DAY 1: Preserving the Past
Activity 1: World of Wearable (WOW) Art [4 points]
If we want to protect our natural world, we must be thoughtful about what we make, how we make it and how we dispose of it (throw it away). At the moment, the waste in New Zealand is separated into two main categories: 1. Recycled items (eg. bottles, cans, paper) and, 2. Non-recycled items (rubbish). Most of the rubbish is collected by rubbish trucks and taken to a rubbish tip (landfill) where it is dumped and never used again. Much of the recycled material is to taken to a place where it is sorted, separated and sent out to be used again.
The idea of reusing materials was taken to a whole new level by a woman named Dame Suzie Moncrieff who, thirty years ago, created an event in New Zealand called the ‘World of WearableArt’ (WOW). WOW takes place in Wellington (and in other cities) every year. Artists from around the world create outfits made entirely from recycled materials.
Let’s imagine that you were invited to this year’s WOW awards and you were able to interview the creator.
On your blog, list five interview questions that you would like to ask Dame Suzie Moncrieff.
Who inspired you to Create these out standing outfits?
What will be your new goals for next year and the year after?
When will be the time you will end this career or when will you finifh designing clothes?
What was the purpose of be a designer?
Activity 2: Guardians of the Sea [4 points]
One of the largest rivers in New Zealand is called the Waikato River. It is found in the central part of the North Island of New Zealand. The river (awa) was given the name ‘Waikato’ (meaning flowing water) by a group of men and women from the Tainui iwi who, legend has it, travelled down the Waikato years ago and settled in the area. According to Māori legend, the Waikato River has hundreds of taniwha (mythical water spirits) living in it, guarding the sea.
Unfortunately, the Waikato River has become polluted in recent years and is, sometimes, closed to the public. This is very upsetting for many people, especially for those who believe that taniwha live in the river. Please click here to read about taniwha and watch this short video about taniwha.
Once you have finished learning about taniwha go to your blog.
On your blog tell us whether, or not, you believe that taniwha exist. Be sure to explain to us why you feel this way.
Activity 3: The Sky in Shanghai [10 points]
One day I would really like to travel to China. It is a country with a rich history, vibrant cities, tasty food, and fascinating architecture (buildings). Unfortunately, some of the largest Chinese cities have high rates of air pollution. The air pollution in Beijing, one of the largest cities in China, can get so bad that roads are closed, flights are cancelled and events are postponed while they wait for the smog in the air to clear. The terrible pollution is also having fatal (deadly) effects as, approximately, 1.1 million people in China died last year from air pollution-related causes. The Chinese government is very concerned and they have introduced a number of strategies (ideas) to reduce the pollution levels. Imagine that you were asked to travel to Beijing. How would you feel?
On your blog, write a poem that describes your feelings about travelling to Beijing, China..
Click here for my poem
Click here for my poem
Hi Matthew,
ReplyDeleteIt's Leslie here, writing to you from Canada as a member of the Summer Learning Journey team. It's very fun to be reading your blog from the other side of the planet! And it's winter in my country right now so I'm trying to imagine what you're doing on your summer holidays, knowing that it's warm and sunny where you are.
I like the interview questions you've composed for Dame Moncrieff. Good for you! It's hard to know how she initially came up with idea of re-using materials for clothing. I'm glad that someone is trying to make use of things we already have, rather than creating more 'garbage' which ends up in a dump. Hurrah for Dame Moncrieff!
Perhaps you have an idea as to how an existing material could be used for a second purpose.
I also appreciate your thoughts on whether or not a taniwha exists, or ever did exist. There are similar stories about mythical sea creatures in other countries too so New Zealand is not the only country in which there have been stories about huge sea snakes or dragons. Scary!
Perhaps, as you say, there actually was a very large creature that was disposed of by New Zealanders a long, long time ago. It's hard to know!
I'm glad that you tried to answer that question. And I'm glad that you're participating in this year's Summer Learning Journey program. Keep up your good work!
Cheers,
Leslie
Hi Mathew, I'm Melita from Christ The King school. First of all congratulations on completing your post. I liked how you used correct grammar and punctuation. I also liked how you gave your answers in detail. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteBLOG YOU LATER!
Melita