Alyssa's Inquiry Project

Felix's Inquiry Project

Thomas's Inquiry Project

Tom and Jackson's Inquiry Project

Big question: What is a whale?
Supporting questions: How long is a whale? What colour is a whale? Where do whales live? What do they eat?

Big Idea: Relationships can be positive and negative. Some humans like to kill whales. Some humans try to save whales.

Terror by Alex

Terror is the colour of the dead night sky taunting you.
It is smoke squeezing your lungs,
It smells like dying flesh.
It's a great shadow hauling you down,
It is an arresting scream.
And feels like piercing pain.

Humiliation by Bryn

Humiliation is darkened red.

Humiliation tastes like liquid nitrogen going down your throat.

Humiliation smells like the toes of a giant.

Humiliation is the mouth of a bully talking yo you

Humiliation sounds like a sniggering crowd.

Humiliation haunts for life.   

Depression By Liam

Depression is an eerie grey fog. 
It's a few grains of rice after along day of back-breaking work,
It's a skunk that comes into your house and let rip.
It is a person always shadowed by a dark gray storm.
It's the pitter-patter of rain,on a sunny day.
Depression is horrible.

Happiness By Ariana

Happiness is golden yellow.
Happiness is a bag of sweets being given to you on Halloween,
It smells like a field of roses.
Happiness looks like a big bouquet of flowers,
Happiness sounds like birds chirpping in the morning.

Happiness brings joy to life.

Shyness by Pipi

Shyness

Shyness is midnight purple.

Shyness is the taste of the last apple in the fruit bowl,

And the smell of a bitter lemon.

Shyness makes you feel like you're stuck in a box,

With only the howl of a stray dog to keep you company.

Shyness makes us stop.

Lucy's Serenity Poem

Serenity
Serenity is orchid pink.
Serenity is flowers blossoming underneath a sun shower.
It is sweet essence of lavender swimming through the delicate mist.
Serenity is elegant snow drifting through echoes of thin air,
It is snow running across the concentrate pavment.
Serenity is the calm, silent, pond breathing.
By Lucy

Pride, by Sam

Pride is all black, 

It tastes like your mouthguard before you run onto the field.

Pride smells like the grass when you've scored the winning try.

It looks like Captain McCaw lifting the Webb-Ellis cup.

It sounds like the roar of the crowd after the final whistle has been blown.

Pride feels like getting sprayed with expensive Champagne.

Fear by Tom.K

Fear

Fear is dark red like blood oozing out of your body.

It tastes like rotten flesh from an undead zombie,

And smells like Davy Jone's locker.

Fear looks like your best friend being stabbed,

And fear sounds like an echoing scream.

Fear is a dark, lonely road.

By Tom.K

Horror, by Alice

Horror is a khaki green.
Horror tastes like a fire burning on your tongue,
And smells like smoke rising from a burning house.
Horror looks like your worst fears right in front of your eyes, 
And sounds like a screaming victim, about to die.

Horror is a dead end.   

Joy by Floyd

Joy is golden yellow.

Joy tastes like a juicy mince and cheese pie,

Joy smells like macaroni and cheese.

Joy looks like a field of flowers,

Joy sounds like laughter and happiness all together.

Joy feels like being awarded with a prize.

Invisible By Mahele

Invisible is the most faded red.
It leaves a bitter taste inside your mouth,
It smells like water, of nothing.
It looks as if no one ever notices you,
And it sounds like echoes of voices.
Invisible is an empty feeling in your heart.

Misery by Felix

Misery 

Misery is like grey storm clouds. 

It tastes like an upsetting meal at a restaurant,

It smells like sniffing pure gas. 

It looks like a zombie apocalypse,

It sounds like world war three. 

Misery hurts you inside.

Anger by Matthew

Anger is coal black with a tinge of crimson red.

It tastes like the blood a vampire drinks at midnight,

And smells like the scent of burning rubber.

It is the abhorrent destruction of the twin towers,

It is the hammer hitting the table in court in favour of a guilty man.

Anger destroys everything.

By Matthew

Happiness by Tom M

Happiness

Happiness is sunny yellow.

It tastes like honey on toast.

Happiness smells like sweet roses.

It looks like a field full of daises.

It sounds like a million kids laughing.

Happiness is being in a spa on a cold day.

By Tom M

Happiness by Alysssa

Happiness


Happiness is a bright sunny yellow.
It tastes like a sandwich filled with your favourite ingredients,
And is the smell of just blossomed roses.
Happiness is a bright summer's day,
It sounds like someone jumping for joy.
Happiness feels like there's no tomorrow.
By Alysssa

Fear by Georgia

Fear is shadowy grey.

