DTE End-of-Year Project

In our DTE class, we were tasked to make something out of the things we've learned throughout the year. We were to use our knowledge in robotics and coding to make our project. We could do it on our own or with other people, so Kade, Noel and I worked on a pick-a-path story using Python code. I wrote the story, while Noel did the coding and Kade beta-tested the game.

For our pick-a-path, we used Coggle as our planning board. I used the branching arrows to write how the stories would progress. For my brilliant idea, we decided to give the operator four choices to pick which story that they would want:
- A horror themed story
- A story about the Medieval times
- A story during the future
- A story set in the present
(The horror story was written first, the story for the Present branch was the last to be finished.)

While Noel was starting on the coding and playing around with Python, I wrote the entire storyline for all four paths. Noel had a hard time writing the code because he was still particularly new to Python at the time while I had trouble coming up with ideas for the stories and how they were gonna go. Kade didn't join the project until much later because he hadn't shown up for a few weeks.

Out of all the storylines, the horror story had the least deaths of an absolute 0 and the hardest to write was the "Present" story. The most deaths in any of the stories were 2.

While Noel was getting Kade to test the current state of the pick-a-path, he answered with redundant and asinine answers that broke the code just for laughs, causing Noel a great deal of frustration.

Eventually, we finished the project a week before the day we presented our project. We got our chance to muck around and do whatever during that time period, where Kade and Noel presented our work and I was in another class.

For my reflection, I feel like I should have done somethings different in my thoughts, words and actions. I feel like I could've created more compelling stories, and I hope that we believe that we could've done much better. 

SEXXXY Paragraphs - Hunger Games

In the acclaimed feature "The Hunger Games" carefully directed by Gary Ross, film techniques are used effectively throughout the picture. The key techniques like music, angles/shots, lighting and others are shown and deployed well around its critical aspects.

Paragraph 1 - The Reaping

In the movie “The Hunger Games” directed by Gary Ross, a scene is in District 12 where the tributes are being chosen for the games.

In the Hunger Games, the lack of music when Primrose is being reaped as a volunteer for the Hunger Games, and Katniss' intervention with the decision is impacted dramatically. For instance, music doesn't appear until the end of the scene, making this an effective scene and another establishing moment for Katniss. This shows that she is willing to sacrifice her personal safety for the better of those she cares about. The purpose of this was to present a decision that was going to forever impact her life and the lives of those around her. The combination of an extreme long-shot and a low angle causes her to seem powerless, forcing her to make a snap decision lest her sister be sent to certain death. Likewise, this reminds me of the ending scene, where at that time, she holds power over the authorities of the Capitol.

These parts of the story hold quite well in tandem with each other, and the techniques used make it a powerful scene, especially with Katniss’ decision.

Paragraph 2 - Shooting the Apple

Next in the movie, after Katniss and Peeta are chosen, they are brought directly to the Capitol. Many moments after they arrive, Katniss is tested for her archery and skills. At this moment, angles and diegetic music are used to substantial effect. The lack of music makes it seem uninteresting, almost completely normal and bland as if we were looking through the perspectives of the committee. The angles on top make Katniss seem small and insignificant; worthless to the point of being undeserving of their attention. It shows that the committee is completely apathetic to her situation and skillset. This causes Katniss to shoot an apple in a roasted pig’s mouth to merely obtain their collective attention. The director executed this to showcase that Katniss is not joking and is also not unworthy of nothing, and to show the authorities of the Capitol do not care for their struggles. Combined with the medium shots and close-up angles and shots make this very effective, as we perceive the emotions of shock and surprise from the committee and Katniss’ validation. These aspects can be juxtaposed to the reaping back at District 12, where she turns the tides with the voluntary volunteer of worry, and one out of impulse and frustration.

Katniss’ frustration and the apathy of the citizens of the Capitol are shown wondrously, and the techniques here make it very impactful to the audience’s perspective on the Capitol.

Paragraph 3 - Rue’s Death

After the training scene, the tributes of 13 districts are then sent to the arena, where they gradually get killed off.

During the Hunger Games, Rue is killed, leaving Katniss in severe grief and mourning. In that scene, angles and shots, music and symbolism are used efficiently at this moment. For example, the music is gentle and subtle, minor, and eventually swells up after she is delivered the closest equivalent of a burial in the arena. And also pictured above is a wide shot, showing the solemnity of Katniss’ sadness and the loneliness in the arena. This helps us acknowledge that the Hunger Games, while glorious and a testament to some, are horrific places full of death and anguish to others. This was created to show a moment of humanity amidst the darkness and gore of the movie’s thesis. Coinciding with this was the symbolism of white flowers placed on Rue’s body, representing her innocence and purity, and the lullaby that Katniss sings to her before she passes, reminding us that though she is forced to win a dangerous game, she was, nevertheless, a child. This is contrasted by the initial moments in the film back at District 12, where Katniss sings to her younger sister, Primrose.

All of these techniques develop the scene to be a depressing moment, including with what happens after she is buried.

Paragraph 4 - The Three-Finger Salute

The three-finger salute recurs in the movie with its prominent symbolism.

