Challenge Course/ Project Adventure

As I reflect on the past two units, I think about examples of the way I did the following: teamwork, cooperation, listening skill, creativity, and leadership. I showed teamwork in project adventure because when we created our obstacle course, we had jobs and I was the encourager, and I did my job well because I encouraged everyone. I showed cooperation during the challenge course unit because when we went on the ropes, I cooperated with my group on who would go first and who would hold the person's back, stomach, etc. I showed listening skill in project adventure because when we were creating the dodgeball game, I listened to everyones opinion and ideas as we went around in a circle as well as agreed and disagreed with others. I showed creativity during the challenge course unit because when we created the obstacle course I came up with ideas that were creative. I showed leadership during the challenge course unit when we made our obstacle course I ensured that everyone had a job to do and leaded/helped people.

Neutral Character Observations

In my drama class we were asked to observe neutral characters instead of focusing on the main characters. What are neutral characters? Well, I'm glad you asked! Neutral characters are characters that are people in the background but are not doing anything to noticeable, in a way they are part of the set. How were we supposed to notice the neutral characters? Well we got to watch T.V for homework! I know right, isn't that awesome! Anyway, we watched 10 minutes of T.V of which 5 minutes was watched without any sound so that we wouldn't get distracted. For my T.V show I chose Kickin' IT. While I watched I kept an eye out for, colour, voice, motions, actions, and camera work. It is easier to watch when the sound is muted because then your eyes don't automatically get diverted towards the speaker. 

Here are my observations:

• they move their mouth but not utter a word
• they would sometimes just stare 
• they wear dull colours or colours that will blend in
• they are mostly on the side of the shot, never exactly in the middle
• the main characters will wear standing out clothes, like checkers, but the neutral characters will not
• lastly, the director directs us to the main character by using voice, looks, and motions.

Tech 6-Post 1

We came up with our design for our tower by brainstorming ideas back and forth while building the tower. We used our sketch plan but then deducted things and added lots more things to make sure that our tower could stand and the ball could stay at the very top of 18 inches. 

We used a combination of designs because in the beginning we used Isis's idea, then later on we used Isabella's idea of using the newspaper, then even later than that we used my idea of putting the cardboard at the top instead of at the bottom b/c otherwise the ball wouldn't be able to stay. We kept on using each other's ideas through out. 

The tape, sticks/newspaper, cardboard, and jelly cups were the strongest materials because the tape secured and attached most of the things, the sticks and newspaper held everything up together, the cardboard was the surface for the ball, and the jelly cups attached the sticks and newspapers to the cardboard and the ground. 

Our tower was maybe a little over 18 inches!

Our tower did not get to the "Chicago winds" because the sticks and newspaper weren't strong enough materials to keep steady while the wind blew therefore we didn't make it to the "Chicago winds".

If I were to do this activity again, I would use stronger materials for the base like maybe I would use a roll of newspaper on each corner of the cardboard as well as use the sticks in the middle of the cardboard so that my base would be strong enough to withstand the "Chicago winds". 

Tech 6

Tavishi vs. Beast

In my math class, we ran 100 meters and found out our unit rate using that information. We then found two animals, one that was slower than you and one that was faster than you. With that information we created charts with a certain amount of meters and a time by using the unit rate. We were given a series of questions that we had to answer. We were to put in our graphs, charts, and answers onto a poster. We named this poster Tavishi(student) vs. beast. You might be wondering what my poster might of looked like and the answers to the questions so here is my poster. Take a glance at it and estimate approximately how long that took to make, starting from the charts to the colours and fonts. 

My Tavishi vs. Beast poster: 

7

TEN is a person who is dying to hit the stage on day one of drama and would willingly perform in front of all of 6th grade right NOW! ONE is a person who would rather be ANYWHERE but the stage and would prefer to be wrapped up in a blanket back in their bed hugging their teddy bear. On this scale of one to ten, I would be a 7 because I'm kind of a shy person so I feel shy to perform but I think that it will be really fun to perform even though I have never actually performed on a big stage. I have performed on a small stage though but there were only around 50 people. I want to feel more comfortable with presenting a play or something of the sort on a big stage.

Here is a photo of everyone having numbers for their face!

Submarine Reflection

Above is a photo of someone's submarine that they made using the equipment we were given.