It leaves a sour metallic taste on the end of your tongue,

It smells of old vinegar.

Fear looks like a ghost at the end of your bed,

With creaking thumps down the hallway.

Fear is hiding in my closet.

By Georgia.

Wonder by Malachi

Wonder.

Wonder is metallic white.

It tastes like water from a diamond,

And it smells like chocolate rain.

Wonder looks like a full stop in the end of your favourite book.

Wonder sounds like a speedy fish racing across the seas.

Wonder is always here if you look around you.

Happiness by Jackson

Happiness is sunny yellow.
It tastes like chocolate birthday cake.
It smells like a field full of roses.
It looks like the sun in the sky.
It sounds like people laughing about a joke.
Happiness feels like a laugh that can never end.

Pride by Thomas

Pride is the colour of a shiny gold medal.

It tastes like a royal meal in your honour,

And smells like a bunch of roses freshly picked just for you.

Pride looks like a rock of gold among a heap of frozen gravel.

It sounds like a crowd of people cheering your name over and over again.

What a wonderful thing, pride.

Sadness by Frederica

Sadness is dark blue.

It tastes like sour milk, 

It smells like a banana cake burning.

Saddness looks like a bird leaving it's cage,

And sounds like it's fluttering wings.     

Sadness feels like hard concrete setting.                                    

                         

Horror by Sofia

Horror is as red as blood.

It tastes like black smoke as you breath it in,

It smells like bodies burning at the stake.

Horror looks like bodies decaying in the ground,

It sounds like the blood curdling screams of a child.

Horror is more than frightening.

Claustrophobia by Charlotte

Claustrophobia is a menacing blood red.
It tastes rusty and poisonous.
And smells like car fumes and rotten fruit.
It is an open mouth ready to scream...
And the scream comes loud and piercing.
Claustrophobia is being stuck in an elevator.  

Lola's Poetry Anthology

River Documentary

George and Tom K found out lots of interesting information about New Zealand's biggest rivers and presented it in this documentary. Watch for the blooper reel at the end!

Tom M and Filo's Water Cycle Animation

The Storm by Alex

Alyssa's Speech 'Should you drink bottle water?'

Malachi and Tom K's Water Cycle Animation

Liam and Malachi's SCAMPER Design

Liam and Malachi used the creative design tool SCAMPER to improve the Grey Lynn School pool. They made a model and wrote a letter to persuade Mr Barker to make the changes. Here is their work:

Grey Lynn School

44 Surrey Crescent

Grey Lynn

Auckland

Monday 3rd October 2011

Dear Mr Barker,

We have been working on a task where we had to improve our school swimming pool.

We used SCAMPER to help us do it. SCAMPER stands for substitute, combine, adapt, modify or minify, put to another use, eliminate and reverse. It is a creative thinking tool.

For substitute we would destroy the dirty changing rooms and build them back spotless so we don’t get athlete's feet and verucas.  At the bottom of the pool we would combine a floor vibrator with a wavy floor texture the teachers could create waves and we could learn sea safety. We thought that we could adapt the pool to fit in a massive hydro slide and that would be awesome because we would go really fast and have fun at school. Then we thought that we could also use it for ultimate pool parties which would be fun for teachers and kids. We would eliminate the rough and bumpy concrete floor around the pool and made it flat concrete so we don’t get sore feet.  We also decided it would it would be good to reverse or turn the pool around so we could create a better angle for the hydro slide.

So please consider making these changes. They would be beneficial for all Grey Lynn School students and staff.

Yours sincerely,

Malachi and Liam, Room 11

The Storm by Mary Jane

The Storm by Mary Jane from Room 11 on Vimeo.

Alex's writing about Claude Monet's Water Lily

Claude Monet’s Water Lily

The wind picked up like a bird to flight and I was thrown into the wildness of a deep river. A petal, like a hand, reached out and caught me and I was safe in the depths of a grand water lily. The violent rapids led me to the outskirts of humanity, the ocean. Crayfish swam but scuttled away at the sight of gulls, with their piercing cries and beady eyes, as they caught a glimpse of me. One dived at cascading speed and picked the water lily up and took us to the safety of Claude Monet’s elegant garden, to our home. And since I’m just a water drop, in my mind anything is possible.

By Alex

Water, WAter by Tom M

Water, water in the sky,

When will you come down to me so i don’t die?

Water, water in the pool,

You are all over me.

Water, water in a glass,

Where will you go next?

Water, water in the sea,

Why are you so salty?

Water, water in the gutter,

Why are you so dirty?