It is first seen in District 12 when Katniss volunteers, and once again when Rue is buried after her death, and Katniss performs it to a camera, prompting a similar response from the citizens of District 11 and indirectly causing a riot. This helps the audience understand the salute acquires a significant meaning behind it, symbolizing a power shift; rebellion, pride and liberation. It is also demonstrated as a recognition of respect for those who have done something honorable and admirable. The purpose of this was to show us that despite their problems and situation, they nevertheless maintain a considerable amount of hope for more fortunate days. Coinciding with this was its effect on both scenarios when it was displayed, showing the ways that the salute is used; in honor, respect and rebellion. This aspect is similar to the previous instance from when the salute was first seen, although the reactions and the situations were different.

The reactions of the people of District 11 are understood by the audience because one of theirs, especially a child, had recently been killed. Following their rebellion and forced shutdown cause this to be a very passionate scene.

All the way through the flick, multiple movie methods are used effectively to present emotions, exhibit the mood of a scene and invoke our responses. Among the prominent techniques would be music, lighting and shots and angles. Of the three methods presented, the most important would represent music because of its use in certain scenes. Often, it is quiet and insignificant in most scenes. But when truly emotional and tense moments come up, it becomes noticeable. The mood becomes triumphant or depressing, and this is operated to substantial effect. The Hunger Games utilizes these techniques astoundingly and its music and volume make up a significant part of it. 

Hunger Games - Movie Scenes

Shooting the Apple - Hope and Rebellion

Techniques:

   - Music 

   - Lighting/Colour

   - Angles/Shots/Movement

   - Costume

Music:

   - Diagetic sound

Colour:

   - Katniss - dark, dim, artificial - grey, black, blue - matches peers

   - Senica Crane - vibrant, bright - colour variety - more privileged/individuals

Costume:

   - Katniss - training suit, tributes all look the same

   - Capitol - individuals - all different, over the top, extravagant

Angles/Shots/Movement:

   - Close-Up - to see their reactions, Katniss - pensive, shocked

   - High Angle - once Katniss shoots the apple, makes her look weak and vulnerable

Atmosphere - tension, Katniss comes out as stand out, someone to watch out for.

Change of Rules - Struggle for Power

Techniques:

   - Music 

   - Lighting/Colour

   - Angles/Shots/Movement

   - Costume

Music:

   - Minor, slow, dramatic - building tension, emotional intensity as music gets louder

Lighting/Colour:

   - bright, natural, warm - green, black, greys, shadowed - rising of the sun; new day, new victor

Costumes: not important

Angles/Shots/Movement: 

   - High Angle - Senica has power because of the camera placement, but the dialogue contradicts it. "Stop! Stop!"

   - Close-ups - emphasise emotions - defiance, stubborn, obstinant - Struggle for Power

     - Katniss won't let them have a victor.
     - Peeta won't let them change him.

Atmosphere: 

   - happy because Katniss and Peeta took back control, if they died, then they died on their own terms;               didn't lose their humanity.

Aspect = Technique

   Techniques - camera shots/angles/movement, colour/lighting, costume, music, atmosphere, dialogue, symbols, props

SEXXY Paragraphs Example:

In the film 'The Hunger Games' directed by Gary Ross, techniques are used to engage the viewer and tell the story. In the scene 'Shooting the Apple', film aspects such as music, angles and shots, colour and atmosphere are impactful in creating the mood and atmosphere. 

The Treaty of the Warsaw Pact

 

Our Volcano

 Volcano: Olympus Mons

Location: Mars
Largest and tallest mountain in the Solar System
Last erupted: 25 million years ago
Volcano type: Shield volcano 

Current status: Extinct

Height: 25 km (16 mi)

Diameter: 624 km (374 mi)

The youngest large volcano on Mars, located near the western hemisphere of Mars, Olympus Mons is the largest and tallest mountain/volcano in the Solar System. From an aerial view of Mars from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, it is taller than Mount Everest, and can fit in both France and Poland if on Earth.

Recipe for explosion: youtube.com/watch?v=vVven2CPaaw

Summary:
- hydrogen peroxide (highest concentration possible)

- potassium permanganate

SEXXXY Paragraph

 Scene - "They Don't Own Me"

Brainstorm - Angles/Movement/Shots
                   - Music - Diapetic Sound
                   - Lighting/Colour
                   - Settings
                   - Costumes + Make-Up
                   - Character/(Dialogue)
Theme - Rich vs Poor, Hope & Rebellion, Struggle for Power

What happened - Peeta & Katniss are having a conversation about how the games might affect them.

Shots: Over the Shoulder - shows speaker, puts us in the listeners' POV, makes us part of the conversation
           Close Ups - shows the emotions of the two - nervous and anxious, mostly for Peeta
Lighting: mood, sad, gloomy
Colour: greys, darks, blacks, dim lighting, works with CU to highlight emotions on faces or facial features
Dialogue: "I don't want them to change me."
                 "I don't wanna be another piece in their game."
                 "If I'm gonna die, I still wanna be me."
Atmosphere: foreboding, hesitant, nervous, reluctant 

In the scene "They Don't Own Me", dialogue is used to create a foreboding atmosphere. Katniss and Peeta are having a conversation about how the upcoming games might affect them. This is demonstrated by the quotes "I don't want them to change me." and "If I'm gonna die, I still wanna be me." spoken by Peeta. These show that Peeta has a sense that he is going to have to do things that he doesn't want to have to do, like kill others. This makes the audience feel sorry for Peeta because he is likely going to die or to kill others to stay alive. The director did this to make us believe Peeta will die early and that being a tribute isn't something to celebrate, but a loss of personal autonomy. This worked well with the dark colours of blacks and greys which add to the foreboding atmosphere. This aspect can be contrasted to when Peeta joins the Career Pack once in the games, because they are cold hearted killers which is What Peeta didn't want to be.

