SLJ Wk 1 Day 3 Act 1: Rugby Superstars

Photo Attribution- Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4

Activity 1: Rugby Superstars [4 points]

Jonah Lomu was a rugby superstar. He was the youngest ever All Black, selected at just 19 years of age. He went on to have an amazing career that included 63 caps (international games) and 37 tries. Jonah was Tongan, but spent most of his childhood in Mangere, South Auckland. He started out playing touch rugby and rugby league but changed over to rugby union and quickly made a name for himself. He was very tall, strong and fast.

Richie McCaw is another example of a famous rugby player. He was the captain of the All Blacks between 2004 and 2015. Like Jonah Lomu, he had an outstanding international career in rugby union and had many achievements. In fact he was the most capped All Black captain, most capped test rugby player and World Rugby Player of the Year in 2006, 2009, and 2010. He has been given a Halberg Award and made a member of the Order of New Zealand. As well as being an outstanding player, Richie McCaw was also a strong leader and captain.

For many people, players like Jonah Lomu and Richie McCaw are superheroes with extra special ‘superpowers.’


For this activity, let’s imagine that you could be a superhero for a day. What three superpowers would you most like to have?

On your blog, please list the three superpowers, tell us why you have chosen each one, and tell us what you are going to do with them.

*Remember to attribute any images that you borrow from the internet or from other people.

*Please check out the Eye-Catching Blog Posts page for ideas!

SLJ Wk 1 Day 2 Act 3: Miracle On The Hudson

Photo Attribution: Sully Pic
Activity 3: Miracle on the Hudson [6 points]

Mr Chesley Sullenberger, or “Sully” as he was known, was an airline captain (pilot) for about 30 years. In 2009, he became world famous when he landed his aeroplane in the middle of the Hudson River in New York City. He was forced to make an emergency landing when both of the engines in his aeroplane lost power. Amazingly, all 155 people on board the A320 plane survived the landing. This incredible event became known as the ‘Miracle on the Hudson.’

You can watch a video about it here.

Although Sully must have been scared when the engines lost power, he didn’t show it. Instead he stayed calm, and saved the lives of everyone on board. What a brave man!


Image Attribution: Plane crash into Hudson River, Greg Lam Pak Ng, CC BY 2.0

For this activity, we would like to hear about a time when you, or someone you know, was brave like Sully.

On your blog, recount a time when you (or someone else you know) did something brave.

*Remember to attribute any images that you borrow from the internet or from other people.

*Please check out the Eye-Catching Blog Posts page for ideas!

SLJ Wk 1 Day 2 Act 2: One Small Step For Man

Photo Attribution: Moon Pic

Activity 2: One Small Step for Man [4 points]

Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut and engineer. In 1969, Neil and his team of astronauts flew to the moon in a spacecraft called Apollo 11. When they arrived, Neil got out of the spacecraft and walked on the moon. He is the first person in history to walk on the moon! As Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, he famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

As you can imagine, landing on the moon is a very dangerous task. Many things can go wrong, and a number of astronauts have died attempting to land on the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins (the three astronauts on Apollo 11) must have been extremely brave.

I always imagine that walking on the moon must be like jumping on the trampoline! Do you like jumping on a trampoline? My daughter Laila loves it!


For this activity, let’s imagine that you were Neil Armstrong.

On your blog, write a short poem describing how you felt when you first set foot on the moon. Here is a link to some different poetry forms.

*Remember to attribute any images that you borrow from the internet or from other people.

*Please check out the Eye-Catching Blog Posts page for ideas!

SLJ Wk 1 Day 2 Act 1: Flying Solo

DAY 2: UP IN THE AIR


Activity 1: Flying Solo [4 points]

Jean Batten was a famous aviator (pilot) who was born in Rotorua, New Zealand in 1909. In the 1930s she made several record-breaking solo flights (on her own) across the world. In fact, she was the first person to fly solo from England to New Zealand - a huge achievement! She also flew a number of long solo flights between England and Australia/Brazil. When she flew, she always took a silk dress with her so that she could look beautiful at the parties she attended upon her arrival.

Amelia Earhart was an American aviator who lived at about the same time as Jean Batten. Like Jean, she also flew solo. In fact, she was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She flew all the way from Canada to Northern Ireland on her own without stopping. In 1937, Amelia Earhart attempted to circumnavigate (go right around) the world. Unfortunately, the flight ended in tragedy when she disappeared near Howland Island, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. She was never found. 


