What would happen if there was no gravity?

To conclude our inquiry into 'Natural Systems" the students in Room 3 carried out their own investigations. Samarah, Rhea and Krish asked "What would happen if there was no gravity?"

What might happen if the polar ice caps melted?

To conclude our inquiry into 'Natural Systems" the students in Room 3 carried out their own investigations. Kristy and Heila asked "What might happen if the polar ice caps melted?"

What would happen if plants stopped reproducing?

To conclude our inquiry into 'Natural Systems" the students in Room 3 carried out their own investigations. Kalani and Caleb asked "What would happen if plants stopped reproducing?"

A World Without Rain!

To conclude our inquiry into "What if there was no rain?" we used a SOLO generalise map to evaluate the claim that "Rain is essential for life on earth". To show our understanding Samarah and Kalani created a movie trailer. Where as the team of Rhea, Gabrielle, Charlotte and Kristy created a broadcast that may 

be heard in a future world without rain. Be warned they are not for the faint of heart! 

Amazon Rainforest Vs Sahara Desert

For our investigation into "What would happen if there was no rain?" We compared two areas the Amazon Rainforest and the Sahara Desert.

Have you ever wondered what might happen if there was no rain? Around the world different areas have changed and adapted due to the amount of rainfall they experience. Two such places are the Amazon Rainforest and the Sahara Desert.

Precipitation

You may not believe this but rain does actually fall in the Sahara desert, however the amount of rain is extremely low as the whole desert generally receives less than 100 mm. On the other hand the Amazon rainforest is one of the wettest places on earth with an average rainfall of about 108 inches per year. Due to the vast difference in rainfall, there are stark differences in the wildlife, plants and people in these two places.

Wildlife - Justice League  (Sara)

Both the Sahara desert and Amazon rainforest provide habitats for animals, however these animals have had to adapt to their environment. One example is a camel. The camel can drink a lot of water at a time so they can last for a week or so without water. Camels can also allow their body temperature to change so they don’t sweat much to conserve water. On the other hand a frog in the Amazon needs water almost every second. The Amazon is moist has high humidity and frequent rain which provides the perfect conditions for a frog to survive.

Plants - X-Men  (Rhea)

Plants grow both in the Amazon Rainforest and the Sahara Desert. The Sahara desert has plants like cacti because they can store water for a long period of time, have shallow roots and also have thick stems. The Sahara Desert is warm but the Amazon Rainforest is very moist. Some of the plants that grow in the Amazon Rainforest are cacao beans, bananas, the coffee plant, passion fruit flower, Brazil nut tree and Venus fly trap.

People - Avengers  (Joshua)

Both areas provide a home for people. Once again though people, like plants and animals have had to adapt to their environment. The Amazonians live in tribes. The entire population number is about 20 million. In the Sahara Desert there are 2.5 million people. The people who live in the Sahara Desert are called Tuareg. To survive in the desert they raise crops on irrigated land. Others tend to flocks of goats, sheep and camels.

Climate Change - Justice League (Kalani)

Climate change can affect areas in many different ways. Scientists believe one way climate change will affect the Amazon Rainforest is that temperature will increase creating droughts, decreasing plant growth, and disrupting food chains. El Nino is a weather pattern that can influence the climate of the Amazon Rainforest. Some scientists believe that climate change will mean more rain and greening in the Sahara Desert.  

Rainfall affects different areas in different ways. Overall although there is an incredible amount of rainfall in the Amazon we believe life in the Amazon would be easier compared to the hyper arid conditions found in the Sahara. This is because there is easier access to fresh water needed for drinking and raising crops and livestock.

Atmosphere Mnemonics

Having difficulty remembering the different layers of the Atmosphere? Try using our mnemonics.

Thunderstorm Cause and Effect

In inquiry we collaborated on a SOLO thinking map and summary to identify the causes and effects of a thunderstorm.

Rain is essential in supporting life on earth. Rain provides water for people, animals and plants. However not all rainfall has a positive effect on living things. Thunderstorms are one way in which rain falls to earth.

Thunderstorms occur when warm, moist air within a rain cloud, rises in large volumes and with increasing speed. The warm air encounters cooler temperatures at high altitudes. This leads to cooling and condensation of vapour to form water droplets and hail. These condensed particles start descending, causing turbulence within the cloud. Turbulence causes the cumulonimbus to erupt violently, unleashing the electrical activity within, at times with heavy rain.

