Arcade Five #2

Arcade Five was a great success. Our games featured simple machines such as inclined planes, wheels and axles, levers and pulleys. 

We also raised over $175 for Tamari, our school’s World Vision sponsor child who lives in Rwanda.

Our thanks too to Caine from Caine's Arcade who inspired us.

Arcade Five #1

The games are made and we are almost ready to share our work. Join us tomorrow for Arcade Five

Caine's Arcade

We just love Caine's Arcade in Room 5. So much so we are creating our very own cardboard arcade.

In the meantime the Justice League created these designs for Caine if he wants an upgrade on his current shirt.

Pull The Other One

Room 5 have been experimenting with pulleys. We were challenged to lift a toy car within a shoe box using a pulley. The car had to travel at least halfway up the box. Here are some of our observations about pulleys

• Pulleys help us to lift heavy objects with little effort
• The pulley makes the weight of the object being lifted seem lighter
• Pulleys are found all around us e.g. raising the flag, automatic garage door, elevators and on cranes

Amp Up Your Ramp

Room 5 have been experimenting with inclined planes or ramps. Our challenge was to see who could move the marble the furthest and fastest using an inclined plane. Here are some of our observations

• An inclined plane is a ramp that assists us in moving objects up and down heights
• The steeper the ramp the faster something will go down it
• The smoother the ramp the quicker an object moves across it
• The longer the inclined plane the easier it is to travel in a straight line

The Wheel Deal

Room 5 have been experimenting with wheels and axles. Our observations were

• An axle is a rod that is connected to a wheel
• The axle drives the wheels
• An axle needs to be straight to make sure both wheels turn together (if they didn't the car would not go straight)
• The axle works best if in the centre of the wheel
• The wheels turned faster depending on the surface they were on

A Screw Loose!

In science we experimented with screws. First we tested screws against nails to test their properties. Here are our findings  -

Screws are harder to push in than a nail - Kalani

Screws are harder to pull out because of the bumpy edges – Torres

Screws seems stronger than nails at holding weight – Nuha

The screw was best for attaching two pieces of material – Samarah

The screw has better traction (grip) than a nail – Kevin

The screw is probably better for hanging things because they are stronger – Sativa

The design of the screw gives it a better grip than a nail – Chantelle

Next we tested the self-locking abilities of screws by seeing if water splashes out of a bottle when dropped or shook. We tested a bottle with a screwed on lid and a bottle with the lid only pushed on.

Clever Lever

We have been experimenting with levers. Our first challenge was to get the ping pong ball into the cup using a spoon and a fulcrum of our choice. Our next challenge was to see who could get their ping pong ball the highest. We discovered that 

• Levers are able to help us lift heavy objects. 
• Levers consist of a stick and a fulcrum. 
• The fulcrum is the point on which the lever moves. 
• By changing the position of the fulcrum you will either gain or lose power - the closer the fulcrum is to the object the easier it is to lift

Terrific time at Tip Top

After studying the importance of dairy to New Zealand in inquiry last term we were invited to see how ice cream is made. We went to Tip Top ice cream factory to see how this delicious treat is made.

Simple Machines

Room 5 created these posters to show where we can find simple machines.

Machine Definition

For Inquiry we defined what a machine is and the roles they play in our lives.

WALT - Define a Machine

A machine is something we use to make life easier. We are surrounded by machines that do all sorts of jobs for us like wash our clothes, transport us places and help us build shelters. Even basic tools like scissors, screwdrivers and tweezers are machines. These types of machines are called simple machines. A simple machine has one or no moving parts and can often make up parts of complicated machines.

There are six types of simple machines these are wedge, wheel and axle, inclined plane, lever, screw and pulley. Simple machines are found in every home and school. In our classroom we have scissors that are wedges and levers, hinges on our doors that are levers and screws to hold together our bookshelves. Simple machines make work faster and easier imagine trying to cut paper with just your fingers!

Overall we believe life without machines would be very difficult for example there would be no cars to help us travel, knives to help cut our food, cranes to lift building materials or axes to cut wood for fire or shelter.

By Chantelle, Sherlyn, Samarah, Priscilla, Nuha and Skye

Simple Machines We Use

This term our Inquiry is based on the concept of Invention and Design, specifically looking at simple machines and how they work. Today we began looking at the simple machines we use.

