Softball - Japan Vs. Maeroa

We were lucky enough to go out and enjoy the sunshine last week with Room 7. We went out during the 3rd block to support the Japanese students who took on the sports class in a game of softball.

Room 7 and Room 15 cheered and supported both sides, although they really wanted to the Japanese students to win. The game ended in a tie, with both teams scoring 5 runs home each.

Our Green Screen

We have just moved into our brand new learning space (pictures to come soon). 

We had some fun on Friday afternoon playing around with our new green screen room. 

We used the app ChromaKey to change the backgrounds and take some fun photos. 

Bananas Don't Grow on Trees: A Lesson on Fair Trade

Fair Trade: The Banana Mystery: Why are bananas cheaper than apples? 

Our Inquiry Cycle Model 

The Inquiry Process is not a linear process

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Tuning in Session 1: Bananas Don't Grow on Trees

The Research

Students Googled the prices between apples and bananas. 

We recorded down a bunch of costs from various locations and looked at the most expensive versus the cheapest. 

Reasoning

Students reasons for the difference in price between apples and bananas

- Quality of the product

- Shelf life

- Cost and profit

- One might be harder to grow

- More demand (popularity)

- Location the fruit grows - cultural or religious beliefs and values

- Economy 

- Exchange rate

- Brands and types 

Price Points

Students generated a bunch of reasons for the differences in prices for bananas between local stores. 

- Countdown is trying to make more money

- Pak N Save wants more customers by lowering their prices

- Competition between stores

- Shipping costs for the bananas between each store may vary

- The place they are importing from might change and then all the costs change

- Different supplies = different costs

- Storage options (Shelf life) - might be stored in a cooler or warmer place

- Brands and types change the price

- Pak N Save might have had more in stock and therefore could make theirs cheaper

The Mystery of why Bananas are cheaper than apples?

Students in their table groups then worked through the clues they were given. 

The organised them into 3 categories

1. Important Clue

2. Clue

3. Non Relevant 

Once each table group had discussed and drawn conclusions we talked about the importance of each piece of information. We used the clues to draw conclusions about why bananas were cheaper than apples. 

The Banana Split Game

Each group of students was given a role and had to argue/negotiate for their wage. 

The students really enjoyed being able to argue and negotiate what they felt their role was worth. 
It took a total of 5 rounds of negotiations to get each group to total 30 cents per each banana.

Round 1: Negotiate within their team
Round 2: Move around the room and try and convince other teams to lower their prices
Round 3: Negotiate again with only their own teams
Round 4: 1 person from each group presented to the class why they felt they were worth what they were asking for. Class debated on if they felt the demands were fair.
Round 5: Negotiate in teams once again (This round took the longest as we were 4 cents over and no team wanted to budge)

After all the negotiations I shared with the class what the actual prices each worker in the chain got per banana.

This prompted a lot of discussion. We used the discussion questions as prompts to steer our discussions in the right direction. Students shared a lot of their own experiences or stories their parents had shared about similar situations.

Overall majority of the class felt like the price of bananas should be raised to help support all those in the chain to meet their basic needs. 

Change of Songfest Song

'Ho Hey' Lyrics

(Ho!)

(Hey!)

(Ho!)

(Hey!)

(Ho!) I've been trying to do it right

(Hey!) I've been living a lonely life

(Ho!) I've been sleeping here instead

(Hey!) I've been sleeping in my bed,

(Ho!) I've been sleeping in my bed

(Hey!)

(Ho!)

(Ho!) So show me family

(Hey!) All the blood that I will bleed

(Ho!) I don't know where I belong

(Hey!) I don't know where I went wrong

(Ho!) But I can write a song

(Hey!)

1, 2, 3

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet

(Ho!)

(Hey!)

(Ho!)

(Hey!)

(Ho!) I don't think you're right for him

(Hey!) Think of what it might have been if you

(Ho!) Took a bus to China Town

(Hey!) I'd be standing on Canal

(Ho!) And Bowery

(Hey!)

(Ho!) And she'd be standing next to me

(Hey!)

1, 2, 3

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart

Love we need it now

Let's hope for some

Cause oh, we're bleeding out

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart

I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet

(Ho!)

(Hey!)

(Ho!)

(The last one)

(Hey!)

Only 2 Clicks

Click the link below to check out the latest additions to our class '2 Clicks' page. 

I have added to music, social studies, space, language, Maori and coding. 

The Link: Miss Downard's 2 Clicks

Songfest 2015

Our Songfest 2015 song for Kauri team is 'Fight Song' by Rachel Platten.

Please take some time to learn the words. We will be having a Kauri Team practice on Wednesday 5th August in the last block. 

Fight Song

Like a small boat

On the ocean

Sending big waves

Into motion

Like how a single word

Can make a heart open

I might only have one match

But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn't say

Wrecking balls inside my brain

I will scream them loud tonight

Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

Starting right now I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep

Everybody's worried about me

In too deep

Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)

And it's been two years

I miss my home

But there's a fire burning in my bones

Still believe

Yeah, I still believe

And all those things I didn't say

Wrecking balls inside my brain

I will scream them loud tonight

Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

Starting right now I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

A lot of fight left in me

Like a small boat

On the ocean

Sending big waves

Into motion

Like how a single word

Can make a heart open

I might only have one match

But I can make an explosion

This is my fight song (Hey!)

Take back my life song (Hey!)

Prove I'm alright song (Hey!)

My power's turned on

Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

No I've still got a lot of fight left in me