Figurative Language + Brainstorming

 Brainstorming - 

Figurative Language - 

Idioms - 

More idioms - 

"It's a piece of cake!" (Meaning: It's easy)

"Kill two birds with one stone" (Meaning: Get two things done with a single action.)

"Let the cat out of the bag" (Meaning: Give away a secret.) 

"Bite the bullet" (Meaning: Get it over and done with)

"Break a leg" (Meaning: Good Luck) 

"Call it a day" (Meaning: Stop doing/working on something.)

"Get out of hand" (Meaning: Getting out of control) 

"Pulling someone's leg"(Meaning: Joking around with someone) 

"Speak of the devil" (Meaning: The person we were just talking about showed up!)

"Under the weather" (Meaning: Sick) 

Similes and Metaphors - 

(Highlight the simile) 

My bedroom was as black as a cave in the depths of the earth.

The classroom after school became as noisy as a gaggle of gabby geese.

The cat capered along the fence top like a tightrope walker on the hire wire. 

My anger crashed into me like waves against the shore. 

(Complete the simile) 

The cloth was as black as Coal 

The wet ball was as slippery as an Eel

My little sister is as playful as a Kitten

The top of this table is as Smooth as Silk

I’ve been as busy as a Bee

The lamb is as white as snow

(Simile Or Metaphor)

As slippery as an eel. (Simile)

Arnie was a man-mountain. (Metaphor)

He was a lion in battle. (Metaphor)

She is as pretty as a picture. (Simile)

The striker was a goal machine. (Metaphor)

The torch-lit up the room as if the sun had already risen early. (Simile)

The moon was a misty shadow. (Metaphor)

My friend has a face like thunder. (Metaphor)

More similes and Metaphors- 

"As light as a feather"  "As Blind as a bat" 

"As cold as ice"  "As hard as nails"

"As hot as hell"  "As tall as a giraffe"

"The classroom was a zoo."  "The computers at school are old dinosaurs."

"He is a night owl"  "She is a peacock."

"Jamal was a pig at dinner."  "The stormy ocean was a raging bull."

Burger Competition

Negatives - 

 The burger was too sloppy (too much sauce) 

Messy and hard to eat

Too much meat (really thick Patty) 

lacked in texture ( missing ingredient ALL MRS FAULT )

Positives - 

Had a range of complementing flavours

Lots of colours 

The presentation was amazing looked like an advertisement 

Tasted good 

How I would rate the burger - 

Flavour - 8.5 (Had a lot of flavours but wasn't too overpowering and the flavours complement each other.)

Colour - 7 (We had a few fillings of colour like cheese, gherkins, pineapple and tomatoes.) 

Texture - 3 (Had too much sauce and a lot of meat, was sloppy but the bacon did ad a tiny bit of texture.) 

How I would've improved -

The element that our burger really slacked off on was the texture. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of crispy or crunchy fillings but we did try to add texture where we could like grilling the buns, lettuce and making the bacon crispy. Next time I would add less meat and sauce so that the texture from the buns and the bacon really stood out. The next thing I would want to improve on is the colour, I feel as though we had a good amount of colour in the burger but was overwhelmed by the browns of the juicy patty, bacon, and bbq sauce. The flavour I feel was our strongest point so the only thing I would want to improve on is the pattys I feel like we could've added more bbq sauce into them and make them slimmer. 

Burger Evaluation Sheet - 

How does colour enhance the overall effect of your meals?

People naturally gravitate toward foods with appealing bright  colors and avoid foods with unappealing or worrisome colors. Making colour in food very important as people will want to eat something with vibrant colours over bland colours. 

How does texture affect the feel of the product as you eat it?

The thickness of some foods can affect their taste by slowing down the rate of which the flavour exits the food. If that same food were to be melted into a liquid, it would taste much stronger. Therefore people are more likely to eat harder, crunchier foods over soft foods 

Name two different ingredients you used to enhance the flavour of your meat pattie. 

BBQ Sauce, Gherkins 

Why did you use these flavours? What did they do to your burger? 

They added strong flavour but they were not overpowering and they set the flavour theme for the burger 

How does the way takeaway places advertise their products influence our decision in what we eat? 