The effects of a thunderstorm can be devastating. Firstly extreme rainfall can lead to flooding. Floods can destroy property, livestock and crops. One example of the devastation that can be caused by flooding occurred in 1927. In 1927, the Mississippi River flooded killing 500 people and leaving 600,000 people homeless. (Weather Works)

A further effect of thunderstorms is lightning strikes. Lightning strikes have been known to starts fires when they strike trees. People have also been struck by lightning causing instant death.

Not all the effects of thunderstorms are negative. Large amounts of rainfall can help crops to grow and stay healthy. Rainfall also increases water levels in dams, needed for the generation of electricity.

Overall research suggests that thunderstorms have a mostly negative impact on earth. Whilst rainfall is essential for life on earth it would be better if rain fell gradually over a period of time rather than in extreme volumes.

Clouds

As part of our inquiry into "What if there was no rain?" we described different cloud formations

Polar Climate Vs Tropical Climate

The X-Men compared a polar climate to a tropical climate using information from 'Weather Works'.

Auckland’s weather can change from day to day or even hour to hour. The weather has short time effects, like the clothes you may put on in the morning or if you take an umbrella with you when you go outside. Climate is the average weather conditions at a place over a period of time. Climate has long term effects on the weather, accommodation, clothing and even the crops we grow. Two different climates that exist on earth are polar and tropical climates.

Weather - Dev and KP

Both tropical and polar climates affect the weather. In a polar climate it is mostly cold (even if the sun is shining). The polar climate also doesn’t change a lot, it stays cold for a very long time  On the other hand tropical climates are mostly hot. Even if it rains in a tropical climate the temperatures stay high.

Houses - Shreyas and Hemish

The houses we choose to build and live in is effected by the climate.  The houses in polar climates need to be snug and warm. These homes often have thick insulation to stop heat escaping and heating such as fires or radiators.  On the other hand in tropical places people need cold air to pass through the house, so they have lots of windows and open doors.

Crops - Kalani

The food we grow and eat can be dramatically affected by the climate. A polar climate produces very few crops because the ground is often covered with ice and snow. Fortunately for them, residents can help this by importing goods from around the world. On the other hand, citizens of the tropical climate don’t have to worry as much as the polar climate, as the crops naturally grow all year round.

Clothing - Gabrielle and Charlotte

Both climates effect the clothes we wear. For example if you lived in a polar climate like Caribou, Alaska you would be wearing things like heavy jackets, boots, snow suits, beanies and snow goggles in order to stay warm. However if you lived in a tropical climate like Darwin, Australia you might be wearing lots of t-shirts, sun hats, shorts and sunscreen because of the high temperature.

Overall we would prefer to live in a tropical climate over living in a polar climate. Living in a tropical climate would probably be more affordable than living a polar climate because you can easily grow your own food, you would spend less on clothing and even electricity to heat your home. You would also get a nice tan!

Atmosphere Description

As part of our class wide inquiry we began by collaborating on a description of the Atmosphere.

WALT - Describe the Atmosphere

The layer of gases that surround the earth that protects life is called the atmosphere. The atmosphere makes up one of the Earth’s natural systems alongside the biosphere, hydrosphere and the geosphere.

Layers of Atmosphere - Avengers

The different layers of the atmosphere are very important to Earth as they protect the earth from the harmful effects of the sun. The different layers of the atmosphere are the Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere.

Gases - Justice League

The atmosphere is mainly composed of hydrogen, 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 0.04% carbon dioxide. Gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide are essential for the survival of plants and animals on earth.

Clouds - Guardians

Clouds are important to Earth because they bring it water in the form of precipitation. Clouds are formed of water vapour. There are different forms of clouds such as stratus, cumulus, nimbus, cumulonimbus and cirrus. Each cloud brings with it a different form of weather.

Precipitation - X-Men

Precipitation is the different forms of water that falls to earth. Water vapour that falls takes the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Precipitation can help earth by cooling earth down and giving plants, animals and humans fresh water to survive.

The atmosphere is essential to all spheres. For instance the hydrosphere needs the precipitation from the atmosphere to provide the fresh water on earth. Furthermore the biosphere would collapse because all living things need to be able to breath, have food and the correct temperature to survive.

Cause and Effect Melting Glaciers

After reading 'Creeping Along' by David Hill the Avengers described the causes and effects of melting glaciers.

Glaciers form an important part of the hydrosphere. They provide habitat for animals, regulate the temperature on earth and helps maintain sea levels. However in recent times glaciers in the polar regions have been melting due to global warming.

