10English-Public art is a waste of time and money

You're casually strolling down an occupied street somewhere deep in the city until something bright catches the peak of your eye. You twist your head around as quickly as an eagle and spot a majestic masterpiece calling to your mind. Public Art. Public Art is seen just about anywhere and let's admit, they do look spectacular! Whilst looking spectacular, they do also cost a spectacular amount of money and time to make, which could truly be diverted into other more-logical purposes, for instance, child poverty. Child poverty is a serious problem in New Zealand and the Government needs to act more and do more about it. The money that is wasted into Public Art could easily be used for child poverty, just imagine the lives that could be saved from this. Another reason why Public Art is a waste of resources is that the space it can take up could be used for a local home or a business that could just use a space to be built on. Public Art is not all that bad, I mean it definitely adds beauty and colour to our cities. It is also appreciated by some people to add Art to our towns, as it gives it a more welcoming vibe to travelers and tourists who decide to hang around for a bit. Public Art is not bad, it just could be delayed until we sort out some problems in the World in the present.

10Science-Green & Rainbow Challenge

Green and Rainbow challenges

A: Green challenge:

Take a test tube and fill with "two fingers" of the base. Now see the teacher for three drops of universal indicator. Now add the acid

Observations:

1. When we added the universal indicator to the base the colour changed to blue.

2. When the solution was neutralised the colour changed to green

The most difficult thing about this challenge was trying to balance the acid and base as it had too have the exact amount of atoms for each.

B: Rainbow challenge:

Take a test tube, the base and the acid and universal indicator and create a the best rainbow in a test tube you can manage.

Put a photo of your rainbow in a test tube here:

10English-The Power Of One Screencastify

This is my 1st Paragraph on the power of One On the Shot of where PK and Doc were playing the piano together

This is my 2nd Paragraph on The Power Of One where the shot of where PK is confronted by an elephant, his biggest childhood fear.

This

10English-All Supermarkets should eliminate using plastic bags to help the environment.

Plastic bags are omnipresent. They clog up our beautiful oceans and darken our cities day by day. With the continuous use of these, we are leading into a very dark and unclean future. Most modern shops will still be using plastic bags as you read this, but some have chosen the eco-friendly version of these shopping bags. The newer eco-friendly bag is safe for the environment as it is biodegradable and does not clog up everything it touches. Quite honestly, I think that the eco-friendly bags look better and they don't use any plastic, which means less plastic in our world. But there are surprisingly some other reasons why some stores may choose to keep at the plastic bags. For example, plastic bags are lightweight and are easy to store. You can carelessly just roll it up and chuck it in one of your spare cupboards without having to worry about space. These bags are also fit for their purpose meaning that they are basically fully designed to be cheap, lightweight and can carry goods without any extra hassle. It all comes down to what you prefer, either to save the environment or continue wasting plastic into our environment, come on stores, choose whats better for the environment!

10English-Gaming is making too many young people unhealthy

I think that gaming is great, I mean who does not like playing games! But obviously, there is always a downside to things. Gaming is the modern way of socialization with your friends, even if they only live a few houses away. Gaming is also a great way of entertaining yourself when you are just sitting on a couch. But a downside to this would be that it requires hardly any physical interaction, and you eliminate some time that you could have been person-to-person with your friends and go to watch the latest movie. Another point to the positive side is that you have the ability to play games online with friends or family overseas which is obviously great! Gaming is good as long as it is kept under control and with time-limitations otherwise we would all be couch potatoes! 

10SocialStudies-Paleolithic Poster

10Science-Acid And Bases

Year 10 Acids and Bases

First reactions

Magnesium reacting with oxygen:

Method: We held a strip of magnesium metal in the hottest part of a bunsen burner flame till it caught fire.

We didn't look directly at the reaction because (safety reason)

Observations:

1. The magnesium metal was a silver, solid and flexible piece of metal.

2. The magnesium burned with a white bright light that can be harmful to the eyes if directly looked at.

3. After it burned it turned into a white powder that had deformed from the metal itself.

The word equation is: Mg + O2 -----> MgO

The balanced chemical equation is: Mg + O2 -----> MgO2

2. Iron filings reacting with sulphur:

Method: We mixed equal amounts of iron filings and sulphur then used a magnet wrapped in paper to separate them.

We mixed them again and added the mixture to a test tube and heated strongly.

Observations:

1. The iron filings were a dark grey colour which was quite prickly to the touch.

2. The sulphur was a yellow, lumpy powder which had a texture of flour.

3, When we heated the tube A glow began at the bottom of the tube and it slowly moved up the tube.

The compound mixed together and it created a substance that was called Iron Sulfide

4. After the reaction the Iron Sulfide had a black-solid look to it and looked partially like a hardened piece of chalk.

The word equation for the reaction is: Fe + S ----> FeS

The balanced chemical equation is: Fe + S ----> FeS

10English-Information on Should technology be used in schools?

