Contraction Can Experiment || Science Class

Hello everyone, welcome back to my blog. Today in science, we did a contraction experiment.

In this experiment, we set up our Bunsen burner with the following equipment: a heatproof mat, a Bunsen burner, a tripod, a gauze mat, tongs, a soda can filled with 100 mL of water, and an ice cream tub filled with cold water.

In this blog, I will give a method, show a video of what happened, explain what happened to the can, and describe why this happened.

 

Method –

  1. We got a soda can and filled it up with 100mL of water.
  2. Get an ice cream bucket and fill it with cold water (add ice if you want it to be colder).
  3. We set up the Bunsen burner, with a heat-proof mat underneath the tripod and a gauze mat as well.
  4. We placed the can on top of the Bunsen burner, which is on the blue flame.
  5. As it started to boil and we could see steam, we grabbed some tongs and firmly gripped the soda can.
  6. After gripping the can, making sure it won’t fall, quickly flip the can into the cold water.
  7. Once the cold and hot water collide, the can will shrink because there is more air pressure outside pressing the can inwards.

Video –

 

What happened to the can?

When we heated the can on the Bunsen burner, the water inside the can started to boil, and we could see the steam coming out from the top.  After the water boiled for a while, we used tongs to quickly turn the can upside down and place it into the tub of cold water.

As soon as the hot can touched the cold water, the can suddenly crushed and crumpled inwards. It looked like the can was being squashed without anyone touching it. The sides were pushed in, and the can became dented and smaller than before.

 

Why did this happen to the can?

This happened to the can because when we heated it, the water inside gained heat energy and its particles moved faster, turning into water vapour that pushed most of the air particles out of the can; then, when the hot can was suddenly placed in the cold water, the water inside quickly lost heat and its particles slowed down and condensed back into liquid, which took up much less space, so there were far fewer gas particles inside the can, creating a much lower pressure than the air pressure outside, and because the outside air particles were now pushing harder on the can than the inside particles, the can was crushed inwards by the air pressure.

 

Thanks for reading my experiment for today,
Shreeya

Shark Infested Custard – Health Class

Hello everyone, welcome to a health blog post.

Today in Health, we played another game, Shark-Infested Custard. We had to form teams of 5, with one person as the leader. The game involved 4 hula hoops, and we had to get our team of 5 across to the other side without stepping on the concrete. It was very fun communicating with my team and giving them a strategy, as I was the leader. We came second, but it was a joy to play. In this blog post, as in every other Health blog, I will be answering the questions given for the Titan work.

Explain what Te Whare Tapa Whā is –

Te Whare Tapa Whā is a Māori model of health that explains how our wellbeing is made up of four important parts, like the four walls of a house.

  • Taha tinana – our physical health (our body)
  • Taha hinengaro – our mental and emotional health (our thoughts and feelings)
  • Taha whānau – our social health (our relationships with friends and whānau)
  • Taha wairua – our spiritual health (our beliefs, values, and sense of purpose)

If one wall is weak, the whole house becomes unstable. This shows that we need to look after every part of our hauora, not just our body or our mind, so we can stay balanced and healthy.

Here are some full answers you can use and then tweak into your own words.

Describe your activity in detail –

Today in Health, we played….
Today in Health, we played a team game called Shark Infested Custard. We had to get into teams of five, and each team chose one person to be the leader. I was the leader of my group. We were given four hula hoops to use.

We started on one side of the court, and our goal was to get our whole team to the other side without anyone stepping on the concrete. We had to communicate, share ideas, and move carefully from hoop to hoop, making sure everyone could fit safely inside without falling out. If someone touched the ground, we had to go back to the start. My job as a leader was to give instructions, listen to my team, and help everyone work together.

The aim of this game was to…
The aim of this game was to get our whole team from one side to the other using only the four hula hoops, without touching the shark-infested custard (the concrete). The game also aimed to help us improve our communication, teamwork, problem‑solving, and leadership skills. We had to think of a good strategy, support each other, and stay positive, even when it was challenging.

