Weekly Tasks - Term 2, Week 5

Week 5 already! Hopefully you have just about finished your science fair testing, or at least started it. If not, you need to get on to it this week.

Here are the tasks for Term 2, Week 5.


Here are some notes to help you write this week's essay. Make sure you put it into your own words so they aren't all the same.

Explain the concept of animal adaptation

Intro
- animal adaptation means the process of animals becoming better suited to the environment (climate, terrain, food, water sources, predators etc)
- Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection - wrote the book after visisted Galapagos
- how does adaptation happen?
- born with a random mutation (good/advantageous or bad/negative)
- if mutation is helpful (e.g. stripes, longer neck etc) - likely to live
 long enough to have healthy offspring
- some mutations aren’t helpful to survival, but are helpful in attracting mates,
 e.g. peacock tail
- parent with the helpful feature/mutation may pass it on to its offspring,
 especially if it mates with an animal with a similar feature
- process usually takes thousands or millions of years

Para 1 - choose a specific animal and discuss how it has adapted (e.g. iguana, giraffe, penguin, tiger, peacock). Pick any animal, it doesn't have to be a Galapagos one.

Para 2 - choose another animal

Para 3 - one more animal

Conclusion - repeat main ideas about what animal adaptation is & wrap it all up

Weekly Tasks - Term 2, Week 4

Here are the tasks for Term 2, Week 4 - Rm 11.  and  Term 2, Week 4 - Rm 12.  They're slightly different because of Mrs Kelly being in your classes on different days.

There aren't that many tasks this week because we want you to spend plenty of time studying for the Add/Sub and French tests. We'd also like to make sure everyone has time to start their Science Fair testing.

Sporty stuff

Last week we had cross-country, ripper rugby at Nairnville and of course Friday afternoon dodgeball. Here are a few pics.

Weekly Tasks - Term 2, Week 3

Here are the tasks for Term 2, Week 2. Your major task this week is an essay about the Galapagos Islands. Note it is due on Thursday.

Here are some notes to help with your essay. You will need more info, so watch parts of the video again as well - you can find it on Netflix and on YouTube - it's called Galapagos with David Attenborough. We watched Episode 1 - Origin.


Notes:

How did animals get to the Galapagos Islands?

tortoises
- floated on vegetation rafts from South America
- they are fairly buoyant (they can float)
- reptiles can last for a long time without food or water
- once they got to the islands, they adapted to suit the types of plants. Their shells evolved differently.

iguanas - mostly same as tortoises

Spiders
- ballooning - strand of web silk - wind caught it - they would float (baby spiders - spiderlings)
- 2 winds converged on the Galapagos

Penguins - swept up in current from Antarctica
- became shorter - help them cool down, hide feet from sunburn

Birds - albatross, cormorant (wings became smaller), blue-footed booby

Insects - wings - wind
Grubs - floated in branches (carpenter bee? check vid)


Conclusion

All conclusions should:
- wrap up the essay
- summarise main ideas
- link back to intro

Ideas you could include in Galapagos essay
- repeat main ways animals got there - air and water
- repeat animals you mentioned - and say there are many others
- could link to NZ - also mainly insects, reptiles & birds
- mention something about the volcanic islands

Avoid using the word 'I' or giving your opinions - stick to the scientific facts. Use formal language.

Balloon instructions

Last week, students had to write very specific instructions for how to blow up and tie a balloon. Then they tested the accuracy of the instructions with a partner.

Science Fair Info 2017

Here are all the science fair sheets for this year in case you lose any:

Science Fair pre-holiday info

Science Fair Homework instructions

Science Fair Proposal Sheet

Science Fair Presentation


Remember you can find photos of past projects on the blog if you search for Science Fair. You might get some good presentation ideas.

Weekly Tasks - Term 2, Week 2

Here is the task sheet for Term 2, Week 2.

Science - dissolving

Last week, as part of our preparation for Science Fair, students carried out experiments to find out if they could make a Berocca tablet dissolve more quickly.  Students tested hot water, breaking up the tablet or stirring. We practiced keeping all but one variable the same to make it a fair test.

Reading Challenges - Term 2

Here are the reading challenges for Term 2. See how many you can complete before the prize draw at the end of the term.  Remember one book can count in more than one challenge.


10 Book Challenge: Read 10 books in one term.                                      

20 Book Challenge:  Read 20 books in one term.

Series Challenge:  Read 3 books from the same series.
NZ Challenge Read a book by a NZ author.

Animal Challenge: Read a book that that includes animals in a significant way.

Book/Movie Challenge: Read a book that has been made into a movie (or is about to be).

Biography Challenge: Read a biography (someone’s life story).

Family Challenge: Read a book recommended by a family member.

Weekly Tasks - Term 2, Week 1

Welcome back to Term 2! Here are the tasks for Term 2, Week 1.