Yes, Technology is good for learning! It is portable, fast, lightweight, well there's basically nothing it isn't! Technology is the current go-to for modern learning all because of its generous uses packed down into a single device. Technology is great as you can effortlessly share your weeks work with your teachers and classmates. Also, technology gives us an advantage to the old types of school as we don't have to carry a packed trampers backpack with us as we can just take all the books out and fit it all in an actual school bag! But yes, there is another rather disapproving side towards technology. If the WiFi connection is unknowingly cut, you will basically be stranded in the middle of nowhere on your work and all you can do is hope that the internet providers that you paid good money for, does their job. Another negative comment towards technology is that it could also be used for non-school purposes and well... it can lead to pupils straying off the path and turn towards the latest release in terms of gaming. Overall technology is not bad, it is great and there is no reason why students should not use it as long as the teacher is cautious about what their beloved students are on!

10English-SEXXY Paragraphs for The Power of One

In English, we have been studying SEXXY Paragraphs. This acronym stands for Statement, Example, Explain the Director's purpose, Explain the effect and Link. I have done 4 paragraphs on a great movie called The Power of One.


Introduction
The Power of One is a great movie for all students studying human rights. This movie is about a time where Apartheid was the norm and people were disgusted and avoided the black South Africans. I think that the director (John G. Avildsen) did an exquisite job at bringing this movie to life which showed us what Apartheid really was. Some of these top-of-the-notch quality aspects used included: Extreme close-ups, close-ups, mid shots, establishing shots, two shots, and long shots.

1st Paragraph


The film aspect used for this shot is an extreme close-up. This shot shows us that PK has been drained out of his energy and that he is just lying there before his mind and body decide on what to do next. For example, here we see PK lying flat on the ground and he looks at the camera with an exhausted expression which indicates to us that he has been in a tough and truly tiring fight. The purpose of this shot is to show the audience that PK has a fighting spirit and that he did not just walk away but he stayed there awaiting what he would do next. This makes the audience tense and anxious as we can see that he is still conscious but he is in a tired state. This is an excellent cliffhanger on what could be upcoming to this fight. This combines with the shot where PK was getting bullied at Boarding school as he had to wait for what was upcoming next and that he did not just give in to what had happened to him. This can link with the shot where PK gets urinated on. As he did not easily give in to it and he sought help rather than dealing with it on his own. This effect shows that he has a true fighter and resilient spirit.

2nd Paragraph 


The film aspect used here is an establishing/mid shot. This shot shows us that PK is teaching the South Africans English for probably what was the first time in they’re lives and they all seem to be learning it joyfully and they all accept PK as a great, cheerful teacher. For example, here we see a group of South Africans sitting closely together in a circle where they are learning some part of English. We also see PK in a teaching position and he looks enthusiastic and proud of what they are doing. The purpose of this shot is to show us that PK has a kind heart and that he chose to use his time wisely and share his language with the people who probably have not had lessons or have even been to a school before. This makes the audience proud and cheerful to see these South Africans joyfully learning English and also it makes us feel proud of what PK has chosen to do and how he used his time. This combines with the shot of where PK was in his class and he got rewarded with a scholarship. This is because we feel proud of him as we do in this shot. This can link with the shot of where PK is in front of his class as he was confidently talking to them about a subject that he seemed to have found interesting. This affects us as viewers as we see that he enjoys teaching and helping others in areas where they may struggle.

3rd Paragraph


The film aspect used is a long shot. This shot shows us how PK and a schoolboy are about to go into what looks like a tough fight. We can see that the trainers are giving the fighters suggestions before they fight in the ring. For example, here we see PK and the schoolboy warming up and they both wait for when the fight is going to begin. We can see that PK seems confident in what he is doing. The purpose of this shot is to show us the upcoming fight and that both of these boys are ready. It also partially foreshadows a long and interesting fight that is going to begin. This makes the audience anxious and intrigued as we excitedly wait for the fight to begin. We feel worried for PK as he is the main character, which makes us want him to win this fight. This combines with the shot of where PK is training for boxing when he was a boy as we can see his build up in confidence and knowledge in boxing. This can link with when PK fights Gideon as they both are in a tense situation and we know also that it was going to be a long and interesting fight. This effect shows us that PK always likes to pull an interesting show.