Explain how your hauora was impacted by participating in today’s activity –

My hauora was positively affected during the game as…. This had a positive impact on my hauora because…
My hauora was positively affected during the game as I was able to move my body, talk with my teammates, and practice being a leader. This had a positive impact on my taha tinana because I was active, walking, balancing, and stepping in and out of the hula hoops. It also helped my taha hinengaro because I felt focused, proud, and happy when my team listened to my ideas, and we worked well together.

My taha whānau was strengthened because I was building better relationships with my classmates, encouraging them, and listening to their ideas too. I also felt more confident in myself, which supported my taha wairua, as I felt a sense of purpose and belonging in my team.

My hauora was negatively impacted when… This had a negative impact on my hauora because…
My hauora was negatively impacted when our team made mistakes or when we nearly fell out of the hula hoop and had to start again. This had a negative impact on my taha hinengaro because I felt a little bit stressed and frustrated at times. I also worried that I might not be a good leader if our strategy didn’t work.

Explain what is important to know or understand when participating in a game with others –

It is important to understand that communication, respect, and teamwork are really important when participating in a game with others. This is because everyone needs to feel listened to and included so the team can work well together. We need to share ideas kindly, encourage each other, and not blame people if something goes wrong.

It is also important to understand the rules of the game and play fairly so no one gets hurt or feels left out. When everyone shows manaakitanga (kindness and support), it helps to protect each person’s hauora – physical, mental/emotional, social, and spiritual – and makes the game more fun and successful for the whole team.

Thanks for reading my blog

Shreeya

Marshmallow Tower – Health

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another Health blog. Today in Health, we did a marshmallow tower game. We had to work in pairs or groups of three. As a group, we had to try our best to make it stable and as high as possible. But we could only use 12 marshmallows and 8 sticks. It was very interesting to see how it turned out at the end. Sadly, my partner and I didn’t manage to keep our tower up, but it was a fun experience.

In this blog, I will be answering some questions related to today’s activity. For our blog task, we had to choose a level: Ace, Pro, Legend, or Titan. I picked Titan. 

 

Explain what Te Whare Tapa Whā is –

Te Whare Tapa Whā is a Māori model of health that explains how our wellbeing is made up of four important parts, like the four walls of a house.

  • Taha tinana – our physical health (our body)
  • Taha hinengaro – our mental and emotional health (our thoughts and feelings)
  • Taha whānau – our social health (our relationships with friends and whānau)
  • Taha wairua – our spiritual health (our beliefs, values, and sense of purpose)

If one wall is weak, the whole house becomes unstable. This shows that we need to look after every part of our hauora, not just our body or our mind, so we can stay balanced and healthy.

Describe your activity in detail –

Today in Health, we played a marshmallow tower game. We went into pairs or groups of three and were given 12 marshmallows and 8 sticks. Our challenge was to build the tallest and most stable tower we could using only those materials. We had to plan our design, communicate with each other, and quickly fix any parts that fell over.

The aim of this game was to work together to build the highest and most stable tower we could with limited resources. It also helped us practise teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and resilience when things didn’t work out.

 

Explain how your hauora was impacted by participating in today’s activity – 

My hauora was positively affected during the game as I was having fun working with my partner and trying different ideas for the tower. This had a positive impact on my taha hinengaro (mental and emotional health) because I felt excited, interested, and curious about how to make the tower better. It also helped my taha whānau (social health) because I had to communicate, share ideas, and listen to my partner, which made our relationship stronger. My taha tinana (physical health) was involved too, as I was using my hands and body to build the tower and move around the table.

 

Explain what is important to know or understand when participating in a game with others –

It is important to understand how to communicate respectfully, listen to others, and work as a team when participating in a game with others. This is because good communication helps everyone share their ideas and feel valued, which makes the game more enjoyable. It is also important to understand fairness and follow the rules so that everyone has an equal chance and no one feels left out or cheated. Another important thing is to be kind and supportive, even if you don’t win, because this helps protect everyone’s hauora and keeps the environment positive for all players.

