Novel Study: WONDER (Part 2)

Now that we've read more of Wonder, we have more questions to answer!

1. Star Wars is one of August's passions. Why do you think this is? Do you see any reasons for August to identify with these characters, or aspire to be like them?
He likes Star Wars due to the characters having their own problems and overcoming them like how he wishes he could do with his deformed face.

2. What questions did Julian ask August and why did August want to slide under the desk? Explain why Julian asked those questions.
Julian asked who his favorite Star Wars character was and other characters. He asked about Darth Sidious and August wanted to slide under the desk due to the context of the question.

3. Mr. Browne's September precept was 'When given the choice of being right or being kind, choose kind'. Do you agree with this precept? Explain.
It depends on the context. If a person is being mean to others because they think they're right, it is better to be right in that situation due to their stubbornness.

4. In the chapter 'One to Ten', August is feeling mad with his mother but he's not sure why. Explain why you think he was mad.
He was angry at his mother because of his mother's pestering questions about school. He didn't want to talk, so he grew annoyed.

5. August invited his whole class to his birthday party but not many kids came. Why do you think they didn't go?
Not very many people came because not very many kids liked August.

6. August says he has an 'Aversion' to getting his picture taken. What is an aversion? Why does August have an aversion to having his picture taken?
An 'aversion' is another word for a dislike, however in a more severe form. He has an aversion to having his picture taken due to his appearance.

7. Why does no one want to touch August? How do you think this makes him feel?
People think August's condition is contagious and don't want to get infected. This doesn't bother him much, however, it does hurt his feelings somewhat.

8. Did your opinion of Jack Will change after August overheard him talking to Julian? Explain.
Yes. I was disappointed that he didn't share what he really thought of August sooner. I wish he was more honest with people that look up to him, like August.

9. Do you think August will go back to school? Predict what will happen next.
I think he won't want to go back to school, but he does anyway after convincing from his parents and Via.

WHAT AM I LEARNING?

I'm learning how to use the information in a book to answer questions about the subject.

HOW DOES THIS WORK SHOW MY LEARNING?

It shows that I have paid attention to these parts in the story and know how to answer questions about them.

ART: Beatriz Milhazes

This is an example of Beatriz Milhazes's work. People doing the painting programme in Art are studying her to see what layering effects look like.

The layering in this image is very intriguing. The border of the circles are overlapping the petals of the flowers, but not the circles themselves. Even the background is eye-catching, the bright colours of the lines and squares really bring the piece together. I could apply this to my work by looking at the unique layering technique and use it in my painting.

Novel Study: WONDER

'Wonder' is the touching story of a young boy named August living with a face deformation. He lives with his parents, older sister Via and dog Daisy. We are doing a novel study of this book and are required to answer questions as we go along.

1: What is August's one wish that he wanted? If you could change one thing about your appearance, what would it be?
August's wish was to not look like he does now and to live like any normal young boy. If I could change my appearance, I would want to make my hair long enough to tie up.

2: What do you think it means to be ordinary? What makes August extraordinary?
In my mind, there is no such thing as 'ordinary', as everyone is unique in their own way. August is extraordinary because of his many surgeries and he survived something he wasn't supposed to.

3: How do people react when they see August's face? How would you react?
People act horrified because he is different. If I saw someone like him, I would probably act the same for a second before starting a conversation with them to make them feel happy about themselves.

4: August's dad said, "So sending him off to school like a lamb to the slaughter..." What does this mean?
August's father knew he would get bullied at school but wasn't aware of it, just like how a lamb is oblivious that getting into the truck to the slaughter would be one of its last moments.

5: Would you send August to school if you were his mum or dad? Explain why or why not.
I wouldn't because I wouldn't want him to be bullied because of his facial features. I would find online resources for him to use to learn instead of going to school.

6: What white lie did August's mum tell? Why did she do it? Are white lies okay to tell?
August's mother said that the test to get into his new school was actually an IQ test. She did it to hide the fact that she wanted August to go to school. They can be okay depending on the context.

7: August decided that he liked Mrs Garcia - when she wasn't wearing her shiny smile. What is a 'shiny smile'?
A 'shiny smile' is a fake smile that someone makes when they're forced to smile when they don't want to.

8: How does August know the first time he meets Julian that he will be a bully? What are some of the ways that Julian bullies August? How does August respond?
August knew he would be a bully because of the attitude and he uses towards the other children and the way he picks fights at different things. Julian bullies August by teasing him about his facial features and August just takes it, he doesn't fight back.

