Year: 2023

Today, I made a sundial and tested it to see whether it works or not. It is Step It Up Extension because it is not a real SLJ activity but it is related to it. It is related to it because in the last activity, it was about creating shadow art where you had to colour the shadow, wait and colour again, as the sun moves across the sky. So a sundial is telling the time through the sun from the direction of the South or North, depending where you are. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, you direct from the true North. If you are from the Southern Hemisphere, you direct from the true South. There is a sundial at Botanic Gardens if you want to have a look.

First thing you have to do is to make a Sundial. Print out a template using the latitude in your area or city. The site that I used was called https://www.blocklayer.com/sundial-pop. Cut, fold and glue it. Decorate it if you like.

Time to test! Using a compass, locate your true Direction whether it is South or North, align your Sundial to that direction and the sun shall tell you the time if on a sunny day.

I enjoyed this activity because I love doing fun thing outside with nature especially on sunny days. I also had Tea, my duckling, somewhere on the grass with me.

My Sundial didn’t match the analogue clock because

• a. It is summer time with daylight saving so it is 1 hour faster
• b. Wellington time zone is based on longitude 180˚ East and the Christchurch longitude 172.6˚ East
• c. Our clock has been 5 minutes faster because I don’t want to be late

Did your Sundial work? Why or why not?

This afternoon, I made a shadow art like before but in time lapse. So instead of just plain shadow art, I waited in periods of time and drew the shadow. When you look up to the sky, you would see the clouds moving. And if you look carefully at the sun, the same thing happens. The fact is because the Earth keeps moving, so it looks like the sky is moving when it is actually us that’s moving.

Now, if you place something that creates a shadow outside on a sunny day and trace (and colour with colouring material) the shadow, you’ll see it will of have moved in a period of time. Trace and colour that with another colour, not caring it overlaps. By choosing colours, I suggest contrast colours e.g. black and white so it stands out more with that effect. It starts to appear that effect on the second so on the third, you can choose to be ready. If you keep going, the effect may stand out more. If you keep going, it may look alike to something like this (but this is not mine).

I chose to do it three times, starting with red, then blue and lastly green. I found it not easy but also not hard because it was not easy for my surface was not totally flat but it was not hard for the last activity to me was harder. I did it with a wooden cat and this is how mine turned out to be.

What figure would you choose to do it on?

This morning, the task was creating shadow art. Firstly, you need an object or something that creates a shadow, paper, pen or pencil (I recommend pencil), and colouring materials. Then you trace over your thing and colour it. Your art is finished!

I did it with a baby animal and it did not work well. I had my mum help me because a baby animal about 6 days old is very jumpy. So from my experience, I rather recommend using something that DOES NOT MOVE! Otherwise, it is very challenging. That was the hardest part.

To me, the easiest part was colouring. I got out my colouring pencils and coloured so it was easy. Also, another thing that made it easy was the fact that they didn’t really have much colour. So at least that helped.

Now, finally, I have completed my art. Can you guess what I traced? The answer is a code on the paper…

For another hint, here it comes…

The answer was Quail chick Japanese.

Which type of animal are you a fan of?

This afternoon, the task was just like before but using the freestyle mode. So instead of having a guide, you have to figure all the notes yourself. I found it really challenging as it kept jumping to the wrong notes. This time, it worked better with the mouse. I played a song that I knew of, but it still took a lot of practise. After listening to it, can you figure out what song I tried to play?

Viola the Bird in Freestyle

ratS elttiL elkniwT elkniwT :rewsnA

Some detail on Beethoven Ode to Joy:

• It is also known as No. 9 (number 9).
• Originally, it was a poem written by Schiller, a German poet.
• Ode means lyric poem.
• The German name for Ode to Joy was ”An die Freude”.

What instrument is your passion?

This morning’s task was about Viola the Bird and Beethoven. First, I watched Ode to Joy Beethoven played on the piano. Then I went to Viola the Bird on Google Arts and Culture and practised playing Ode to Joy on the virtual cello. After that, I pressed record and played it again, and so this is what my Ode to Joy sounds like.

Viola the Bird

I used my iPad to do it for my chromebook kind of jammed with it and a stylus pen which is a pen for touchscreen. I found it real easy because it was only a matter of making the pen left and right.

5 Fun Facts on Beethoven:

1. His birth was not known.
2. He was nicknamed ”The Spaniard”.
3. He was not gifted for finances.
4. He was never married but was a great romantic.
5. He was Forced to into Music.

What is your favourite piece of music from Beethoven?

The second task for me today is to design a ball trick shot like the last one but harder. Making it more challenging by adding timers, smaller catchers (actually cup), difficult spaces, etc. So this time, I designed it with a smaller cup on the nose and you had to catch a ball in that cup before 20 seconds. I set the timer for 20 seconds but I got it before the timer. I found it actually a bit easier with my strategy: bounce it high then go under it.

Step It Up

If doing this task, what other strategy do you think will work?

Today, my first task was about doing those ball trick shots. Have you ever heard of Dude Perfect? So I watched one of their videos and designed my challenge at home using materials I found; a tub, 6 of 3 star rating Table Tennis balls and one of a few glass table. It took a bit of practice to get it all and I keep picking up the balls so I sped the video up. At the end, I threw a peanut in the tub for victory!

Kick Start

Can you imagine being famous if you did a ball trick shot nobody could do?

Today, I did this activity where you have to create your own exercise routine. It was in Māori so again, google translate. This is the link to the exercise routine I made.

Routine

Then I did one where I explained what I did and introducing my friends joining me at the start.

Explained

Which exercise activity do you find the hardest?

An activity this afternoon is related to the last activity. Unlike the last one, it is to create a beach scene. I watched the video when doing my picture and added some things at the end. I enjoyed this activity as it was easy, simple, and fun to do.

My favourite part making it was creating the palm tree and my favourite part of  the scene was the reflection of the sun and the background.

What type of scenes do you like to watch/draw/look at and why do you like that type?

Also, what do you prefer this scene to be; sunset or sunrise and why? I personally would like this to be sunset because I am a night owl myself.

This morning, the task was to create a colourblock landscape by using shapes and polyline/curve. I think it is called colourblock because it mainly uses solid colours, not much of the gradient. I only used the gradient on the moon. This is my picture.

My scene is kinda like walking into a forest or a mountain at night. What is your scene all about?