Final Task for the year...

Welcome back from your weeks on Arts week, work experience , and Camp. I hope you had a great few weeks, learned a lot, and had some fantastic experiences.


Now to reflect on your time away from school on camp and work experience:

1. How was camp? What did you like? What didn't you like? What did you do well? What didn't you do so well? Why? What are the main benefits for attending camp?

3. What did you learn about the Ohau environment and landscape while you were on camp? 

2. How was work experience? What went well? What didn't go so well? What did you enjoy the most? 

4. Why is so important to have a week immersed in the world of work? Why is is good to go out and get work experience at your age? Do you already have a part-time job? Do you work in the summer holidays?


Answer all questions in detail. Log into the blog... copy and paste the questions into a new "comments" post and answer the questions. 
Remember - you will know if your post is all ready to be moderated and posted on the site, if you get a  message saying that your "Post will be visible once your post has been moderated".

Clifford Bay Ferry Terminal Potential...

Link to a recent article:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/7892852/Ferry-terminal-plan-for-Clifford-Bay

Clifford Bay Ferry Proposal...sound familiar??

Articles online about Clifford Bay Ferry proposal - just in news!!

Article #1

Article #2

Details on other two sections of the exam...

As well as the Inquiry section of the exam (which covers the topics we've studied in class this year) there are two other sections set by Mr Idour. These are:

Investigating Values:

Resource based questions looking at an issue from which you will be asked for your views and in conclusion to complete  a values continuum.  You will be assessed on your ability to answer in breadth and depth, not on whether you are right or wrong.


Social Decision Making:

Resource based questions on an actual event where you will be given depth details surrounding the pros and cons of an issue and the implications. You will be assessed on your ability to answer in breadth and depth reflection your understanding of the decision making process and the issues involved. 

Exam Revision....

Yr 10 Exams are approaching fast... you should be thinking of effective study of all the material we have covered in class during the past year.

For the Inquiry section - we will be focussing on the following units:

• Resources under pressure / Sustainability
• Natural Disasters

Here is a run down on what you should be studying for!!

 Resources Under Pressure / Sustainability




--> What is a renewable resource?  

--> Give two examples of renewable resources

--> What is a non-renewable resource?

Give two examples of non-renewable resources

--> Explain why the population explosion or overpopulation is such a problem 

--> Suggest one way in which we can control population growth in poorer countries

 

-->What is climate change and how is it affecting the planet? (Give 2 examples of the how in your paragraph answer)

A carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organisation, an event, a product or a person. It is part of the larger ecological footprint.

These are some ways you as an individual can reduce your carbon footprint:

·      Buy local products

·      Take shorter showers

·      Don’t keep the water tap running when you are cleaning your teeth

·      Shower instead of taking a bath

·      Try bartering

 Suggest five more ways you can reduce your carbon footprint:

--> What is eco-tourism?  

--> Name two benefits from eco-tourism  



Natural Disasters

• Name ten different examples of a natural disaster

--> Name the natural disasters shown in the following photographs

--> What is a tornado?  

--> What makes tornadoes so deadly?  

--> Why is the United States of America so prone to tornadoes? 

--> Name two things you can do to prepare for a tornado and keep safe or minimise risk 

--> Why is it so important to be able to accurately predict tornadoes?     

• Write an essay response the following question.  Ensure you show your essay planning.
  
  
  
  
              Earthquakes in New Zealand
  
  
  Explain why earthquakes are such a risk for New Zealand, why they could do serious damage in parts of Dunedin if a major one occurs (going from evidence in Christchurch) and what things you and the community can do to prepare for such an event.
  
  
   (Write at least one A4 page for your answer.)
  
  
  Essay planning:

Earthquakes: Writing Frame

Question

Explain why earthquakes are such a risk for New Zealand, why they could do serious damage in parts of Dunedin if a major one occurs (going from evidence in Christchurch) and what things you and the community can do to prepare for such an event.