Pictures of what the activity looked like – 

Drawing Game || Health Class

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another Health blog. Today in Health, we played a drawing game. We had to work in pairs and sit back-to-back. One person had to pick a picture and then explain it to their partner, who had to draw it without seeing the original. It was very fun and interesting to see how the drawings turned out.

In this blog, I will be answering some questions related to today’s activity. For our blog task, we had to choose a level: Ace, Pro, Legend, or Titan. I picked Titan because I knew what I wanted to write.

Explain what Te Whare Tapa Whā is –

Te Whare Tapa Whā is a Māori model of health that explains how our wellbeing is made up of four important parts, like the four walls of a house.

  • Taha tinana – our physical health (our body)
  • Taha hinengaro – our mental and emotional health (our thoughts and feelings)
  • Taha whānau – our social health (our relationships with friends and whānau)
  • Taha wairua – our spiritual health (our beliefs, values, and sense of purpose)

If one wall is weak, the whole house becomes unstable. This shows that we need to look after every part of our hauora, not just our body or our mind, so we can stay balanced and healthy.

Describe your activity in detail –

Our activity was a partner drawing game. We were put into pairs and had to sit back-to-back so we couldn’t see each other’s papers. One person in the pair was the describer, and the other person was the drawer.

The describer was given a picture and had to explain what it looked like using only words. They weren’t allowed to show the picture or use hand gestures because we were facing away from each other. The drawer had to listen carefully to the instructions and try to draw the picture as accurately as possible.

We had turns, so my buddy got to do 2, and I got to do 1, but it was interesting how the pictures turned out. I feel my buddy did a better job than me in describing.

Explain how your hauora was impacted by participating in today’s activity –

  • Taha hinengaro (mental and emotional health): My mental and emotional health was positively affected because the activity was fun and made me feel relaxed. I had to concentrate and think carefully about how to describe or understand the instructions. It was also a bit challenging, but in a good way. I felt proud and amused when I saw the final drawing, even if it wasn’t perfect.

  • Taha whānau (social health): This activity helped my social health because I had to work closely with my partner. We needed to trust each other and communicate clearly. We also laughed together when we compared the pictures, which helped build our relationship and made the classroom feel more connected and supportive.

Explain what is important to know or understand when participating in a game with others –

When participating in a game with others, it is important to understand:

  1. Clear communication – You need to listen carefully and speak clearly so everyone knows what to do. In our drawing game, good communication was the key to getting the picture right. If the instructions are confusing, people can feel frustrated or left out.

  2. Teamwork – Many games, like the one we played, rely on working together. Teamwork means helping each other, listening to each other, and trying your best as a pair or group. Good teamwork makes the activity more successful and fun.

  3. Having a positive attitude – It’s important to remember that games are for learning and having fun, not just for winning or being perfect. A positive attitude helps you enjoy the experience, even if the drawing doesn’t turn out exactly right. This is important because it supports your hauora and the hauora of others.

 

Pictures of the activity –

 

Thank you for reading my blog today,

Shreeya

Hauora – Health Class

Hello, welcome back to another blog post.

Today in health, we played a fun game called water pong. We had to form groups of 2 or 3 and play water pong. Sadly, my partner and I didn’t win out of 2, but it was very fun.

After that, we had to do a blog task. We had to choose one of the following: ace, pro, legend or titan, and I picked titan. So in this blog, I will be answering the questions given for the Titan task.

 

Questions –

Explain what Te Whare Tapa Whā is –

Te Whare Tapa Whā is a Māori model of health that explains how our wellbeing is made up of four important parts, like the four walls of a house.

  • Taha tinana – our physical health (our body)
  • Taha hinengaro – our mental and emotional health (our thoughts and feelings)
  • Taha whānau – our social health (our relationships with friends and whānau)
  • Taha wairua – our spiritual health (our beliefs, values, and sense of purpose)

If one wall is weak, the whole house becomes unstable. This shows that we need to look after every part of our hauora, not just our body or our mind, so we can stay balanced and healthy.