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Is New Zealand a Global Superstar?

Is New Zealand a Global Superstar? By Kalani

Is New Zealand a global superstar? Being a global superstar means that a country is connected to the world through its imports, exports, businesses, art, culture and sports teams. New Zealand connects globally in all these ways and more. However some people may argue that New Zealand is not a global superstar.

One reason why we believe New Zealand is a global superstar is that the All Blacks have helped Rugby become more popular and helped boost the economy of countries. For example the All Blacks tickets for the Rugby World Cup sold out very quickly, because people wanted to see them compete against other overseas like Australia and also wanted to see the world famous Haka. The All Blacks boosts economies for overseas countries for example if an average ticket for the All Blacks VS Argentina cost 50 pounds and 80,000 people watched the game, 4 million pounds was earned from just the one game!

However some people think New Zealand is not a global superstar because the haka is not unique because other countries like Samoa, Fiji and Tonga have a haka that they can perform in Rugby games, so the All Blacks aren’t the only team that has a haka that they can perform.

One good reason why New Zealand is considered a global superstar is that many New Zealand businesses, like Kathmandu are performing successfully overseas. Kathmandu make a good profit by selling top quality winter-wear such as insulated jackets, warm trousers, gloves, camp tools, and hiking gear. Tourist from overseas countries, come to New Zealand to experience the great outdoors in New Zealand and also to purchase Kathmandu winter-wear in preparation for these outdoor adventures.

On the other hand some people may argue that New Zealand is not a global superstar because Kathmandu’s clothing is not made here in New Zealand, it is actually made in China. People may think Kathmandu is not a New Zealand company. The fact that their clothing is not 100% made in New Zealand reduces money for New Zealand’s economy.

Overall I believe New Zealand is a global superstar because New Zealand helps the global community. For example people from overseas countries come to New Zealand because their country may not be safe anymore and might be a very poor country to live in, also without New Zealand overseas countries like Australia would not have high quality dairy products, and also useful materials such as logs. Furthermore countries will miss out on money generated by New Zealand's world famous All Blacks.

Is New Zealand a Global Superstar? by Samarah

Is New Zealand a global superstar? Being a global superstar means that a country is connected to the world through its imports, exports, businesses, art, culture and sports teams. New Zealand connects globally in all these ways and more. However some people may argue that New Zealand is not a global superstar.

One reason why we believe New Zealand is a global superstar is that the All Blacks help make rugby popular and earn money for overseas countries. For example when the All Blacks went to Samoa, Samoa made lots of money because people had to book hotels, get souvenirs and go to restaurants. Another example of the All Blacks earning money for countries is if an average ticket for the All Blacks Vs Argentina cost 50 pounds and 80,000 people watched the game 4 million pounds was earned for just the one game.

However some people may argue that New Zealand is not a global superstar because other countries can produce the same products as New Zealand for e.g dairy. Other countries like India, America and England produce and export their own dairy products for e.g cheddar cheese, paneer and curd.

Another reason why New Zealand is considered a global superstar is that New Zealand exports unique products like greenstone, merino wool and other wool products. We export these products to Japan, China the United KIngdom and India. This makes New Zealand special because other countries can’t produce these high quality products.

On the other hand people may argue that New Zealand is not a global superstar because we can not maximise our ability to make products like clothes and cosmetics. We cannot compete against other big countries like China, France and the UK for manufacturing. In China businesses pay their workers very little compared to New Zealand. New Zealand has a minimum wage of $14.75 however in China there is no minimum wage.

Overall I believe New Zealand is a global superstar because we are connected to the world through our imports, exports, art, culture and sports teams. Without New Zealand the world would not have high quality dairy products, affordable materials such as logs and countries would miss out on money generated by the world famous All Blacks. Even though New Zealand is a small country it makes a big impact on the world.

Is New Zealand a Global Superstar? by Risa

Is New Zealand a global superstar? Being a global superstar means that a country is connected to the world through its imports, exports, businesses, art, culture and sports teams. New Zealand connects globally in all these ways and more. However some people may argue that New Zealand is not a global superstar.

One reason why we believe New Zealand is a global superstar is we export a lot of dairy products to countries that cannot produce their own dairy products.  Some countries don't have many cows because it is too hot for cows like the Pacific Island, Taiwan and many more.

