40 Minute Writing Challenge - Are Movies Better Than Books?

Visual media and textual media are often regarded as similar things. When they cross paths, things can get confusing. When a book is turned into a movie or television series, there are often debates on how good the movie is compared to the book/s. My take is that movies are seldom as good as the books. This is because movies tend to leave things out, they don't feed the imagination as much, and you can take as much time as you need to finish a book.

The main downside I can see to a book being made into a movie is that movies can't leave in all the details. For example, in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, quite a few details about the time between Bilbo's birthday party and Frodo's leaving are left out in the movie, such as Frodo selling Bilbo's house. This is because it's very difficult to fit the content of an entire book into between 90 minutes and 2 hours, meaning a lot of minor plot points and scenes must be removed to fit in the time frame. This can cause a few plotholes in the movies that aren't present in the books.

These plotholes can stop the watcher from getting fully immersed in the story. Books let the reader's imagination run wild and let them picture for themselves how characters would look, scenes would play out, and areas would look. It creates an entire movie-like sequence in the reader's head that matches their tastes. An example of this is when I was reading Divergent. Though I haven't watched the movie yet, one part of the book - I won't disclose which, for spoilers - made me stop reading in anxiety for a few moments, something that is very difficult to pull off. I could feel the same feelings as the main character herself, making the entire scene much more engaging.

Sometimes being too engaged in a book can be exhausting, which is why taking a break can be very helpful. Unlike while watching a movie, where it's difficult to bring yourself to pause the movie to do something else, you can read a book for as long as you need, then put it down while keeping your page. No one can sit down and read an entire 150-page novel in one go, right? Unless your mind is completely set to finishing it all at once, which can break the immersion, having a break is crucial to the reading of a book, but a disadvantage to watching a movie.

In conclusion, I believe that books are far better than movies. This is because they're more contentful, immersing, and pausable. So next time you go to watch a movie that was made from a book, read the book afterwards and try to see how much better it is.

Volcanoes

I will be studying a volcano.

I chose Mount Fuji in Honshu, Japan. It's an active composite volcano, meaning it's a cone-shaped volcano with sills and pikes branching from the main conduit. Some of the rocks found include andesite and basalt.


I didn't do the experiment involved in this research, however, many groups chose to use a chemical reaction known as elephant's toothpaste - a reaction involving hydrogen peroxide and potassium (most people use potassium iodide, but we used potassium permanganate) - to erupt the model volcanoes they had built. Most of the volcanoes built were cinder cones, similar to composites but without the sills and pikes. One group tried to use the coke and mentos reaction (a physical reaction caused by mentos creating nucleation sites for the bubbles of carbon), but the coke turned flat before the experiment could take place.

40 Minute Writing Challenge: Are Team Sports Better Than Individual Sports?

PLANNING
Argue for both sides
1. Less worry about others' skill levels (Individual)
2. Teamwork makes things easier (Team)
3. Both have similar properties

Sports aren't everyone's cup of tea. However, individual sports and team sports are highly debated over, mainly about which is better. But is one truly better than the other? I don't believe that's the case. Individual sports don't harbor any worry for other team members' skill levels, team sports can be easier due to use of teamwork, and both kinds of sports can have very similar properties when analyzed.

In individual sports, you don't have to worry about lack of skill bringing your 'team' down. In games like golf, you are the only one playing for your side, meaning you only have to think about your skill level and your opponent's. Not having to think about things like that can make individual sports much less mentally taxing, meaning you can just focus on the game. This makes playing solo much more enjoyable.

Although individual sports don't require teamwork, team sports do, which can make playing the game easier. Team sports require everyone to help to get to the objective, whether it be kicking a ball from one side of the field to the other or hitting a ball as hard as you can with a bat. In games like rugby, passing the ball from one player to the next can help to avoid the other team, making a try much easier to get. A range of different skills in one team can help too. For example, evening out a person who's amazing at passing but horrible at shooting with someone who's terrible at passing but a magnificent shooter can bring balance to a team.