Image Attribution: Amelia Earhart in airplane, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, Public Domain 

For this activity, compare and contrast these two aviators. You could use this venn diagram.

On your blog, share your comparison between the two women and be sure to include at least three similarities and three differences between these two aviators.

*Remember to attribute any images that you borrow from the internet or from other people.

*Please check out the Eye-Catching Blog Posts page for ideas!

SLJ Wk 1 Day 1 Act 3: Scaling New Heights

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

Activity 3: Scaling New Heights [6 points]

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and his sherpa (guide), Tenzing Norgay, were the first people to reach the summit of Mt Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.

At the time, Edmund Hillary was an apiarist (beekeeper) from Auckland, New Zealand. During the summer he worked as a beekeeper, and during the winter, he climbed mountains. Becoming the first person to summit Everest was not easy. In fact, Edmund Hillary attempted (tried) to climb to the top of Mt Everest three times before he succeeded. He was determined to reach the top!

While this famous explorer and climber is mostly remembered for being the first person to reach the summit of Mt Everest, he has also made a huge impact on the world through his charity work. In 1960, Sir Edmund Hillary set up the Himalayan Trust to bring education, healthcare and safe drinking water to the people of Nepal - the country where Mt Everest is located.




For this activity, please select a charity that you are interested in. You may choose your own or use one from our list (below). Read about the charity.

List of Possible Charities:

SPCA

Auckland City Mission

Air Rescue

OXFAM

On your blog, write a short explanation of what the charity does.

*Remember to attribute any images that you borrow from the internet or from other people.

*Please check out the Eye-Catching Blog Posts page for ideas!

SLJ Wk 1, Day 1, Act 2: Discovering Aotearoa

Activity 2: Discovering Aotearoa [4 points]

Many people believe that Kupe was the first explorer to discover Aotearoa, New Zealand in about 1300. He navigated his way by waka to Aotearoa from Hawaiki using traditional Polynesian navigation techniques - just like Nainoa Thompson (from Activity 1) did much later on. Legend says that he followed a great octopus all the way to Aotearoa/New Zealand and finally destroyed it in Cook Strait (the water between the North and South Islands).

Many years later, a Dutch explorer from The Netherlands, Abel Tasman, was exploring the Pacific Ocean when he came across New Zealand. He thought that he was the first person to ‘discover’ the country (despite the fact that Māori already lived in New Zealand!) and made the claim in 1642 that he had ‘discovered’ a new land. His exploration of New Zealand inspired many other European explorers to follow his lead and travel to the Oceania.

Kupe and Abel Tasman were two different men from two very different backgrounds (cultures) who shared a common interest - exploration.


Image Attribution: Kupe by Sid Mosdell is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Image Attribution: Portrait of Abel Tasman, Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, Public Domain

For this activity we would like you to think about your own experiences and your own cultural background. Where does your family come from? Do they come from Europe like Abel Tasman, Polynesia like Kupe, or somewhere else?

On your blog, please tell us about your cultural background. Where do you and your family come from?

*Please remember that you need to be cybersmart in what you share online.

*Please check out the Eye-Catching Blog Posts page for ideas!

SLJ Wk 1, Day 1, Activity 1: Setting Sail

DAY 1: EXPLORERS

Activity 1: Setting Sail [4 points]

People from Pacific nations have always been expert explorers and navigators. In the past, they used the stars, sun and ocean swells to find their way (navigate) around the Pacific Ocean. Master navigator, Nainoa Thompson, has used the ancient Polynesian wayfinding skills to navigate around the world. In 2013, Nainoa led a crew across the Pacific Ocean on two large canoes (Hokule’a and Hikianalia). The crew stopped off in Aotearoa, New Zealand in 2015 on their journey and visited the Manaiakalani Schools in Auckland.

Here is a short video about Polynesian navigation. It describes the different ways ancient Polynesian navigators used the natural world to find their way around vast oceans. Incredible!

I think that it would be difficult to be ‘at sea’ for weeks at a time. I would miss my family but I would also enjoy the adventure. Let’s imagine that you were invited to join Nainoa for three weeks at sea. As part of the journey, you have to pack your own food.

For this activity, make a list of ten food items that you could take with you. Please think carefully about what you will take as you won’t have access to a refrigerator or freezer while at sea. Please explain why you would select each item.

On your blog, post your list of 10 food items you would take on an ocean voyage and the reasons why you chose these items.

*Remember to attribute any images that you borrow from the internet or from other people.

*Please check out the Eye-Catching Blog Posts page for ideas!