Water, water you are so important to me.

Without you, where would we be?

The Reverse Key

Mary Jane and Mahele used The Reverse Key to think 'outside the box'.

The Storm by Mattew

'A Little Drop of Water' by Thomas

This story by Thomas tells the story of a little drop of water who travels through the water cycle. Listen to his adventures.

Felix's Water Cycle Animation

Music: 'Just Add Water' by Tim Finn, Bic Runga and Dave Dobbyn

Bryn's Water Cycle Animation

Bryn created this animation using Kid Pix and he composed the music himself in GarageBand!

Geoff's Journey By Lucy, Georgia and Ariana

Follow Geoff-the-water-drop's journey round and round the water cycle as he travels through time and space!

Filo and Jackson's Water Rap

Listen to Filo and Jackson's rap about water. Our relationship with water can be positive and negative!

Filo and Jackson's Water Rap from Room 11 on Vimeo.

Written and filmed by Jackson and Filo

Floyd and Jackson's Water Cycle Animation

Floyd and Jackson's water cycle animation from Room 11 on Vimeo.

Floyd's Water Poem

Floyd's Poem from Room 11 on Vimeo.

We LOVE this song in Room 11!

How much water is fresh?

How much water is fresh? from Room 11 on Vimeo.

KeyNote by George

Persuasive letter: Fairtrade bananas

To the owner of Foodtown Grey Lynn,

Can you please sell Fairtrade  bananas, because we want to help make a change for the people who produce these yummy, delicious, fantastic bananas. You have no idea how much time they put in to growing and picking these bananas. These farmers get only 2c each for each bunch sold and they cannot put their children in school to get a good education. They also cannot afford to buy their food and have a safe, comfortable environment in their home.

 If people see that there are stickers on the bananas with a sign that says Fair trade it means more money goes towards the producers. On the stickers it will say that it guarantees a better deal for the third world producers. There is only one certain mark and it looks like the one on the side. The bananas that we want you to sell are All Good Bananas.

The price for a normal bunch of bananas is usually around $2.99 but with All Good Fair trade bananas the price is around $3.99 for an extraordinary bunch. When someone buys a bunch of Fairtrade bananas it can instantly help the third world countries, producers and the people in poverty.
You can change the lives of millions of farmers, workers and their families by choosing to eat, drink or wear products with the Fair trade mark on it. By selling these bananas to people in the Grey Lynn community, we can ALL help poverty stricken banana farmers.

From Mary Jane and Mahele

7 News by Matthew, Kiamana and Sam

7 News: Matthew, Sam and Kiamana from Room 11 on Vimeo.

The Unauthorised Biography of Hansel and Gretel by Lucy

Lucy wrote and recorded this story.

The Unauthorised Biography Of Hansel and Gretel from Room 11 on Vimeo.

Epic News by Charlotte, Georgia and Sofia

TASK: Imagine Earth is being explored by aliens as a possible colony. What evidence might you find that this is happening. Present this as a news report.
Starring Charlotte, Georgia and Sofia, guest starring Malachi

Epic News Show from Room 11 on Vimeo.

New Zealand's newest colony! By Felix

Task: Imagine a continent has just been discovered. New Zealand has gained control of part of the new land and want to set up a colony. Design an ad to encourage New Zealanders to move there and help establish a colony.
Here is Felix's ad:

New New Zealand

Come to New New Zealand! 

We have lots of tropical fruits like mango-tango, 

peach-beach, strawberry-berry and we have these because we are right under the equator. 

You can choose where you want to live: countryside or city. We have lots of schools and new types of animals such as flying cats and super monkeys. 

Come now to New New Zealand!

We have a special offer. Come now and the first seventy people will get a free house, free car and $50,00 dollars!      

So come now and the first seventy people to the airport get their flight free too! 

So come now to New New Zealand. See you there!

George's SCAMPER

SCAMPER George from Room 11 on Vimeo.

TASK: To use SCAMPER to improve the design of an item that someone might have taken with them to their new colony in the 1600's. Be creative.

