Summer Learning Journey | Week 4

Contemporary Kiwis

Day 5 - Looking into the future (2000 - Present)

Activity 1 | Your future self

It may be hard to imagine, but one day you will graduate from high school and it will be time to decide what to do next. You may want to study at university, become an apprentice, go to training college, travel, or start working. There are so many options!

Take a minute to think about your future. What would you like to do when you finish school? Would you like to work in a specific job? Would you like to study at university? What would you study? Maybe you’d even like to move overseas. Share your thoughts and ideas on your blog site. There are no wrong answers!

The Future

When I finish school, I want to study at university but also have a part-time job. While at university I want to study History along with Criminology, Geography and Pacific Studies. I think all of these will be very beneficial for me in the future (except for criminology).

I also think working in the cinemas or working at a retail store would be a great first job.

Activity 2 | Flying Cars

Let’s imagine that you’ve just learned to drive, and your family has decided to buy you a brand new car. You are allowed to choose from any of the following designs:

My First Car

I think the black car would be the best choice. Why? Well, we haven't actually allowed flying cars to roam our streets yet and inside would be very confusing because of all the buttons and switches, you'll never know what'll happen inside there. Also, the red car is so low, it's kind of uncomfortable, plus I don't really like the style. I think the black car ticks all my boxes and I would be very happy to have it.

Bonus Activity | Blade Runner 2049

There is a new movie out in cinemas at the moment called Blade Runner 2049.

It is a movie about what the world will be like in the future. Imagine that you able to travel through time and that you can see what the world will look like in 2099.

On your blog write a description of what New Zealand will be like at that time (80 – 90 years from now). What kind of houses will people live in? What will they eat? Where will they work?

The Future, 2099 

People will be living in one bedroom houses, they won't need other rooms because of just a press of a button, their room can magically turn into their washroom. Even if they have large families, they can edit their living space, like someone would if they were playing a computer game. People will be eating things like we do now, but most of the meat they eat is made with a computer. But, it still has the same taste as a chicken. 

When thinking about the future, I don't think people will have to work because of artificial intelligence, but most jobs will require humans to work/volunteer, like at a retail store or at a restaurant.

Summer Learning Journey | Week 4

Contemporary Kiwis

Day 4 - Contemporary Entertainment (2000 - Present)

Activity 1 | Moana

In late 2016, the movie Moana was released by Disney. It’s a beautiful story about a young Polynesian girl from the fictional island of Motunui, who goes on a big adventure.

Watch the trailer for Moana and then write a summary of the movie on your blog. If you’ve seen the movie, you can include your favourite part! Tell us as much as you can about the movie. What is it about? Who are the main characters in the movie? What do they do in the movie? Where do they go?

Moana the Movie

I have already seen this movie and know a lot about it, but I'll make it short.

Basically, this is a movie about a polynesian girl, Moana who is chosen by the ocean to retrieve the heart of Te Fiti which is the core of the problem why their island and other islands are dying. She voyages across the sea and finds Maui, a demi god who is supposed to put back the heart himself. They find his hook, go to restore the heart of Te Fiti, but is confronted by a lava monster, Te Ka. They soon realise that Te Ka is Te Fiti and Moana puts back the heart. She turns back to Te Fiti and starts to heal the dying islands. Moana sails back to Motonui and becomes the chief, but instead of staying in her island, she goes with her people and voyages to find new ones.

My Favourite Part:

My favourite part of the movie was when Moana finds out that Te Ka was Te Fiti, I thought it made sense and was very surprised.

Activity 2 | Country Calendar

Did you know that the longest running television show in New Zealand history is a programme called ‘Country Calendar’? It started on 6 March 1966 and has been running ever since. The programme includes stories of everyday New Zealanders, many of whom are farmers.

Watch this short clip from Country Calendar. What do you think would be the most interesting and/or challenging things about being a farmer? Would you would like to be a farmer when you are older. Why/why not? Give us, at least, two reasons to support your answer.

Being a Farmer

I think the hardest thing about being a farmer would be having to start your day early and ending it late.

I would not like to be a farmer when I grow up because:

- I coudn't deal with all the mess and cow manure the animals make, It'll drive me nuts.

- I think planting crops, for me would be very difficut because every other plant i've tried to take of died.

Bonus Activity | Singing a different Tune

A number of New Zealand (NZ) singers and songwriters have recently burst onto the music scene, becoming popular both in NZ and overseas. One of these artists, Lorde, is gaining a lot of recognition for her unique style and songwriting ability. People all over the world seem to really like the lyrics (words) that she writes in her songs.

Think of your favourite song. Share the name of the song, the name of the person who wrote the song and the lyrics from the song on your blog. You must type the lyrics not cut and paste them in order to earn full points for the activity.

Favourite Song

One of my very old but favourite songs is writted by Michael Jackson, it's called "Man in the mirror."

I don't remeber all of the lyrics from the song but I think the chorus is very meaningful and touching.

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways. And no message could of been any clearer, if you wanna make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change."

Summer Learning Journey | Week 4

Contemporrary Kiwis

Day 3 - Social Systems (2000 - Present)

Activity 1 | Mixed Member Proportional (MMP)

In 1996, New Zealand adopted the MMP voting system. In September of 2017 we had a national election. Everyone in New Zealand, over the age of 18, was invited to vote for who they wanted to form the next government in New Zealand. The race was really close and in the end, three different political parties (Labour, New Zealand First and the Green Party), came together to form the new government. It is called a ‘coalition government’ because it includes different people from different political parties.

