This is my email to Christina.
Hi there, Christina!
My name is Diana. I am an 11 year old girl from Palmerston North. How old are you? My birthday was on the 29th of September. When's your birthday?
I have two bothers, I mean brothers, one 13 and a 1/2, and one eight. They really do bother me! Do you have any brothers or sisters? I also have a one year old rabbit named Misty. Do you have any pets?
I am good at maths, spelling, reading, writing, and other academic (school, learning, inside) stuff. I am NOT an outdoorsy person! Are you?
I have lots of friends. One of my very best friends is Kate! Who are your friends?
I like indoor things, like reading and barbies, (it's OK if you think I'm babyish), but I also like biking and stuff like that. What are your hobbies?
I am an animal lover. I used to have a mouse called Cutie, then one called Angel. Before my little bother was born, we had a cat called Peanut. Do you like animals?
I am New Zealand European, but I had an 18x great grandfather that was Scottish, and a king also! I am also a bit of other stuff. What country are you from?
My family are Christians, and we go to church. What religion are you?
I love watermelon, pineapple and other fruits. I am lactose intolerant, so I can't have dairy. What foods do you like?
I think I've said enough for now. I can't wait to hear from you!!!
Yours Sincerely (just wanted to be proper)
Diana Pulman
What: I learnt that you need to ask questions to get answers.
Why: We did this to get to know other people.
Next: Maybe not put so much info!!!
Term 4: 'Managing Self'
What: I learnt that I am good at managing myself.
Why: We did this to help us understand what we needed to get better at.
Next: Two goals I want to achieve this term are: keeping my desk tidy (unlike my extremely messy bedroom) and not fidgeting with things on the mat. I hate sitting still, and I'm a very messy person, but hopefully I'll improve this term!
What: This is my maths test off Smart Kiddies. I got 9/10.
So What: I got one wrong because I put the 5 first, not the 0.
Now What: I need to make sure I have written the answer, not something random!
For reading this term, we have been learning to comprehend. Comprehending is lots of different skills that help you read. Things like visualizing and prior knowledge help you.
My group has been reading The Secret Garden. It is about a girl called Mary. I found it interesting and easy to read because Mary is about my age and sometimes feels quite lonely like me. I would call it a mystery and I like mysteries. You never know what's going to happen.
The strategies that have helped me the most are all of them. I have always used them, but I have improved on all of them. I always have a movie in my head, and lots of questions. I am always using what I already know, and I read between the lines to find clues. I am making predictions and saying what I like and don't like all the time. Eg: In The Secret Garden, I can see Mary talking to the robin. I am wondering whether she will find the garden or not. I am predicting she will. I love all the gardens and wish I was in them.
I need to get better at asking questions. I am always making predictions, rather than just wondering what will happen and waiting to find out.
The books I will read next term will be: fantasy, adventure, mystery, growing up, animal, christian, and maybe a bit of fighting. I want to read them because they hook me in - literally!
You need:
Grapes, any colour, as many as you want
Chocolate, plain milk, dark or white, a big block for 30-45 grapes
What to do:
- Take any stalks off grapes. Put them in a bag in the freezer/fridge for 10-15.
- When the grapes are nearly frozen, put some chocolate in a microwaveable bowl. You need 1 big block for 30-45 grapes.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute periods. Stir in between. Do this until you have a thin liquid.
- The grapes should be cold, and a little hard. Roll them in the melted chocolate and put onto a plate with baking paper. You can half coat, or fully coat in chocolate.
If this is done correctly, you should have a plate full of grapes with an outer layer of hard chocolate. You don't have to use grapes. You can use other fruits, like strawberries and other berries. You can put toothpicks in for easy and healthy eating.
What we did: We made chocolate coated grapes to sell at Market Day.
How we did it: We got the stuff and froze the grapes. Then we dipped them in melted chocolate and put them in the fridge.
Why we did it: We did it because flax baskets were too hard.
We are Group 7.
To get some market research, we went around with our prototype and got people to eat them. We wrote down all the feedback and separated the good from the bad. Then we tried with frozen ones, and got the same people to test them. All of them preferred frozen grapes. Then we had everything we needed, so we did our finished product.
During Market Day, I was working full time. We sold lots of grapes. We had it 4 for $1.00 at first, but then we changed it to 5 for $1.00. Later we made it 6 for $1.00, but then we put it down to 50c for a napkin or a paper cup. It was lots of fun. I really enjoyed seeing people enjoy what we made. Maybe I'll be a checkout operator when I'm older!!!
This term, I have achieved ALOT.
1. Handwriting. For Handwriting I have made it neater, and it has improved alot. I need to put more effort into the pictures.
2. Te Reo. For Te Reo, I have learnt more, and I am using it more. I still need to learn more.
3. P.E. For P.E, I have wanted to do it more. I need to try a little harder to do the things.
4. Sign Language. For Sign Language, I have learnt heaps more signs, but I still need to concentrate more.
This is my Te Reo that I did with Samantha.