The Hunger Games - Music

Tempo - speed of the music - fast/slow/moderate

Dynamic - volume - how loud or quiet it is

Key - Major - happy sound, Minor - sad sound

Rue's Death 

Music - minor

   Atmosphere: heartbroken, calm, mournful, feels depressing

   Tempo: Slow, progresses to moderate

   Dynamic: Quiet, swells up with pride

What happened - Rue is killed, Katniss tries to give her body the closest to a burial that she can.

Colour/Lighting - white flowers, natural lighting, greens

   Symbolism - white flowers: innocent and pure, has not killed anyone, compassionate, a victim

Shots/Angles - medium close-ups - Rue and Katniss - to see their emotions + facial expressions; anguish

                      - high angle - weak and vulnerable - Rue is an innocent and blameless victim

Effect on Viewer - atmosphere of remorse/intense sadness, a feeling of sorrow, as the volume increases, it begins to build intensity of their emotions - we see emotions are contagious - hope

Director's Purpose - So that Katniss' emotions of anger and anguish could be reflected and shared with us at that moment - remorse, anger, helplessness, acceptance, rebellion - a symbol of the 3-finger salute as a sign of defiance and anger toward the gamemakers. You will take my humantiy, also a symbol of unification with those who have lost loved ones to the games.

Music is used to create an atmosphere of sorrow and remorse in Rue's death scene. In this scene, we see Katniss dealing with the slaughter of her young friend Rue. For example, the tempo is slow, the dynamics are quiet, and the key is minor to reflect the emotional rollercoaster that Katniss is feeling. Like the music, Katniss moves slowly and methodically to cover Rue's body in white flowers. As she finishes, the music builds in volume, showing the building intensity of her anger and grief towards the Capitol. This makes us understand the pain experienced by the families of the tributes when they are killed each year. This was done to enable the viewer to feel the character's emotions. This worked well with the use of white flowers to symbolise Rue's innocence & purity and the high angle shot, making her weak and vulnerable. Combined with the music, we are shown that Rue is a victim of the cruelty of the Capitol.

Passion Project Reflection

 Many weeks ago for Wananga class, we were given the Passion Projects prompt. We got to choose to do an activity of our choice, and an extra choice in case our original choice wasn't taken. I was able to do my project with some friends, to work on the School Garden. With Mark, we were able to get a decent amount of progress in.

We planned a lot of things for the garden, but never got to them because of time constraints. We had the idea of adding some worm farms and some compost bins, and an unused shipping container for one of the buildings inside the area of the garden. Not much was changed in the plan, as we hadn't gotten that far ahead.

We dug up some bark and dirt for the dirtbeds and had some of the juniors help us with Mark's help. A few times, some had spilled out because we didn't have anything to seal the door shut with, but the wheelbarrow we used was still fine.

After that, we built a few more beds with some tools from the workshop. We used squares and measuring tape to know how much we needed to cut. Though loud, we got the pieces off and ready for assembly. With even more tools and some screws, we assembled a few of the beds and laid them according to the plan.

We continued this process for a while until October 27, where the projects have ended and our presentations were prepared. 

I am happy about the progress we made on the gardens. Though the progress was not very significant, it was worth something, and I got to talk to new people and have fun with friends. 
We all did our part in the project, there wasn't anyone who was dead weight.

All in all, I'd like to thank Mark Sowerby and the other juniors that helped us in the gardens, and my friends and teammates for doing their part. It was a lot of fun to do, but not something I'd willingly ask for.

The odd-looking panorama of the gardens

Hunger Games Challenge Chart

 

Lighting and Colour

Atmosphere - feeling/mood set in the scene

Mood - the way we feel/ emotional response

Location - area it is set in

Picture 1 - District 12

   What is happening - Katniss is jogging through the District; not happily, though

   Types of colour/lighting - cold colours - grey undertones 

                                          - dull colours - nothing stands out; blue/grey shades

                                          - natural colours - palette - green, brown, grey, black

                                          - lighting - cold, dull, natural

   Viewer effect (feel) - not welcoming, unpleasant, run down, dirty, poor

   Director's Purpose - To show how unpleasant it is to live in the District, underprivileged compared to the                                       Capital

   Other techniques - setting - dirt roads, houses; derelict 

                               - transport - old-fashioned, wagons, no electricity

Picture 2 - The Capitol Train Station

   What is happening - The citizens of the Capitol await the arrival of the tributes

   Types of colour/ lighting - colours - cold, white undertones

                                           - lighting - bright, artificial; cold

                                           - palette - setting - whites/metallic, 

                                           - costumes - bright, colourful, vibrant

   Viewer effect (feel) - these people are much more privileged compared to District 12, they're celebrating                                         and are more advanced

   Director's Purpose - To make us sympathise with the tributes - they have lots of things to know how to do                                     anything with while the districts have none. We don't like them because they're                                               flaunting their wealth

   Other techniques - costumes - rich, extravagant, flaunting, over-the-top

                               - settings - rich, modern, technologically advanced, clean and new

Picture 3 - Arena Control Room

   What is happening - People are manipulating the arena via computer.

