Inquiry

2015 Inquiry

Term 3

Science - Understanding the Science behind Change

We have worked hard throughout the third term developing our understanding of:

• What it takes to think like a scientist.
• Developing a vocabulary to support our science talk - molecules, particles, states of matter, solids, gases, liquids, dissolving, solvents, solutes, chemical reactions, CO2, O and so much more.
• Understanding and using the written formats for experiments and information reports.
• Explaining the science behind reactions

We culminated our science work with a class Science Fair. Family members joined us in sharing our science work. Most children collaborated on their science projects and enjoyed sharing the tasks to complete their work. We used SOLO to reflect on our efforts. 

Enjoy photos taken from the shared session.

Term 1

Our Place/Tūrangawaewae

Tūrangawaewae is one of the most well-known and powerful Māori concepts. Literally tūranga (standing place), waewae (feet), it is often translated as ‘a place to stand’. Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home.

As part of exploring our Tūrangawaewae, we identified places around Cromwell which were special to us. We reflected on what made them special (the people with us, location, the season we liked being there, the history or significance to our family)

We then created a 3D map of the Cromwell area so we had an aerial view. We included  the mountain ranges which were significant to us. Our paper mache skills and small hands did the best they could!

We then extended our inquiry to places that have been identified in the past as significant to Cromwell Primary School. 

We have school houses which have been set up for longer than anyone can remember! All the children at Cromwell Primary School belong to one of these school houses and can gain points for their house. The houses are - Bendigo, Carrick, Nevis and Molyneux. Each house has a  house colour. 

We wondered why these names were chosen and why they were thought to be significant to use as house names. 

Our inquiry led us to brainstorm ideas (some really interesting) and get some experts in to help us understand the history of these places. Special thanks to Mr Edgar Parcel (Sam's grandad) and Mrs Helen Scoles who came and shared their knowledge with us.

We all wrote information reports based on what we understood about each location. We have shared some of these with you. This is what we discovered:

stories to come!!!

We also decided we needed to create a physical connection with Bendigo, Carrick, Nevis and Molyneux. So, we created 'touch stones' to place in each location. We all designed koru patterns we thought would depict the history of each location and then had the difficult task of selecting which ones to use. 
We then painted the designs onto stones which were to become our 'touch stones'. 

Photos to come!!

Once the touch stones were completed and we had plaques created to help explain the significance of our 'touch stones', we were ready for our road trip! We hope people visiting these areas will discover our touch stones and discover connect the signficance of these locations with Cromwell Primary School. We also hope these locations will become significant to us and we in time will bring our families and friends to these areas, share our knowledge and understanding, but also seek to discover more.

The Legend of Kopuwai

The legend of Kopuwai is part of our Tūrangawaewae. It is a maori legend special to the Cromwell area. During our EOTC week we read all the books written about Kopuwai we could find and  we visited Mrs Koopu at the Cromwell College. Mrs Koopu explained the mural at the back of the auditorium. It gave us further insight into what the legend involved and a greater understanding of the way the mural is presented. The mural was made by a group of carving students from the North Island. Some of the carvings for the mural were made before the students came to Cromwell. Others were made onsite. The panels on the side of the stage area have flax strips along the top and bottom of the panels. The 6 strips along the top signify the knowledge we are told and the 3 strips along the bottom signify what we remember. It made us think about the story of Kopuwai being passed down from one generation to the next, and how important it is to remember significant stories and events from our past. 

We have spent time retelling the legend of Kopuwai. We hope you enjoy reading our versions of the legend, based on those we have read and been told.

Stories to Come!!!

Term 3 Inquiry - The Wonders of Planet Earth
We have been building our knowledge about planet earth. We've been learning loads about:

• The layers of the earth
• Tectonic Plates
• Continental Drift
• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes
• and lots more

Today we applied our knowledge and built a volcano in groups in the sandpit. We used baking soda and vinegar to create our lava flow. Enjoy our photos. We certainly enjoyed creating 

Ukulele with Pete

Week 6 Term 3

You need to check our awesome playing!

We had Mr Winter (Sam's dad) talk to us this week about being a Policeman. 

We have been learning about emergency services and what our role is if we come across a something a fireman, ambulance worker or policeman would have to help with. Keep an eye out for some dioramas we are going to make next week.

2015 Inquiry

Term 1

Our Place/Tūrangawaewae

Tūrangawaewae is one of the most well-known and powerful Māori concepts. Literally tūranga (standing place), waewae (feet), it is often translated as ‘a place to stand’. Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home.

As part of exploring our Tūrangawaewae, we identified places around Cromwell which were special to us. We reflected on what made them special (the people with us, location, the season we liked being there, the history or significance to our family)

We then created a 3D map of the Cromwell area so we had an aerial view. We included  the mountain ranges which were significant to us. Our paper mache skills and small hands did the best they could!

Photo to come!!

We then extended our inquiry to places that have been identified in the past as significant to Cromwell Primary School. 

We have school houses which have been set up for longer than anyone can remember! All the children at Cromwell Primary School belong to one of these school houses and can gain points for their house. The houses are - Bendigo, Carrick, Nevis and Molyneux. Each house has a  house colour. 

We wondered why these names were chosen and why they were thought to be significant to use as house names. 

Our inquiry led us to brainstorm ideas (some really interesting) and get some experts in to help us understand the history of these places. Special thanks to Mr Edgar Parcel (Sam's grandad) and Mrs Helen Scoles who came and shared their knowledge with us.

We all wrote information reports based on what we understood about each location. We have shared some of these with you. This is what we discovered:

stories to come!!!

We also decided we needed to create a physical connection with Bendigo, Carrick, Nevis and Molyneux. So, we created 'touch stones' to place in each location. We all designed koru patterns we thought would depict the history of each location and then had the difficult task of selecting which ones to use. 
We then painted the designs onto stones which were to become our 'touch stones'. 

Photos to come!!

Once the touch stones were completed and we had plaques created to help explain the significance of our 'touch stones', we were ready for our road trip! We hope people visiting these areas will discover our touch stones and discover connect the signficance of these locations with Cromwell Primary School. We also hope these locations will become significant to us and we in time will bring our families and friends to these areas, share our knowledge and understanding, but also seek to discover more.

The Legend of Kopuwai

The legend of Kopuwai is part of our Tūrangawaewae. It is a maori legend special to the Cromwell area. During our EOTC week we read all the books written about Kopuwai we could find and  we visited Mrs Koopu at the Cromwell College. Mrs Koopu explained the mural at the back of the auditorium. It gave us further insight into what the legend involved and a greater understanding of the way the mural is presented. The mural was made by a group of carving students from the North Island. Some of the carvings for the mural were made before the students came to Cromwell. Others were made onsite. The panels on the side of the stage area have flax strips along the top and bottom of the panels. The 6 strips along the top signify the knowledge we are told and the 3 strips along the bottom signify what we remember. It made us think about the story of Kopuwai being passed down from one generation to the next, and how important it is to remember significant stories and events from our past. 

We have spent time retelling the legend of Kopuwai. We hope you enjoy reading our versions of the legend, based on those we have read and been told.

Stories to Come!!!