When my partner, Shreya, and me, built our submarine we faced one main problem. We added an extra hole at the bottom of the bottle causing our submarine to only work once. In order to solve our problem we tried to cover up the hole with duct tape. Unfortunately no matter how much or how straight we applied the duct tape, it seemed to never close the hole completely. There was always some water leaking out. In the end we got a meeting expectations which was good although we knew that if we hadn't made the hole, we would of gotten exemplary. A life lesson that we learnt was problem solving. We were asked to write about why problem solving would help us in life so this is what I came up with. Problem solving helps you in life because as you grow older, even now, there will be problems that occur that you will have to solve. Whether its in maths, science, just a problem at home, you will need to solve it in order to complete what you wanted to complete. Our project taught us how to come up with strategies in order to find a solution, which we did as even though we didn't get exemplary we got meeting expectations.

Digital Media Stop Motion

Riptide Rocket

Riptide Rocket

The water falls out of the invisible portal like rain falling through clouds during a thunderstorm. I see people bobbing up and down with flailing arms in the air and legs pushing with power against the current, frantically trying to escape the fury of water which was grabbing hold of them in glee. Heads are sinking underneath the surface and bodies are rising up, floating like paddle boats lazily parked at the edge of a lake. There is only one problem for me though, I am one of the people fighting against the current, but I am slowly breaking down. I am slowly breaking from above the surface down into the murkiness underwater, in other words, the water rollercoaster that awaits me with welcoming hands.

The thunderstorm slows down to a drizzle.  

A row of small, pale light green leaves stand out like neon lights shooting across a dark night sky, in my mind. A few leaves have fallen off their stems and are flipping in the wind while others are not quite ready to let go off their green stem. The leaves that are tumbling because of the swift wind, are changing on the inside every single time they flip, even though they appear to not be changed at all on the outside. Dew drops fall from the very tip of the leaves that are still left hanging on the stems. Leaves are scattered every where, calling the wind to change them once again.

The path is rocky. It is slimy and oozing with water. A chill runs through my back. I feel uncomfortable standing with so many people who are (another shiver) ex…. excited. Water hurriedly runs like a river between and above the miniature peachish white pebbles. My feet smash against the hard surface causing immediate but slight pain in every step. The slight pain on my feet is nothing compared to the shivers running down my back. Goosebumps erupt from my arms and legs.

“Are you excited to go on the Riptide Rocket, the first water rollercoaster that we have ever been too!” Samara(sister) yelps almost screaming drawing attention to herself.

“Yeah! This is going to be awesome!” I hear myself reply in a higher-than-usual voice. I quickly hide my mistake by coughing. I was good at faking voices because I’ve had lots of practice. And I do a pretty good job because when I said that that the ride was ‘going to be awesome’, I meant that I am scared out of my mind. My hands are shaking, my feet are jelly, and my heart has stopped beating.

The end of line is closing in on me and I struggle to breath, as though I am claustrophobic. I glance at the ride. I can feel the splashes of small water droplets exploding on impact of the soft board slamming against the water, after shooting from the green tunneled pipe sloping downwards that leads towards the pool with blueish green tiles, that the board would soon either flip on or stay straight zooming forward close to the peach ledge and metal railing, the metal railing that helps you climb the tiled stairs that leads back to the rocky path that I am standing on, except you get of at a different place with the same path. I squeeze my father’s hand. I am thinking way too much. Gulp.

Two people in front of us. The end is coming close. I can’t fake it anymore. I can’t take it. “Do we have to go?” I whimper in a small voice almost hoping that no one would hear me. Unfortunately I knew the answer to my question.

“It’ll be fun. We’ve waited in line for so long, haven’t we? We ought to try it, right?” Daddy answers, trying to persuade me. He wasn’t pursuing anything though. This ride didn’t matter. The scariest ride in the water park wouldn’t matter. I would go on it without doubt. That’s a lie. All of this matters. My feelings matter and are holding me back from realizing that I have-to-go- on-the ride.

Reality check, I will not go on this ride.

I remember the time that I was going on the ginormous dull red roller coaster in Universal Studios and how at that time I was plain excited, I know that I was a little nervous but not this nervous. This ride is even less scary than the rollercoaster I went on. I can’t figure out why I was barely nervous when going on the roller coaster in Universal Studios but now I am so nervous to go on a less scary water rollercoaster. Why?

I step forward. There is only one thick quickly braided rope with tiny strands of string sticking out clasped across two short metal poles, keeping me from going on the ride.