   Types of colour/lighting - colour palette - blue/white, dark grey/clinical

                                          - colour - cold; blue/white, bright - especially white shirts,                                                                                             - artificial lighting/colour - cyan/holographic

   

   Viewer effect (feel) - It makes us feel that they are smart, but also unsafe; scientific

   Director's Purpose - To make us feel detached towards them, make them seem like mindless drones.

   Other techniques - costumes - white lab coats - feels like an experiment,

                               - settings - no clutter, lots of tech, only focused on their one job.

Know your Place

 I made a Prezi for Social Studies class:
https://prezi.com/view/WUMH1XgnklyoYFqPNraT/

Reflection:

I feel like I've done a very sufficient job with my work; the pictures I've put in and the words I've written, it feels like an ample amount of effort.
Though I do feel like I could've added more.

Workshop #3 - Costumes

1. The Reaping Scene - District 12

- The children of the district have gathered together for the reaping to select the tributes.

- Boys - shirts, buttoned; collars, shorts, pants
            - colourless, white, faded, dull, over washed

- Girls - dressed, shirt & skirt

- Best clothes, probably only worn once a year, worn-out, colourless, faded

Viewer - we feel sorry for the people, they seem powerless, they live in poor conditions

Director's purpose - to show us how bad things are, how bad their conditions are, and how bad things have gotten, to see them as weak, unprepared; hopeless

Other techniques - high angle with the faded colours, makes them seem weak, vulnerable, helpless.

2. The Capitol - Arriving in the City

- Katniss and Peeta have arrived by train in the Capitol.

- Clothes are extravagant - over the top, colourful, vibrant, accessories; hats, earrings, make-up, wigs, shoes, bags, dogs.

- new - like only worn once, "fashionable", access to good quality fabrics, patterns

Viewer effect - makes them seem higher rank, privileged, relaxed, we don't like them - attitude of entitlement, clueless

Director's purpose - shows themes of imbalance of power, rich vs poor

Other techniques - setting is crowded, people are happy, buildings are modern, large and well-kept. Shows that Capitol is privileged.

3. The Countdown

- The tributes have just arrived in the arena and are waiting to start games.

    - Costumes - survival gear, brown and black; dark colours, jackets, pants, t-shirts
    - designed to look good, to be practical, light weight.

Viewer effect - the tributes look prepared, fit, athletic

Director's purpose - they're going to die, the outfits are just for the audience (the citizens of the Capitol) makes it seem more pageant like.

Other Technique - silence - worried/excited to see what happens, anxiety and tension, makes the audience focus.

Freytag's Pyramid for the Hunger Games

 

A Hunger Games (2012) Freytag's Pyramid I made for English class.

What am I learning?

I am learning about the Freytag's Pyramid and how it operates.

How does this show my learning?

This shows my attentiveness during class, but just because it was a movie, and I had nothing else to do.

What am I wondering as a result of this?

I am wondering about the rest of the series plot, despite the lack of motivation.

The Reaping Scene

What is happening in this clip?
Katniss volunteers as tribute in replacement for her sister when she is chosen. The people of the district give her the three-finger salute. Peeta is then chosen as the second tribute.

What theme does it link to?
Hope & Rebellion 
- The three-finger salute as a sign of respect. 
- Katniss volunteering, as a symbol of a district victor.

- Katniss as a symbol of rebellion for stepping in for her sister when she is taken as tribute.

Rich vs Poor

- Symbol: Effie Trinket

   - extreme make-up

   - wig and hat

   - overly colourful

   - flashy outfit 

   - proper accent

- Technology 

   - use of blood readers/scanners

   - projectors

- District 12 

   - in poverty

   - outfits for the Reaping are children's clothes reminiscent of the 1950's

   - colours are faded to white from washes and reusing

   - the village falls down around them

Angle/shots used:
- Wide Shot - When the crowd is shown 

- Over the Shoulder - Used multiple times

- Tracking Shots - Used multiple times

- Dutch Tilt - When Katniss gets on the stage

- Low Angle

- Close-Up - Used with multiple characters in different scenes

   - Effie - joyful and confident; excited, close-up on lips when reading names

   - Katniss - Panic when Primrose is reaped, shock when she stands with Effie.

   - Peeta - fear, panic, shock

- Shallow Focus - the background is blurry, the focus is clearer; shaky

   - Used when Primrose and Katniss hug; this forces the viewers to watch the character in focus

How does the viewer feel?
The viewers feel sorry for the tributes, like Primrose, since it was the first time she was reaped as tribute for the Hunger Games; for Katniss because she volunteered to save her sister from an assured demise.

