Year Four Learn from a Marine Biologist

Today, Jess from the Young Ocean Explorers visited Year Four.  We were amazed to learn about Jess' career as a marine biologist working with Kelly Tarltons.  One career highlight was helping to save a three flippered turtle called Waiwai Toru. Jess also worked with NanoGirl and now is continuing her science education pathway with the Young Ocean Explorers. 

Jess gave a fascinating presentation that included a quiz, videos, a smoke machine and even giant bubbles. We were able to explore how animals communicate with sound under the sea and hunt with air.

What did you find out Year 4?

"A sperm whale is the loudest animal" Qiurui

Diamond "A killer whale is stronger than a shark"

"Orca eat sting rays" Kayden

"The turtle Waiwai Toru lost a flipper" Evelyn

Eiden "Sea creatures make lots of sounds"

"Herrings talk by farting" Luke

"The front of the sperm whales head is called a melon" Amy

We were sad to hear that while 30% of land is protected in NZ, only 0.38% of the sea is protected.  What could we do to protect more of the sea?

"Build a robot to clean up rubbish. We've been working on that in digi.

Special drains that can't let rubbish out or in

Use a magnet that attracts the rubbish

Make more marine reserves

Put posters up that we make

Write letters to the Prime Minister

Call DOC 0800 DOCHOT if you find a sick animal on the beach."

Three tamariki who were listening really well won prizes!

Next time, we're going to make posters to promote litterfree lunches.

Year 3 Animal Scientists

 Today, Year 3 continued to learn about Fungus, Bacteria and Invertebrates.  We wondered about what invertebrates were, but realised we needed to take a step back and first think about how scientists group all animals.

We thought about how we might group some animals. 

Nanami said, "You can look at the shape of the animal like the horse and the zebra belong in the same group.  They both have hooves but are different species". 

Alice added, "Some things look different, but they can go in the same group because they are part of that group because they have other things that are the same.  Just because they look different, they can go in the same group."

To group animals, we have to think about their characteristics.  

For example, what characteristics does a flamingo have?

Thea: "It lives in a pond, it has feathers and a beak"

What does a rainbow trout have?

"Small teeth, rainbow scales, fins, eat small stuff, and they hatch from eggs." Dylan

We worked through an interactive Mystery Science to group animals by their characteristics. 

It was fun to think about all the ways so many animals are the same and different.  Some challenges to group were hippos, tarantulas, platypus and pangolins.

We found out that animals without bones are called invertebrates.

We also found out there are over 33,000 different invertebrate species in New Zealand. 

How cool is that!

Room 27 recorded a few in our inquiry books.

Year 2's Seed Packets for the Bees

Ms Daniel brought in some grapefruit from her tree at home.

Thank you bees, for pollinating our fruit trees.  

How can we help the bees?

Callum: "We don't pick the flowers."

 Zoe: "We could help the bees by planting more flowers."

Lily: "We can plant more flowers."

Marty: "We can scatter seeds around."

Leon: "We can make them a garden."

After reviewing the incredible job that bees do to pollinate our plants and trees, we decided to thank them by planting flowers at home.  To transport our seeds, we created beautiful seed packets. 

 Good luck growing at home, Year 2!

Mackenzie: "I think it is good to be helping the bees."

Jacob: "If you want to take care of the earth, you can take care of the bees."

Grace: "We are planting so the bees can have food."

Daniel: "I wonder what colours they are going to be? "

Eco Warriors Campaign

 Our Eco Warriors are wondering how we can encourage ur community to travel safely to school.

Here are their campaign slogan ideas:

"Children Here. Show you Care"

"Kids are around, so slow down"

"Stay slow, let's go"

We're going to work on ways to present our campaign next week.

Watch this space......

Year 4 Investigate What Our Kura Can Do

Do you remember when we wrote to the Prime Minister?  Well he didn't take them in person, but he did send a video reply.

Today we wondered how our kura can further help the sea.

We read a play about some Eco Awards. How did the children help their school environment?

Bryn: "Eat less meat."

Millie: "Bike to work or school."

Gayanuka: "Stop littering."

We wondered if litter was still a problem at our kura ...

After collecting rubbish from around our kura for just 10 minutes, we came back to analyse the data.

In 10 minutes, Room 26 collected:

Plastic pieces = 202

Paper = 76

organic = 22

random = 10

What do we think about this?

Henry: "I think Waka can do better."

Grayson: "It's horrible because we collected a lot in such a short time."

Elora: "This is really bad for life, sea and everywhere."

Midhush: "It's bad for the ocean because then the wind blows it to the drains."

Theo: "I saved 3 plastic bags that were heading for the drain!"

The category we had the most of was plastic.

When we looked even closer....

we realised the plastic had come from our lunchboxes!

How can we solve this problem?

Maddison: "Unwrap the muesli bar at home."

Leo: "I use a sustainable cupcake holder for my crackers etc."

Isabel: "Just bring a litter-free lunch!"

Room 23 collected litter from each lunch eating area and compared:

Maia: "There's the most rubbish in the Year 3 and 4 area"

"The Year 3 and four rubbish pieces might just be bigger" 

"Most of the litter in the Year 2 area was small" Bryn

"The litter comes from lunchboxes" 

What can we do?

Make posters for litterfree lunchboxes

Make a commercial 

Make a video about can happen if we make rubbish

Send a letter to the people who make Glad Wrap telling them not to make it and send a letter to supermarkets asking them not to sell it.

Make a booklet about litterfree lunches

Put reminders around the school about litter

Send notices to all of the parents for litterfree lunch boxes

Show how much litter is collected per year so people will reduce

Ask Ms Von to have a litterfree lunch day each week.

Awards for the tidiest area

Have a daily litter pick up

We read an interesting article about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The Plastic-Free Challenge - school journal Level 2

Room 24 discovered the drain by their classroom as FULL of litter.  How sad! That leads straight to the sea.  We worked with Ms Daniel to clean it all out.  How can we stop this happening?  We decided to make posters to encourage more children to bring litter free lunches.

Room 25 were amazed at the big pile of rubbish collected, even after 3 other classes had already collected litter around the school. We divided the rubbish into 3 piles. The biggest pile was definitely the plastic brought in from home in our lunchboxes. 

Lots to think about. 

Remember: "When we know better, we can do better!"

Year 3 Where do all the leaves go?

 Today, Year 3 began their EfS lesson by playing in the leaves by the Junior Playground.  

We wondered what happens to all the leaves that fall off the trees ...

Harshveer: "The fungus, bacteria and invertebrates destroy them"

"Mr Dowden rakes them up." James

"The wind blows them away." Robin

Alice: "I think they might go into the soil."

Nixon: "Maybe they stay there."

Lilly-Rose: "I think they get blown away."

Emilia: "I think the FBI eat them."

We took part in a Mystery Science lesson and created a paper model to investigate how the leaves seem to disappear over time.

What did we discover?

"Worms and invertebrates eat the leaves up" Hala

"When you leave stuff too long, it gets mouldy" James

Otis: "Decomposers break up the leaves."

Rungsheg: " Fungi, the mushrooms."

Advika: " Bacteria."

Dylan: "The worms."

Afterwards, we observed the FBI at work and helped to feed our trees by spreading mulch.