Advertisements usually use fake burgers to make it look juicier, colourful and overall more attractive and appealing to others. 

What are 2 safety measures that are important when storing and cooking red meat? 

Always have clean hands when handling meat, Store the meat in the coldest part of the refrigerator or in a meat bin, Throw away ground meats, sausage and organ meats after 2 days, Defrost meats in the refrigerator or in the microwave by using the defrost setting — never on the counter

What is something that you have enjoyed taking part in re the design processes we have done eg cupcakes, 4 way wraps, burgers

My favourite part of designing the meals was finding unique and odd ways to add flavour and texture. 

Creative Writing

Brainstorming - 

Hunter swoop -

Top left -

The frosty mountain top reaching for the muddy white blanket covering the sky blocking out the rays of the sun, desperately trying to breakthrough. 

Top Right - 

A second snowy horizon bathed in a warm glow, dispersing the clouded blanket. 

Bottom - 

The rough rubble of the well-used road stretches out further into the horizon than the eye can see, accompanied by brightly colored strips of organization and society. The static-like strip of road, a passage to another place, another time, another feeling, another scent. 

Middle - 

The road swerves in fear of the looming mountains overhead gazing down upon the dry, grey road and the bland, barren tussocks and dry sand closing in from either side. 

Mix&Match - 

 

Figurative Language		Comparing two unlike things using the words like or as
Literal Language		An exaggeration of the facts.
Simile		Saying one thing and meaning something else.
Metaphor		Writing with detail to arouse one or more of the 5 senses.
Personification		A phrase is common to people who speak the same language- saying one thing but meaning another.
Imagery		Meaning exactly what you say.
Idiom		Comparing two unlike things not using the words like or as.
Hyperbole		Repetition of consonant sounds in a piece of writing.
Alliteration		Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Sustainable Fishing

Sustainable Fishing - 

Sustainable fishing is where you ensure that there will be fish in the future for other people to have. But the best thing to do currently is not fish at all due to the fact we have already pushed marine life to the brink of extinction by plastics, shark finning, fishing, and bycatch. Letting the population reproduce and grow back to a safer population.  There is no possible way to restrict how much fishing boats are catching and the number of dolphins or other sea life due to bycatch. As long as we still eat fish, fishing companies still have a motive to continue fishing, as the fishing industry is a very profitable business.  

How is commercial fishing a threat to dolphins and birdlife?

Fishing is by far the biggest threat to dolphins and birdlife. There are many different techniques to fishing, some more lethal and “efficient” than others, one of the worst fishing methods is trawlers where a massive net hurds in schools of fish then closes the top of the net trapping the herds of fish inside. This method is dangerous as it has the highest rate of bycatch, meaning several other aquatic life gets stuck in the nets as well. Most bycatches die in the fishing nets before they can be released back into the ocean. Not only are trawlers killing thousands of marine life, but it is also most if not all fishing techniques that are harming the ocean's ecosystem. 

 Brainstorming - 

Shark Finning

What is shark finning?

Shark finning is the disgusting practice of slicing off the fins of a live shark then discarding what's left into the ocean, leaving the sharks to die a slow, sad, gruesome death. The fins are then dried and sold as the main ingredient in the traditional Chinese dish, Shark fin soup. Every year millions of sharks are caught and farmed for their fins leaving millions of dead, decomposing, finless sharks at the bottom of the ocean floor. 

Why is it a delicacy? 

 the traditional dish Shark fin soup dates back to over 1000 years and it plays an important role as an indicator of social standing as shark fin soup can range anywhere above $100 for a single bowl. With the country become more wealthy the demand for shark fin soup has skyrocketed meaning more sharks are being caught for their fins. For such an expensive dish the fins are bland and have no taste, nor is there any nutritional value. Usually, there is flavoring added to the dish to give it a taste. 

How is this impacting our oceans? 

Sharks play a big role in keeping the food chain stable, as they are the apex predators. With the shark population decreasing rapidly due to shark finning and bycatch they are being pushed to extinction. This will destroy the ocean's ecosystem as a new predator will take the shark's place, with no predators the animals will overpopulate and run out of their source of food and eventually die out. This chain goes on and on until eventually there is nothing left. 

