Weka Day Camp chapter books

After our day camp, we spilt into writing groups and each group collaborated to make its own chapter book.  We each wrote a chapter and drew a picture with pastels to illustrate it.

Here are a selection of camp art, but you can see everyone's work on the Visual Arts page:

Here is an illustration of our tramp.

Here is an illustration of the orienteering.

Here is an illustration of cooking sausages.

Here is an illustration of erecting tents.

Here are the writers with their finished publications:

Kento, Liam, Jeremy and Green are the Adventure Writers.

Charlize, Kavesha, Taylor and Hayden are the Weka Writers.

Andrew, Rylee, Summer and Alyssa are the Camp Writers.

Ronnie, Bonnie, kate and Charlotte are the Botanic Garden writers.

Luke, Nico, Lincoln and Juwon are the Camping Machines.

Here are the promotional photo shoots of each writers' group:

Maui and the Sun

We read the Maori myth, 'Maui me te Rangi' and also watched the video of Peter Gossage's book,  'How Maui Slowed the Sun'.  This is read in Te Reo with English subtitles.  It was interesting to pick up how many words we knew, and hear the rhythm and pace of the Maori language.

How Maui Slowed the Sun by Peter Gossage

It was also interesting to hear how people in the olden days explained natural phenomenon, such as   shorter daylight hours in winter, through colourful, traditional myths.   Nowadays, scientists explain that the reason days are longer in summer, while they are shorter in winer, is due to the Earth's tilt on its axis.  The hemisphere that is closest to the Sun has the longest, brightest days because it gets more direct light from the Sun's rays.

We used cotton buds, instead of brushes, to apply the dye.  We tried very carefully to stay in the lines and not load our applicator up with too much dye.

Here is a finished sun to illustrate our re-telling of the Maori myth.

Before we even started our illustrations, we listened to the story again.  Once we had the main ideas in our heads, we brainstormed some of the key words we would need in our stories.  Then we wrote our own plan using verbs that described exactly what happened.  Over the next few days, we re-told the myth using our own words from our plan.  

This is Nico's story, but you can read them all on the Reading page.

Mushrooms are growing in Room 18!

At Cockle Bay,  22 mushrooms 'mysteriously' appeared in Room 18.  Could it be anything to do with the heavy bag of clay that was delivered earlier in the day?

We spent the morning experimenting with clay and learning how to manipulate it, by making shapes, pounding, rolling, pushing, pulling, poking and cutting.   Later, in the afternoon, we made mushrooms by making a think column for a strong stalk, and then a round umbrella shape for the cap.  We used a toothpick to make the gills under the cap so that they all looked like real fungi. 

It was interesting to learn that the typical umbrella shape of a mushroom is Nature's way of keeping the tiny spores dry.  These spores are tucked away under the cap in gills so that they don't get wet.  If they stay dry, they are much more likely to catch the wind and fly through the air to find a new place to grow.

We now have to wait three weeks for the clay to properly dry out before we fire our mushrooms in the Cockle Bay kiln.  

Our recounts about the Lloyd Elsmore trip

Many of us shared our stories about our trip to Lloyd Elsmore at our PPPs.  At the end of term, we illustrated these recounts using water colours (which seemed appropriate for stories about water safety!)  Here is a preview, but you can read them all on the WRITING page.

Matariki Stars

The end of term is a good time to finish unfinished things - and that is just what we did with our Matariki stars.  We didn't have time for these in Term 1 when we made and tested our Matariki bird kites and telescopes.  But now, at last, our stars are hanging down from the ceiling, watching over us.

First, we had to colour the star.

Then we had to add tassels, beads and feathers.

Here is a finished star - you can see more in the VISUAL ART page or hanging in the classaroom.

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Art Expo

The Art Expo was in the hall at the same time, so that you could see art from all around the school after your PPP.  We also had time to visit the art expo in school time.

This year, the theme was famous New Zealand artists with a focus on traditional Maori art.  In Room 18, we studied Colin Mc Cahon.  We looked particularly at his earlier work which featured trees in his garden.  We emulated his style to paint trees in Cockle Bay School.  When we walked around the school to look at them closely, we were surprised by how many different shaped trees we found, and how many different shades of green we found in the foliage.  You can see all our tree paintings on the VISUAL ART page.

Here are two of our paintings - you can see all of Room 18's art work on the VISUAL ART page.

Winter Holiday Recounts

We finally finished our art work that illustrates our holiday stories.  You can read all of these recounts on the WRITING page to find out what really excited us about our holidays.

A special thanks to Green - his writing was used as a student exemplar on the Writing Wall.  It  has labels to show you how he used different literacy features, set out in the success criteria, to improve his written work.

Fathers' Day

Having celebrated Mothers' Day earlier in the year, it was only fair that we also celebrated Fathers' Day!  We made Fathers' Day cards and also wrote a description of our dad.  Here are a couple,  but you can read them all on the WRITING page.  We certainly have some cool dude Dads out there!

Green's description of his Dad.

Kate's description of her Dad.

Potato People - Self Assessments

Our potato people have been on display in the classroom and everyone has had a chance to have a look at them.  We did a self assessment of our own potato person.  We are now waiting for them to grow shoots, just like the potato people in the book, so that we can plant them in our garden and grow potatoes of our own.  Maybe we will cook chips or wedges, or make a potato salad in a few months' time.

Here are two self assessments, but you can read them all on the Visual Arts page.

Andrew wrote a very thoughtful reflection in his self assessment of his potato man.

Maryanne thought carefully about her potato girl when she did her self assessment.

Rock Bottom Potato People

We read the book, 'Potato People' and then decided to make our own.

We drew paper patterns, and then cut them out of material.

We cut wool into the right lengths to make hair and beards.

We used pins for eyes and to attach the clothing.

There was a range of prehistoric fabric to choose from.

We used hot glue guns to stick on hair, eyebrows and mouths.

Here are all the potato people - you can see individual photos on the Visual Art page.

Mothers Day

Aa well as making a flower card for Mothers Day, we also wrote and illustrated a description of our mums.  Here is the success criteria we followed to make sure that our stories were interesting and didn't miss any good bits out:

Here are our published stories about our mothers.  You can read these in the WRITING page, where they are enlarged or in the Mothers Day folder when it is your turn to take it home.