Thursday, June 28, 2012

Bottle Bivy - continued

Here's the next installment of our Bottle Bivy creation. We've used over 400 bottles (we think) and have about 6 layers of the roof to go. Here's the video of our timelapse footage so far!



If you are able to join us for the final Bottle Bivy party next Friday we would love to see you - 1pm, Friday 6th July. Bring your stash of bottles collected over the next week and we'll 'hopefully' finish the project.

We hope we'll see you there!

Film Festival!

It was so great to see so many parents at school this afternoon for our mini film festival! We wanted to share with everyone the learning steps that go into making our mini docos - based on our inquiry into team work.

Here is a slideshow of what we shared - there were stations set up in our class on animation, green screening, storyboarding, our lapbooks and the finished product on our big screen. We hope that for those who were able to come along, and for you seeing these photos, you are able to see the technical skills, creativity, team work and perseverance that goes into making our films!


You can see our final docos online during the holidays - once they have been uploaded. Stay tuned for that!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Bottle Bivy Beginnings!

Today we started out bottle bivy project! Here's a sneak preview of the 'gawker' (timelapse video) we're planning to make once the making is over.



We're also asking for each student to bring a gold coin donation to help with the costs of the glue gun sticks - the build take over 60 to get the job done. Thanks to everyone who's brought bottles into school. We couldn't have started without your help and team work!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tangata whenua now?

So what does being Tangata Whenua mean for today?

Here's a snapshot of our discussion yesterday, plus a link to a video of an example - mutton birding in the Bay of Islands.


Monday, June 18, 2012

Maths Knowledge Board

Someone had the bright idea of having our knowledge board up on the blog so they could finish it as part of their homework!  So here's this weeks board.  Great to see some people keen to work on the can dos later in the week.


Sunday, June 17, 2012

'Film on the Move'- challenge!


This week I have another homework challenge for you. It was great to see so many of us getting our cameras out for the last two challenges that I thought we'd continue in that vein.

Most of us have cameras that can take video as well. Your challenge is to take 30 seconds of video with the theme of moving - that means the camera has to be moving and it has be going forward! It could be like the video below. You might be on a horse, or a bike, or maybe even a camera attached to a pet, walking around the house?



 Be creative, take your time and most important of all - be safe and kind. (masking tape and cats do not go well together!) Bring your short 30 second clip to school and we'll make one longer combined movie. Also, the most creative clip will win $200 snidges (as judged by Andy Mosse, our BBC Producer mentor!). 

 Happy filming!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Jibboo rolls along

Today's Jibboo was another showcase of creativity, teamwork and entrepreneurship.  Here are some photos of the ingenuity that has risen out of our 'you must free-to-you materials' in your businesses.

This business is selling rocks that the customer paints and designs their own 'Pet Rock.'

Nicole's brought along some home grown apples for apple bobbing. Katie is getting stuck in as a willing customer.

 Mac and Cameron's business, a long running and popular entertainment option during Jibboo, involves hitting targets with a Nerf gun (1 of them has an awesome magazine that shoots multiple Nerf bullets) and the winning total for the day wins $20 Snidges.

I am no longer surprised at the ideas that you all come up with, and the way you are all negotiating and working so well with others! Keep it up, everybody.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Bottle Bivy progress!


We're up to 240 bottles on our quest to make a bottle bivy for the class.  We're hoping to make it before the holidays but it's going to take a MAMMOTH effort to get all the bottles we need.





You can see our progress, and the efforts of other classes in the project, here at the bottle bivy site.  We're a bit behind the bottle count of a class at St Marys in Mosgiel.  Let's pick up the pace team!

We need your cleaned bottles with their lids!  Share this around with your friends and family and bring your bottles to Kauri in Room 8.

Homework Photo Challenge 2

Update - Congratulations to Mac for the winning photo.  His entry received 27 votes!  Nice work.


Here are the entries to this week's homework challenge.  Voting for this week has started, you can vote for your favourite photo using the poll at the top right (where last week's poll was).


Good luck to all those entered in this week's challenge, some good photography learning came out of this little session on macro shots. 


Remember you're looking for what you think is the best close up/macro shot. Some key things to look for: Sharp focused areas up close (with blurry/out of focus foreground and background) and just how close up they've managed to get to their subject without blurring their shot.



 Photo 1: "Stick 'em up" - By Jack 



Photo 2: "Sword Fish" - By Aiden


Photo 3: "Jewellery" - By Nicole


Photo 4: "Plants up close, at night" - By Hannah F


Photo 5: "Purple Durple" - By Emily


Photo 6: "Chains" - By Gabby


Photo 7: "Clockworm" - By Sophie S


Photo 8: "Branching out" - By Jaidene


Photo 9: "Toy close for comfort" - By Mac


Photo 10: "Hot Photo" - By Katie H


Photo 11: "Pink Rose" - By Robert

Can dos - Week 8

Piktochart
Here's an infographic I made from our Parent Survey in Term 1.  What can you make?

Solo charts for this can-do are on the blue table!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Mini Doco Rubric

We're going to use this rubric to help us create some amazing docos.  Where is your group's doco placed for each of these categories?  Now work out what your next steps are.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Homework Photo Challenge 2

Firstly, a big well done to both Ben and Sophie W. It turns out there was a little confusion with the closing time for the photo challenge, and by the actual closing time, Ben and Sophie were both at 41 votes each. So after discussing it with Mr. Herring, we decided they both came in first equal. Well done to both of you! 

Since the photo challenge was so popular with the class, I've decided to hold another challenge. This time we're doing close ups! Photographers call these special types of photos macro shots, and when done properly you can catch some really cool close up photos. Below is a piece of jewellery taken up close with a macro setting. To take the same sort of photo with your digital camera switch the wee dial to the flower icon. If you can't see this on your camera, ask a parent if they can help you find it. Once you have your camera set to macro mode, half-pressing the shutter button (pressing it softly) will focus the lens on where you're aiming.

You'll have until Wednesday 7pm to email your photo to me. I'll post them up and start a poll for voting, which will run until Monday. $100 snidges will be up for grabs for the best close up/macro shot.


Some ideas for close up photos:
  • Jewellery
  • Flowers
  • Plants
  • Bugs (but not squashed, yuck!)
Email your photos to Mr. Murray at
mattmurraynz@gmail.com

Good luck everyone!


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Mini Doco Progress

This week we've started producing our mini docos.  Here are some photos that show what's involved in putting them together.  There are three weeks to go!

Bruce and Benjamin are green screening some commentary in the Library.

Ben and Jack are well underway making an animation using lego that will help them describe how the treaty was signed.
 Nichole, Aleisha, Gabby and Logan are making some cardboard cutouts that they'll use in their doco as puppets.

Friday, June 1, 2012

A visit from an expert - film producer

Today we had a visit from Andy Mosse who is a producer with the BBC.  He showed us some of the films and documentaries he has produced.

 Here's a series of 'how tos' that he made called, 'Wu How Ninjas."



Then he showed us all of the roles that people play to make a film.  There are camera people, a sound person, a 'clapper', a co-producer' and lots more.  It was amazing to hear that there were more than 17 people who worked on the documentary about WW2 he produced.

Some of us had a go at taking a role to shoot a scene.  Each person had something to do before the camera started shooting.  It was a massive team effort!

It was great to be able to ask Andy questions about all the equipment he uses and how he became a producer - starting as a runner and working his way up from there.

I wonder if there will be some students from our school who will become producers when they grow up?  I'm sure that we're all pretty motivated to make our mini-documentaries over the next three weeks!