I made a Wonder cover of myself!

What Is Safety?

In Technology, we are learning to keep safe in the workshop. The main ways to do this is to learn how to follow the signs present in the workshop. There are 3 kinds of signs.





The first is a yellow triangle with a black icon and black border. This is a hazard sign. A hazard sign is present whenever something that can cause harm is also present and can be difficult to remove or minimise. If a sign like this is around, heed its advice and stay on your watch.






The second is a white circle with a black icon and a red border and red cross going through it. This sign is a prohibition sign. If this sign is around, it means you're not allowed to do something specific. For example, one with a phone might be around, meaning you must leave behind or turn off your phone.






The third and last is a blue circle with a white icon. This is a mandatory sign. If you see this sign, you must do whatever the sign says and make sure you have the right equipment. For example, if you see one with safety goggles, you must put on safety goggles to protect your eyes.






I made my own sign, a mandatory sign meaning you must you use a safety screen around a certain machine.

Making Food in Home Economics!

I created savoury cases! I made these with Chloe, Jaime and Kayne. These were made from bread, cream corn/spaghetti, cheese and onion (Although I didn't get any cheese on mine because the others took it all, mainly Kayne!). We were very proud of how it tasted, it tasted very nice and it was cooked perfectly. We would improve on sharing the ingredients more evenly between each other (KAYNE).

What they looked like!

What makes a good song and a 'blegh' song (In my opinion)

So I'm here to explain why I like different songs compared to others. I have an odd taste in music, so strap in and enjoy the ride!

First up: 'Ghost Rule' by DECO*27 (English lyrics by rachie)
I love Ghost Rule! It's a nice song with a good story.

-Catchy beat right from the start
-Intriguing story
-The line 'I've hidden it away' hints at some mystery
-The repeating line 'Mayday' gives a sense of danger
-Hinting at a secondary character other than the person the singer is talking to
-The singer obviously is sorry for whatever she did
-The first four lines repeating shows some sadness




Next: 'Witch Hunt' by Ryo (English lyrics by JubyPhonic-P)
I hate this song with a passion. There are so many things wrong with the story.

-Very odd choice of beat and instruments
-"She came to love a young prince, so the story goes" That's not how that works
-That escalated quickly... she was in love with the prince in one line then tied to a cross in the next. What?
-This is one of the few songs where I genuinely don't like the repetitive lines...
-Doesn't show that the current event is the witch being tied until the second chorus
-It really annoys me when people just edit one of the lines to prove a point
-"Can't believe all the fools I see! You fed them dirty lies!" No, they didn't, you're a witch
-"No need for a magic to stop time, no spell can achieve what we feel" Yes it can
-"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!" Please shut up

What am I learning?

I'm learning how to show what evidence I have to support a particular opinion; in this case, why I like Ghost Rule and not Witch Hunt.

How does this work show my learning?

It shows how I used the tools at my disposal to write a list of why I like and dislike these particular songs.

What do you guys think about these particular songs? Is there anything I could improve on in regards to this post? Please let me know in the comments!

Science of the Arts: Sound

Aim: I want to find out how sound and speech work.

Research: There are two types of sound waves; Transverse and Longitudinal. Transverse waves go up and down, like a bunch of people standing in a line and bobbing down and coming back up one by one. Longitudinal waves travel out and away from their source in a straight line at the speed of sound, which can vary depending on where you are and what temperature it is.

Experiment:

Equipment: 3 wine glasses, 1 1/2 cups of water, plastic spoon

Method: Fill the first glass with 3/4 cups of water, the second with 1/2 cup and the last one has the rest. Use a plastic spoon and GENTLY hit the glasses in this order:

3-2-1-2-3-3-3

2-2-2

3-3-3

3-2-1-2-3-3-3

3-2-2-3-2-1

You've just played Mary Had a Little Lamb on wine glasses!

Sorry, the quality isn't the best!

The explanation for this:
Each glass makes a sound when you tap its side with a spoon because the spoon causes a vibrating sound wave. The sound wave travels through the water in the glass and eventually reaches your ear. Each glass makes a different sound because the sound waves travel through the water at different speeds, causing vibrations at different frequencies. (Frequency refers to the number of times a sound wave vibrates per second). The glasses with more water make lower sounds due to the amount of water causing the vibrations to be slower, causing a lower frequency. The opposite goes to glasses with higher sounds.

In conclusion, the experiment was a success. Next time I would try different shapes and sizes of glasses with the same amount of water.