We feel angry towards the Capitol for instituting the Hunger Games and the Reaping, and we also throw hate at Effie because she is annoying, stuck-up, clueless and much too giddy for a bleak situation.  

Why did the director do this?
We needed to be invested in the journey and suffering the characters face. We needed to be angry towards the Capitol so that we judge them and their decisions later.

Effie is also depicted as the symbol of people in the District, they are clueless because they don't see the suffering the people endure on a daily basis.

Additional others?

Music

   - starts as we move to picking the boys: Minor key, tempo - slower, dynamic

   - starts quiet then gets louder to build tension: mood - tension

Lighting

   - bright, grey, neutral, cold

   - mood - sad, depressed

Colour

   - dull, cold, palette - grey, white, blue, faded, washed out

   - atmosphere - despair, you feel sorry for the people, poverty, run down

Facial Expressions

   - dull, bland, sad; matches the lighting and colour

Themes of the Hunger Games

 

This is a Coggle diagram of three themes from the Hunger Games movie.

What am I learning?

I am learning about the different themes that can play into the plot of the story, and into the background of the story.

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?

I am wondering about other aspects that could've been used as an example.

How does this work show my learning?

It shows that I am responsible enough to do my work.

Rich vs Poor

Rich vs Poor - The Capital vs District 12

District 12 - Poor

- houses; run down, wooden

- food; very little, people pick off food scraps from everything 

- clothing; 1 pair of good clothes, worn out and old, colours are faded, grey and black, covered in coal dust

The Capital - Rich

- houses; large, concrete, metal, accents and silver

- food; variety, more than enough, excess

- clothing; fancy suits, extravagant, fashion, overboard

Hope + Rebellion

President Snow + Senica Craine

    (A little hope is good, lots of it is dangerous.)

Hamich + Senica

   (Give them something to root for. Young love!)

Struggle for Power

Katniss + Peeta eat the berries.

Death of Rue = A riot in District 11

Power of Propaganda

Subtle - The Hunger Games film strip

https://youtu.be/v98Rh9qzmPs

- Katniss volunteers as Tribute for the Hunger Games; the first volunteer in District 12.

Visual Dictionary

 

Hitler's opinion on the Jewish

 Quotes, from his book, Mein Kampf (My Fight/Struggle):

"The Jews were responsible for bringing negroes into the Rhineland with the ultimate idea of bastardising (lowering the quality of) the white race which they hate, and thus lowering its cultural and political level so that the Jew might dominate."

This single quote, and the events in history that followed, Hitler believed that the Jewish brought problems into Germany, and that they brought in what he considered undesirables (blacks, and other Jews), thinking that they did this so that they'd bring Germany down and become the dominating race.

"The Jewish youth lies in wait for hours on end... spying on the unsuspicious German girl he plans to seduce... he wants to contaminate her blood and remove her from the bosom of her own people."

He thought that the Jewish were also planning on completely wiping out the German race by breeding with other Germans. Hitler became terrified of the thought that the Jewish were doing all of these on purpose, to wipe out the Germans by procreation, and remove all traces of pure German DNA.

Hitler then went on to become Chancellor of, and later, the Fuhrer of the now-infamous Nazi Germany. Many Jews were prosecuted and killed because of his racist and anti-Semitic beliefs and laws, causing the Holocaust.

DNA Extraction

Aim: To extract DNA from Kiwi fruit.

Equipment: water, beakers, sand, spatula, ethanol, Kiwi fruit, sandwich bag, bunsen burner, mat, tripod, test tube, glass rod, dishwash liquid, cloth

Method: 

1. Squish Kiwi fruit with sand and water and pour through cloth to collect juice in beaker.

2. Place beaker on bunsen burner kit to warm water, pour juice into test tube with 2 drops of dishwash, rest in warm water.

3. Add ethanol, watch the DNA separate and collect with spatula.

Pictures (not actually tho):

   

Germany's struggle in the Great Depression

 The Great Depression

1. Why was Germany hit the hardest during the depression?

Germany was solely to blame as the aggressor who had instigated World War One, and thus the Treaty of Versailles was tuned to the Allies' favour in punishing the Germans. They had to pay billions of dollars in reparations (for both wars, which was fully repaid in 2010, mind you), and their military reduced to a hundred thousand soldiers and less than 10 ships, while also completely removing all their military aircraft and artillery. Hyperinflation then came into the picture with the Great Depression, causing the country to print out amounts of money which became more worthless than a single piece of bread (i.e. a piece of bread could be worth almost a trillion deutschmarks (German money)). 

2. Explain what Germany had to agree to by signing the Treaty of Versailles?

Germany was blamed as the sole aggressor of WWI, despite Austria-Hungary having been the one to spark the conflict in the first place. They had to surrender all of their aircraft and artillery and their navy was reduced to 6 ships. Their military was reduced from a 6 million to 100 thousand soldiers, were not allowed to produce any artillery, aircraft, navy or weapons and they had to pay over billions of dollars for reparations. Even their commercial trading was crippled, their merchant fleet reduced to a tenths.

3. How was NZ affected by the depression?

New Zealand was affected as hard as every other country did. Their exports fell by 45 percent in two years, national income crashed by 40 percent by three years. As summarised as it can be, New Zealand suffered as much of a bad time as every country. 