 

Describe your activity in detail –

Today in Health, we played a game called water pong. We had a table with plastic cups set up in a triangle shape at each end. Each cup contained some water. We were in teams, standing on opposite sides of the table.

The aim of the game was to throw a ping pong ball and try to land it in the other team’s cups. If the ball landed in a cup, that cup was taken away. We took turns throwing the ball and cheering for our team. The team that got rid of all the other team’s cups first was the winner.

 

Explain how your hauora was impacted by participating in today’s activity –

Taha tinana (physical):
My physical health was impacted because I was standing up, moving around the table, and using my hand and eye coordination to throw the ball. It wasn’t very intense exercise, but I was still using my body instead of just sitting down.

Taha hinengaro (mental/emotional):
My mental and emotional health were positively impacted because the game was fun and made me feel happy and relaxed. I had to focus and concentrate on aiming the ball, which kept my mind active. I also felt a bit nervous and excited when it was my turn.

Taha whānau (social):
My social health improved because I was working in a team, communicating, and encouraging my classmates. We laughed together and supported each other, which helped strengthen our relationships.

Taha wairua (spiritual):
My spiritual health was impacted because I felt a sense of belonging in the class. Playing together helped me feel more connected and included. It also reminded me that having fun, being respectful, and showing good sportsmanship are important values to me.

 

Explain what is important to know or understand when participating in a game with others. Make sure you say why this is important –

When playing a game with others, it is important to:

Follow the rules – This is important because it keeps the game fair for everyone and stops arguments.

Show respect and good sportsmanship – Being kind, not teasing others, and congratulating people even if you lose is important because it helps everyone feel safe and comfortable.

Communicate with your team – Talking and listening to your teammates is important so you can work together, make a plan, and support each other.

Include everyone – Making sure everyone gets a turn, and no one is left out, is important because it helps people feel valued and part of the group.

Stay calm and control your emotions – This is important because getting too angry or frustrated can ruin the game for others and damage friendships.

 

Thats all for my blog today, I hope you found it interesting,

Shreeya

Waitangi || Social Studies ( Titan )

Hello everyone, welcome to my first blog of 2026. Today I had social studies, and I have this wonderful teacher, Mrs Canton. My class BoT (9E) is learning about the Treaty of Waitangi, which is a very important agreement signed in 1840 between Māori chiefs and the British Crown. For my task, I had to explain three ways the celebration of Waitangi Day has changed or stayed the same over time. Over the years, some people have celebrated it more as a national holiday, while others use it as a time to remember problems and disagreements about the Treaty. In this blog, I will be sharing the task I had to complete.

Task –

Explain three ways the celebration of Waitangi Day has changed or/and stayed the same over time.

 

The First Waitangi Day (1934)
The first Waitangi Day celebration was in February 1934. It happened at two main places, the Treaty House grounds and near Te Tii marae. About 10,000 Māori attended, and the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, gave a speech calling the Treaty a sacred compact and talking about unity between Māori and Pākehā. He used the words He iwi tahi tātou (Now we are one people).

3 Ways the Celebration Changed

  1. From unity focus to also including protest and debate
  2. From one main meaning to many different meanings
  3. From a local event at Waitangi to a national day

 

3 Ways the Celebration Stayed the Same

  1. Waitangi is still the key place for ceremonies.
  2. The day focuses on the relationship between Māori and Pākehā.
  3. Māori culture remains central to the day.

Thanks for reading my first blog of this year,

I hope you found it informative,

Shreeya

Aboriginal Australians || Social Studies + Writing

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog.

Over the past two days, I have been working on my social studies work, which focuses on Aboriginal Australians. You might be wondering, Who are Aboriginal Australians? Aboriginal Australians are the Indigenous peoples of mainland Australia and Tasmania. They have lived on the continent for over 50,000 years and have rich and diverse cultures, languages, traditions, and histories. Their deep connection to the land, unique customs, and incredible resilience make them an essential part of Australia’s history and identity.

