The right (write) to an Education - Summer Learning Journey

 Hiya,

For this post we were asked to write a short story at least 10 sentences long. Mine is below. I decided to write about siblings going on a long journey to find something.  This makes my total 40 points :D

Arya slipped on the snowy steps, her usual easy grace evaporating into the mist steaming in the air.

“Arya.” Her brother, Orak, pushed a lock of ink-black hair behind her pointed ear. He gestured up the

mountain. “You see?” Peering up at the steep cliff, head tilted back, Arya silver eyes flashed in the

moonlight. “No.” 

A shadow flickered at the summit, and Orak pointed. “There. That’s our target.” 

Approximately three hours later, when Arya’s legs had turned to overcooked noodles, they reached the

snow capped tip. Arya breathed in the clean, fresh air and smiled. “Smells like those apples mum used to

grow.”

Orak nodded. “Yes, but-”

Arya yeled as she noticed a shadow, a dark spot of something crawling towards them from behind  rock.

The shadow swopped in, located its target and dove. Orak shoved Arya out of harms way and lept

to the left, slamming into the snow with a wet crack. Arya screamed, realising he had landed on a sharp

rock which tore into his side. The shadow assumed the shape of a massive raven and clawed Arya

across the face, she yelped in outrage and lashed out with her knife, opening a long wound along its

wing. Arya had assumed the blade wouldn’t connect with anything, she was about as shocked as the

bird when it fell at her feet, a cloud of snow rising from the frosty grass. Arya raised the knife and

finished the job before rushing to her brother’s side. “Orak.” She breathed, a tear trickling down her cheek

and freezing before it hit the snow. “Orak, no!” Arya shook his shoulder. “Don’t leave me too.”-

Desperate, she pushed her hands on the wound- a long gash the width and length of her graceful

forearm- and called on her magic. Arya was a fighter, not a healer, though all elves are taught basic

healing magic at a young age. 

Orak coughed, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. “No.” He pushed her away weakly. “Don't…

don’t waste your energy... “ a cough rattled in his chest. “On me.” 

A ragged gasp escaped his lips as Arya pushed harder on the wound, closing her eyes and forcing the

gash to heal. “You’re all I have left.” She was crying now, big, hot ugly sobs which racked her whole body.

“I can’t let you die too.”

Dear Jacinda - Summer Learning Journey

 Hiya, 

For this blog post of a letter I would send to Jacinda Adern about an important problem, I'l get 6 points, making my current total 36. Mine is about climate change, as this is a massive problem challenging society. I'm doing everything I can to help stop this problem and I think everyone should do the same.

Dear Jacinda Adern,

I believe Climate Change is a massive issue and should be addressed. David Attenbrough's ' A life on Earth' explains this and how we can stop it 'We must re-wild the wild'. Over 68 percent of wildlife population has been destroyed since 1970. 

This is a terrible problem, as many know, and as many are choosing to ignore, dooming my generation and generations to come. The people who ignore it are the ones who will not prevail. We must take action on this problem as it not only dooms our planet but dooms mankind.

Serenely,

Annelise

Fun Family Facts - Summer Learning Journey

 Hello :)

On this summer learning journey challenge, we had to ask three people close to us what their favourite thing to do in the summer is. I asked my friend Kate, my sister Ella, and my brother Kees. My favourite thing to do in summer is swim in the sea. I also enjoy surf live saving club and horse riding with my friends. This post gives me 6 points, bringing my total to 30 :)

Novelty Hotels - Summer Learning Journey

 Hey,

sO in Bolivia, there are incredible salt flats. People coming to visit them often stay in 'Salt Hotels'- Hotels made entirely of salt. In other parts of the words, there are hotels made of ice, glass and more. We were challenged to create our own hotel made of something strange, and for bonus points, draw one room from it (so I have 24 points after this).

My hotel would be made out of plants. Trees, bushes, flowers and other plants would make up the hotel and rooms. Tree trunks would be in the middle of the dining hall, carved in the middle to make a fireplace (the wood is protected so it can't be burnt). Anyway, my drawing is below.

