Posted by
Mr. Rees on Tuesday, February 16th 2010
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest, most complex and diverse ecosystems in the world. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park begins at the tip of Cape York in Queensland and extends south almost to Bundaberg. The area is larger than Victoria and Tasmania combined and stretches more than 2300km along the north-east coast of Australia.
Background:
Due to global warming, tourism, farming, mining and over fishing the Coral Reefs in Australia are being eroded and marine life is being threatened. You have been asked to prepare a report assessing the dangers to this fragile environment and suggest ways of preventing further damage in the future.
Task:
Which would you consider to be the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef and how do you propose to correct it?
Points to Consider:
What do you know about the Great Barrier Reef?
What are the threats that are affecting the Reef?
What are people doing now to preserve the Reef?
Where to start?
Work through the next three points:
1 What do I know about the Great Barrier Reef?
- What is a Coral Reef?
- How are Coral Reefs built?
- Where is the Great Barrier Reef?
- Name two types of Coral
- What types of sea creatures live there?
- What are three ways people use the Great Barrier Reef?
These sites may help:
2 What are the threats that affect the Reef and what is being done to stop these threats?
- Name of Threat
- Effect on Great Barrier Reef
- What is being done to stop the threat?
These sites may help:
3 What are people doing now to preserve the Reef?
These sites may help you identify what’s being done to stop the threats.
How do I present my Work:
- Powerpoint Presentation
- Poster
- Brochure
- Video Production
- Other (see me before starting)
How will the work be evaluated:
- Accuracy of your information
- Your reasons for selecting the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef
- Your proposal to correct this threat
Where do I find other Information:
DUE: Monday Week 8 (15th March)
Categorized in
Class Work,
HSIE
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Thursday, February 11th 2010
Learn about the Winter Olympics with this fun Web Quest. Click the hyperlinked numbers to find the answer and then type them into a comment. Make sure you number each answer to match the questions below. Comments will be published after everyone has done their own.
Part A: Mascots
Part B: General
- When and where were the first Winter Olympic Games?________10_________.
- At Vancouver, more than 80 countries will be represented with about 2500 athletes. How many countries participated in the first Winter Olympic Games?_______11_______
- How many countries in the southern hemisphere have hosted the winter olympics? _____12______
- Which country has won the most medals in the winter olympics?____13_____
- What is the biathlon?______14________
- What is Nordic combined?______15________
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Wednesday, February 10th 2010
The responsibility of looking after the class pets is currently done by the winning table in our Monopoly Rewards. So far this is working well with the first table doing a great job. They even volunteered to spend time cleaning enclosures at lunch time. 
The winning table needs to organise who will do the following list of responsibilities:
Fish
Feed once every morning and afternoon and make sure not to over feed.
- Johanni Cichlids – Brown/ Grey food – 4 pinches of food added slowly. If they aren’t racing for their food then stop feeding.
- Paradise Fish – Red/Yellow food – 5 to 6 granules
- Tetras and Shrimp – Red/Yellow food – 10 to 12 granules
Giant Burrowing Cockroaches
- Spray the cocopeat/sand if it is becoming dry (Monday to Friday).
- On Monday and Wednesday wet the balls of paper to make sure the roaches have something to drink.
- On Friday replace the balls of paper with new wet paper towel.
- When most of the dried leaves have been eaten then collect and add new dry leaves from outside. They must be brown, crispy and dry (no moisture).
Fiddler Beetles
- Spray the cocopeat if it is becoming dry (Monday to Friday).
- On Monday, Wednesday and Friday clean and wet the sponge to make sure they have something to drink.
- Replace the slice of apple on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Mantis
- On Monday and Wednesday clean and wet the sponge to make sure she has something to drink.
- Feed one large cricket every Tuesday and Friday. I will catch cricket in trap for you.
Stick Insects
- Spray the leaves every morning and afternoon. If it is very hot spray again at eating time.
- Tuesday and Friday-
- Remove dry leaves, paper towel frass and eggs(ova).
- Collect the eggs and add them to the appropriate egg containers.
- Clean bottom of enclosure so no frass is remaining.
- Lay new paper towel on the bottom of each enclosure.
- Fill water bottle and add fresh eucalyptus leaves.
- Place the bottle towards the back of the enclosure so that some leaves touch the side.
- Spray the leaves.
Categorized in
Class Pets
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Monday, February 8th 2010
National parks are large areas of public land set aside for native plants, animals and the places in which they live. National parks protect places of natural beauty. They also protect places important to Aboriginal people, and places that show how people lived in the past.
Find the answers to all these questions and then type them into a comment. Make sure you number each answer to match the questions below. Comments will be published after everyone has done their own.
National parks are special ______1_______ and it’s up to all of us to treat them with ________2_________ – whether ________3__________, ___________4_________, or vehicle touring.
The Royal National Park was the first National Park in Australia and the second in the world.
5. When was The Royal National Park opened?
6. Where is The Royal National Park?
Sydney Harbour National Park protects areas of natural foreshore around the harbour and islands in the harbour.
