientists are teaching to Cambodian farmers and their kids to help the country grow the food it needs.

Who can answer these questions?

In a comment answer the questions below

  1. What is the main idea of integrated pest management?
  2. What are Stephanie and Professor Bob trying do to teach people in Cambodia?
  3. Describe the devastation some insects can cause.
  4. What is a pesticide?
  5. Why are they trying to avoid using some pesticides?
  6. Some pesticides that were banned in Australia are still being used in Cambodia. True or false?
  7. What did Bob create to get kids involved in pest management?
  8. Describe the role kids are playing in teaching about `good bugs’.
  9. What are the benefits of the program Stephanie and Bob are running in Cambodia?
  10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story?
category: Class Work
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Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.)

Posted by  on Friday, February 10th 2012     

Remember to bring a book, or two, for Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) on Monday. We will have 10 minutes of reading time after lunch each day, except Friday.

 

category: Class Work