Brainstorming

 Brainstorming task - 

Critical literacy

Brainstorming task - 

Factual - Satirical (Websites) 

The Onion - https://www.theonion.com/

At first, the onion looks like your average website, it has many news articles with legitimate photos and titles/headings. There were many articles to choose from with a wide range of genres but the big giveaway that the news site was fake was the titles. If you read them you can clearly see as bright as day that they are simply outrageous and random. Not only that but the titles and what they are writing about lack specific people or business or proper references. 

In the article created by the onion, they went into great detail as to what the government did over the first 100 days of Donald Trump being elected, and some of the things that he "Accomplished" I thought were very creative but very unrealistic, and the photos looked straight out edited. For example, on day 89 it stated that "Donald Trump Jr. Takes Son On Hunting Trip In National Zoo" it was then paired up with this outrageous but creative photo. 

The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/

By the home page, it is very realistic and has bold headings and up-to-date stories that seem down-to-earth and genuine, unlike the onion. The information it displays also has relevant references and factual information and the pictures accompanying the text are professional and real to the text. Another giveaway that the news is real is that the dates are recent and the authors who wrote the article are displayed. 

The NYT has also written several articles about Donald trump but this time around the topics are more factual and realistic and display information about specific topics and stories and who exactly was involved in the situation. It also gave clear references to where they found the information. 

Critical literacy practice - 

"In Germany, the government has increased fuel prices, in just one hour of time people abandoned their cars on the streets, avenues and walked home," the post reads. "Over a million abandoned cars, they had to lower the price. When people are smart the corrupt can't accomplish their goals."

Is this real? 

After searching up the source of this photo the only information I found was that this photo circulated through social media and was labeled as a protest in Germany but it was actually taken in china and it was, in fact, the result of massive traffic jams, not petrol prices. 

The Starfish Poem

 Starfish poem - 

Once upon a time there was a wise man 

who used to go to the ocean 

to do his writing. 

He had a habit of walking 

on the beach 

before he began his work. 

One day he was walking along 

the shore. 

As he looked down the beach, 

he saw a human 

figure moving like a dancer. 

He smiled to himself to think 

of someone who would 

dance to the day. 

So he began to walk faster 

to catch up. 

As he got closer, he saw 

that it was a young man 

and the young man wasn't dancing, 

but instead he was reaching 

down to the shore, 

picking up something 

and very gently throwing it 

into the ocean. 

As he got closer he called out, 

"Good morning! What are you doing?" 

The young man paused, 

looked up and replied, 

"Throwing starfish in the ocean." 

"I guess I should have asked, 

why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?" 

"The sun is up and the tide is going out. 

And if I don't throw them in they'll die." 

"But, young man, don't you realize that 

there are miles and miles of beach 

and starfish all along it. 

You can't possibly make a difference!" 

The young man listened politely. 

Then bent down, picked up another starfish 

and threw it into the sea, 

past the breaking waves and said- 

"It made a difference for that one."

The main message behind this poem is that your input, even if it's small makes a difference. We need to help our ecosystem and all it takes is the courage of one person to put a small amount of effort into standing up and doing something about it and people follow their lead and start encouraging other people to the same. This is shown at the end of the poem when the man asks why he is bothering to make a difference (Throwing starfish back into the sea) when there is so much damage (Miles of starfish). He then explains to him that even the smallest amount of effort can make a difference by throwing a single starfish into the sea and saying "It made a difference for that one." 

Drink Driving Ads

Drinking and driving advertising - 

Is this text fair?

No, the text wasn’t fair, drink driving can happen to anyone of any ethnicity. However, in the advertisement it makes it appear as though it was mainly white + Maori guys who drank excessively and irresponsibly, ending up in crashes and trouble with other people. 

How are children, teenagers, or young adults constructed in this text?

In this ad it presents the characters as college students or around young adults who are the big drinkers and act irresponsible and cause incidents. This ad was very directed toward young adults and maybe even teenagers however it excluded adults and children completely. 

How does the text present age, gender, or cultural groups?

Males - Like to drink alcohol a lot and stare at women and cause incidents due to recklessly drinking. 