Imagine that you had to form a coalition government with two other people.  Who would you choose to partner with?

I would form a coalition with my son, Aronui, and with my friend, Amber. Aronui would be a great addition to the coalition because he is funny and kind. He would make us laugh and take care of us. Amber would be great because she is really smart and thoughtful. She is also good at making decisions. I think that we would form a great team. What about you? Who would you choose? Why?

Coalition Govermment

I would form a coalition govermount with my yougest cousin, Jazlynn. She would be a great help because she is very stubborn, she'll use her power of the tantrum to get whatever she desires. I could also use the help of my oldest cousin, Faith. She is very kind hearted and can sort things out using her own ways, she's also very smart and is very strategic.

Activity 2 | Migration

Over the past few decades, there has been a huge rise in the number of people coming to New Zealand to live and/or travel. I was one of those people! In fact, I moved with my family to New Zealand in 2010 and I am so glad that I did. It’s a pretty amazing place to call home! At the moment I live about 10 minutes from three stunning beaches and a beautiful national park.

Speaking of home, where do you live? On your blog, please post a picture of your hometown and provide a list of three things that tourists, like us, could do if we came to visit. What do you like most about your hometown? (Remember the guidelines for being Cybersmart, and never post your address online).

Auckland, New Zealand

> Skywalk One thing you could do in Auckland is walk along the open ledge of the Skytower and experience the thrill of a lifetime.

> Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium Here you can explore the deep sea and visit some amazing penguins!

> Mission Bay This is such a wonderful place to go to during the Holdays or weekends. There are lots of resturants and the beach there is stunning.

What I love about my hometown

What I love about my Hometown is the friendly communities and the many activities you can do there. 

Bonus Activity | Modern Learning Enviourment

Over the past few years, a number of schools have changed the way that they teach. Instead of one teacher working in one classroom with one group of students, some schools have built huge classrooms where many teachers work together to teach a big group of students. This is called a ‘Modern Learning Environment’ (MLE).

Some people prefer Modern Learning Environments while others aren’t so sure. Take a look at the pictures above. The one on the right is a photograph of a traditional classroom, and the picture on the left is of a Modern Learning Environment.

Imagine that you are a teacher, and design your own classroom. What would it look like? What furniture would you have? I would love to have some beanbags for reading on.

Draw a floorplan of your classroom (either in Google Draw or on paper) and upload it to your blog. Describe what is special about your classroom and why you designed it this way.

I’ve drawn a classroom with pink carpet and bright coloured tables. I also included a kitchen so that we can do cooking every day and a HUGE bookshelf because I love to read! What would you like to see in your classroom?

My Classroom

What I like about my classroom is the Reading Cornor. I desinged it because kids mostly have problems with their Reading, and if they mastered that goal, reading will help them with writing and reading math problems.

Summer Learning Journey | Week 4

Contemparary Kiwis

Day 2 - A Decade of Sport (2000 - 2010)

Activity 1 | Chasing Great

Over the past 17 years, New Zealand has experienced a number of sporting highlights, perhaps none larger than the back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015. In both competitions, our national rugby team, the All Blacks, was captained by a man named Richie McCaw. He is arguably one of the best rugby players of all time. A movie called Chasing Great was recently created to document his incredible rugby career.

Please watch the trailer for Chasing Great and read about Richie McCaw online. On your blog tell us three things that you learned about Richie that you did not know beforehand. What else would you like to know about Richie?

Richie McCaw | Chasing Great

> Richie was just 23 when he became captain for the All Blacks in 2004.

> He led the All Blacks to 13 victories in 14 Tests.

> He was the first All Black to reach 100 tests in 2011.

Something I would like to know about Richie is how he felt when he was given the title of The All Black's captain. Was he anxious or excited?

Activity 2 | Sporting Heros

In 2015, a Kiwi golfer named Lydia Ko became the youngest woman in the world to reach the #1 ranking.  She was only 17 years old. Many people from here in New Zealand and overseas really admire her and think of her as a modern-day sporting hero. Who is your sporting hero? They can be a famous athlete or even a member of your family or community. It’s completely up to you.

On your blog tell us about your sporting hero. Who are they? Why are they a hero? Include a photo of them in your blog post.

My sporting hero is Lisa Carrington. She is an incredible rower, and last year she was awarded the prestigious  Lonsdale Cup for her amazing results in 2016! She spends hours training, and I think her commitment to her sport is inspiring.

Sporting Hero | Serena Williams

Who is she?

Serena Williams is a well known American tennis player who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and many Olympic gold medals.

Why is she, my hero?

What I found really inspiring was that she didn't care that she came from Compton or about her skin color, she just wanted to play tennis. So, that's was she did and she succeeds.

Bonus Activity | Shake it Off

In recent years, many New Zealanders have embraced a new form of exercise called Zumba©. It was developed by a man named Alberto Perez who lives in the country of Columbia. He created Zumba by bringing together many different dance styles including cumbia, mambo, hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, tango, merengue, and mambo.

Choose one of the dance styles mentioned above and click on the name to read more about it. Once you are done, post three interesting facts about the dance style on your blog. In which country did it originate? Who originally created it?  

|| Salsa ||

This type of dance was originally from Cuba, which then spread to the USA which became really popular.

> American soldiers were the first to notice the Salsa dance during the Cuban war of 1898.

> Cuba's Salsa is only the modern style of the dance, but its origin can be brought back to many other lands and parts of our history.

> Many Jazz musicians started visiting Cuba to incorporate their Latin styles into their performances.