WWF - Summer learning Journey

 Hello,

As part of the Summer learning Journey challenge, Megan said we have to get 40 points. I got 4 for my Hippocampus, and this one gives me 10 :))

The WWF, or World Wildfire Fund, is a company trying to save endangered animals. I have research two of the animals they are protecting and how they are helping out.

Freshwater Seals

What are they ?

Freshwater Seals are one of the most endangered animals in the word with only 300 individuals left. They give birth to their children in snowbanks, though if they're aren't any, their young are born on the ice with no protection from predators, cold and humans. If they are born on the open ice, half of the pups could die. The reason this is such a problem is Climate Change. Because of it, the snow and ice is melting, giving the Freshwater Seal pups less and less chances of survival.

So what are the WWF doing to help ?

The World Wildfire Fund build snowbanks for the seals to give birth in, insuring the population of Freshwater Seals will grow.

Malayan Tigers

The Video on what the WWF are doing to help Malayan Tigers was blocked, however I researched nonetheless.

What are Malayan Tigers ?

Malayan Tigers are a species of Tiger living in Malasia. Their population is less than 200 and they are considered critically endangered. Their weight is 100-300kgs, their length is 1.183 to 3 meters, and they live in Tropical rainforests, evergreen forests, temperate forests, mangrove swamps, grasslands, and savannas.

Why are they endangered ?

Their home is rapidly decreasing. Tigers have lost an estimated 95% of their historical range. Their habitat being lost for roads and agriculture, increasing the risk of poaching and shattering their futures.

Loss of Prey. Less prey means less predators, in this case as a massive scale. The competition for food forces them to leave protected areas in search of food and water to establish territories, often resulting in Human-Wildlife conflict.

Poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Poaching is the worst threat to tiger populations. There has been a sudden increase in snares. From 2016-2018, a total of 685 snares were discovered by the WWF in Malaysia alone.

What are the WWF doing to help ?

Many people around the world are donating money for many causes to help Malayan Tigers. The money is spent 83% of on program expenses, 11% on fundraising, and 6% on finance and administration.

My Hippocampus - Summer Learning Journey

 Hiya,

Today we are trying some of the Summer Learning Journey challenges. I choose one about 'Awesome Animals', in which we had to create our own animal and describe it. My animal is a Hippocampus, which, admittedly, is an animal in Greek mythology. I drew mine and took a photo to place at the bottom.

In Greek mythology, a Hippocampus is a creature who is half horse and half fish. They don't appear often in Greek myths, but when they do, they are often being ridden by water spirits or gods. However, in other mythology they are known as 'water horses' who can become a whole horse to charm people into riding them. Once someone is riding the horse, their legs are stuck to the horses fur, and it gallops into the water and transforms into its true form, drowning the rider. However, if the rider has a horse tack, a legend says the rider can tame the water horse and it is faster and stronger than all other horses.

End of Year Activities

 Hiya,

Its the end of year, so Megan set us some tasks relating to 2020 and the school year. Our first task was a memory book (slideshow) Megan made. Mine is embedded below.

The second task was to make a word art about 2020.

Curious Cove Camp

Hiya,

Last week we went on camp at Curious Cove (Kiwi Ranch). We had an awesome time and this week we have been completing camp-related challenges- mine are below :)

Challenge one: A retelling of you favourite part of camp

“Oh. My. God.” Gill said as we turned the corner. 

At this point we’d been hiking for around thirty minutes in Ships Cove, New Zealand, searching for the waterfall. Kate’s breath caught as she twisted around, half a second after us. Jayden’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and mine were probably the same as I drank in the scene. Two gushing waterfalls sprouted from a massive rock coated in moss, bouncing down the ridges, splashing into a gurgling river which continued downstream. This is what I love about my country. The simple greenness of it all. The way the different shades came together to form a beautiful blend of colour and light. Our little group stood there for a solid ten minutes, staring open-mouthed at the beauty. Gill’s eyebrows were making a determined retreat from her forehead as we forged closer. Then the phones were whipped out, photos and slow-motions taken, but I was simply caught up in pure happiness. It wasn't Niagara Falls, but it was amazing in the same way New Zealand is amazing. Understated beauty and ecosystems coming together to form incredible things.