However some people think New Zealand is not a global superstar because other countries can produce their own dairy products such as Australia, France and England.  Other countries dairy products aren't as good compared to New Zealand's because it might be too hot or too cold for the cows.

Another reason why New Zealand is considered a global superstar is that the haka represents Maori and encourages people to come to the All Blacks game to watch the haka. For the Argentina Vs All Blacks game the tickets sold out very quickly. I believe that the haka played a role in this.

However some people may think New Zealand is not a global superstar because other countries do the haka like Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific Islands. The haka is not unique to New Zealand so New Zealand cannot claim it as their own.     

In the future I think New Zealand will boost its economy more and encourage people to come to New Zealand. We may produce more dairy products and earn more money from exports. If the All Blacks keep playing and earning money it will help New Zealandś economy.

Should the Haka be used to represent New Zealand Globally?

The 'Haka' group created their own 'Super Haka' incorporating elements from their own cultures Maori, Tongan, Samoan and Indian.

What would happen if New Zealand stopped producing dairy products?

The 'Dairy' group created these original flavoured ice creams. These ice creams were created for the countries that New Zealand exports dairy products to. The group wanted to combine quality New Zealand ice cream with some of the more popular flavours in those countries.

Should Kathmandu be able to use New Zealand's image to represent itself globally?

The 'Kathmandu' group designed these alternative logos for the brand using New Zealand imagery. 

Are Maori tattoos something that belong to Maori, New Zealand or the world?

The 'Tattoo' Group created their own Maori tattoos to represent who they are and their life journey. These designs are original and were created out of respect for Maori culture.

Is New Zealand a Global Superstar?

We had a discussion about whether New Zealand is a Global Superstar or not? This means is New Zealand important/essential in our world? Leave your ideas in comments.

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New Zealand's Global Image Comparison

As part of our globalisation inquiry we compared what we thought was New Zealand's global image and what our twitter followers thought.

Is New Zealand a Global Superstar?

New Zealand’s global image is important to get visitors to New Zealand and to the success of New Zealand exports overseas. For example if people think about New Zealand as a clean, green healthy environment they are more likely to buy food and products from New Zealand, especially dairy products.

We asked our twitter followers what came to mind when they thought of New Zealand. We then compared what we thought was New Zealand’s global image and what our followers thought.

Both overseas and ourselves thought of animals when we thought of New Zealand’s global image. We thought the Kiwi was a big part of New Zealand’s global image because we are called kiwis and it is our national bird.  However some people from overseas thought about wallabies, kangaroos and koalas possibly because they thought we had the same animals as Australia. To stop people getting confused we could include an image of the kiwi on the flag or people from New Zealand could share more information about the kiwi through twitter, blogs and skype.

Both overseas and ourselves thought of sporting teams and especially the All Blacks when we thought of New Zealand’s global image. The All Blacks are easily recognised around the world because they are the world champions, for their famous silver fern logo and the haka.  We thought the Silver Ferns netball team and the Black Caps would be as popular as the All Blacks. However these teams are not as recognised overseas because their players are not as famous, they don’t perform the haka and they don’t have a large company like Adidas sponsoring them and spending lots of money on advertising.  

Both overseas and ourselves also thought of Maori when we thought of New Zealand’s global image.  We thought the image of Maori would include tattoos, carving and weaving. However the people from overseas only seem to know about the haka. We believe the haka is the most known part of Maori culture because of the All Blacks. To promote Maori culture we as New Zealander’s could share more about Maori culture through social media and visitors to New Zealand could be taught Maori ways and customs.

Overall a positive global image is important because it can affect a country’s economy. For example China’s global image as a producer is that they often make products that are cheap, made of plastic and don’t last very long. This means people may avoid buying Chinese made products. New Zealand’s global image is different to what we originally thought it was. In the future New Zealand may need to work on changing its image so more people recognise our products and brands and choose to buy them.

We believe our summary is extended abstract because we have several similarities and differences and made an overall statement.

New Zealand's Global Image

As part of our Inquiry question 'Is New Zealand a Global Superstar?' we asked our twitter followers 'What comes to mind when you think of New Zealand?' Here are their responses.

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