We are saying:
Sam: How are you Diana?
Diana: I am tired. How are you Samantha?
Sam:I am very hungry.
My next step is to understand what people are saying. (I had to ask Sam what she said)!!!
Lucy, Adam, Diana, Emma and Oliver.
What we did: We got our recipe from LC 14. Then we organized who would bring what. After that we made the play dough. We halved the recipe, but kept putting flour and oil in. Then we mixed it all together.
So what? We halved the recipe, but it was too sticky. We added more flour, but it was too hard. We added more oil, and it was perfect texture!
Now what? There's not much we can do to perfect it anymore, but maybe we could of worked together better, and all contributed. Otherwise, we could make a money making business out of our LADEO PLAYDOE!
These are my Google designs. There is a beach theme, a NZ theme, a information theme and a what Google is about theme. My good copy is going to be my what Google is about theme.
This is my good copy
These are my goals for Term 3. I hope I achieve them. If I do, I will be really happy.
Dear Parent / Caregiver
Dear Diana
Term 2 was great! I had tons of fun and learnt lots of things.
My goals were to get better at fitness, improve on the beep test, and learn some more signs. Guess what? I achieved all of them! Now I actually want to do fitness sometimes, unless I'm reading of course! Plus I don't get puffed as easily. I got 3.8 instead of 3.6 on the beep test, and my shoe didn't fall off! (It was a different pair). I learnt tons of more signs from Jackie, and now I'm signing the alphabet without even knowing it!
Because I'm fitter, I now sort of enjoy games, and I take part a bit more. Seeing as I know more signs, I'm talking to Lucy all the time, and teaching Blake to say "I love sausages!"
Next term, I will put more effort into fitness and do it when I don't have to. I will also keep signing and learning more signs. I can't wait 'til next term!
I've done great work, and I'm really impressed. Keep learning and having fun.
Take care, great work, well done and goodbye.
From your good friend,
Diana
This is my hand writing sample for Term 2. I didn't do very well. It is a very funny poem.
Somthing I did do well was my border. It has different kinds of animals.
My next step is probably making it neater.
These photos are of our project. The bottom two are of our tri board and the top one is our plants. Going clockwise from top left: Seed Raising Mix; Sand; Mud; Compost.
The thing I enjoyed most about our project was when we got to go to Massey University to see one of Mr Herrings friends about plants.
Our team, consisting of Dionne, Kate and I, were really good at getting our work done, even though we had an occasional fight.
On the matrix, we could get better at nothing, because we think we were expert on everything!!!
Our social action went well. We decide to make a walkway for the school with native trees. When we talked to Mrs Peck about it, she showed us that we already have one, it's just that people don't know about it. So we will probably raise some money to make a proper walkway, not just dirt and grass. We might also try to raise lots of money to make name labels. It could go for years before it is completed, but we will start it.
In Term 1 I started on level 55 on the basic facts ladder. Withen 5 weeks, I had gone up 3 steps and finished the whole ladder. I can't improve next term because I've finished!!! Helping Alex helped me succeed because I taught myself the answer while helping him.
For spelling, I started on level 30 and went up 3 steps. I am now waiting to be tested on level 33. Nothing has really helped me succeed. Next term, I would probably do stuff at home, not just at school.
Award Courtesy adrianbruce.com
Your 2nd draft of the 'Oil and Water' explanation showed very clear evidence of the basic criteria, Diana. You have the introduction and conclusion, some good ideas and you've ordered the ideas logically.
I would like to see you structuring your explanation with paragraphs and adding more detail. You could do this by making sure that you've covered many of the WHs.
These are my macro photos I took on camp. The first one is... the carpet in the hall at Camp Highland Home. And the second one is... the edge of my glasses! I learnt that a macro photo is a photo of something close up. I took lots of really good pictures. Next time, I would try harder to get focus before taking the photo.
This is me and my family. From left to right. At back: Mummy, Blake, Daddy. At front: Misty (my rabbit), me (Diana), Joel.
This explanation explains why some liquids mix and some don't.
Firstly, some do mix because they are the same density. Oil is denser than water so it floats on top. They are immiscable.
Immiscable is like when you are playing on the playground. There are girls in one corner and boys in another. They don't want to mix with the different gender, just like the oil.
But you can make them mix. Just put salt in. Salt will push the oil down to the bottom. But when the salt dissolves, the oil floats back up to it's friends. We tried it, and it looked like a lava lamp.
Now you know why some liquids mix and some don't.
This is how the hole appeared in Doug Robinson's paddock in Invercargill. One night, Giant Jump-a-lot couldn't get to sleep. So he decided to get up and, well, jump on the clouds. When he jumped on a rather small cloud, (1m wide and 40cm deep), it fell out of the sky and made the hole. Then Giant Jumpalot jumped and the cloud flew back up. Giant Jumpalot landed back on the cloud and went up with it. Then he went back to bed and fell fast asleep straight away. Because of all the pressure that was put on the cloud, it filled the hole up with rain water. That is how Doug Robinson's hole appeared.
