Social Studies - If I were Prime Minister for a day....

Now coming to the question about me being the PM for a day. This is really tricky as there are a lot of things that have to be improved. Also, the task of leading a nation with such a wonderful economy and resources is really challenging. So I would first like to thank all the previous PMs and our present PMs for their work because of which our nation is a global power today.

If I were to be Prime Minister for a day I would first start a rework of the justice system and make it more consistent for example, murder = life, terrorist = life, etc, and if human rights people don't like that well what about the human rights taken from people they killed? I would then pass a law that any person that had left to join a terrorist Organisation will lose their British citizenship or be banned from the country.

I recognize that Covid-19 has created conditions where there is probably a need for higher taxes but I don't think that the economy will be in a position to withstand higher taxes for some years. Yet the demand for services will continue for some time. I, therefore, suggest that the government should allow borrowing to continue to expand in the short term, taking advantage of low-interest rates to issue bonds that enable repayment over a long period.

I would do the research on the laws that are existing but not in implementation due to corruption. Maybe the new laws/fine for managing cleanliness in public, traffic rules, and other matters that are least concerned. Rightly implemented and regular checks and imposing fines on every guilty person (be it average person or some big celebrity, or celebrities children, Ministers, minister’s children, etc), so that people can too contribute in becoming responsible for their environment and rules. People will respect the rules and the laws only again if there is no corruption and taking bribes from people and leaving the guilty persons.

 

Science - Onion Cells

 Onion cells (slide) 

In today's science lesson, my class and I learned how to prepare an onion cell slide. In this lesson, the equipment used is one onion-skin layer, knife, forceps, slide, cover slide, cutting board, iodine, and microscope. 

Method : 

• First, you get an onion cut it with a knife then peel a skin layer with forceps and gently place and spread on a slide.  
• Next, you put two to three drops of iodine on the onion.
• Then, grab your cover slide and at a 45-degree angle you're going to spread the iodine over the onion then place the cover slide on top.
• After that, you're going to let it sit there for a minute or so, and then prepare your microscope.
• Finally, once all done grab your slide and place it under the microscope and look through it.

Result : 

Y9 - Camp Adair ; Reflection

The whole year nines from Tamaki College with the stars mentors and teachers went to Camp Adair for two days. We went camp to get to know each other more and also learn how to collaborate with each other. 

When we all got to Camp Adair we had rotations where you have one activity to do then rotate to the next. Well, we all had different stations for different activities, and one of my favourite activity was team building because we all have to participate and help each other accomplish a task. We helped each other get one side to the other by using a certain amount of tiles. The other activity my group did was we had three platforms and our instructor thought of three numbers for a lock and we had to work together and swing on a rope to each platform to see if we cracked the lock number. 💪

I suggest this activity to the next lot of year 9's because its enjoyable because you get to collaborate with the people you usually don't collaborate with. :)   

On the first day of camp at night we all had camp idol. It's where you come up with a performance for the audience and judges to be watch and be amazed. My class was struggling to come up with a performance, but still we pitched in with our ideas and came up with an awesome class act. At first I thought we were going to lose for sure because I was too busy concentrating on the other classes and their acts. But once we camp up with the idea of doing our chant and freestyle, I knew we had a chance of winning. With no hesitation my class went up and performed last and I think we did a marvelous job due to us switching it up at the end. At the end of the performance the judges announced the winners and 9KLE won, WOOHOO! Congrats to us ! 🥳️

I suggest to the next year 9's to come up with something that will blow the judges minds and also get every year 9 to participate in the camp idol because you can get house points if you participate. :) 

Side note ~ 

- Take two blankets for warmth.

- Take jumpers.

- Participate in all the activities.

- Be cheerful.

- Be you.

IF YOU CAN THINK IT YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT ! 

Science - Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of the environment, interacting system. It can be very large or very small. The whole Earth’s surface is a series of connected ecosystems. These abiotics and biotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flow.

Within the ecosystem there are producers, consumers and decomposers. 

The producers are plants. They make their own food, which creates energy for them to grow, reproduce and survive. Being able to make their own food makes them unique; they are the only living things on Earth that can make their own source and energy. 

The consumers are organisms that need to eat food to obtain their energy; such as us humans and animals. Consumers like lions to survive and obtain their energy just like us humans. 

The decomposers are the organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, they carry out decomposition, a process possible by only certain kingdoms, such as fungi. 

Food chain and food web are similar to each other except that food chain is a chain that goes in a line (an organism that gets eaten by another organism), whereas food web is a variety of different organisms eating the same food.

 

Food Tech - Sushi

Recipe :

• 2 cups short-grain sushi rice 

• 2 cups of water 

• ⅓ cup rice vinegar 

• 2 tbsp of white sugar 

• ½ tsp salt 

• 1 tsp dashi 

Sushi wrappers 

• Cucumber 

• Avocado 

• Ginger

• Wasabi 

• Salmon 

• Chicken 

Method :

• Put the rice in a pot of water over medium heat to cook. Bring to boil, turn to low heat for 10 minutes and turn off the heat, cover and sit for another 15 minutes until the rice is cooked. 