Challenge two: Create an animation of your piece of writing

(I may or may not have made an animation of the Jetty Jumping not the waterfall)

LINK HERE

Challenge Six: Acrostic Poem

C aring
U mbrella weather
R espectful
I ncredible views
O ptimistic
U nique
S ea sick

C heerful
O cean fishing
V ivid beauty
E arly morning

Challenge Seven: Book Creator

LINK HERE

Bye :)

Writing Challenge Week 1

 Hiya,

In week four we are going to Curous Cove (camp) for the week, so before that we have a bunch of tests to prepare for. One of these tests is around writing. Personally, I love writing, and a lot of people think that's weird (probably because it is) but I just enjoy it. Yesterday, we learnt about perspective. There are three you can use in your writing, First person (using words like I and me) Second person (Using words like you) and third person (using words like she, he and them.) I use mainly first person for my writing, but I like to use third every now and again.

Anyway, here's my writing in first person. Its not done, but I'll update it when I do finish. Megan gave us the start of the first sentence. 'A door suddenly swung open'

A door suddenly swung open, a woman stepped through. The only problem was I was standing in the

middle of a forest. Warm sunlight trickled through the canopy, splattering gentle yellow light onto the her

skin. She was beautiful, tall and lithe, with a deep tan and long, dark hair spilling over her shoulders.

I, on the other hand, was a medium hight, pale, with black hair and silver eyes, an odd combination

most people found unsettling. My freckles were not made of sunlight. I was not graceful. And I most

certainly did not step through random doors which materialized out of thin air. 

The woman looked around, confused,  and said, “Where is my roaring crowd? My standing ovation?

Where is the palace?!”

I peered at her as she spun in a full circle, her glittering gold silk dress, spaghetti straps holding up the

beautiful fabric. The woman looked as if she had been dipped in liquid gold. I glanced down at my ratty

jeans, ripped at both knees and on the shin, my hair hastily pulled back in a ponytail, the white t-shirt

splattered with dirt, the bow and quiver of arrows slung over my shoulder, the knives strapped to my

limbs. “What do you mean?” I yelped, taking a staggering step backwards. She turned and glared at

me, blue eyes blazing deep into my soul. I had a feeling she had x-ray vision, but she wasn’t seeing

my bones. More likely she was staring into my deepest fears, my happiest moments and my worst

moments. 

“Oh.” I said. “Uh-”

“Girl, what are you wearing?! Where is your dress? Your crown of gold?”

“I- Ma’am I don’t-”

“Don’t you ma’am me! Girl, go get into your glad rags for the ceremony. I was told I’d be given an

obedient servant.”

That was when I snapped. “Servent?!” I yelled. “I am not a servant! I don’t care who you are, or

wherever you came from but you can leave me alone!”

“Girl, do not underestimate-”

I pulled my bow off my shoulder and nocked an arrow, aiming it at her chest. “No. Do not underestimate

me. And stop calling me girl. It’s creepy.”

“How dare you?” The woman spat, quivering with anger.

Have an awesome day :)

Snazzy Bean 420

 Hiya,

I'm back, with another blog challenge. Today Megan asked us to design a river measuring device. It had to be able to view underwater without the viewer having to go underwater, be waterproof, not disturb the waterbed, be able to be carried around and measure temperature. 

The Snazzy Bean 420 is a waterproof device made of recycled plastics and glass. Below are the labels relating to the numbers.

1. Rotating shower heads to help it move

2. Rotating camera head (sends footage to 5)

3. Handle to be carried around

4. Thermometer to measure temperature

5. Controller, shows camera footage and controls the device

Have an awesome day :)