Sunday, 6 November 2016

The fish of Maui - My retelling

The fish of Maui

Maui was a special person with magical powers and was better at everything  than his 4 brothers. Their names were Roto, Mua, Pae and Taha. The 4 brothers had planned to go fishing the next morning but they had grown overly jealous of Maui because of his powers. So, they decided to not tell Maui about their trip out fishing. Maui had overheard them talking so early next morning Maui hid himself in the bottom of the canoe.
The next morning Roto, Mua, Pae and Taha all laughed as they set out to sea thinking that Maui was not there. Little did they know Maui ‘Nukurau’ (the trickster) was hiding in the bottom of the canoe. The brothers paddled out until they found a good fishing spot. The spot that they picked was not good enough for Maui ‘Atamai’ (The quick witted) so he jumped up from his hiding place and ordered his brothers to paddle further. The brothers begged Maui to stop but he would not. The sun began to set and the land was far from sight, Maui paddled the whole night following from the light of Marama, the moon. His brothers all fell asleep one by one but Maui could sense something so he kept on paddling. As the brothers woke up in the morning they were all grumpy and tired and Maui was only just satisfied with his fishing spot. So as ‘utu’ or revenge his brothers gave Maui no fishing bait. Since Maui had no bait he cut himself on the nose and spread the magic jawbone hook with his own blood. Maui swung the hook and line around his head and cast it into the ocean. The magic hook fell through the water with the speed of a taiaha. The bone locked into a wooden carving. But Maui did not know that he had caught a tekoteko of a whare, this carving was attached to something big! Maui was not catching a fish, he was catching land… Maui tugged and pulled with all his might, the ocean began to stir. Above the water Maui started chanting karakia ( magical incantations ) that went into the great fish. They started calling to the land to rise up to the surface so it was lighter for them to tug up. But this fish knew that the sea was its home, so the fish started to put up a fight.
Maui braced himself on the boat as the sea began to move with great force. Maui placed his feet strongly on the edge of the canoe and started to heave in the line, Maui would not stop pulling in the line until he got what he wanted. The fish was pulling as much as it could to get back to the ground, but its strength was not as strong as Maui’s will. Maui used one last great pull and the fish floated to the surface. What a great fish is was! It’s tail stretched to the north and it’s head lay to the south. Maui says to his brothers ‘I must go get the hook, do not touch him well i’m gone’. But as soon as Maui was out of sight the brothers started hacking out their share of the fish. The great fish yelped in agony as it was getting sliced into pieces. As it got cut it turned into just hills and valleys of grass. The fish of Maui was now a rugged land. This large fish is now the north island of New Zealand ( Te ika a Maui )

Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Argument speech Net fishing boats.

Net fishing boats.          By Ashlee.

As you may know I love fishing, I have been to competitions, everything. But there is one thing that I think makes fishing bad… Net fishing boats. Net fishing boats are cheats as my family says.

Net fishing boat fishing is called commercial fishing, this is where you have a giant ship with nets on either side or out of the bottom of the boat. These boats can stay out at sea for as long as six months, storing thousands of tons of fish onboard in giant freezer compartments. This leads to them catching thousands of fish which could be for animals like larger fish, sharks and even seals. These kind of boats have taken out a large amount of fish. In fact, 90 percent of large fish populations have been exterminated over the past 50 years.

These kinds of nets hurt animals, but these animals are getting more than hurt, they are also getting killed just by getting caught in a net. Animals like dolphins, turtles, seals,
whales and other non-target fish who get tangled in nets and hooked by long-lines and nets are termed “bycatch” and are thrown overboard. They fall as a victim to swarming birds or slowly bleed to death in the water.

If the fish are still alive at the end of their terrifying  journey to the surface, most have their gills cut and bleed out or are tossed onto ice to slowly freeze or suffocate to death. A horribly cruel and painful death for cold-blooded animals, who can take a very long time to freeze or suffocate to death. Scientists estimate that fish endure up to 15 minutes of excruciating pain before they lose consciousness.

These boats are taking fish that other animals eat. As for instance, the Narwhale, these animals have a strict diet which means they only eat certain food. Some of these net fishing boats focus on a certain fish to catch. As for the Narwhals they eat a popular fish which is used for sushi. So their food is getting taken away as well as that is happening to other animals to. So these animals will start starving, which is obviously not the best thing to happen.