• Making rice vinegar: ⅓ cup of rice vinegar, 2tbsp of white sugar, ½ tsp of salt, 1 tsp of dashi.

• Pour the vinegar mixture on rice and stir well. 

• Let the rice cool down for a few minutes until within room temperature. 

Social Studies - Survivor game

During the first and second periods, my class and I had social studies. We were told by the teacher to get into groups of three or four. In my group were Marie, Kalo and I. We had to do four different things to draw and also to write about. We were told to draw what our island would look like if we were deserted. Marie drew a cool island with palm trees, tents, a sea with creatures and also a fishing net, etc... Then we wrote down all our roles on who does what. Our next task was that we were told that there were others on the island too, so we negotiated and made an agreement. Then our final task was how are we going to react if there were pirates approaching our amazing island. 

Food Tech - Burgers

Making burgers with my partner was interesting, I think I'll be making burgers at home one day. 

Ingredients : 

• 500g beef mince 

• ½ finely chopped red onions

• 2 tsp tomato sauce

• 1 cup breadcrumbs 

• A handful, chopped mixed herbs 

• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard

Suggest filling

• Wholegrain mustard 

• Mustard

• Tomato sauce 

• Gherkin 

• Pineapple 

• Beetroot 

• Fruit-style chutney 

• Cheese, cheddar 

• Coleslaw 

• Lettuce 

• Tomato 

Method : 

• In a large bowl, gently mix together the ingredients for your chosen burger.

• Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

• Shape into patties of similar size and thickness (about 2cm thickness).

• Dust lightly with flour to prevent sticking. 

• Cook on a very hot grill for 8-10 minutes, turning one halfway through cooking time. 

• For a cheese topping, add a thin slice to the top of a patty during the last minutes of grilling. 

• Serve on toasted buns, with all your favorite fillings.

Social Studies - Migration Group ; Presentation

I think my group and I did really well presenting our migration group. 

Science - Lava Lamp Experience

Material: 

Vinegar, Sodium bicarbonate, Citric acid, Oil, Food Colouring, Water, empty Water bottle.

Method:

1.  Add colouring in 50 ml of water in a beaker.

2.  Pour the coloured water into an empty water bottle.

3.  Add vinegar and make the bottle half-filled.

4.  Add vegetable oil up to the bottleneck ( close to the top).

5. Add sodium bicarbonate and citric acid.

RESULT : 

I think my group and I did good compared to some of the other groups, but they did good as well. If I had the chance to do this experiment again, I’ll take that opportunity to do so.  

Food Tech - Dumplings

Making dumplings was something fun to do. Mixing all the ingredients together was also fun because you can smell the great aroma of the ingredients in the bowl. Making dumplings is actually great to do, this was my first time and I think I’d do this again. 

Ingredients : 

• 150g mince

• 1 tsp finely chopped lemongrass

• ½ tsp finely grated ginger 

• 1 cup finely chopped cabbage

• 1 spring onion finely chopped

• A handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped 

• 1 tsp chicken stock powder 

• 2 tsp cornflour

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce 

Method: 

• To make the Dumpling Filling: In a bowl, mix all ingredients together. 

• To make the dumplings:

• Wet the edge of the dumpling wrapper.

• Place a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. 

• Fold the wrapper in half to form a semi-circle. 

• Pinch the sides of the wrapper to seal the mixture. 

• Crimp the seal with your fingers to form pleats, or use a fork.

• Stand the dumpling, seam side up, on a tray lined with baking paper. 

• Repeat with the remaining filling with wrappers, keeping the dumplings separate on the tray to avoid them sticking together. 

Science - Tectonic Plates

What are tectonic plates?

The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust, the lithosphere, is separated into plates that move over the asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle. Oceanic and continental plates come together, spread apart, and interact at boundaries all over the planet. 

What are the 7 tectonic plates?

There are major and micro tectonic plates. There are seven major plates; African, Antarctica, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North America, Pacific, and South America. 

Why do they move? 

The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior causes the plates to move, sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion, or tectonic drift. 

Other info:

With this comes along three tectonic plates I’ve learned about in science. I’ve learned about divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries.

Divergent boundaries: 

Where two plates are moving away from each other. 

Convergent boundaries:

Where two plates are colliding.

Transform boundaries:

Where two plates slide past each other.

 

Food Tech - Butter Chicken

Today in food tech I didn’t have a partner to work with because she was absent, but I made butter chicken.

Ingredients : 

• 400 grams of chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless and slides into 2cm strips)

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• ½ teaspoon of salt 

• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon of chili powder (optional) 

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter

• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

• 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger (grated) 

• ¼ cup tomato paste 

• 1 - 1 & ½ cups of water (start with 1 and add extra if you want it to be saucy) 

• ½ cup of cream

• 1 tablespoon of butter 

Method : 

• Place the chicken pieces in a medium-sized bowl, add the coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, salt, cinnamon, and chili powder (if using) and toss to coat the chicken evenly. 