Adventures of Anonymouse

Task: Use the experiences of your colony during the Colonisation Game and write a narrative from the perspective of one of the survivors

As I rocked gently back and forth while waves hit the cabin window, I realised, twitching my nose, that maybe this wasn’t the best of all decisions after all. After a while, the same thought ran through all the passengers minds as the weather turned to a sailor’s nightmare and the journey became hard and rough, as rough as the captain’s beard.
The captain was a short plump man with wide beady eyes, high expectations and a dry sense of humor. He believed his colony was going to work whatever hardships came his way. I hoped this turned out to be true. The captain’s comforting words were whipped away by the wicked wind and the treacherous waves which slowly grew in front of our eyes making us look powerless sailing on the never ending sea.
The crew was devastated as they received the news that we were blown of course over night .The consequences of this were endless but the captain still had hope of what would happen in the future. Those wise hopes were true as the storm slowly started to clear after two days of raging weather. Our journey was delayed by two weeks and the food stores gradually started to run out.
As we sailed into a tiny bay and heard a hungry sailor shout the beautiful words, ” Land ahoy!”, a smile stretched over the captain’s face that was as wide as the land itself. However, as we reached closer the smile shrank to a frown. Suddenly the man in the Crow’s Nest was hit by a blow and fell to the deck. There was no movement from the motionless man. Gone.
There was havoc from the crew as they realized what had happened. Miles of bush were visible from my small rodent sized hiding spot at the bow of the boat, but humanity was rare. A man stood at the edge of the bay with lapping waves at his ankles. The hostile man paused, looking for sense of why we were there. The same thought occurred to us as we docked our boat on the opposite side of the bay.
I scuttled along the mooring rope and into the shallow waters.The breeze was cold and eery. This is the place for me I realized, as I twitched my whiskers back and forth as if I was in a deli filled with cheese. I was finally there.

By Alex, Year 6, 2011

Camp Conga Line

Camp Conga Line from Room 11 on Vimeo.

Camp Breakfast

Camp Breakfast from Room 11 on Vimeo.

Camp Bentzon 2011

CAMP 2011 from Room 11 on Vimeo.

New Zealand Discovered by Ariana

New Zealand Discovered from Room 11 on Vimeo.

My keynote is on the discoverers of New Zealand and the dates they came here.

3 Pistachio News by George

George's News Show from Room 11 on Vimeo.

WALT: explain how and why countries are colonised

George planned, wrote, recorded and produced this news show about aliens colonising Planet Earth. This is how he is sharing his learning in social studies. Enjoy!

Lucy's ship menu

WALT: summmarise information.

Lucy read some information about what sailors in the 16th Century and presented her learning with this menu plan... Would you like  to eat it?

What Floyd would take with him to start up a new colony...

WALT: explain how and how countries are colonised

This is what Floyd would take with him to his new colony:

• seeds
• food
• water
• saw
• hammer
• tool box
• bible
• telescope
• lamp
• paint
• lime
• flag
• nails

Traveling to a new colony by Georgia

In social studies WALT: describe how and why people colonised countries

Georgia's task was to pretend that she was part of a large group of people setting off to a distant land to start a new colony.
She drew a labelled diagram that shows what she would take with her:

Scratchy The Wolf Bio read by Tom M

Scratchy The Wolf from Room 11 on Vimeo.

Living Heritage by George, Alex and Lucy

During Terms 1 and 2, Alex, Lucy and George from Room 11 and Maia, Kyle and Faye from Room 15 worked with Dorothy (our school librarian-teacher) to record some of the most important aspects of Grey Lynn School's history.

The team worked incredibly hard and their articles published on the Living Heritage website are fascinating to read. We are so proud of them!

Grey Lynn School has been around for 100 years (nearly 101) so we have a rich history of interesting events. Our school has grown, developed, changed, grown again and changed some more over the last century. Click on the green link below to read these wonderful writers work.

Link to Living Heritage website

Biography: Shaun Tan by Alex

WALT: summarise information and write a biography

Pixar Pictures are proud to say that Shaun Tan did animation on ‘Wall-e’ and ‘Horten Hears a Who’. Who’s Shaun Tan you may ask. He is an author and illustrator who has written many books, all being amazing enough to inspire me to completely change my view of life. 

Shaun Tan was born in 1974 and grew up in the Northern suburbs of Perth, Australia. All the people who went to school with Shaun say he was always known as ‘the good drawer’.

By the age of 14 Shaun had started doing pictures in small press magazines, his career had started. By the age of a young adult he had started writing amazing books like ‘The Red Tree and ‘The Tales of Outer Suburbia’. These most outstanding books are now all  over the world, in every book shop and have been translated in to more than 7 languages. 

A few of Shaun’s picture books have caught the interest of film and theatre producers and directors and his book ‘The Lost Thing’ has been recently made into a Oscar winning movie.

As a teenager Shaun achieved honours in fine arts and literature and has cherished that award to the age he is now. He also works as a artist and paints scenes of average life for people. People buy them to have at home. Most of them are semi-abstract and he has become a world sensation in the art world. His most arresting books have made people stunned by his creativity and originality and one day I want to do the same with my writing.

By Alex, Year 6, 2011