So we've covered both kinds of sports, but they are wildly different. Or are they? Both sports have similar properties. Games that are normally team sports, like soccer/football or basketball, can be played as individual sports by themselves, and vice versa for games like tennis or wrestling. Even without that, they can have very similar properties. Tennis and cricket both require hitting a ball with an object, both with similar objectives - don't let the other person or team get the ball. This makes comparing the two seem more pointless.

Conclusively, there is no better type out of team sports and individual sports. They are both easier in different ways - individual sports being less mentally taxing and team sports having more members to make things easier - but either way they're very similar.

40 Minute Persuasive Writing

Is the South Island better than the North Island?
Opinion: Disagree
Points:
Tourist attractions (North)
Danger risk (South)
Nature (Both)

Aotearoa is a country consisting of many islands. However, the two main islands, North and South, have stark differences that can be difficult to recognize from an outsider. While some believe that the South Island is better than the North Island, I can't help but disagree. I have this opinion due to the North Island having a few more tourist attractions and risk of danger in the South Island, but both of these islands have interesting natural views. These all make me believe that the North Island is better off.

The North Island has many tourist attractions that make people want to visit. Even people born and raised in New Zealand, like myself, must admit that there are many attractions in the North Island they've wanted to visit, especially if they've never been to the North Island. There are buildings like Te Papa and the Auckland Skytower, as well as natural occurrences like Lake Taupo and Aoraki/Mount Cook. This, plus the relatively safe environment, make many people come to this small country.

The South Island has many dangerous factors for visitors. From devastating earthquakes that have brought down buildings and cast large pieces of land into the ocean, to the more recent mosque shootings that have still left everyone in shock, the South Island is a cause for concern worldwide. These occurrences have damaged the South Island's reputation, making tourists less likely to come here and more people that lived here to move elsewhere. But even then, there are things that people do come here to see.

The local nature in both islands is breathtakingly beautiful. From vast ocean views, to thick forests, to tall mountains, this little country has it all. The large array of native plants and animals make coming into the New Zealand bush a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, prompting people that even have already seen these sights to go out one more time and get a closer look. It really goes to show how beautiful the wildlife in this part of the world is.

In conclusion, while both islands have their flaws, the North is objectively better. Its higher amount of tourist attractions and lower rate for danger, combined with the already breathtaking natural beauty of the country, really make the North Island the ideal place for a visit. And while the South Island has its fair share of appealing aspects too, it doesn't quite compare to the North Island.

40 Minute Essay Challenge - Should Zoos Be Shut Down?

All zoos should be shut down and release animals back into their natural habitat

DISAGREE

Points:

• Breeding endangered animals
• Keeping animals safe
• Educational

Zoos are magical spaces where animals are displayed freely. However, some believe that animals are abused in these places, and these zoos should be shut down. I believe this isn't the case. I hold this belief due to zoos breeding endangered animals back to a healthy population, keeping animals that are in danger due to their natural habitat safe, and providing education about wildlife to children. 

The breeding of endangered animals is a very important aspect of zoos, as otherwise these animals would go extinct. Golden lion tamarins, for example, are a species in danger and have been bred in captivity to ensure they can go up to a safer population before going back to the wild; without this procedure, it's likely that these animals would go extinct due to hunting or predators. Until their habitat is safer to live in and they will be protected, these animals will continue to be bred and trained for the wild in the safety of zoos.

The habitats of some animals are extremely dangerous in their current state, so they are captured and kept safe until the coast is clear. In a similar vein to captive breeding, these species are kept safe in zoos to prevent other animals from being able to hunt them. Many bird species undergo this treatment, as the amount of egg-eating predators on the prowl means their young can never be safe. Unless they are held in captivity safely, they will surely go extinct.

Education about the effects of humans on wildlife is extremely important, and zoos help to provide this. Many zoos have explanations about the reason a certain animal is held there - though sometimes it's not for a too serious reason - and these blurbs have the effects of humans on their habitat if applicable. Orana Wildlife Park is an example of this, having short paragraphs about the habitat of an animal and what can be done to improve their living situations to have a safer future. Children and adults alike can learn a lot from visiting zoos, further providing assistance to a range of different animals.