• Heat the oil or butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes until cooked through. 

• Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes. 

• Add tomato paste water and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Stir in the cream and butter and cook for a further 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 

• Serve with rice and garlic naan bread. Cover any leftovers and store them in the fridge for 2 days. 

Dear Diary....

Greetings, my name is Chen and I have migrated from China to New Zealand in the early 1990s. I love living in China because of our language and our hidden history. I came to New Zealand because the Chinese made it hard for me by charging economic penalties, also because it is a better environment here in New Zealand rather than in China. When I heard amazing facts about New Zealand and its animals and land, I for sure wanted to experience what it's like living in New Zealand. Although we people from China have animals, we don't have animals like here in New Zealand; Kea, Tuatara, Kakapo, etc. Whereas, in China, we have Giant Panda's, Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey's, Pallas cat, etc. Which are great animals too, but I want to explore and learn about some other animals. Another reason why I came to New Zealand is that I'd love to learn English and learn about New Zealand and its history. Some obstacle courses for me were; I had to say my goodbyes to my family, here in New Zealand their law is different to China's, the school system is different, and also I had to save up lots of money to meet the migration rules. 

Science - Volcanoes

What is a volcano? 

A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and gases escape. Beneath a volcano, liquid magma containing dissolved gases rises through cracks in the Earth’s crust.

How does it produce lava? 

It is created deep beneath Earth’s surface often 100 miles or more underground, where temperatures get hot enough to melt rock. Eventually, some magma makes its way to Earth’s surface and escapes via a volcano eruption. When magma erupts onto Earth’s surface it begins to flow, scientists then call it lava. 

How are volcanoes formed? 

When a tectonic plate collides and goes through the process of subduction, it sets the foundation for a volcano. The overlapping of the tectonic plates causes magma to break through the crust, which is the cause of a volcanic eruption. 

Food Tech - Milkshakes

Today in food tech, was actually fun because we made milkshakes.

I was joined up in a group of four. We all had four different milkshake flavors

to choose from, mint white chocolate, oreo cheesecake, strawberry

shortcake, and firecracker. My group and I decided to make oreo cheesecake. 

All you need to do is have three scoops of cookies n cream ice cream,

a splash of milk, three spoonfuls of cream cheese, and one handful of crushed

oreos for decoration. You will be needing a blending to do this. 

If you see the photo of me on the left, that is what my oreo cheesecake

my group and I made. But if you see the photo on the right, there I

added some strawberries for fun. 

Hope you enjoy your milkshake, because I know I did! 

Social Studies - Understanding Migration Theories

 Social Studies : 

Today in social studies our task was to understand migration theories. We had to understand the different Polynesian migration theories. There is a guy that goes by the name of Thor Heyerdahl who believes that Maoris originally came from South America. He is the man who built a raft called the Kon Tiki. 

Some Maoris believed that they came from a place called Hawaiki.

Others believe that they came from Asia. They had evidence to their theory, one of them being that their language is a lot similar throughout the Pacific.

Some Maoris believe that they came from a place called Hawaiki. There are distinct similarities between Maori languages and culture and others of Polynesia including the Cook Island, Hawai, and Tahiti.

Food Tech - Mac and Cheese

 

Today in food tech, my fellow friend and I made Mac and Cheese with help from Miss Ferguson and Mrs Heka. Before we started we put our bags away and got an apron, and also washed our hands. The first thing we did was, we got the macaroni and put in a pot with water just above it. Then we let that cook. While that was cooking we melted the butter into a saucepan, then we removed it from the heat and mixed in the flour until it smoothed. When we finished mixing the butter with the flour, we returned it to the heat and cooked, stirring until the mixture was frothy. Remove it from the heat and mix in a little milk at a time, stirring after each addition to smooth. Then we return to the heat and cook until the sauce boils and thickens. Mix in the salt and cheese. The last thing we did was, we drained the pasta, shaking the macaroni to remove as much water as possible. Then we dished it out evenly amongst the two of us in a serving dish and let it grill until lightly golden.

Here is what Mac and Cheese looks like.

  

Food Tech - Vegetarian Nachos

Today in food tech, my class and I made vegetarian nachos. 

Ingredients : 

1/2 red onion (finely chopped)

1 red capsicum (finely chopped)

200 g cherry tomato (chopped)

1/4 cup canned corn (drained)

400 g canned kidney beans (drained)

1 cup Grated Cheese

1/2 avocado (chopped)

175 g corn chip

sour cream (*to serve)

Method : 

Preheat the oven.

To make the salsa, place the chopped onion, capsicum and cherry tomatoes into a large bowl. Add the drained kidney beans and corn. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well to combine all ingredients. 

Place the corn chips into the base of 4-6 single-server ovenproof tins or dishes and top with the fresh salsa you’ve just created. Then sprinkle the Bega Farmers’ Tasty Cheese over the top.

Place in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

Carefully remove the nachos from the oven, then top with the avocado before serving. Add a dollop of sour cream to taste.