In addition to our social studies class, we were given a writing task as well, which focused on poetry. As part of this task for Titan, I began by learning about haiku poems. I read through a resource that explained the structure and purpose of haikus, which helped me understand how to make one on my own. After that, I explored a document detailing the instructions for blackout poetry, explaining how to create these unique and artistic poems. Finally, I was required to complete a slideshow which I had to make a Dynamite poem.

Overall, these tasks were both challenging and enjoyable, as they helped me to explore several interesting styles of poetry.

For my tasks, here’s what I had to do

 

My Tasks

Social Studies

 

Writing

 

 

Thank you for reading

Shreeya

Bunsen Burner || Science Class

Hello everyone, welcome back to my blog.

Today in science, we learned all about the Bunsen burner. In class, we first drew a 2D diagram of a Bunsen burner, which was quite challenging. Next, we had to write a blog post about each part of the Bunsen burner. I hope you enjoy this blog post. Additionally, we will discuss safety when using a Bunsen burner.

 

Flame:

The flame is blue or orange in colour. The orange flame is called the safety flame. Thus is the flame we use when we first light the Bunsen burner. The blue flame is used for experiments. The blue flame is very hot.

Barrel (chimney):

This is the long tube that carries the gas from the base of the Bunsen to the top. It is then turned into a flame.

Air Hole:

The air hole allows air to travel a mix with the gas. When there is more air in the gas, there is a blue flame. When there is less air, the flame will be orange.

Collar:

The collar rotates around the barrel and has the air hole as part of it. When the airhole is fully closed, there is an orange flame. When it is open, the flame starts to change to blue. The collar must be open when you are doing an experiment.

Gas:

The gas we use in a science lab is butane gas. It is the same sort of fuel used in a BBQ or tramping stove. It is a very safe gas; the gas in a Bunsen burner is carried to the Bunsen through the tube, which is also connected to the yellow gas taps on the benches.

Base:

The base keeps the Bunsen upright so that the flame is always going toward the tripod or beaker they are in the experiment.

 

Safety when using a Bunsen burner 

  • Wear safety glasses
  • Long hair needs to be tied back
  • Check the hose for holes

Scientific Lab Equipment || Science Class

 

Test Tube – Used to hold chemicals when conducting experiments.

Measuring Cylinder – Used to measure precise volumes of liquids.

Funnel – Used to pour a liquid from a big container into a smaller one.

Conical Flask – Used for mixing chemicals. Its shape helps prevent spills.

Test Tube Tongs –  Used to hold a test tube when heating over a Bunsen burner.

Dropper – Used to add a liquid drop by drop.

Test Tube Rack – Used to hold more than one test tube.

Scissor Tongs – Used to support and hold various things in the Bunsen Burner.

Tripod – Used to support glassware above a Bunsen Burner.

Bunsen Burner

  1. What is a Bunsen burner? A Bunsen Burner is a device used to combine a flammable gas with air before the gas is torched. The device produces a flame that is hotter than it would be if the gas and air mixture were not controlled. The Bunsen burner is used in laboratories.
  2. Why is it called a Bunsen burner? The Bunsen burner is named after its inventor, Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, a German chemist who lived from 1811 to 1899.
  3. When was it first discovered? It was first discovered in 1855.
  4. Who discovered it? Robert Bunsen discovered it.
  5. Where was it first used? It was first in a laboratory at the Uni of Heidelberg in Germany in 1855. It was developed by rovert bunsen and Peter Desaga.

Relief Activity – Music Class

Hello everyone, welcome back to my blog.

Today in music, we had a relief teacher, so we were given some relief work. First, we played a music game where you have to guess different treble clef notes. If you want to try this game, click here. Next, we completed relief tasks. There was a set of slides, and I had to pick a task to finish before the period ended. First, I explored Music Lab, a fun and creative platform to make music. Then, I completed a task called Reggae. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my reggae task. I hope you enjoy it, and I would appreciate your feedback.

Task

Music Activity

 

That’s all for my blog

Goodbye👋

Shreeya❀