Joshua L and Ethan

One cause of melting glaciers is carbon dioxide heating up the atmosphere, making a hole allowing the sun’s rays to pass through and melt the ice. The sun’s heat melts the glaciers allowing the water to drip into the sea, raising the sea levels. The increased carbon dioxide comes from the burning of fossil fuels for transportation like cars and trains. The effect of melting glaciers is that sea levels rise and swamp coastal cities. A city that has been flooded by rising seas is Venice, Italy (2008)

Ella

Melting glaciers is also caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal for electricity. increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leaves holes in the Ozone layer, which is needed to prevent harmful UV rays melting the ice caps. The effect of melting glaciers is the destruction of animals habitats that live in the polar regions, such as the endangered Polar bear.

Sam and Kirsty

A further cause of melting glaciers is methane emissions from animals e.g. cows. When cows let gas go during digestion the methane travels into the atmosphere to the ozone layer eventually leaving holes. The holes allow harmful UV rays from the sun to pass through to Earth. This causes global warming, which melts polar ice caps and melts glaciers. The effects of the melting glaciers are lack of fresh water with glaciers melting at a faster rate than what the rivers can normally hold, the fresh drinking water overflows into the sea and is wasted because it then turns into salt water.

To prevent further melting of glaciers in the polar regions we need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Firstly we could change our habits, for example eating less meat by having a plant based diet would mean that less animals would need to be farmed causing fewer methane emissions.  A further change we could make is how we use transportation. We could use electric vehicles, carpool or use public transport to lessen how much we rely on fossil fuels. Lastly we could be using renewable energy such as solar, hydro and wind power to power our homes and businesses. Overall it is everyone's responsibility to do what they can to prevent the devastating impact melting glaciers would have on earth.

Mount Taranaki Vs Mount Eyafjallajokull

After reading 'Living on a Volcano' by Bronwen Wall the X-Men compared two volcanoes Mount Taranaki and the impossible to pronounce Mount Eyafjallajokul.

Volcanoes form an important part of the geosphere. There are many different types of volcano in the world such as lava dome, strato cone, shield, calderas and fields. In our home of Auckland there is an incredible 49 volcanoes. Another famous volcano in New Zealand’s North Island is Mount Taranaki which erupted 250 years ago. A more recent volcanic eruption happened in 2010 in Iceland when Mount Eyjafjallajokull erupted. These two volcanoes share some similarities and differences.

State - Dev and Hemish

Both Mount Taranaki and Mount Eyafjallajokull are considered not to be extinct. New Zealand’s Mount Taranaki is a dormant volcano. Dormant volcanoes appear to be asleep most of the time. Whereas Mount Eyafjalljokull is thought to be active. Active means that the volcano has erupted in the last few years or very recently like a few months or weeks. Active volcanoes are considered very dangerous because it is very hard to predict when they will erupt again.

Tourist - Shreyas

Mount Taranaki and Mount Eyafjallajokull are tourist destinations. Tourists come to Mount Taranaki to see the volcano, ski, climb and see the amazing scenery.  Tourists even watch the dairy farming in Mount Taranaki.  Where as in in Mount Eyafjallajokull they don’t have many options.  They look at the mountain and also learn how to pronounce it’s name.  Tourists do not climb up the mountain because it is still active!

Impacted Land - Charlotte

Both volcanoes have had an impact on the land and surrounding areas when they erupted. When Mount Taranaki erupted it left behind a cloud of black smoke, over time the ash that was created by Mount Taranaki released minerals and nutrients into the soil which helped plants to grow. When Mount Eyafjallajokull erupted, it created a huge dark smoke cloud which caused planes to stop flying and flooded the surrounding area.

Overall we feel fortunate to live in New Zealand with Mount Taranaki compared to living in Iceland with Mount Eyafjallajokull. This is because Mount Taranaki is dormant and has a smaller chance of erupting any time soon. When volcanoes erupt smoke rises, ash clouds form, lava flows and even flooding can happen. These can cause devastation to crops, homes, travel and even cause a loss of life.

Atmosphere Introduction

Ecosystem Food Chains

After learning about the Biosphere we produced food chains found in different ecosystems.

Biosphere Introduction

Hydrosphere Glossary

The Hydrosphere

Pet Rocks

After being introduced to the Geosphere we created our very own pet rocks featuring igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.

Geosphere or Lithosphere

Living on a Lava Flow

After reading "Living on a Lava Flow" Charlotte explained what happens when 'pahoehoe' lava cools down after a volcanic eruption.