Females - Don't drink enough for it to be a problem, just there to be eye candy, responsible enough not to crash or cause issues with alcohol 

Ethnicity - Asian people were too smart to drink, the white guy was supposed to be the sober driver but fucked up, Maori blokes were the ones drinking and trusted the other white guy to be the sober driver but ultimately got screwed over by him. 

Why is the text written this way?

The text was written this way so that people can understand and start to grasp how important and serious drunk driving is and how much it can affect yourself and the people around you. Overall it tells us to be responsible when drinking cause it can go downhill very fast and people can get hurt. 

News Article - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

 PLASTIC BECOMING PART OF OUR DAILY DIETS?!

Over the years garbage has been building up in the ocean and we have left it to build up for long enough and the horrifying effects of our actions are starting to reveal. Your toothbrush, your water bottle, the wrapper on that chocolate bar you ate, where did it go after you threw it in the bin or dumped on the side of the road? Every year on average 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean through rivers and streams. That 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic end up in The great pacific garbage patch is a massive patch of rubbish just floating in the middle of the ocean and this is only one of the 5 massive patches of rubbish. This floating island of rubbish measures 1.6 million square kilometres, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France. It is estimated to have 80,000 tonnes of rubbish which is almost equivalent to the weight of 115,000 full grown elephants, WOW. 

You may be thinking how the hell does 80,000 tonnes of rubbish end up in a big clump in the middle of the ocean? This is due to the water currents pushing all of the rubbish further out to sea, the rubbish then gets trapped once they enter a gyre (Circular currents) that is how the rubbish ends up on a scarily massive island.Once they enter the gyre it isn't likely for the rubbish to escape the area until the plastics degrade into smaller pieces (microplastics) under the extent of the sun, or get washed away by waves or ingested by marine life. 

So now we know what the problem is and how it got there, but why is it a problem at all, why should we care that there are tonnes of plastic floating around in the ocean? This is where the big problem of microplastics comes in (Tiny plastic particles.) Effectively, the ocean is becoming plastic soup. All our waterways lead out into the ocean so not only are we polluting our ocean we are polluting our water supply as well. It has been proven that microplastics have been found in our drinking water. A recent study by OrbMedia analyzed 159 water samples, sourced from both tap water and bottled water in 14 countries, and found that over 80% of all samples contained tiny plastic particles, with an average of 4.34 plastic particles per liter of water. Not only has it been found in our water supply but it is also affecting the food and crop that we consume, It has been confirmed that The number of microplastics in pre-cooked, vacuum-packed instant rice could be as high as 13 mg per serve.

Every living and breathing person has probably consumed microplastics by now, but what does that mean for us, is it something that can cause extreme health effects? Because we are new to the knowledge of microplastics, researchers don't know for sure what effects microplastics have on our health. But “there can be no effect,” says Pete Myers, founder and chief scientist of the nonprofit Environmental Health Sciences and an adjunct professor of chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University. Digesting microplastics likely exposes us to chemicals that the plastics contain which are known to be harmful to humans. These chemicals have been linked to a wide range of health issues, including reproductive harm and obesity, as well as organ problems and developmental delays in children. 

So we know that plastics and waste we produce can all come back to bite us in the ass, but what effect does it have on marine life and the environment and what does it contribute towards climate change and global warming? The most direct effect of the garbage patch is on marine life that populate in areas of pollution. Due to the size and colour of the plastics fish and other aquatic animals easily mistake the plastic for food and once it enters their digestive system it can cause a lot of harm. Some of the most important animals that take part in caring for our environment are whales and dolphins, and it's been recorded that at minimum 300,000 whales and dolphins are slaughtered each year according to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). This is due to the effects of habitat loss, rubbish, and by catch. Dolphins and whales not only look after ocean but our whole ecosystem, when they resurface for air they release phytoplankton which plays a key role in absorbing carbon dioxide.But due to the decreasing population of whales and dolphins less phytoplankton is  being released when whales resurface for air, meaning that less phytoplankton are absorbing the excessive amount of carbon dioxide polluting our atmosphere.