I stare at the dumb but super scary ride. I want IT gone - I want it to be thrown over a soaring skyscraper into the ocean and to sink like the titanic, I want it to drown like a human in strong currents, I want it to break into tiny pieces like particles in the air. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 seconds until I was gone, gone forever until the angels up above in heaven retrieve me and place me in a soft bed of cotton candy, and hopefully the cotton candy will be sufficient to hold my weight and will not drop me into hell where the devils will be expecting me.

The rain pours cats and dogs now. I stare at the rope. That rope is the line of my life. If they open it, my life will be doomed. Click. The metal clasp unclasps. My fate is chosen. It is too late.

Doom.

“Good luck, Tavishi!” Samara screeches in her loudest voice hoping that I take notice of her and glance back. Those words ring in my ears like the golden bell being hit on New Year's Eve. Although I know that Samara didn’t mean for it to sound that way, but to me, it sounded as though she was wishing me luck for my fate to change and decide that I was meant to still be alive.

Squish, squash, squish, squash. The soft, blue mat squirms under me as I plant my feet on the mat right in the center. It is cold. It is freezing cold but there is only rain and I am already wet and I am not feeling cold. No, this can’t be right. Oh, I know why. I am cold from the misplacing event that I am forced to attend, like a wedding that I am being forced to attend except today isn’t a happy day, no way, today is cold, foggy, dark day topped of with a thunderstorm. The rain has poured down so hard that it has turned back into a thunderstorm. I feel like I have committed a terrible crime and that this is my punishment. It is worse than being sentenced to death.

I lose control of my body. I am a robot. I am a silver, metal, shiny robot with red and blue buttons stuck all over me wanting to be pushed again and again. I am rusting now, because of the rain I am turning into a brown, crispy smear. But I am still functioning. Knees bent. Hands down. Bottom on the mat. I plop right in front of my father without even knowing that I have. My legs are outstretched and crossed like the the person who worked there instructed, instantly coding it into my system (a.k.a. my brain). I want to move my hands but I can’t because I am fully rusted now.

There is a long flat black escalator going up with the slightly dark shade blue board that I am sitting on, chugging smoothly. My heart is set on the fact that going on the ‘Riptide Rocket’ is a bad idea but my mind is set on changing my heart's feeling but I must follow my heart. No time to ask my heart for more details on this ride because….

We plunge!

Up and down, all around, side to side, whoosh. Splashes of terror, droplets of fear, tunnel of green swirling everywhere. Mind not thinking, eyes telling all of my feelings, hands gripping, legs staying, screams evaporating. Going slowly, going fast again, going slowly, speeding up again. “Ahhhhhhh!” I scream a short scream, then my eyes shut. Panic surging, body trembling. Uh oh. Going down, down, down, whoosh. I see light, bright light from the sun.

The water showers everywhere. The board flips. I’m underwater. Bluish green tiles are the only things that surround me. I try gripping the grey cemented cracks that lie between the tiles with my wrinkly soft fingers and wrinkly soft toes but my fingertips slip, and so do the edges of my toes. Suddenly, a wave of relief escapes me. I sigh underwater. Everything seems so calm and full of serenity. Peace overtakes me and my eyes close.

After a few seconds I swim higher up to the surface but I stop because naturally after that wave of serenity a thought occurs to me. I think about how every time you face your fear, you turn over a new leaf which means that you change. Another realization forms just as quickly as my last thought disappears. I realize that I let my fear tower over me, causing me to forget about all of the good outcomes that could happen after this ride. “I will never let my fear get the better of me,” I say out loud sincerely although I know that no one heard me as I am underwater. Bubbles escape from my mouth. I know that it’s time to go. I push off from the tiles up to the new world that awaits me with welcoming hands.

My Brand and Logo Design

1. The graphics that I had in my intro was a video camera, camera, lollipop, laptop with a bucket of paint on the screen, mouse, earth, book. I chose them from IconMonstr and Noun Project although I drew a few things myself. They represent my daily life in school and/or at home because the graphics are pictures/symbols of daily things to do.

2. At first I chose colour lovers and used a few colours from them but then I decided to use a bigger variety of colours and used almost every single solid colour because I think that colours represent emotion so I used lots of colours to represent all of the emotions that have happened or will probably happen in the future of my life/school. They don't represent any characteristics that belong to me. 

3. I chose the font 'Gloucester MT Extra Condensed' because it is a simple font that represents school is simple but I put in an animation called 'Trace' which makes the writing look difficult as it goes in circles and lines which represents school also being difficult.