I hope the information that I have shared to you convinces you that these boats are environmentally horrible and should be banned.  After learning all this sad information my friend and I are thinking about going vegetarian for 30 days because we both think that the things that are happening aren’t right.

Sunday, 3 July 2016

Here Is My Shared Story That I Did With Micah And Liz!

Screenshot 2016-06-23 at 11.53.18 AM.png
BIRD VS SNAKE the ultimate showdown!



As we glared at each other face to face we were ready to battle! I was ready to flap my camouflage wings at the lime green snake in front of me. The scaly snake hissed in my face and spit went everywhere, he cornered his body forward aiming straight at me. I was ready to attack using my beak, with all force I Penetrated his eyeball leaving him blind in one eye.  He began to wrap himself around me forcing me not to breath then he bites my wing injecting his venomous fangs into my left wing. Suddenly I start to fall into the water beneath us luckily I had enough power to land on the lumpy grass, now I was the victim…. The snake starts to slide slowly down his tree knowing I might die, he starts slithering forward again getting closer and closer. Then suddenly I hear my best friend Carl the Eagle comes and devours the disgusting green tree snake. I thank Carl he takes me to the squirrel doctor Ross he also has a peculiar house made of acorns! Ross picks up some of his daunting doctor tools and starts to fix up my wing very carefully. It hurts alot but I can deal with the pain. He sends me out into the wilderness to see if I could fly, as I turn around slowly to thank doctor Ross and give Carl a big hug, both of them are nowhere to be seen! I start looking around the acorn house, suddenly I hear a squawk of an eagle it sounded like Carl?! But what would've happened to Carl, I start flying as fast as my hurt wing can take me. Eventually I found carl but he was not alone Ross was standing next to him with bloody hands and this time it was Carl with his left wing injured. Ross doesn’t notice that I was watching him from afar but Carl does we are trying to think of a plan well not being able to talk to each other. Carl was tied up in ropes on the ground with blood coming out of his wing fast, I also hear Ross screaming the left wing, to me it sounds like he has a group trying to injure all birds. Then it got me thinking why would he fix up my wing? It was all so suspicious to me but that doesn’t matter right now it’s about saving Carl! But how? I sneak over to Carl and start pecking the ropes with my beak, i’m nearly done. But all of a sudden Ross notices and runs in anger for the attack, aiming straight for me he throws a knife. I dodge his attack with my bird like instincts (even though I’m a bird) Carl was struggling to get out of the last rope eventually he breaks free! It was like in slow motion, but suddenly he falls back down to the ground. He isn’t breathing, I think he is dead?! I’m so sad but what can I do about Ross. He is still attacking, I turn around for one second, now there is a red fox there as well. He says his name is Red, next thing I know i’m staring face to face with killers again…

Booktrack Version > Booktrack Bird VS Snake

Wednesday, 29 June 2016

Here is my example of what we have been trying to do with describing and edingly's. There is four stories to read with description and I hope they are good!

This term we have been looking at ways to make our writing more interesting for the reader.
We have used the folllowing criteria to guide us:
  • Changing the word order of a sentence
  • Using literary devices such as metaphor, simile, alliteration, onomatopoeia and  personification
  • Using specific verbs and adjectives
  • Using  show, don’t tell techniques
  • Using different sentence beginnings and lengths

Here are some examples of my writing this term.



Show don’t tell - Emotions


Excited: Mum strode into the party room with my present, singing the happy birthday song to me. I started getting comfy on the couch and then mum placed the large present on my lap. My voice went high and I screeched, my mouth was wide open.


Angry: Dad creeped into my room and said “Oliver, we have to give Alex away.” I felt disappointed for a second but then my face started to turn red I yelled in his face “Why do you have to give away my only friend!” Then I stomped away to my room.

Sad: Tonight after dinner I still had a BIG hole in my big belly ready for ice-cream! I skipped over to mum to ask for ice-cream, she said… NO. Tears started streaming down my cheeks as fast as a waterfall.


Writing to music


THE ORCHESTRA STEAL


The old man sneaked into the opera house undercover, as he knew people were there. He parked his truck outside ready to load it up. Creeping back stage he snatched them one by one and loaded them into the truck. In the truck they didn’t make any sound luckily. He left one back stage just because he could. “Haha now they won’t be able to do the orchestra because there is none of them!” He used his walking stick to get back to the truck. He drove off fast and skidded along the road with all of the instruments in his truck!



