More ANZAC Presentations

Making connections:  Sophie, Angie and Caitlin asked why I brought the taonga to school.  They reasoned that I must somehow be related to Fritz Honore.  Well done girls, you are right!

The girls found a death penny on ebay for the equivalent of NZD$356.66.  They also reported that there is a collectors' market
 for plaques that are inscribed with less common names.  Many of the death pennies were melted down (for the bronze) in the 60s and the 70s, but they are now more treasured.

Brayden, Skylar, Samuel and Travis called their presentation The Taonga.  Their presentation included a lot of interesting information, including the place of Fritz Honore's death.  He was killed in France and still lies there today.

Island Progression

Nessa, Ishika and Caitlin are using windmills to power their resort.  They will be growing their own food.  This means that they will not need to bring in supplies from off shore. 

Nicholas is using solar panels.  The energy will be converted into electricity

Ruby is providing a natural salt water pool.  Water will be replenished when there's a high tide.
Joseph and Samuel are collecting rainwater runoff from the roofs of their units.  This will be used as drinking water at their resort

Nadia has decided it is more responsible to have her guests stay in tents.
"I don't want people to stay in something that used stuff (resources) from the natural environment."

Remembering the fallen

A more sombre mood prevails today in Room 2.  I have brought in a family taonga.  The children are now deep in an inquiry on what this treasure can possibly be.  They have touched it, but absolutely no information has been provided.  Not a word.  Nothing. Not even that it relates to events in World War I.

The children are having to use effective key-wording and research to unlock its secrets. I am looking forward to their presentations (later on today) as they educate me on my own history.

Update - we have been busy making pom poms (as part of our enviro-week)  with Room 22, so the kids will present their slide shows on Monday or Tuesday.  Can't wait!

Just Sayin'

You guys rock!

Have you heard the one about the kids who got to design their own camp?

What collaboration looks like in Room 2

Well, the kids had a great time, got the opportunity to get their creative juices flowing and worked effectively in teams.

Bad joke ... but seriously good learning experience.  

At face value the level of thinking for this project might not seem very complicated, but consider these questions ...

What kind of activities should school camps provide?

How much space does a horse arena require?  

Where would you put the camp toilets, and how close should these facilities be to the sleeping area?

How do you most effectively show a lot of information on a single map?

How do you show the physical space between zones?

How do you best negotiate in a group environment to ensure your ideas are included in plans?

How do you market your camp to schools?

More thinking than you first thought, right?

In Room 2 we are not intimidated by these kinds of thinking tasks. We take it all in our stride because that's just the way we roll.  

A big thank you to Mrs Turner who supported Mrs Wallace in the development of this idea.  You rock, Mrs Turner.