Introduction – explain briefly why earthquakes are such a risk for New Zealand, risks for Dunedin and what you can do to stay safe.

In this section of your essay you need to introduce the topic and briefly explain the three main parts of the question…

-->

Explanation 1: Why New Zealand are at risk of earthquakes.

Explain reasons for the great risk of earthquakes for New Zealand. Give a specific example(s) of some recent earthquakes in NZ and damage done etc.

-->

Explanation 2: Why if there is a large earthquake in or near Dunedin,  there will be considerable damage in certain parts of the city.

In these paragraphs you need to explain why Dunedin is at risk of similar damage to Christchurch, which areas are most likely at risk, and the liquefaction risk.

-->

A further problem associated with earthquakes is people not being prepared….

Explanation 3: Ways in which people (being you and the community) can minimise the risk from earthquakes, by being prepared and having a “plan”.

Within these paragraphs explain ways in which you can prepare for earthquakes and minimise obvious risk.

 

-->

Conclusion

In your final paragraph draw together all of your ideas to answer the set essay question. Summarise the main ideas from each paragraph in the body of your text.

In conclusion…

 

--> WORD BANK:  Make a list of important key words & ideas here…

--------------------------------------------------------

So... with some effective study and revision before the exam... there is no excuse that you can't do well ;) 

Use your time effectively. Plan ahead.  

Ten High School Study Tips for Students

The Best Way to Get Ready for Your Exams

 These high school study tips will get you in the right mindset to get prepped for your final exams.

1. Study Alone

Unless you've got a couple of friends who are super-serious about getting down to business, stay away from group study sessions because they tend to get off-topic pretty quickly. Save the social time till after you've handed in your test.

2. Create Your Perfect Study Area

The place where you study should be quiet, comfortable and free from distractions.  Go to your room, close the door and kill as many distractions as possible - like music, television, and even the internet and your phone.  If you don't have your own room that you can sneak away to, consider studying at the library instead. If you have to have music playing in the background - instrumental or classical is best. Nothing with lyrics!!

3. Get it All Out

Your study materials, that is. Before you dig in, make sure you have all your books, notes, study guides and writing utensils in front of you. Don't give yourself another excuse to get up and rummage around.

4. Turn Your Notes into Flash Cards

Now that you've got all your notes in front of you, open up a pack of index cards.  As you read through the important facts, rewrite them in Q&A form on the cards.  For instance:  to study historical facts, write the historical fact on one side of the card and the key details on the other side.  

 5. Snack Healthy While You Study

If you want to stay sharp while you study, stay away from junk food.  Instead, snack on studying-friendly foods like dark leafy greens, whole grains, peanut butter, milk and seafood.  Feeling sluggish?  Caffeine or energy drinks won't help you in the long run.  Get your energy boost instead by eating a banana, apple, some healthy nuts.

6. Narrow it Down

If you try to study every single thing your teacher's ever said, you'll go crazy. Instead, focus on the most important topics. If you're not sure what those are, read the study guide (if there is one), or ask your classmates. Once you've nailed down the important stuff, if there's still time left before the test, you can move onto the finer details.

7. Take a Break

Your brain can only take so much hard work at one time. For every hour that you study, take about 15 minutes to do something mindless, like taking a walk, listening to music or playing a computer game. (You can even take a 15-minute nap, if you're confident you can wake yourself up at the end of it.) It'll keep your stress level down and give your brain a chance to let all that information sink in.

8. Put Yourself to the Test

Once you've got your set of flash cards, test yourself with them.  If you don't trust yourself not to cheat, give the cards to your parents and have them test you.  Don't stop till you've made it through the whole stack without any mistakes.  And be sure to bring your flash cards to school with you on the day of the test:  you'll be amazed at how much more you can retain if you run through the cards right before your teacher hands out the exam.

9. Get Some Sleep

You might be tempted to pull an all-nighter, but if you do, you'll only be hurting your chances of getting an A.  Get a full 8 hours of sleep so your brain is in good shape on test day. 