Sources: 

https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-Treaty-of-Versailles

https://www.history.com/news/treaty-of-versailles-world-war-ii-german-guilt-effects

https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/history-economic/page-7

Land Yacht experiment

 In Science this week, we finally put our "yachts" to the test. 

Our goal was to see how far they could go, using a massive leaf blower.

Equipment:

- Land yacht

- aforementioned leaf blower

Equation: We took the distance our yacht covered and the time it took to do so, and divided them with each other. 

Result: Our yacht was going 0.65625 m/s or 0.7 m/s to make 4.2 m.

Conclusion: It was going that fast because of the aerodynamics, its area, and how it was propelled. The mass itself wasn't very much, its area was also very small, but the aerodynamics weren't very good. There was a lot of air resistance, and there was no helping attachments to assist with reducing the air resistance. 

Critical Literacy for my week

I may not have read a lot of things, but TV Tropes has supplied me with an endless amount of knowledge for me to read and waste my time on. Other than those, I've read just about nothing.

Sorry!

My Horror Story

 It’s gotten a bit late for me to be up. But, 7 PM isn’t exactly late in any way. I was tidying out my clothes drawers, I couldn’t stand to even look at how messy it was. Out of my room and past the hallway, I could hear the other family talk, as they ate dinner and as their kid watched videos on their phone, even when their parents said no.

It was still a cold night, just like every other night. I absolutely hated how the cold couldn’t be kicked off. My room was cold, but at least I have a room, because the outside is much more unforgiving.

But, in an abrupt moment, the lights suddenly blacked out, and it got a little colder. I am a smart one, I knew what to do in times like this. I just sat down on my desk, and waited until the power would be back on. The voices outside from a while ago had stopped. I wonder what happened? 

I wanted to watch some videos on my phone, so I grabbed it. But… it won’t turn on. I pressed the ‘on’ button a lot of times, but it wouldn’t open. Weird, I had this charged just a few minutes ago. I opened my chromebook to do the same, but nothing. This still had a charge a while back. It probably must’ve just been a fast drain. 

It got too dark for tolerance, so I flung the curtains open, but the houses and fence adjacent to where I was were gone. It was just a blank, empty void, staring back at me when I’d hoped to find something more physical. I panicked a bit. What’s going on?!

I planned on leaving, but leaving my safe space without a flashlight would be dumb. I would just run into things and stub a toe, if I wasn’t careful. 

I entered the hallway just outside my room. There wasn’t much to behold, except for the two doors on the left and right, leading to the bathroom and toilet, and the other rooms, respectively. I began to walk through the carpeted floors of the hallway on bare feet, because I never usually bother with slippers on a floor as comfy as this. It started out normal at first, I’d just needed to find my way to the living room. But, I still couldn’t hear their voices. If this was an elaborate prank, this is too elaborate for me to be comfortable with. No one but my parents would be willing to waste their time on me.

My right foot collided with a flashlight. I fell to my knees, and patted my hands around the tight floor to find it. Eventually, I got the flashlight. I got up and shined the light. It was too dim to see anything, but bright enough to light my path. The door was right in front of me, shut tightly.

I opened the door with my usually kooky mannerism, but instead of the room I was expecting, it was the same hallway I’d just walked through. I entered through the door, and it shut behind me without reason. I shined the light at the door in shock. This was a bad thing. I ran towards the other door, and it just sent me back to the same corridor. My heart began to beat faster, and louder. It got so quiet that I started to hear my own breathing.

I went through the door, and the other doors from earlier had disappeared, leaving nothing but a blank wall of white. This was getting crazy. I went through another door, but this time, it was a tight squeeze. The hallway was crushed into a point where I could only partially squeeze through. If I wanted to go any further, I would have to force myself through. 

I sucked my gut in, and started to fit through. It was ultimately hard to breathe, and the flashlight did at least provide good light. After a vicious tight-fit, I pushed through. I put my hands on my knees to support my extremely tired upper half. 

For a moment, I stopped breathing. But I heard breathing. And then a footstep. I panicked and turned around and shone my torch into the darkness behind me. There was nothing there, but an empty corridor. It was completely empty, pushing aside the fact that I just pushed through a tight squeeze.

So… I did the most sensible thing I could. I turned around and ran to the door… and the hallway got longer. The footsteps got a little louder and faster. That thing was after me. I ran to the door again, and it got farther, again.

The door got as far away as it could from me, and then stopped. I ran. The thing behind me ran after me. I ran as fast as my stamina could get me. But as I ran, it always kept up. I could hear its footsteps, I could hear it breathe. I heard it say my name. I cursed, and I cursed.

But I didn’t listen. Sweat trailed down my face, my feet and legs ached. Trying to catch my breath isn’t an option. I kept running, and it kept a steady pace behind me. I was almost to the door. My eyes shot wide open as the door was within my reach. Suddenly, as I kept running, I could feel a warm gust of air rubbing the back of my head. 