This is why some liquids mix and some don't. As you know, some liquids do mix. It all depends on the density. Oil is denser than water, so it floats on top of the water. They are immiscable. That's like when you're playing on the playground at school. There is a group of girls over there and a group of boys over here. They just want to be with their friends. It's the same with the oil. It doesn't want to mix with the water. That is what immiscable means. But there is a way to make them mix. If you put salt on top of the oil, it will get pushed down to the bottom of the water. But when the salt dissolves, the oil goes back with it's friends. It looks sort of like a lava lamp. That is why some liquids mix and some don't.
I need to: use paragraphs
What happened:
When I entered the room with Dominic, I sat down, facing the computer. I asked for Holiann, but she was at dancing, so her best friend Carly came up. It was 4:00pm in Alabama. We asked each other questions, and it was so fun! I was so excited!
Conversation:
We had a really good conversation, because we gave great answers and asked great questions. I think it was great. Next time, I would actually take turns asking questions.
I learnt that it can be difficult working out the average with lots of numbers. I made the graph really well. Next time, I will try to get the graph right first try. It shows that the boys improved and the girls didn't. Boo-hoo!!!
I remember my most thrilling moment, sitting on the mountain of metal in
I wrote this in writing explorers.
What did Sir Ed do?
As you know, he climbed Mount Everest, but that doesn't make him a hero. What he really did was: served people in need; built schools and medical clinics and many more. He was always helping poor people in Nepal. Even though he was a New Zealander, he cared for people around the world.
Where did Sir Ed live/become a hero?
Sir Ed was a New Zealander, but after he climbed Mount Everest, he spent lots of time around the world raising money for poor people, especially the Shepras. When he came down Everest, he went through Khumjung village, the hometown of most of the Shepras. A few years later, an elderly shepra came to him and said "Our children lack education." So that's where he became a hero.
When did Sir Ed become a hero?
Probably when he started raising money for the Shepras. He must have been their hero! Or maybe when he helped build the schools and medical clinics.
Who helped Sir Ed?
His wife Louise and Tenzing. His wife encouraged him and boosted him. Tenzing was always doing the same. Plus, probably the Shepras, by needing him and being so nice to him. No wonder he wanted to help them!
Why did Sir Ed help the Shepras?
Because it was worthwhile, and it gave him more satisfaction than a footprint on a mountain! He also never felt sorry for them and never tried to impose projects on them. There were just to many requests to say no!
How did Sir Ed succeed?
Sir Ed succeeded in climbing Mount Everest, but he also succeeded in being a great person by caring about people and helping them.
Which H.O.Ms did Sir Ed use?
Definitely persistance in climbing Mount Everst, and taking responsible risks. When helped people, he listened with empathy and understanding.
Conclusion:
Sir Edmund Hillary was a kind, caring man, who never gave up and thought of others before himself.
Dear Diana
How was Term 2?
I hope you got better at your fitness Before you kept getting puffed. I hope you improved on the Beep Test and didn't lose your shoe again! I really hope you practised heaps.
How was sign language? Did you learn any more signs? I hope you did, 'cause now you can talk to Lucy and be understood, as well as understanding her. Plus, you can teach your family some signs.
Well, overall, well done, great work and goodbye.
From your good friend,
Diana
For the PAT Maths test, I got two wrong, one in Number Strategies and one in Geometry and Measurement. Lots of people got them wrong. They were numbers 31 and 37. I got stanine nine. That is the best you can get.
What a great term you've had, Diana! I've been impressed with your self directed style of learning and your extremely high level of independence. You have started to grow in your leadership skills and recognising your strengths as a learner.
I am looking forward to seeing you begin to pass on your skills to others and publish your more of your writing on your efolio. Keep up the effort!
I have learnt about and enjoyed learning about how to make an efolio. I learnt how to embed as well. I really enjoyed it because it was so easy. Mr Herring helped me at first, but now I'm a wiz and can do it by myself really quickly ( as long as the computer is fast!!!) Another thing I enjoyed was learning about lots of graphs and when to use them. I already knew about most of them, but I worked out by myself how to use an Area graph and a Stem and Leaf graph. I didn't get that much help from anyone in working out how. I enjoyed it because I had always wanted to learn about them, especially Stem and Leaf.
Next term I want to get better at adding detail in my recounts, because I don't add that much detail. I try to though. The only person who could help me would be myself.
View Larger Map
This is where I walk when we go down to the Manawatu River.
This is my graph. I have definitly improved my gutterboard skills. Before I could barly get ten!!!
I was selected for a special maths project, where we had to make a flow map to help people work out what graph they need. I like the fact that it had something to do with maths. I learnt about stem and leaf graphs, area graphs and gliffy. This is the finished product! I hope it helps you!!!
We had to change the background to make it look more interesting. We also added more pictures and information. I like the colour of the new background.
