Finding the Highest Common Factor & Lowest Common Multiple

LI: To be able to find the LCM and HCF

This week for Maths our focus has been to find the lowest common multiple and highest common factor. Our challenge was to practice with different numbers and create a DLO explaining our learning. Haylee, Florence and I collaboratively worked on defining the highest common factor and lowest common multiple. In our DLO’s we’ve included what the highest common factor is, how to find the HCF, what the word factor means and an example of finding the HCF. We all enjoyed working together to create this DLO and liked how we could revise on this math area. We all feel a lot more comfortable working and finding the lowest common multiples and highest common factors.

Why is it important to make wise choices?

Why is it important to make wise choices?

How do we make wise choices? We are given opportunities and situations where it is most important for us to make a wise choice, but how could a simple ‘yes’ affect our future and what are the consequences? As an appropriate example, the illegal use of drugs has been a negatively impactful and controversial issue on society, especially towards vulnerable minors in this type of scenery. Therefore it is difficult to listen to our conscious and gut feeling, and give into the peer pressure.

Over half of college students' health are influenced by drug and alcohol consumptions, or have been associated with illicit drug abuse. Many young students are exposed and tolerant to drug use as well. But putting our life and future into someone/something else's hands is dangerous, and unfair. They destroy our body systems, and going down this pathway takes away from our lifelong opportunity and experience. What would you do if a relative offered you a drug? What would you say? How would you say it? Think again. Ask yourself why. Situations like this, is when we need to make a wise choice.

Making a wise choice is paying attention to the circumstances, the options you’re given, and thinking about facts/affects. It’s important we listen and put ourselves first in situations where we are the ones taking the bullet. By not letting stress or our emotions decide for us and giving ourselves time if possible.
This also means it’s so important of who we surround ourselves with. Being skilled at making good decisions for ourselves increases our chance and value in our future.



L.I: To write an explanation.
This week for Writing, we created an explanation in 40 minutes, about making wise choices and using an issue/topic where this applies and which I used, drug/alcohol consumption. This also helped us practice and remind ourselves about what an explanation is and stretch our brain and fingers to be able to write one again. This is almost a preparation for our real writing test sample for next term. We began with 5 minutes of planning, and not only 'DRAFT'ed afterwards but also talked with a buddy to help us expand our vocabulary and our text, to think about our writing more.

If I were Prime Minister..

1. 'Multicultural education resources/opportunities to create a culturally diverse setting in our learning, and will allow us to expand our bases with social structure and cultural concepts to be more connected, comfortable, and in touch with our environment.'

L.I: To think deeply about a change I would make.
On the topic of politics and the election coming up, this activity made us think out of the box. We were to say one thing we would change if we were prime minister, to better New Zealand and why. Something that I was able to come up with seeing as this is a very difficult question, is an adjustment that would improve New Zealand education. I'm very passionate about school, and since this would be an appropriate topic, I've used it in my activity.

Who will get my vote?

L.I: To decide which political party will get your vote by making an informed choice.
Coming up in October, we have New Zealand's general election and for this week our inquiry activity was to make an informed choice on which party/candidate we are voting for with our reasoning as to said party/candidate. To make a decision we did our own research and got help to think about the policies of each party that also resembles our values by looking at each parties policies and beliefs. Being stuck between two political parties, I've chosen to vote and create my DLO on the Green party. Though, the two main/major parties are Labour and National. The gripping factors that have helped me make this decision, are those resembling policies that support and back my outlooks to only better our country. In my DLO, I've written two important topics to me, and chose examples of those policies that Green party underlines with to showcase how their views resemble mine. Also three Green party achievements that are simple yet compelling and explain what they're party is all about. And I then speak about why I support their party in general. 

DARE: To make a choice

L.i: To create a poster reflecting our learning of drug awareness.
Today we started off this week with the D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) programme, and strived to become educated on drug consumption. What we were told at the beginning of the lesson and reminded is that we are the most important people in our lives. So we got into small groups and my role as the leader of my group was to encourage them to participate and share ideas so we can learn collaboratively in a comfortable setting to make stronger connections. Ong, Lukah, Sakshi, and I discussed all types of drugs among each other and thought about which ones were illegal - legal and how harmful they were. We also looked at different situations where bad drugs can really affect/change our lives and we are the ones to make sure we stay safe and make the right decisions. We re-capped and got into pairs to create a poster that answers four questions all to do with what we've learnt.

Food Tech

This week Friday the year 8's continued food technology at Tamaki College with Mrs. Heka. Today we made Corn fritters with salad and sweet chili sauce in small groups/pairs. The recipe for this dish consisted of flour, baking soda, canola oil, eggs, corn, milk, spinach mix salad, and sweet chili sauce. We started getting out our equipment for the day and putting on our apron. While I stirred our dry ingredients in a medium bowl with a 1/3 cup of flour, and 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda, my partner Haylee whisked well 2 eggs, and 1/4 of a cup of milk in the large bowl. After a good mix, we added them into the large bowl and created a quite liquid paste. We made sure all those clumps were broken down and well combined. We added a whole can of sweet corn and put 1 tablespoon of oil onto the cooking pan. Using a ladle spoon, we created mini pancake like shapes and let them fry until a nice brown. Before topping them, we added a spinach mix salad and drizzled sweet chili sauce over the top. We all really enjoyed today's simple recipe.

Maori Language Week (History & Whakatauki)

This week for Maori Language week name, name, name and I created a DLO about the history of New Zealand, some interesting facts, and we chose an example of a Whakatauki to share through a screencastify. In this DLO we have included all about the history of Maori Language Week and where it began. A Whakatauki is the Māori proverb or poetic and metaphorical expressions that reflects on thoughts, advice or values from past generations. We’ve enjoyed working collaboratively on this activity as we were all able to gain a better understanding of the Maori language and the history of their culture. 

Te Reo Maori - APP

 This week is Maori Language week, and Florence and I have created an interactive presentation in the format of an app to help others practice and learn Te Reo Maori. We've made it easy for others to use, with quick links and English translation. Our app is exciting and interactive with an a quiz at the end to test your knowledge. The subjects we've chosen to include in our 'app' is colours, numbers, days of the week, and more information about New Zealand. This collaborative group challenged encouraged us to take a look at the language and useful words we could also learn about.  

Tuakana Teina

This week Rm 2 joined our class upstairs to buddy up with an LS2 student for Tuakana Teina. We created beautiful string art panels appreciating Maori culture but including traditional designs, patterns, and drawings. Tuakana Tiena is our school ways of having the senior classes show an act of leadership and being a role model by also build connections with our younger friends through learning and using our knowledge from experience to help them. This was a creative, and fun way for us to contribute to Maori Language Week for today while having this time with the juniors. My partner, Sophie, and I worked very well together to complete our collaborative artwork which turned out amazing.

Natural Disasters: What to do in a Volcano Eruption

For this online learning reading activity we created instructive and informative DLO's on a chosen natural disaster and what to do incase of one. I made a google presentation on Volcano eruptions, because I'd also learn about what to do in that situation. The first slide covers what a volcanic eruption looks like, why it happens, the signs and an example of when it happened in New Zealand. The second slide is a poster that tells you exactly what to do incase of a volcanic eruption. The point was to make it simple to understand, so I used a bright alerting color and bold letters. And the last slide talks about who to call and how we can make sure we stay safe and prepared for a volcanic eruption.