The Boy - Dragging my legs along the sidewalk I was walking home from school feeling neglected from those kids that I thought were my friends, and work was so hard today. My lips are pouted and I’m playing with my zipper on my jersey. Then the boys came over and started calling me names, “hey baldy brain!” yelled out jack the bully. “Don’t call me that” I yelled back, I started sprinting away, balling my eyes out. As soon as I got home dumped my bag on the ground, Shuffling over to my bed, then just fell onto my bed like a lazy potato. The next day at school a boy came up to me and said “Hi... my name is Bob ummmm do you want to play with me?!” my mouth was open wide. “Yeah sure, thanks!” I said smiling. We both skipped off into the playground.   


Viking Girl - Show don’t tell



Screenshot 2016-06-30 at 09.49.19.pngOne dark halloween night I walked into the house earlier than needed and I start to glare at mum and say “Mum I just wanted to be a UNICORN!.” storming into my pink room my fists are clenched and I slam the door, BANG. Creeping into my room is mum, her face is pale. When she walked into my room my costume was ripped up with sharp cuts. Mum tried to calm me down but I was running around my room screaming like a maniac! I was having a ginormous temper tantrum and would not come out of my room. Mum walks in again, suddenly I see the most magical thing in the whole entire world… A UNICORN COSTUME! She gave it to me to try on, I was smiling so much I thought I had broken my jaw. Mum let me go trick or treating again, I was skipping the whole time!

By Ashlee

Monday, 27 June 2016

Can Crush With Ms Green!

So first we started with a Coke can that looked like this ----------------------------------------------------

Then we used this purple (highly flammable) stuff to light a fire to boil the water that we has in the can sitting the can on a metal stand thingy for it to boil. When you started to hear bubbles and see steam you grabbed the hot can with some tongs, next you get a bowl of cold water (better with ice in) and drop the can with the hot water in the cold water and this happened.
So the cold water made the can crush due to something to do with air presure and made it crush!

Monday, 13 June 2016

Cross Country Day Run!

I started to line up with all the year 7 girls, most of us were ready to run including me. "GO!" Mr Campbell yelled and we were off. Sprinting I was sooooo close to the front about 5 people in front, Leaping over the big blue mats nearly falling on my face. We were running around the school fast, when I ran past Kayla at the bus stop the feeling in my head was relief because I had got there pretty fast! Running back up to the field there was little kids cheering for us. Back down the through the field gate wind blowing in my hair making it go into my mouth was really annoying. Last part through the bus stop up to the field, Geneveive was just in front of me sadly. But I was really happy with the turn out I came 5th! I now claim 5th as my spot because I got that last year. INTERSCHOOLS HERE I COME!

Thursday, 19 May 2016

100 Word Story 4.0


Parts Of Speech Poem


    Daring                Dolphins                Dance                 Daily

  Adjective               Noun                    Verb                 Adverb


Tuesday, 17 May 2016

SCIENCE!


The cream experiment: First we put in cream then added food colouring, nothing happened. Then we got a cotton bud put some detergent and it started to spread out to the side of the cup. We held the cotton bud there and the colour kept on moving. We then added a tiny bit of milk and more food colouring, mixed it then it started to look really gross.
Pinecone Babies

Micah, Liz and I were spending a day together, well they were with me.  We went to my horse’s paddock to pick up pine cones and ride Grace (The horse) all on a cooking hot day. We started picking up the pointy pine cones in a part of the paddock that looked like a cold spooky forest. After a little while my bag was soooooo heavy, so I began to help the other two. Liz and I had an incredible idea - to turn our jerseys around and use the hoods as baskets. So we gathered up the dirty mucky pine cones and put them in the hoods, we poured them into the bags of pine cones. There was dirt and gross muck left in their hoods after. Then Micah shouted “LOOK AT MY PINE CONE BABIES!!!” After we filled the bags up we dragged them all the way up and down the long slopes because they were so heavy!

Here is my map. My Holiday Map!

Thursday, 7 April 2016

Everything is going down!

Everything is going down!

Grrrrr goes the excavator as it starts up the engine Rrrrrr .

It starts to pound into the wall BANG CRASH as it is demolishing the building.

The dust starts flying up into the air with a Puff .

The classroom door swings open and goes SCREECH !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone starts to scream OHHHH when it opened OHHHH .

Then the roof get’s Smashed and you could hear the big KABOOM

In the end everything was finished with a big thump!!!

The gravel getting flattened down making a humming sound like Mmmmm.