Something Fishy .....

We used this movie to inspire our writing. You can look at https://www.literacyshed.com/ the Literacy Shed for other images and videos to inspire writing.

Something Fishy from J.J. on Vimeo.

We have been thinking about painting a picture in the readers' head. We have thought about the detail we can add so the reader can picture the setting of our stories. 

The water was warm. I pushed off the side towards the middle. On a good day I can swim four lengths. There was a glow appearing in the water. I felt water pushing me on the sides and there is silence all around me. Also I can see something grey behind those surfboards. Chomp! A shark is behind me. Way off there is a white light showing my way out. I had to swim as fast as I could with the shark chomping behind me. With the last chomp I made it to the light. I swam through and I was back in the pool. The light was gone. Was I in the pool the whole time?

Written by Sam R

As I dived in the pool I suddenly found out that I was in a magical place. I saw a magical slipper fish and shorts that are baby sharks. The slipper fish glide through a lot of seaweed. I could see beanie turtles and water volcanoes that explode fish out of it. At last I could hear tails swishing and bubbles popping also I could hear fish talking to each other. I could hear clams opening and closing making a clapping noise. I could feel water going right past me when the fish swam past me. Suddenly a shadow appeared in the water. "Sharp teeth! Sharp teeth!" I yelled. "What else could happen I want to get out now" but it is a cool place and also a scary place. "An adult shark is in the water run run little fish and turtles" "Yeah you too" warned the fish in front of me. It is really dirty in here I might quickly get out of the pool before the shark gets me. I scampered out of the pool. When will that happen again?

Written by Coopa

Swish! Swish! The colossal waves were swishing me around, My togs were wet from the waves pushing me around the water. The place had water everywhere and a little sand with people playing kindly with their sand buckets. As I was floating in the water I saw a circle of light under the water. I ducked my head under the water to see what it was and off I swam. I heard my long feet kicking the surface of the water. When I opened my eye  I saw some fish made out of stone and rocks and also saw some stingrays. The stingrays flippers were made out of seaweed and its head was made out of bumpy rocks. I could feel some fish fins tickling me right on my back. Oh no! A huge gigantic shark! The shark was made out of a clam shell. When I swam away from the shark I quickly swam out of the hole and got out of the water. I was feeling so happy when I was in the water but I was feeling scared when the huge gigantic clam shell sharp toothed shark came and chased me because he wanted me for breakfast. I thought the shark was going to be nice but it wasn't it was nasty. It was swishing its tail and it was chasing me with its mouth chomping at me. I hope you don't have an adventure like me today and I  hope it doesn't happen again!

Written by Keiarliya

Ssshh!Freezing cold water dripped out of the tap and into the cup for a refreshing cold drink. Suddenly something extraordinary happened...as the water slid down the plug hole it tried to pull me down. Then as it was trying to pull me down the plug hole got bigger and bigger until the hole was as big as the sink. I slid down the hole and saw a little school of fish that was made out of plastic cups, an octopus made out of a plate for its face and fork and spoons for the legs. There were seaweed beds for the little sea animals. Chatter chatter went the little turtles as they swam across. Swoosh went the water as the fish swam across so speedy. Scuttle scuttle went the little crabs as they swam side by side. I was amazed by all the little creatures. How could they just appear out of no where. Until...I saw a shadow that looked like it belonged to a shark. It had sharp teeth, a pointy fin and he swam as fast as a racing car. As I got away I saw a bright light and I knew it was the plug hole so I swam and swam until I reached the light. I pulled myself up and I was back at my house. Will that ever happen again I thought. 

Written by Rain

Swish! The water in the washing machine was tumbling around. I was reading a book. Suddenly I spotted a dazzling light. Peering into the washing machine and putting my head in I saw...a little sock glowing fish. The fish led me in to a magical world. It was filled with swaying seaweed. On the seabed I spied some smooth undie rocks. The rocks began to move and a claw came out. Before very long I noticed it was a rose red crab. As I swam further up a school of fish swished past. I felt a tail flick me. Some beanie turtles were bobbing up and down to get across the ocean blue water. I spotted some t-shirt squid squeezing black ink out of its tentacles it made the water pitch black. Soon a shadow of pants came up to me. I saw spiky teeth...its a shark! I swam to the closest seaweed and hid behind it but the shark was too clever he saw me. I noticed the bright light  that I had come in from so I dashed towards the bright light. I was near,y there when the shark nearly bit my foot off. The bright light got brighter and brighter. At last I realised that I was close. Finally I got out of the washing machine and the pants too! I was too afraid to touch the pants. 