4. For my audience choice, I would like mostly students and sometimes teachers to see my work because I want other students to compare there work to mine and I want teachers to see my work and comment on what I am doing well and what doing not so well. I also want occasionally my parents to see my work so that I can show them how well I am doing in school but I mostly want students my age to look at it. I think that my intro will make them understand what we do in digital media and how fun and coolit is!

Quarter 1 Math Reflection

I think that the most important thing that I learnt in Unit 1 was learning distributive property because Ms. McComb said that we would be using distributive property again for our algebra unit so it was important to me. I also know that later I will be writing expressions with distributive property because it is on area and in most grades we do area.

I think that the biggest success in Unit 1 is making the factor trees and writing the LCM(lowest common multiple) and GCF(greatest common factor) because I find it easy and I knew how to write them quickly as I had already learnt a little about them before we started the unit. I also think that the factor tree is a great technique and helps me a lot in my learning. The factor tree is also an easy method for me to use to find my answer(GCF or LCM).  

I think that the biggest challenge in Unit 1 is learning distributive property because I got a little confused as it was a new topic to me that I had never heard of. I also sometimes got a little mixed up with writing the expressions and finding out what numbers I need to write as the common ones although in the end I learnt a few strategies that helped me, it was only the one on the summative assessment that I found very tricky and challenging although there were a few other questions that were a little confusing and tricky.

Body volume

Reflection on 100 meter sprint

I think that something that I need to work on is co-ordinating my arms and legs meaning that I need to to swing my arm opposite to my leg because I sometimes co-ordinate my arms and legs but sometimes I don't.

Cookie Monster

1. Now that you have finished your film short, what were some of the skills you used the most? How did they help make your film better?

I think that we used lots of sound effects and feelings. We created suspense as well. We also angled our shots using the techniques that we had learnt earlier. We also used the green screen which made our movie more interesting and fun!

2. What were your biggest successes during creating this project? Why would you label them a success?

I think that the biggest success that we did was making the acting more fun and realistic by adding effects. We labeled it a success because it was something that I found shocking and amazing!

3. What were your struggles? Why were they hard for you? How did you overcome them?

I think that we struggled with using our resourced to create a realistic scene because we didn't actually have a cookie jar. We overcame our struggle by using a make-shift cookie jar and opening it and labelling it at some point so that everyone knew what it was. We also struggled with dropping the cookies in a realistic way that didn't look like it was dropped on purpose. In the end, it still kind of looked like it had been dropped on purpose but we added sound effects too make it better.

4. What was your overall opinion of this project? How would you make it better or different?

I think that our imovie was pretty awesome because I had never used effects before and I had never known how much you could do on imovie. I also loved working with my partner Isabelle. However, If I had to change the imovie, I would make the scenes more complicated and stretch them a little more.

Volume

My friends and I estimate that I will be 50 cubes/litres/kg.
The actual result was 33.5 cubes/litres/kg!

Here is a photo of my results:

Science Poster

Catastrophe

The surprise.

The miniature car gliding across rails,

like an ice skater gliding across the ice.

Suddenly stops,

not supposed to stop,

not supposed to be an ice skater F

                                                          A

                                                            L

                                                              L

                                                                I

                                                                  N    

                                                                    G on ice.

I will make it?

Darkness.

Stars.

Darkness midnight black; stars peaceful white.

S

h

o

w

e

r

s of dread p

             o

             u

              r

              i

              n

              g over me.

                            

Waves of terror crashing on me.

This is a catastrophe.

The shriek,

screaming for help.

Ringing sensation in my ears,

chorus of my voice joining in.

Not a sinking ship.

Am a f l o a t i n g canoe.

Not a caged bird.
Am a f  r  e  e parrot.

I will make it……

This will change,

I will not continue with this catastrophe.

After the ride,

a surge of relief fills my body.

I will make it!

My mind has stopped working,

can’t hear a word,

can’t speak a word,

for a split second.

                    up

Have gotten      again. Am an ice skater gliding gracefully on the ice again. Am through with this catastrophe.

In my poem, I teach readers that when you are scared, you have to brave and get your mind back in the game again. The craft move I use to teach this lesson is a metaphor. I compared   me getting stuck on a ride and an ice skater falling on the ice: “The miniature car gliding across rails, like an ice skater gliding across the ice”. “Suddenly stops, not supposed to stop, not supposed to be an ice skater falling on ice.” “Have gotten up again. Am an ice skater gliding gracefully on the ice again.” This evidence proves that I used a metaphor because I am comparing two things. I also realized that unlike my exaggeration below, I am actually going for a little softer example as falling on ice does not exactly add up to getting stuck in the middle of a ride.