In conclusion, I believe zoos are beneficial to the diverse range of wildlife on this planet, due to the breeding of endangered animals, the safety of animals in similar situations, and the education they provide. Though people can have their beliefs, sometimes they can be misguided and manipulated into being wrong. This text was to prove that zoos do provide good.

Persuasive Writing: Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons should be compulsory for all students: YES

Points:

• Dangers of not knowing how to swim
• Career opportunities
• Entertainment

The beach is a very popular place to go on a hot day. But if you want to go in the water, what's the point if you don't know how to swim? I think that swimming lessons should be compulsory for every student from Year 3 to Year 7. It can be a very dangerous thing if you don't know how to swim. Knowing how to swim can open up job or sports career opportunities, and it's just plain fun to go swimming with your mates in summer.

Not knowing how to swim can be dangerous in many situations. Swimming is a vital skill to many species, including humans, due to the dangers that lurk in the waters. Going to the beach, for example, and getting out farther than you expected can be deadly if you don't know how to swim. That applies for any body of water you can swim in, although it's not as bad for places like swimming pools as there are typically people that can help you. Not only that, but if you're in danger of getting attacked by an underwater animal and you can't swim, how can you escape without help? This is why swimming is such a vital skill and should be compulsory at schools.

Underwater career opportunities are more abundant than it seems. Professional swimmers for the Commonwealth and Olympic Games are always on hand, and the right skill level for swimming in these events can start at school. There are also normal paying jobs, like underwater conservation or aquatic center jobs. The training for these kinds of jobs and careers starting at school is crucial, as the right level of skill is required by the time they leave, as with any job. Swimming can not only be used to get jobs, but fun ones.

What's better than going swimming with your friends on a hot day? It's always a fun experience to splash around in the cold water during the hot summer. Though it's just as refreshing to sit with your feet dangling in the water, it's nowhere near as fun as swimming around. Beaches, lakes, and swimming centers are all open in the summer, and they're for people to have fun and cool off. What's the point if swimming isn't an option? If swimming is taught in schools, it will help children have more fun later on in life.

In conclusion, every student should undergo compulsory swimming lessons paid for by the school. With these lessons, they will be out of danger, can find more jobs, and will have fun later on. Every child has a right to learn basic life skills, and swimming is one of these skills.

Write That Essay

WALT: Identify Write That Essay (WTE) sentences to improve our writing.

1. The Simple Sentence (Start with your subject)
Swimming is a vital survival skill.

2. Very Short Sentence (Five or fewer words)
Movement means change.

3. The Power Sentence (Twelve or fewer words)
Many dangers lurk under dark waters.

4. Red, White, and Blue (Group of three)
Many high-action sports have risks like this, such as rugby, hockey, and basketball.

5. The Adverb Start (Start sentence with an adverb)
Unsurprisingly, students are excited to enter the new nga kahui.

6. Begin With a Preposition (Start with a preposition)
After the success of the Learning Commons, staff are confident that these new buildings will excite students just as much.

7. The -ing Start (Start with an -ing verb)
Seeing the effect of current classrooms on the students, the new buildings will be a refreshing change.

8. The -ed Start (Start with an -ed verb)
Committed to seeing students happy, Hornby High School staff are putting as much effort as possible into the nga kahui.

9. The Semi-Colon (Replace a conjunction with a semi-colon)
The staff are happy with the progress of the new buildings; the students seem to be as well.

10. The Em-Dash (Phrase in a sentence that is at odds with the rest of the sentence)
Some students - definitely the minority - aren't all that excited about the new buildings.

11. The W-Start Sentence (Start the sentence with a W word)
While the buildings are in their final stages, the students anticipate moving in late term three.

12. Explore the Subject (Explain the subject mid-sentence)
The nga kahui, new classrooms where students will feel more at home, should be ready to move into by the end of term three.