Written by Georgina 

When I was swimming around in my swimming pool. Something unusual swirled around and around until it stopped. I went to go get my Mum. Me and Mum hopped in the pool and fall in the swirly water and explored the ocean. I can see tog jellyfish swimming around with their legs squirming up and down. There was a school of fish swimming slowly around and flutter board tortoises floating around the water in the distance. I saw a shadow. It didn't look like a shark. Did it look like a shark? Wait did it look like a dolphon? It was colourful it had...colourful spray. I started swimming after the dolphin. It swam to the hole in my swimming pool. now I have a pet dolphin. Will she stay or wont she stay? 

Written by Ella

Woosh! The waves were crashing down on the beach I was surfing the Pacific Ocean. I was looking out at the deep part of the Pacific Ocean when...I noticed a whirl pool out at sea...it was an enormous one too. The water was crystal clear. It made a sound like a plug hole sucking up the water. I surfed out too far. I was sucked up by the whirl pool. I could see shells on the bottom of the ocean floor. I could also see a coral reef rock. I can hear the swishing seaweed. Suddenly I felt the soft sand on the ocean floor. Just then a school of shell fish swam past me. Stone fish were skating on the bottom of the ocean. Suddenly I saw a massive shadow creeping up behind me. It looked like it belonged to a...great white shark. I peered over me shoulder and I saw...a ginormous shell shark!!!! I swam away as fast as I could and hid behind a coral rock. I gaze up trying to find the whirl pool but instead of the whirl pool being in the deep end it is heading for the...beach. I swam after the whirl pool and the shark chases after me. Finally I got to the whirl pool. I climb up the whirl pool like it was a piece of rope. Finally I made it to the top so did the shark. It was just a shell now. I slowly put my hand out to touch it when I touched it it did nothing.

Written by Tyler 

Discovery Learning

Discovery Learning on PhotoPeach

Being Scientists

We are learning to think and act like scientists to explore recycling, reusing and reducing waste.

Our question today was 'Will it decompose?'

For our experiment we put an apple core, a piece of orange, small pieces of paper and some gladwrap in different jars covered in soil.

 

 


Thinking like scientists we made predictions and drew diagrams. What do you think will decompose first?

Mac's Diagram

Keiarliya's Diagram

Angus M's Diagram

Christina's Diagram

Perimeter

We are learning to calculate the perimeter of shapes. The perimeter is the distance around a shape.

This was our problem.

We worked in groups to create Gnome School.

Gwen and Keiarliya using equipment
to make a shape with a perimeter of 32cm

Mason and Georgina talking about the
best way to add the perimeter. 

Pinenga and Caitlin checking their addition

Jasmine adding

Some of the Gnome School's created

We were thinking about the easiest way to add the numbers together.
We looked for numbers that connected together like a jigsaw
-the numbers that make 10 eg. 6+4
-the numbers that make 20  eg. 13+7
-doubles we knew eg. 4+4 so we knew 40+40

Coopa, Maddie, Mason and Georgina worked together to create their Gnome School

Ashwin, Rain, Christina and Sadie's Gnome School

Caitlin, Pinenga, Joseph's Gnome School.  

The mathematicians problem-solved to create shapes with a given perimeter. We were so proud of how the superheroes of Room 1617 showed so much perseverance and team work to create their schools.  

Catching

Pinenga watching the ball high in the sky

We have been building our catching skills.

Gwen reaching up high for the ball

Sam watching the ball carefully

To help us catch we need to 

*Keep our eyes on the ball

*Move our feet to the ball

*Reach our hands out for the ball

*Catch the ball in our hands ONLY

*Bend our elbows to bring the ball in

Jack catching using only his hands

Janice is reaching out to meet the ball

Riley keeping his eyes on the ball

Sam bending his elbows to bring the ball in

Jack moving his feet to the ball

Mac using just his hands to catch

Visualising

We are learning to visualise when we read. When we make pictures in our head of what the author is telling us it helps us to understand what we are reading. Sometimes books have pictures to help us and we can imagine all the extra little bits of detail in our head and sometimes they have no pictures and we need to imagine all the parts in our head. 

"The pictures are starting to move" Kamora-Lee

When we get really good at visualising a little movie plays in our head as we read. 

We had a description of an awhinat. We drew what we could visualise. Great readers re-read when they are reading and cannot visualise. Lots of the children in Room 1617 re-read lots of times.

Gemma

Louisa

Ruben

Kamora-Lee

Sienna

Georgina

Angus M

Ashley

Caitlin

An ahwinat

The ahwinat is an animal that lives on land and in water. It has a long skinny oval shaped body. It has a short neck and a long tail that is fat close to the body but gets skinner and it curls like the letter s. The ahwinat’s head is shaped like a small fat oval laying sideways. It has big eyes on the side of its head and little nostrils on the end of its head. The ahwinat has big ears that stick out past the top of its head. It has a big open mouth that smiles from its cheek. Inside the mouth are  pointy teeth and a long curly tongue that pokes out. The ahwinat has scales on the bottom half of its body. It has two long arms that start up by its shoulders and nearly touch the ground. Each arm has three pointy fingers at the end. It has two short legs with three pointy toes at the end. The legs are near the back of the body by the tail. The top of the head and the middle of the back are covered with short triangular shaped plates.  The top part of the ahwinats body and its tail are covered in koru spiral lines. Ahwinats are the colour of autumn leaves so they can camouflage when on land. They can change to blue and green when they go in water.