10. Study All Term Long

It's tempting to hold off on studying till the last minute, especially if you tell yourself that anything you try to memorise earlier on won't really stay in your brain.  That's not true.  Take some time throughout the term to review all of your notes and re-read important passages in your notes.  It might seem tedious, but it'll really keep all those facts in your brain on test day.


Happy studying!! :)

 

NZ ShakeOut at JMC

Thursday 27th September 2012 during period #5

Earthquake drill - Drop Cover Hold

Full School Evacuation

Earthquakes in NZ - Thinking towards your exam!

Very useful information on earthquakes in NZ...

Follow the link -

http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Earthquakes 

AND

" Dunedin residents 'should not be complacent' " - ODT Article

While the chance of a serious earthquake hitting Dunedin is one in 1000, the odds are better than winning Lotto and citizens "should not be complacent", geologist Prof Richard Norris says. 

Should such a quake occur, parts of South Dunedin, Mosgiel and the Taieri would "inevitably" be engulfed in liquefaction, the hill suburbs would suffer landslips and rockfalls and many heritage buildings would be reduced to rubble. 

Prof Norris, of the University of Otago geology department, put such images to the Mornington Probus group at a meeting yesterday. 

The city's most active fault-line, Akatore, which runs from Taieri Mouth to Dunedin, last broke about 1000 years ago, and the chance of it happening again is less than one in 1000, he said. 

Researchers knew a lot about the fault-lines around Dunedin, most of which were not highly active - the Titri Fault has not moved for 90,000 years. 

"But given Christchurch's experience, we should not be too complacent," he said.

The September 4 quake which shook Christchurch and its subsequent devastating aftershock on February 22 both occurred on an old fault-line.

"It's likely the fault had not moved for 15,000 years," Prof Norris said. 

Even if extensive, and expensive, seismic research had been carried out on the fault, it probably would not have been given a high degree of significance. 

The quake was "typical" of most in the South Island as it occurred on a fault which was not recognised. 

Once a fault like that broke, strain was released in its vicinity, but pressure built at either end of it, evident from the pattern of aftershocks Christchurch experienced after September 4.

Between January and February 22, those aftershocks were increasingly closer to Christchurch city and seismologists knew a large quake could not be discounted.

Prof Norris believed the area around the fault was "being shortened", culminating in the deadly 6.3-magnitude quake. 

"The Port Hills have been thrust over the lower-lying areas of the city," he said.

Christchurch's "seismic hazard" was "about double" Dunedin's, but should one occur, the impact would be similar, but of a different nature. 

Soil liquefaction was likely at St Kilda, parts of St Clair, Mosgiel, and the Taieri, including the airport. 

The hill suburbs, along with the Peninsula roads and parts of Kaikorai Valley, would likely suffer rockfalls and landslips, the severity of which would depend on ground moisture.

There "is virtually no chance" of liquefaction on the hill suburbs and the bulk of the city centre and North Dunedin "because there is nothing to liquefy". 

The city largely sits on solid rock, which would result in less violent shaking than experienced in Christchurch. 

However, Dunedin's higher proportion of historic brick buildings meant damage would potentially be worse. 

"A lot of the images we've had [of the Christchurch quakes] have been masses of piles of brick and that's because brick is not a very good material in an earthquake.

"I shudder every time I look around Dunedin." 

Older wooden houses fared better as they are "incredibly resilient" and "flex" in quakes.

"We should not be building with brick, in my view, in New Zealand." 

Prof Norris believed New Zealanders needed to be aware of the nation's quake susceptibility - it sits on two tectonic plates, the Pacific and Australian - and while the Christchurch earthquake decreased the probability of earthquakes in that area, the rest of the country was still at risk. 

"We live with earthquakes." 

Otago Daily Times -  Wed, 9 Mar 2011

NZ Get Thru - What to do in an earthquake