Thursday, April 26, 2012

Anzac Biscuits!

"Finally!" I whispered to myself as we started heading outside. Our class were going to make ANZAC biscuits! We got split into 2 groups, boys and girls.

We carried our ingredients out to the picnic table. Ingredient after ingredient, we poured in sugar, flour and the rest. Some of the parts we had to melt things, like the butter. So one of the teachers, Flora and Cheyanne. Soon we finished the dough. Next was to create the balls.

As I lowered my hand into the dough, my hand felt something squishy! I grabbed a handful and rolled it in my hand. It felt squishy and weird. Again when I grabbed another handful, it just felt very different and funny. As I washed my hands under the water, again it felt different and funny! After a while we had FINISHED! 

Tyla, our teacher and I went to the kitchen to put the biscuits in the stove. We waited for about 10 minutes for the biscuits to cook. When they were golden brown we pulled them out. They smelled DELICIOUS! As we carried them back to the class, I could smell the lovely smell. When we got back Tyla and I ate a biscuit. It was mouthwatering. We also helped to hand them to the class while they were watching PENN. 

RECIPIE:

You will need:
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup coconut
100 grams of butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp boiling water

1: Mix the flour, sugar, rolled oats and coconut into a bowl.

2: Melt the butter and golden syrup over a low heat.

3: Put the baking soda in a cup. Add the boiling water. The mixture will foam up. Add this mixture to the butter and golden syrup.

4: Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and other dry ingredients. Stir.

5: Grease a baking tray. Put tbspfuls of the mixture onto the tray, about 4 centimetres apart.

6: Bake at 180 C for about 15 minutes or until the biscuits are a golden colour.

Enjoy!

Paper Cup Experiment

At Extension today we had a task to make a paper cup. We followed the instructions step by step. This experiment is sort of like origami.  At first I didn't really understand the instructions but then it was quite easy. If I had to say what I was like making it I would probably say it was a little bit hard until I passed the 2nd or 3rd step. After that it was easy peasy! 


To make this all you need is a pice of paper which is shaped as a square and some water. If you don't have a square paper. Fold a rectangle's top corner down to meet the edge. Then cut the remaining. 


We watched a little bit of a video on TED Talks. He explained what origami is. There we saw some very complicated pieces of art. 


We did this for some fun and to see if it works. Watch this video to learn how to do it and see if it works! 




My Holiday

“I’m bored!” I complained to my nana and aunty. We had nothing to do. Suddenly my cousin brang up Mini golf. We thought it was a good idea so, my nana, my 2 cousins, my aunty and I hoped in the car and off we went.

Arriving at the Pirate’s mini golf near the airport, I rapidly hopped out of the car and grabbed my little cousin, Tahu. While I was grabbing my ball, I remembered that there were 2 courses. The Pirate Ship and the Cave.

Anxiously holding my golf club, it was now my turn. Hitting my ball, it skimmed along the course aiming for the hole. It took 2 tries before I got it in. This course was a par 2.

Placing the ball down onto the bright green felt, I softly hit it towards the middle of 2 bumps. When it didn’t go through I felt annoyed. After about 3 tries, I finally got it in.

One of the next courses after that was one with a big hole in the middle. If you got your ball in the hole then it would go down the waterfall. Luckily there was a opening at the bottom so we could grab the ball. First on this course was my nana. She hit hers into the hole after we had just told her not too! I scurried down to the opening where the ball should have come out. I was sitting there for ages! THEN they told me it was stuck at the top on a rock. TuAriki (my cousin) laughed at me. When it was my turn I took a while to actually get it in. First I got it around the hole then after a few shots I finally got it in.

On our last course, I really didn’t want to hit it because we wouldn’t get the ball back. But I did. Guess what... it only took 2 tries before I got it in.

It was really fun. I also hadn’t been to a mini golf place in ages! So I really enjoyed it.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

EASTER!

What did you do for Easter. Well, I went to Great Barrier Island with my mum, brother and Nana. I had a heap of fun. We got lots of chocolate. I even got one from my friend Gloria. On the Island we did lots of different activities.

GREAT Barrier Island


DAY 1: 
Arriving on a small plane, we finally had got to Great Barrier. In fact, really small! It was a bumy ride when the plane got near Great Barrier and also when passed.

Our plane had just taken off from the airport. Zane, my mum, my nana and I all sat near the front of the plane ( we had a great view). On our ride  we passed many Islands, like Waiheke and Coromandel etc. 

When we landed, my mum took some photos of the plane. Once I got out, I asked my nana, " How are we going to get to the Bed & Breakfast place?". She told me that uncle francie was waiting for us. He drove us back to his house and we had some breakfast. We hadn't had any breakfast, it was just get up and go. 

We pulled into a driveway infront of a really nice big, white house. I saw a sing that said Shoal Bay. We were finally here. Walking inside, I saw a big tv in front of me. We put down our bags and had some breakfast. After that I explored the house. I went upstairs and went round the rooms. Next we had an easter hunt. We got bunnys and lots of small ones. I also got a chick egg from my friend, Gloria. For a while, my brother and I played Crashing Colossus.

Their garden is full of ingredients. Chili's, silverbeet, tomatos, cucumber and all kinds of veges. We also fed some silverbeet to the chickens. They love it! We collected some eggs from their shed too. 


DAY 2:
"Oh... the tides out again!" I said to myself. I wanted to go kayaking. Hopefully it will be high tide soon.

My mum, Zane and I wondered over to the river. We built a damn or bridge to get across but it wasn't that good. I spied some native ducks. My brother hopped across the river to a muddy and quicksand like place. He quickly sank into the mud. I nearly had to rescue him. Luckily he got himself out.