From the descriptions and the from what was visualised can you work out what an awhinat is? 

Trench Writing

We have been learning to add detail to our writing to paint a picture in the readers' head. We have read, watched and learnt a lot about life during the war. We wrote letters home to the people we love to tell them about our life in the trenches. 

We had to imagine we were in the trenches and write like it was us in the trenches.

29 April 1915

Dear Mum
Life in the trenches is muddy and soggy. There are billions of rats that are the size of cats! At night rats come and try to creep in the trench to take our food. I feel homesick most of the time. I really want to go home. I hear loud artillery booming at night and my comrades weeping and begging for help. In the middle of no mans land there is a barb wire fence that the postmans horse jumps over. What is it like on the other side of the world? As I sleep I struggle because there are people squishing between me like an animal. I have to sleep standing up. Smoke is one of the things I always smell. Sometimes I only get a biscuit to nibble on for the whole week. I feel awful. Mud fills up my boots as I walk along the fawn brown mud. If you wanted to live in a trench I am telling you its dangerous. I really hope i don't get trench foot. If I get trench foot they will cut it off. When it is bed time I feel lonely because I want to be with my family. I miss you Mum. I really hope I see you soon.
Love Christina

Christina's goal is to begin her sentences in different ways.How well do you think she achieved her goal?

Dearest Mum
Its rotten in the trenches and the rats are as big as cats. How would you like to be in the trench? Yes or no? It is so sad because my friend is getting her foot cut off. Ouch to get their foot cut off it hurts badly. I don't want to be killed. People are shooting guns at us all the time. You can hear the guns shoot loud as. The people are dying every day and night too. I eat bicuits as hard as rock. I feel dead inside. I miss you.
Love from Katie

Katie's goal is to join 2 sentences together in different ways. How well do you think she achieved her goal? 

Dear Mum
I am tired of my friends getting killed or injured.  There are body lice that bite me all the time. I try not to scratch them. Artillery makes the land deadly, rats gobble up food of mine and my mates. It's tough fighting because artillery is surrounding us. Dead bodies start to stink. It's a pain climbing out of the trench to the Western Front the Turks are my great enemies. I really want to go home but know I can not I have to stay in the war to attack for New Zealand. I have earned my sixth badge. To me war feel like a new life of terror and survival plus so much sadness. What is it like back home happy, sad or sort of? Boom! Boom! Bombs have started exploding. Torty (the tortoise) is still in shape. I see people from the army with wounds, cuts and scars. I feel so sad the people have been getting shot like the old postman. And please tell Sergeant Rames family that I am sorry but he has been amputated above a blood knee. It was a fun time travelling to Europe but now it is tough. At night I just think about eating my Mums toasted sandwich. I once bit a soldier when I was  asleep and thought I was eating my Mums toasted sandwich. I wished none of this happened but it has. Some really really poor men have gotten their whole body in scars and blood. Each day passses with dead lying, some sob because of their wounds. My friend that I met when I was six years old Richy has lost his first eye please tell is mother and father thank you. I have only got one little scar on my arm. Men have been amputated. Richy's friend Stand has been. I've made new friends in my trench. A sand bag from the trench has already squished a soldier. It's really sad. I'd not want to go to another war for revenge I hope I don't have to. I am tired of fighting. Greg is still alive, is Rory alive?
Kind regards
Not forgotten
Angus

Angus M's goal is to begin his sentences in different ways. How well did he achieve his goal? 

Dearest Mum and Dad
Trench life is sooo...evil that I have ever ever ever seen in my life. No mans land is the most deadly place I have ever seen. Body lice, ticks and fleas drink our sick brown blood. 50,000 flies are buzzing around us. Kapow! Kapow! cannons and guns are blasting so when I try to sleep cannons are roaring so I can't sleep. Jet fighters are throwing artillery on our trench. We have to use out home made bombs and we heave it into the trench the enemies trench. You think its fine but it's not. We have to eat evil food. I am so sad there is muddy water to drink! My friend has sliced his whole arm. I ffel like my heart is breaking.
From Ashwin xxx
ps. I miss you very much. I'll save India

Ashwin's goal is using quality vocabulary. How well do you think he did with his writing?