Science Experiments

The Pop Test  (Testing for hydrogen gas) - 

Aim - To show that hydrogen gas is produced when a metal reacts with an acid. 

Equipment - A test tube, a boiling tube, Bunsen Burner, Wooden splint, Hydrochloric acid, A piece of magnesium, Safety Glasses. 

Method - 

1. Light your bunsen burner. 

2. Add your sample of metal to your test tube. Add 2mL of acid. 

3. Carefully invert the boiling tube above the test tube containing the metal and acid. 

4. Hold the test tubes together for a few minutes, allowing time for the inverted boiling tube to fill with gas. 

5. when you think your tube is full, your lab partner should light a wooden splint. 

6. Carefully, but quickly, tilt the boiling tube full of gas upwards and insert the burning splint into the mouth of the test tube. 

Results - 

When we added the hydrochloric acid to the magnesium the liquid turned a milky white colour and started bubbling, When putting the fire into the hydrogen gas that the reaction between the metal and acid had created, it made a high pitched pop that sounded halfway between a pop and a squeak. 

Conclusion - 

When fire mixes with hydrogen gas it immediately extinguishes and creates a high pitched popping sound as a result. This is because hydrogen reacts with oxygen in the air in a small explosion. 

Metal Oxide Experiment - 

Aim - To make a metal oxide and observe the difference in properties of the product compared to the reactants. 

Equipment - A piece of magnesium, Bunsen burner, Saftey Glasses, Metal scissor Tongs. 

Method - 

1. Light your bunsen burner 

2. Hold your piece of magnesium in the scissor tongs. Ensure you are holding onto the very tip of the magnesium. 

3. Place the other end of the magnesium into the bunsen burner flame (at the top of the blue flame) 

4. When the magnesium begins to burn, do not look directly at it, as the light admitted can permanently damage your eyes. 

Results - 

As the magnesium started to heat up it flopped down, then started reacting with the oxygen and the magnesium caught aflame. We then took the metal out of the flame and it created a bright white light and produced a stream of white smoke, When it cooled it had turned into an ashy texture with a light grey colour. 

Conclusion - 

Before the reaction occurred The magnesium was a thin strip with a shiny lustre and was malleable, As the reaction between the magnesium and oxygen took place it created a very bright white light and produced a grey, ash, powder-like substance. 

(Magnesium + Oxygen --------> Magnesium Oxide)

Testing for the presence of oxygen - 

Aim - To carry out a test for the presence of oxygen gas (O2) 

Equipment - A peasized amount of manganese dioxide (MnO2), Boiling tube, Bottle of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), Safety Glasses, Wooden splint, Bunsen burner, Test tube rack. 

Method - 

1. Light your bunsen burner

2. Add the manganese dioxide to the boiling tube and place it in your test tube rack. 

3. Add 2mL of hydrogen peroxide. 

4. Light a splint and let it burn for a while. 

5. Blow the splint out and insert the glowing embers into the mouth of the boiling tube. 

Results -

When we added the manganese dioxide and the hydrogen peroxide it started to rise and bubble and released an oxide, When we inserted the glowing embers of the splint into the oxide it lit right back up again. My group found that we could do this process 5-6 times before having to add more hydrogen peroxide. 

 

Critical literacy Vocabulary -

Bias - When you unfairly favor one side of an argument over another. 

Source - Where you got the information from. 

Credible - Factual, Truthful, Reliable

Authority - The Author has good/in-depth knowledge of the topic. 

Reliable - Can trust that this information is correct.

Perspective - Your point of view, the way you look or see it. 

Agenda - What you are trying to do. E.g convince me of a fact. 

Manipulate - Moulding something into the desired form. 

Critical literacy reflection -

 For the past week and a half of term two, we have been solely focused on critical literacy in English.  This was an interesting topic to look at and I found it really fun learning how to look deeper into what your seeing online and see what you can't see at first glance and seeing the texts from different perspectives.  But this leaves me wondering the reasoning behind what writers and directors try to sneak into ads and text. After learning about critical literacy I created a slideshow reflecting everything I've learnt about the topic so far. 

Brainstorming task + CL

 Brainstorming task - 

Critical Literacy - 

What did the ad imply with the big diamond ring?