4th Paragraph


The film aspect used here is a close-up/focus shot of Maria as she is astonished at PK. We can see here that she has a focused gaze on someone who is in the ring, and this person was PK. For example, here we see Maria with a flattered and surprised look on her face as she had just seen PK give her a glance. The purpose of this shot is to show us how PK has found a love for him and that this love is going both ways. We can see Maria is astonished at him which means they may have something in common. This makes the audience feel proud for PK as he had found a perfect lover for his needs. We can see that they both instantly got feelings for each other, meaning there is a special bond between them. This combines with the scene at the start where his mother had loved him as she had loved her husband, meaning that in both of these times, the bond of love was strong. This can link with the scene of where Maria gets struck down by a policeman and instantly gets killed. This relates because we can see the strength of their love in both of these times.

5th Paragraph


The film aspect used here is a long shot. Here we can see the slums where the African people live in and it has all been engulfed by flames which indicate it has been struck down and torn to pieces by the pro-apartheid police. For example, here we see the whole slums in flames and it is all gloomy and sad as the effects of pathetic fallacy are used to make it seem a sad and horrid time. The purpose of this shot is to show us how when apartheid was around, life was horrid for all the black people and the police would even tear down whole slums just to catch 1 wrong move. This makes the audience feel sad and furious towards the police as they had no right to tear down a village for these people without any thought whatsoever. We also feel empathetic to the Africans as they no longer have a place to seek shelter anymore. This combines with the scene where the police take down the black and white boxing gym because we can see and feel the hate to the blacks from the police in both of these shots. This scene can link with the scene where The Judgemental police go into the place where PK was teaching some Africans English with Maria. The police even strike down on Maria (which ends up killing her) just because of their hate towards all blacks.

Conclusion
If you’re ever studying or just wondering about human rights or apartheid, be sure to view and understand this movie as the director had pushed many great film aspects to the limit of they’re use. I would recommend this to anyone, so why not give it a watch?

10SocialStudies-Inventions Poster

Here is a poster on 3 inventions that I thought had changed the way we do things drastically.

10SocialStudies-Stone Age

1. What problems did people face in the stone age?
-They could not find food and some animals were faster and stronger than them.
2. What food did they eat?
-fruits, roots and raw animal flesh.

3. What was used to hunt food?

-Bones, Stones, and Wood.

4. What was difficult about using stones?

-They were too heavy and were shapeless.

5. What did they do about this problem?

-They learned what stones could be carved into great weapons and tools.

6. What kind of tools were used?

-Axe, Pickaxe, Knife, Spear, Arrows, Bows, Harvesting tools.
7. What type of tools could they make when adding wood and stones together?
-Pickaxe, Axe, Spear, Knife, Arrows
8. What were an axe and pickaxe used for?
-An axe was used for breaking wood, and a pickaxe was used for gathering stone.

We watched this video in Social Studies. It shows us what tools were made in the stone Age.

Are students addicted to their cellphones? If so, is that a problem?

Are students addicted to their cellphones? If so, is that a problem?

I feel that students are partially addicted to their cellphones and partially not. I can see the parents side where the kids are just wasting time on their phones and that they did not have phones when they were growing up, but welcome to the new generation where technology is just another great invention which is a modern-source of entertainment. For example, a phone is definitely useful for research on the web, as well as to entertain you while you are patiently waiting at the doctors or someplace. But on the other side, phones can be addicting if they are not under-control which is where students may experience sleep deprivation or focusing issues. I feel that students are not always addicted to their phones it just matters on how they see it as a tool.

10Music-Matariki Infographic

In Music, we are currently learning about the Maori celebration of Matariki and what it is all about. It is a festival that starts mid-winter which basically celebrates a new season for the Maori and this is when the Matariki cluster (The Pleiades) come out. Here is my picktochart on what The main points of Matariki are about!:

10 Social Studies-How has technology changed the way we do things.

Technology... We all know what this is, we all love it. Technology has drastically changed the way we live our lives than ever before and over the past few decades, we have seen the most extravagant changes in life that were deemed to be impossible only 20 years back. This has happened because the technology has been improved bit by bit over the years and each day we get one step closer to whatever the next big thing is, whether it be holograms or floating cars, we as humans always strive to figure out the next thing. For example, technology has changed the way we learn hugely. Back in the so-called 'olden days', we used to use these things called books, where nowadays we have thankfully replaced them with new tech-savvy devices that basically have access to the knowledge dreams are made up of.  Another example is that technology has helped us improve in our eco-friendly cars. The old cars that look cool now are actually not cool in terms of fuel usage and handling as they basically splutter out the deadly toxins into our atmosphere which is pretty much the worst thing for the environment. A final example that I will give will be how tech has saved us from listening to music that would fill up the whole room. Back then we used to use audio devices called gramophones and record players but nowadays we can pick up any modern device, a pair of headphones, and then go walk with it and bring 100s of concerts with you all in a 2-inch long device.

Link to our ideas on technology and changes-
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OpWVucrhfYBp67g55eC1NdrqRneEWqiwOTmrKlQMQKU/edit#slide=id.g39358d9441_0_0