This connects to my lesson because I am scared and helpless on the ride that got stuck but I tried to be brave and in the end got my mind thinking, getting myself back in the game again. I was also very frightened but with my friends, we pulled ourselves together and tried to come up with a strategy besides screaming. We all knew that if we tried to calm down and think, we would be fine in the end.

In my poem, another lesson that I teach readers that when you are scared, you think about the negative, you will lose focus of the positive, and will dread the future, missing what is happening in the present. The craft move I use to teach this lesson is a hyperbole. For example, these are the lines that I used to express that I used a hyperbole. “Showers of dread pouring over me.” “Waves of terror crashing on me.” This evidence proves that I used a hyperbole because I exaggerated a lot as showers of dread and waves of terror crashing, is a complete exaggeration of how I felt because my situation would have to be a lot worse to actually feel that way.

This connects to my lesson because I am only focusing on all of the things that could go wrong and am missing out on thinking about all of the good things that could go right but when the ride finally moved I realized that there must of been a camera or something or there must of been a backup plan and that we would in the end get out of the ride safely.

Before this poetry unit, what I didn’t know about myself is that although I am not the biggest fan of reading poetry I enjoy writing poetry. I also realised that writing poetry can be easy if you know the topic and stay focused. Another thing that I learnt is that writing poetry can be a little tricky sometimes if you don’t pay attention to what you're doing. I know that poets sometimes get a little stuck up and now have a new respect for them. Writing poetry was fun and is a whole new level than reading poetry. It creates enjoyment for me and makes me feel as though I am writing my emotions in different fonts and ways(#kwame inspired) and expressing them in a fun way.

Video Analysis 100 meter Sprint

A Strike In My Heart

Dear parents and Ms. Ramani,

I remember the first time when something struck my heart. It felt like my heart had been hit by a thousand lightning bolts and was staying as still as the calm ocean at the exact same time. It was a sharp but exciting feeling. Ever since then I have been fortunate to feel outstanding happiness and gratitude. My laughter has become lighter and my smiles have become more meaningful throughout my years of being a student. I would like to thank everyone for adding countless amounts of joy and happiness. Here are some moments that struck my heart:

1. During minute-to-win-it hearing my friends cheer for me as loud as they could over the deafening crowd of a hundred students all cheering for their friends. It often seemed as though everyone was cheering for everyone although only one or two names came out of our mouths.

2. When everyone in my homebase including me went over to our APES(tour guides) and hugged them good bye, full of gratitude, thanking them over and over again. Seeing the smiles on our apes and seeing how even though their were a few bumps on the road, we loved having them and thought that they were great leaders.

3. When coach told us that we had to all play together, leaving no one out. A few people took leadership and got together, calming everyone down and deciding on what to play. After a few games of crocodile in the middle, we figured out that it wasn't working out and changed it to Marco Polo which worked out much better! We formed a group together as fast as the sea forms a wave!

4. Watching everyone in my homebase including myself begin slow and grow better in bowling turning most of the gutter ball into spares, strikes, and improving on knocking down the pins. We were rushing, gushing, and flushing with joy!

5. Most of us enjoyed the Hawker's stand. Seeing everyone and myself try something new and most of the time love it! At that point none of were wearing cultural blinders(we learnt about them in social studies) and were exploring new things!

6. Listening to everyone chant their chants and wave their flags opened my heart to see what other's had done and what we could've done instead. It made me feel proud of whoever made that flag or came up with that chant. I loved us performing our flag and chant, "The Wave Crashers!" We were on fire!

What I'm really trying to say is that my experience as a student with all of my teachers and friends has made this experience memorable and have made me as happy as I can be. I got through tough moments with my friends and I shared my doubts with my teachers. This is what strikes my heart.

What strikes your heart?

Credit for image link

Video Analysis 100 meter Sprint

https://youtu.be/SM5XX2Hbxn0

Things I enjoyed in CWW:

• Trekking
• Seeing wild animals
• Seeing the canopy of trees from the high platform
• Riding the bumboats
• Having a nice dinner and breakfast
• Doing the photo scavenger hunt
• Relaxing in our hotel room
• Playing in the playground
• Swimming
  
  
  Image credit goes to Ms.Ramani