29 April 1915

Dear Mum
Life in the trenches is awful! Stinky dead bodies lay in the narrow trenches. The stretcher beareres marched to scoop up the dead bodies with the long beds. Boom! went the sounds of the strong gun as they filled the pitch black night sky. Red, orange and yellow sparks flew across no mans land back and forward. Every day we have to eat a little bit of food. I wish I could come home to you. Two of my fellow comrades still live, Gemma and Freeda a dog. When I think of home it makes me feel homesick.
Hope to see you soon
Love Charlotte

Charlotte's goal is to begin her sentences in different ways. How did she go with her goal? 

Dear Mum
The trenches are rotten. In the trenches it is muddy and rats are everywhere and when you sleep you have sore feet. When it is wet I scratch heaps because of flies and other stinky old bugs. In the night it is cold when me and the soldiers sleep. In the night when I hear artillery everywhere kaboom, bang, boom and I only get a half sleep and I want to come home. I can't stand it anymore. I am sick of people dying and my mates dying and I am sick of guns shooting too. I really want to come home but I can't I have to save New Zealand to keep New Zealand a safe place to be. I wish I was back home in my comfy PJs and in my bed. In the field of no mans land is a new bomb that is poisonous gas.
Love from Zeph

Zephaniah's goal is to join 2 sentences together with different joining words. How do you think he achieved his goal? 

Dear Mum

In the trench it is very muddy and dirty! The trench is narrow. My job in the war was to fight and hand dig a trench! When I went to war it was really dangerous. I had to eat meat in a can and dry biscuits. When it was Christmas all I got was an orange. When I went to fight I saw stinky dead bodies lying on the ground. I was smart and made some bombs out of my cans. In the trench I had to eat, sleep and fight! The ground in the trench was slimy and damp and hot because I’ve been wearing these clothes for a long time now. Life in the trench is awful! I hate wars! Everyday all that I can hear is tank engines rolling up and killing lots of my friends. All I can see is guns shooting and dead people suffering on the ground from the bullets. I feel scared and I’m shivering from the loud noises and to make it worse they’re even louder at night time! At night cat sized rats were eating everyone’s food and they make really loud noises that wake my friends and me up. When the fighting around us was finished all I could see in No Man’s Land was dead people, bullets and fire. All the bullets were covered in blood. Today, I hope I’m going to come home. I’ve caught a very bad chill from night time and I’m scared because I don’t want to get trench foot! Lots of people have been dying in wars and especially in this one! The brick red blood oozes out of dead people. The bronze ground turns into scarlet ground. I really want to come home today! Love Louisa.

Louisa’s goal is to begin her sentences in different ways. How well has she achieved her goal?

29 April 1915

Dear Dad,

Life in the trenches is stinky. Lots of people died because they got shot from the artillery on No Man’s Land. All the time I hear guns going bang. It was hard to go to sleep in the soggy watery dirt. All of the time I am hungry because I only get a biscuit and a little bit of cornbeef because it has to last just about all week. It is so hard to not eat the food because I am tired of looking at it. I can smell smoke from the canons and from the dead bodies of friends. Some have been wounded from the Turkish fellas. Lots of them were shot from the New Zealanders. I hope to see you again in a while. Love from Jack.

Jack W’s goal is to use capital letters and full stops. He is also working on using vocabulary to create a picture for the reader. What words helped you get a vivid picture of life in the trenches?

Dearest family,

Trench life is very horrible! There are rats the size of cats and it is muddy. It is never ever a cool and fun place to live! It is a dangerous place with the Turks shooting at us! There are flies, ticks and body lice. Our food is dry and sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s cold.  We have to stay here for two or three years. Rats are eating our food. The soldiers are moaning and I hear guns firing and canons shooting us! I am scared of going out of the trench. Soldiers are dying and turning rotten. My biscuits are hard and dry. It is a deadly place to live. I want to go home but I can’t! It is the rules – if you do you get shot and I must serve my country. We have to fight, eat and sleep in the trenches. Our food is gross. Homemade bombs keep going. The Turks are our great enemy to defeat. I must win the fighting! I love you so much. xox Love Jordan.

PS. Be safe. I will save New Zealand.

Jordan’s goal is to use vocabulary (the best word) to create a vivid image for the reader? What words helped you get a picture in your head of life in the trenches?

Dearest Dad
Trench life is miserable. I am eating hard dry biscuits and it is deadly! Cat sized rats are eating the war scraps. I think will I live or not? I am in a terrible condition in a tight squeezy place. Tank tracks are roaring over head. My enemy are deadly because of how many tanks they have. I can see my mates sobbing because of their injuries. The tanks are my deadly enemy. Their jam tins are home made bombs. I don't want to have trench foot. My mates have trench foot. Even when we scratch it still itches. The trench is pitch black. 
Love from James
Ps. I wish I could come home bit I can't. Ticks are shocking to me causing nerve ending itches. My mates are dying from these terrible conditions. 

James' goal it to use vocabulary (the best word) to create a vivid picture for the reader. How well did James achieve his goal?