Once we came back. we started to play with a boy named Tristan. We ran up to the treehouse and down again. We also played on the tractor and gave him some chocolate. Then he had to go home.

At around 11: 50 the ferry came in. We nearly caught it here. it looks big from where I am. Red coulor at the bottom and white for the rest of it. My nana, mum and brother decided to walk down. Not me though.


DAY 3:
 "It's 8:00!" I shouted as I pulled the blanket off my mum's blanket. We were supposed to go kayaking. When she finally got up we pulled out the kayaks ready to go. Then breakfast came. 

We sat down to eat, 10 minutes later the tides was nearly out. Dragging the kayaks to the water, I quickly got into it and was nearly ready to go. Suddenly, the tide went out again and my mum had to drag my boat out again. I paddled off with a passenger behind me. We paddled down the side of the road to a little spot with sand. Round the boats we went. I wanted to go under the boat but no. After a while we paddled to the other side of the beach. In the middle of the path we took was a sort of current and lots of wind. My nana and I were the first ones to the little beach on the other side. Slowly paddling back to the little spot, we then lifted then and took them to the top of the beach. We got picked up by the truck and headed back home.

"Oh... 40 minutes walk until the hot pools!" I groaned as we parked. When we were walking some bits seemed like Tahuna Torea because of some of the bridges. After about 50 minutes we finally reached the hot pools. 10 minutes later I had halfway gotten into the pool. It was nice and warm. I tried to build a damn. Their were some mini waterfalls too. Soon we had to go! I had only gotten use to the pool then. I groaned. Quickly hoping out, I dried myself and chucked on my clothes. Another 50 minutes later we had reached the car. I quickly hoped in to the car ready to go. I mean seriously, it was RAINING!

Finally we went out for dinner. We went to the Irish Pub. Obviously me and Zane had the kids meals. We had a cheeseburger and chips combo. Arriving home I quickly hoped out of the car and rushed inside to find 3 boys running around the house. 


DAY 4:
Well, today we got up a decided to go kayaking again. We missed out on breakfast too. But it was a great day to go because the tide was in and their was no wind at all. 

I went by myself this time. It was me in the blue and purple kayak, my nana in the green one and Zane and mum in the blue one. We went out to the wharf and then paddled around their. Over their mum went by herself and Zane went in the green boat. My nana hoped out and watched us. There we played tiggy. First Zane was inH the he went for mum. After that game mum hoped out and my nana hoped in. She took us back to the shore and we played their and then we went out to the point which was near the other bay. It was a bit rocky out there. Soon we came back and hoped out.

As we hoped in the car, I asked where we were going. My mum told me we were going to a part of the Island called Port Fitzroy. It's on the other end of the Island. Their we visited Cafe Motu. 

My nana wanted a coffee. Zane and I scored a milkshake. He had chocolate, I had banana. At the cafe, we also played a game of scrabble for a while. After that we left.

Next we searched for a beach. It took a while. Finally we arrived at a beach called Harataonga beach. At this beach there were lots and lots of seaweed. There were also some sand dunes. My brother and I played on them for a while, then we played in the water. We weren't allowed to get in the water fully so we just played around the shallow part. Around 5:50 we went to the Irish Pub again.

Tommorow we were going on the boat. Around 1:00 we were suppossed to go. I didn't really want to go. 

DAY 5:
"Oh...", I sighed. Today we were leaving. I REALLY didn't want to go,

In the morning we went for a little paddle. My brother, nana and I went around a bit then hoped out. Our boat had arrived. 

As we grabbed our stuff, I finished off the last bit of my chocolate bunny. After about half and hour we packed the car and went down to the wharf, where the boat was waiting. We packed our stuff into a blue container. Next we hoped onto the boat. Overlooking the water, my brother spied a stingray. The boat started to sail off. We went past some Islands. After about 2 hours you could see Rangitoto and the city. Apparently it was raining in Auckland too. While on the boat we watched movies. To get to the theater you had to go down the first flight of stairs which would take you to where the buffet was and also where the toilets were. In the buffet there were another flight of stairs. You would have to go down there and then through the kids play area. This was only 1 though. There was another 1 next to the toilets.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Korero


Frog Report

How much do you know about frogs? Well firstly a frog is an amphibian. If you want to know more keep reading.

Amphibians are animals that live on land and in water and they are also cold blooded. Most frogs return to the water to lay eggs except for the Maud Island frog.

Amphibians live in wet places like under mossy rocks, wet leaves and damp areas. Most of them live near water because frogs can easily dry out and die. Only one particular frog doesn’t live near water, this is the Maud Island frog.

These amphibians have a short stubby body with smooth moist skin, bulging eyes and no neck. Different frogs can be all sorts of colours like brown or green. Their long hind legs hemp them for jumping. Did you know that they can jump 20 times their length!

A frog’s eye is very interesting because they can see upwards, sidewards and forwards all at the same time. To catch their prey, they use their sticky long tongue. While in its mouth, their tongue is rolled up.

At their juvenile age they are herbivores, so they eat the plants and algae. But when they grow up and turn into frogs they become carnivores. Then they eat things like flies, earthworms, slugs and snails. To hold onto their prey they use their teeth.

The seasons change and when it turns to winter frogs do something called hibernation. This is when they go to sleep for the whole season. Burrows, cracks, holes, logs or in rocky areas is sometimes where they sleep. When they awaken it is Spring time.

In the life cycle the first stage is the frog's spawn next they hatch, the next step is where they become froglets. Next they start developing legs, then they look more like a frog. It is then nearly ready to hop onto land.

All animals have enemies. Snakes, lizards, birds and hedgehogs are all considered as enemies to the frog. However, they lay so many eggs that their species hasn’t died out.

Frogs have very weird lives. I mean, they mate at the age of 3! CRAZY.