7. List five animals found in rock engraving within the park.
8. What did the convicts call Fort Denison?
Using the map at this page, locate a National Park near where we live.
9. What is the name of the park?
10. Find out two facts about the park. For example -
How much does it cost to enter the park?
What is an animal you would find in the park?
What is an activity you could do in the park?
Use Google to find the answer to the following question
11. Name a National Park in each state
- Queensland
- Tasmania
- South Australia
- Northern Territory
- Western Australia
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Saturday, February 6th 2010
Using Make Belief Comix create your very own comic strip that tells a short joke. You can make up your own joke or adapt an existing one.
Before you start creating the comic strip you should have a play and become familiar with how it works. You can also use 2, 3 or 4 panels so make sure you plan your work first.
When you have finished your creation click the [print/email] and email it to nicolai.rees (at) det.nsw.edu.au (you need to edit this email correctly). It also asks for your name and email, though I suggest you just write your first name in both boxes and then click [email comix].
Once I have received you comic I will place it in the comments for everyone to see.
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Tuesday, February 2nd 2010
Andy Warhol (August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987), was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. He was very famous for turning everyday items, like a can of soup, into a piece of art. The highest price ever paid for a Warhol painting is $100 million for a 1963 canvas titled Eight Elvises.
In class we combined two of his well known pieces, Campbell’s Soup and Marilyn Monroe, to create a fun new version. We also decided to make our own yummy soup varieties.
Could you walk past the soup isle and not put one of these new varieties into your trolley?
Art or Advert?
Categorized in
Creative Arts
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Friday, January 29th 2010
We have had two days of school so far and almost everyone seems to be settling in very well so far. I am amazed at the talent I can already see in the class and am sure we will have a wonderful year ahead.
This class blog will play a major role in your child’s education this year. It is important that everyone has access to a computer and the Internet at home, please see mrrees.com/parents for parent information on Internet Safety. It is also a good idea to know the guidelines students need to follow when publishing on the Internet. This is a learning curve for most students and they are likely to make mistakes, therefore everything is moderated and will need to be approved by me before it will be visible to everyone.
All homework is provided via the homework page and there is no paper copy sent home, please contact me if this is a issue. Next weeks homework is already up, though Mentals and Mathletics will not be ready until books and accounts have been organised.
If you need to contact me you can use the form on the contact page and it will send directly to my email. All notes (sick/family holiday/appointments) can be completed this way, you are welcome to write a paper one if you wish.
As parents you can comment on students work/ask questions, though last names still can’t be used. With any comment parents will need to refer to themselves by first name followed by child’s name and then the relationship to the child. In plain English – Joy, John’s Mum.
I am looking forward to a great year with what seems to be a fantastic class.
Regards
Mr. Rees
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Thursday, January 28th 2010
Welcome back to school everyone. I hope you enjoyed your holidays and had a great Christmas. For class this year you will need to make sure you have the following supplies:
- A4 document folder x2 (plastic)
- A4 homework book (not glued – ring bound)
- pens – blue and red
- pencils
- coloured pencils
- pencil sharpener
- highlighter
- eraser
- ruler (clear plastic)
- glue
- tissues (optional)
- textas (optional)
- paint shirt (optional)
- no liquid paper
You will be taking your books home to cover so contact paper will also be needed, though only at home.
Categorized in
Class Work
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Thursday, January 28th 2010
This term we will be learning about the Winter Olympic Games and the SPIRIT OF AN OLYMPIAN. The five values we look at are: Joy of effort, Fair play, Respect for others, Pursuit of excellence, Balance between body will and mind.
The XXI Olympic Winter Games will be held from February 12-28 2010 in Vancouver and the ski resort region of Whistler. After the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976 and the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, Vancouver will be the third time an Olympic Games has been held in Canada.
The Olympic Flame and Torch is one of the strongest symbols of the Olympic Games. The Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay will touch all Canadians and attract global attention to the Games.
The Olympic Torch for Vancouver 2010 was lit at Olympia on the 22nd of October in Ancient Olympia, Greece. Eleven women, representing the roles of priestesses, performed a ceremony in which the torch was kindled by the light of the Sun. After travelling around Greece for eight days a ceremony is held in Athens before flying to Canada for the 106 day domestic Olympic Torch relay route.
Click here to see more fantastic photos of the ceremony and torch relay.
Click here for an interactive map that shows you where the torch relay has and will travel.
Click here to play a fun game called Path of the Athlete.
Posted by
Mr. Rees on Thursday, January 21st 2010
School will begin for students on Thursday 28th January 2010.
New classes will not be formed until late on Friday, at the latest Monday. You will spend the first two days with your teacher from last year and then there will be school/grade assemblies and you will find out who your new teacher is.
[UPDATE]: You will go to your new class on Thursday 28th, apologies for the late notice. Procedures below will stay the same.
2NR students from 2009 will need to play in the K-6 Assembly area before school and then line up like we normally do.
[UPDATE]: You will need to put your bags on the silver seats outside our old room.
Categorized in
Class Work
