Different Types of Fossils

Trace Fossils
Some of the most interesting fossils don't even belong to the animal. They are the marks the animal has left behind, they can be footprints, impressions of the skin or droppings. These are called trace fossils and can be very useful to scientists as they can tell how the animal lived. Nests and eggs also give information of an animal's lifestyle. It is usually easier to identify a particular animal from a nest or fossilized egg rather than from a trace fossil.

Mold Fossils

This is an imprint of an animal or its trace. A shell can make an imprint in the sand. After the sand hardens the shell can dissolve and leave a spave in the shape of the shell. This space is called a mold fossil. When the sediment hardens into rock a fossil is formed in the same shape as that shell.



Fossils

Our new inquiry topic is Fossils and we are loving it.
When an animal or plant dies it's usually eaten or rots away to nothing. Sometimes its remains can be buried quickly and may be fossilised. This usually happens if the aninal has died in or near water.

This is the Process of Fossilisation
1.  Before the bones break up in the sun, the water rises and covers them with a layer of sand.
2.  The soft body parts such as muscle and skin rot away and the skeleton falls apart but bones
and teeth remain.
3.  Minrals in the bones are dissolved and are replaced with minerals from the ground.  Over time the sand and mud layers build up and harden to form sedimentary rock.  This can take millions of
years.
4.  Soil is washed away which can expose the fossil and can be found by
anyone.                                

Wire Scupture Athletes on PhotoPeach

Cross Country

Cross Country on PhotoPeach

LEOTC - Enviro Art

We started by viewing artworks by Environmental artists who use objects found in nature to create sculptures. Their works usually focus on shape, space, texture, and colour. Two of the artists we looked at were Martin Hill from Wanaka and Andy Goldsworthy.  We walked down to Bremner Bay and created our own amazing works of art.
Here are a few, tell us what you think.





































Before coming back to school we collected driftwood to make mobiles - what do you think?

Art - Making Wire Sculptures

Today we began making wire scuptures of Olympic athletes.

First we looked at Elizabeth Berrien, Helen Godfrey and a few other artists who create some amazing work from wire.

We sketched what we want our sculpture to look like and then began our own sculptures.

LEOTC - Bike Skills

On Thursday, 2 August we had a bike skills day. We started off by being put into groups of four and then were given the challenge of construction a bike out of newspaper and sellotape. For some, this was indeed a challenge.

What do you think of some of our results?

Then we jumped on our bikes and moved around in groups completing bike skills. Phil Vink also came along and did bike and helmet checks for us and showed us how to ride on the road safely.

LEOTC - Mt Iron Walk

On Thursday, 26 July we left school at 9.15 am and walked to the base of Mt Iron where we had a morning tea stop. A few of us wanted a drink, but the fountain was still frozen. We made our way up Mt Iron in a long line - some of us fitter than others, but we all made it eventually. We had lunch at the top, a bit of a look at the view and some even got their sketch pads out as they were so inspired by the view.

We made our way down again (a lot faster than going up), had a quick stop at the bottom for a drink and then continued on our way to school.

Hunter was so proud of himself as he said that is the furtherest he has ever walked in his life. Way to go Hunter

London 2012 Mascots Film 3 - 'Rainbow Rescue'

Visual Art - Sewing

Room 15 have been busy sewing this week. We drew the Olympic Rings onto hessian using a cardboard template, then with running stitch and the correct colours we stitched around the rings. To achieve this we had to learn a few skills first - these were:
Threading a needle, knotting the wool and learning the stitch.
It looks easier that it actually is - most of us got tangled a few times but luckily we managed to sort that out.
We have been having a lot of fun.





Liam showing Jasmine how to knot her wool and begin on the next circle.












Layton, Harrison and Ewan busy working on their sewing

Play these fraction games

London 2012 Mascots Film 2 - 'Rainbow Rescue'

London 2012 Mascots Film 1 - 'Rainbow Rescue'

Dance beginning from the Olympic Rings

We used the olympic rings as an idea for dance. First, in groups of five, we linked up as the olympic rings to try and feel how the games brings athletes from all over the world together. Next, we made up a short dance beginning in the olympic rings position. We had to come apart, twist, turn and end the dance back in the olympic rings position again. We shared these dances with each other and had a lot of fun doing it. Here are a couple we would like to share with you. We hope you enjoy them.

Mascots

Wenlock and Manderville are the mascots for the 2012 London Olympics. Watch the videos above and follow their story.

Olympic Games - What do the Olympic Rings stand for?

This is the symbol used on the Olympic flag  for every Olympic Games. 
The five circles represent the 5 continents of the world:
* Europe
* North and South America
*Asia
*Oceania  (Australasia)
*Africa
and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world.

These five colours were chosen because every country competing has at least one of these colours on their flag.

Dear Diary - by Will

Read our Awesome Writing

THE MAGIC BOX
I WILL PUT IN THE BOX…
THE ROAR OF A HUNGRY LION IN A JUNGLE NINE MILES AWAY
THE CRASH OF A TREE FALLING TO THE GROUND DURING A THUNDERING ROCKFALL
THE ECHO OF WAVES ROLLING ONTO A SILENT GOLDEN BEACH

I WILL PUT IN THE BOX…
THE FRESH SMELL OF SPRING AS I WALK OUTSIDE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
THE WHIFF OF A FRESHLY CUT PEACH
THE AROMA OF OPENING A BRAND NEW BOOK

I WILL PUT IN THE BOX…
A DOG WALKING IN THIN AIR
A FIRE MADE OF ICE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SLOW FLOWING RIVER
A SCHOOL SKY DIVING TOWARDS ‘HIDDEN LAKE’

I WILL PUT IN THE BOX…
A WORLD MADE OF CHOCOLATE
A DOG WALKING A PERSON TO THE ZOO
1000 MICE IN ONE SMALL MOUSE HOUSE

MY BOX IS FASHIONED FROM DIAMONDS, GOLD AND SILVER IN THE SHAPE OF A DRAGON. ITS HINGES ARE MADE FROM ANCIENT SNAIL’S TOES. THERE IS ONE MAGIC KEY, AND ONLY ONE!

I WILL TRAVEL IN MY BOX OVER FIELDS OF FIERY RED POPPIES AND END UP IN THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN CANADA

By Liam

Will

 I am a good friend and love to play

I wonder about space and if aliens really exist

I hear the giant stomping as he passes the buildings

I see space as it comes closer and closer

I want a helicopter to fly over the mountains and valleys

I am a good friend and love to play

 I pretend to be on stage singing to my friends

I feel the dragon’s skin as it lifts me off the ground up into the clouds

I touch magic berries in an enchanted forest

I worry about a comet hitting the earth in one second

I cry when someone laughs at me just because I have something different

I am a good friend and love to play

 I understand why mum gets cross at me when I’m naughty

I say people who are good will have a really happy life

I dream of living in a world of magic where wishes come true

I try to win 1^st place in a race

I hope to take a trip around the world especially to see my cousin in England

I am a good friend and love to play

By Will 

Trip to Cromwell

Mathletics