I got to the door. I grabbed the doorknob and flung it open. When I got through the door, I slammed it shut. That thing banged against the wooden door, unable to get it open. I leaned into the door, and put all of my weight into keeping it shut. But after a while…

It left. I dropped to the floor in a puddle of sweat. I gave myself some time to calm down, before anything else could jump me. When I got my composure back, I stood up, and went through this hallway. As I walked through the place, I felt it suddenly get colder. I clamped my arms around my body, hoping to stay warm. 

I started to hear various voices. These were voices that I didn’t recognize. At first, I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the farther I went into the hallway, the clearer and more painful the voices got. My head started to split with how constant the noise was. I asked them as loud as I could, stressed and scared. And then, every voice collectively said, into the most horrifyingly tranquil manner, “Run.”

A loud shriek sounded behind me, and I dashed over to the next door. It wasn’t as far, but it felt like forever with the adrenaline rushing through my body. These weren’t even footsteps anymore, they were loud booming steps. It sounded like it came from something big, and I didn’t want to stick around to see where it came from. I ran even faster than last time, running even when it felt like my legs were about to break.

I came close to the door, and I grinned. But, just as I got close, I tripped and hit my head on the door. The panic and the adrenaline rush dulled the pain. Good thing too, it was getting close. I stood up fast, and shut the door behind me. 

This time, it wasn’t a hallway, but a dark room, a void. There was nothing anywhere around me, but a glowing door frame just a bit away from me. I walked through the door, shielding my eyes from the severe brightness. 

Beyond the door, was a glass wall, showing… me. I was back in my room, calmly organizing the same cabinet I was just organizing all the way before. I was confused. I pushed on the glass wall, grunting and hoping that I’d get through. I even kicked it. Not a single crack…

I just watched as Mom came into my room, and said goodnight to me. As she left and closed the door, I turned around and looked at myself, like I knew where I was. Then, it was there when I realised…

That wasn’t me anymore.

Infected

 Me and Dave sat in the dark room, heaving our lungs out. We’ve spent a lot of time running and hiding from these things, and we’d outrun them every time. I didn’t think they’d be smart enough to think of tactics. I could hear those things outside of the room. They banged against the door as strongly as they could. The door would hold for now.

After a while, my breathing started to calm down. I was slowly regaining my stamina. But Dave kept wheezing and heaving breaths. His breaths faltered and became louder as the darkness of the room shaded his eyes. I couldn’t tell what was going on with him, so I moved in closer to check. 

His body was suspiciously warmer than usual, sweat trailed down his face and his neck, drenching my hand. Suddenly, he just stopped breathing. I grabbed one of our torches and shined it over him. He saw a small red mark on his dark blue jacket. I lifted the sleeve and I jumped back in horror.

A bite. He was infected. I stumbled back and ran to our bag to grab a weapon. I frantically rummaged through the bag to find something blunt, something sharp, anything! I became disheartened when I found absolutely nothing. 

I hear a quiet clacking noise behind me. I turned around slowly, as the fear had settled in. Dave was missing. I clenched my fists and clenched my teeth. I was gonna die with no way of escape. I put up my fists, searching around the room to try and find him.

I hear a small growl above me. Completely overtaken by fear, I instinctively shine my light on the area. I find Dave, or whatever it was at this point, on several pipes, ready to attack.

It screams, and lunges at me. I was completely paralyzed with fear, but I felt everything. I felt the teeth bite through my neck, ripping out flesh and muscle mass. I felt sharp claws slice through my skin. I screamed till it ripped out my throat from my body. Blood gushed out of my neck and leaked out of my mouth and the hole in my neck. The last thing I remembered before I died was the sound of a door opening. Huh...

Hunter Swoop - Corridor

 

Top-left: The ground above remained supported by its concrete base, the ceiling of an ominous tunnel.

Top-right: Small cracks with mold and grime persisted on the surface, signifying its age.

Bottom: A shadow was illuminated by the lights above, blending slightly into the darkness of the outside.

Middle: The person walked into the tunnel, slowly walking through the quiet area. The darkness at the end of the tunnel didn't reassure them in any way, but they were curious about it.

Story:

       They heard voices in the tunnel under them. They peered over the edge and saw a small sliver of light pierce through the darkness of the edge of town. They dropped down from the top of the underpass. The drop kind of hurt their feet, as it was quite steep. They looked up at the concrete ceiling of the tunnel, the base of the underpass. The dirt above it remained supported by the concrete base. 

        Multiple spots were covered in dark grime and black moss, made almost invisible under the cloudy night, nevermind the lights from the tunnel. They walked into the tunnel. Their shadow was cast out by the lights above, blending into the darkness of the outside night. They looked at the end of the tunnel, finding only more darkness. It didn't reassure them much, but they remained curious of what they've heard.

       They moved further into the tunnel, hoping to find out what talked. Their footsteps echoed across the tunnel. Sweat trailed down into their clothes, thinking about the danger that would await should they find out. 

       They stop. They've reached the other side of the tunnel. They breathed a heavy sigh, sweat continuously trailing down, as they placed a hand on the corner, and peeked around it. There was nothing. They looked to the other side. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing, other than the sound of calmly rushing water. Their hand goes to their chest and they sigh a world's weight.

       But, they did have to wonder, what was the breathing in their ear..?