The ad implied that it is men's job to work and earn money and that it is the women's job to smile and look happy and grateful for the gifts that the men buy them even if they don't like it or don't appreciate the gesture. 

What is subtext?

The subtext is something that isn't said in the ad but is something that is being shown or said without actually having to be said. This can be different for everyone as everyone takes away different ideas about the ad because of the way that they think. 

With CL, can each student have their own answer?

When it comes to critical literacy everyone thinks differently so everyone can have a different answer, but can have similar ideas or concepts to somebody else's answer. It all depends on what you take away from what you've seen and how you analyze it to create an answer. 

What does Andrea compare CL to?

During the talk Andrea compares critical literacy and being able to decode and deflect information online to having superpowers, specifically in the talk she compared her ability to think critically to being like Wonder Woman. 

How can CL be applied to your life outside of school?

Technology has become an everyday part of life inside and outside of school and although it has its benefits it also has its downsides and false information is easily spread throughout the web, using critical literacy skills helps you decipher what your seeing online and keeps you safe from the false influence of other people. 

The great Pacific Garbage patch

 With a new term comes a new topic in social studies, we are going from focusing more on history-based topics to more geography-based topics, and what more perfect topic than the ocean, the title is called "trashing the world." This topic is all about learning the importance of the ocean and the effect that we have on the ocean and vise versa. We have kicked off this topic by looking at the giant plastic issue in the great pacific garbage patch. This is the slide show I created reflecting what I have learnt so far from this topic. 

Critical Literacy

 What makes this video convincing?

This report was very convincing due to how professional it looked and they edited it in a similar way to new reports we see on the internet all the time. During the report, they added in medical advisors making it seem more genuine tey also added public opinions on the topic of the report and sowed protestors having their say on what was right, this made it seem very realistic and made the report overall more convincing. 

Who published this video?

The video was published by Onion Network who is known to create fake but convincing stories with often genuine stereotypes and guidelines. te network is great at disguising these stories by adding in advisors and public opinions not to mention the editing in the clips to make it seem even more real. 

How are teenagers portrayed in this clip?

In this clip, teenagers are portrayed as braindead and incapable of communicating with others specifically their parents, and only respond with sighs, grunts, and groans. Throughout the video, we can visually see that the teenager is glued to her phone and takes no interest in anything other than online conversation and activity. 

Why has the director cast them this way?

The director has chosen to cast them this way so that the storyline seems more real and genuine and that the actors are your average person. They also wanted to link the actor's behaviour to realistic teenage behaviour. 

In whose interest is this text?

I think that the targeted audience was more teenagers than parents so that teenagers who see the video can reflect on ways that the video relates to them and how true the clip is. 

What social realities does this video portray?

The stereotypical teenager, Protests from the public, Pictures of the teen when they were younger, A doctors insight and advice,  medical data, news reporters. 

Alkaline Metals

What is an alkaline metal? 

Alkali metal is any of the metals that make up the first column of the periodic table. te six chemical elements that make up the first row are lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). The reason for their placing on the periodic table is because the one-electron that is placed in the outer sell of all the alkaline metals means the alkali metals are extremely reactive and can react with water, with the heavier alkali metals reacting more overwhelmingly than the lighter ones. 

What reaction did we create? 

For our experiment, we wanted to test the alkaline metals in the water to see what the reaction would look like. For our experiment we used Lithium and sodium, te lithium fizzed for a moment before sparking up and creating a small amount of smoke this is because the lithium reacted with the oxygen in the water leaving hydrogen left over causing it to create hydrogen gas. however the sodium had a different reaction when placed in water, the sodium smoked for a few seconds before catching fire then exploding. 

Products & Reactants 

Sodium (Na) + Water = Sodium oxide + hydrogen gas       

(2Na + h2O = Na2O +h2) 

Musicals! -Drama

 Starting off the second term in drama we are looking into musicals, musicals can be defined as a live performance or a film that has singing or vocal aspects along with dance or choreographed movements. There are 5 different types of musicals, Book Musicals, Revue Musicals, Jukebox Musicals, Film Musicals, Concept Musicals, and Pop/Rock Musicals.