Rubbish collection graph

 In Social Studies class, we were told to take note of our rubbish over the weekend. I didn't do it because I forgot about it, so instead I used the info of made up data. I made some bar graphs for all three because I didn't know I only needed to do one. The red bar is rubbish, the pencil bar is recycling, and the black bar is organics.

Recycling Bin article

 The article

1. What % of rubbish can cause a recycling truck to be dumped?

It takes about 10 percent to get a recycling truck to dump its contents into a landfill.

2. What is going into people's recycling bins?

Non-recyclable materials were going into the recycling bins.

3. What is the current penalty?

The current penalty of not recycling is that your bins would be taken. It would cost approximately $97.65 to get it back, and the bins are also monitored to make sure those bins are properly used.

Greenpeace slide

 

Hunter Swoop - Bridge

 

Hunter Swoop:

Top-left: Clouds spanned across the sky, forming a blanket of fluff that covers the faint light of the sun. 

Top-right: As time went on, they eventually dispersed into tiny pockets and disappeared into the distance.

Bottom: The pier began at the mouth of the lake and ended headed into the deepest part of the lake.

Middle: The woman sat at the end of the pier, quietly staring at the somber horizon. As she looked, the trees in the distance looked back, filling her with a feeling she can't describe.

Story:

She used to come here during her childhood. She fondly remembered the vivid memories of her parents and her friends coming here for fun and whenever. After what seemed like forever, she finally got the chance to visit the lake.

Abigail watched as the sky went orange with the sunset. She stared higher into the sky. There were clouds, some small, and some even spanned across the sky, forming a large blanket of fluff that covers away the faint light of the sun. And as time went on, they eventually dispersed into tiny pockets and disappeared into the distance. It reminded her of how her friends eventually drifted away into different places, knowing that they each had their own lives to live. She felt a pang of sadness from the thought.

The pier began at the mouth of the lake and it ended heading into the deepest part of the lake. She looked down into the lake, remembering how she used to fish with her dad on the same pier. She sighed. Those were the simpler times, when college wasn't so much of a problem and that she only had to worry about when the cartoons would show on the TV.

She sat at the pier and continued to quietly observe the somber horizon. As she watched the treeline, the treeline felt like it watched back at her with the same expression. It filled her with a warm feeling that she couldn't describe.

Abigail came here for the memories. She came here for a short nostalgia break. She was fine with this. She packs up her belongings and heads back to the truck. Eventually, she'll want to call them for a gathering here. Maybe they'll talk all about it again. Maybe.

Hunter Swoop - Second Picture

 

Top-left:

There were several leafless trees, reaching into the clouded skies, not dead, but they seemed as if they have. 

Top-right:

The trees were large, spreading far and wide into the area far away and into the cold, misty air.

Bottom:

Accompanying the forest was a large pond, water freezing almost as cold as ice.

Middle:

The water met with the end of the land. Bright yellow leaves from the trees, once full of life, coated the ground. Everything else withered, becoming as lifeless as the pond, almost.

Story:

As I marched through the path, I began to get second thoughts about whether or not I should have waited after winter for this trip. After a little while, I came across a small pond to my left. There wasn't much to see, but I wanted to look around just for a bit.

There were several leafless tress, reaching into the sky, not dead, but it seemed as if they have. The trees were large, spreading far and wide into the cold, misty air. Accompanying them was the small pond that caught my attention. It was winter, so the water was normally freezing. A gust of wind blew past me. I'm thankful for the beanie that protected my ears from the cold winter wind. I looked on a little closer. The pond ended where the land did, where both ends met. The autumn leaves laid strewn about on the dark brown dirt on the ground. These trees used to be lively, now look at them; decrepit and dead. 

Otherwise, the rest of the area was just as withered as those trees. 

I'd basically soaked in all the glory of whatever this area. Anyway, I went back on the path and continued my otherwise fruitless hike through this place. Man, it is cold.

Figurative Language

 

The Hunter Swoop

 The sky is coated in in a calm blue hue, handling some nice fluffy clouds in the air.

A massive mountain in the horizon appears to be coated in pounds of snow, the top obscured behind the clouds in the sky. 

An asphalt road spans into the distance, becoming smaller as they looked on. The road is frosted and icy, perhaps slippery, and a yellow line extends in the same direction the rest of the road, in the similar direction.

The road split a beautiful field into two halves, both equally lush with bushes and tufts of grass. However, it seems barren despite the plant-life, lacking any larger types of plants.

Figurative Language - Saying one thing and meaning something else.

Literal Language - Meaning exactly what you say.

Simile - Comparing two unlike things using "like" or "as".

Metaphor - Comparing two unlike things not using "like" or "as".

Personification - Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Imagery - Writing with detail to arouse one of or more of the 5 senses.

Idiom - A phrase common to people who speak the same language - saying one thing but meaning another.

Hyperbole - An exaggeration of the facts.

Alliteration - Repetition of consonant sounds in a piece of writing.

"Just chill out, dude!" = Calm down!

"He is driving me up the wall!" = He's making me angry!

"His nose is out of joint." = He's a bit annoyed/angry.

"The teacher is a real scream." = The teacher's lively.

"What is she cooking up in her mind right now?" = What's she thinking about?

"He gave her the eye." = He stared at her threateningly.