EEEk! Mutations abound!

Some of you have been mutated into bizarre creatures...

One of you just stumbled into a swamp in the forest and became:

More clue pics...

These images are all clues to the rapidly unravelling story of Matainui...
Can you interpret or relate them to the story you know so far?
:-)

Mr Lyttle's Maths Homework

Mr Lyttle tells me he has a geometry homework activity for you on his blog. Please visit his blog and do the assignment.
Huzzah!

http://mrlyttle.blogspot.com

And see the happy chappy above? We all want Mr Lyttle to stay a happy camper too, so please pay close attention to his instructions and follow them the first time. :-)
[Or else]
;-)

Ancient Art Challenge

Art Challenge:

• create a poster [any size]
• use colour
• mimic the artistic style of an ancient culture
• demonstrate 'reflection' in the design
• include creatures, characters or discoveries from your narrative
• enjoy it and try to beat me in the race for the three chocoloate bar prizes
  

RaNDom Check...

Please leave a message here if you have written a report or argument on your blog from last term that is ready for marking.

Please also leave a comment here this week saying which day of your island narrative you are up to.

And be sure to research interesting facts and add them to your blog. Then you can incorporate them into your story.

sentinel

sentinel, originally uploaded by mrw00dy.

Look closely for more clues...
All of this can be found on the island of Matainui
[approx. 3000C.E.]

Secrets unravelling

Aliens have been encountered! Temples unearth! Exotic treasures with mystical properties discovered. Mutations abound. Extinct species seemingly reincarnated.
Watch out - not all your former classmates are now as they once were.
Seek out adventure if you want to find the secrets to Matainui. For you see, you have all been there before... Time has indeed been twisted, but you are not in the past.
The outcomes of your Sustainability study have meant that you are now some of the only humans left alive on Earth!!!
Seek out the answers on your classmates blogs. Some of them have uncovered the majority of the tale... but no one knows everything yet!

I have drawn you some clues in a graphic novel. If you are interested I will bring it to school for you to see...

Captive alien

Evolving creatures

Mathematical clues

Collection agents

Major Clue

Fibonacci Sequence

Here is a very interesting mathematical concept to investigate... It also holds a clue to unlocking some valuable secrets on the island.


There is also a question to answer below relating to The Fibonacci Sequence :

edieval mathematician and businessman Fibonacci (Leonardo Pisano) posed the following problem in his treatise Liber Abaci (pub. 1202):

How many pairs of rabbits will be produced in a year, beginning with a single pair, if in every month each pair bears a new pair which becomes productive from the second month on?

from http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/prime/articles/fibonac/index.asp

http://www.mi.sanu.ac.rs/vismath/jadrbookhtml/part42.html from more info on Dynamic Symmetry and the Golden Section

And check out this maths page discussing Pascal's triangle and other info.

Divine Proportion

Symbols, numbers, alphabets, codes...

Some of you are finding things which need to be decoded or unlocked somehow... some of these images may provide clues. There will be more to come...


And this is a dead Inca mummy... Burial sites often house great treasures...

Novel study wikispaces

Each of you is in a novel study group to practice reciprocal reading.
In your group you have a leader. You also need someone to post your responses on your group's wikispace. You need to follow the link and apply to sign up.
:-)
This is a chance to showcase your literacy skills online. I'm sure the BoT, Principal, DPs, your parents, etc will be delighted to follow your academic work online.

http://onmyhonour.wikispaces.com/

http://thecharlotteswebgroup.wikispaces.com/

http://thelostcolonygroup.wikispaces.com/

http://thethieflord.wikispaces.com/

http://theholesgroup.wikispaces.com/

Bright Sparks Awards

Our famous friend, Drumbledoor, is in the finals of the Bright Sparks Competition for 2009 !!!
Hooray!
Please go online and vote for him and his Robotic Room Guard invention.

super speeches!

Speeches are due in week four ... Hey! That's next week!
Remember the criteria. Keep as close as possible to 3 minutes. Use props, tiny cue cards, costumes, humour, researched facts, and whatever it takes to deliver the best speech you can. The best thing about doing your best is that you will make the experience more positive for yourself AND the audience.
Remember all my personal stories about public speaking and do your best to develop this important and highly valuable life skill.
List tips, reasons to succeed and other personal anecdotes here for our audience.

http://arb.nzcer.org.nz/resources/english/oral/1000/ol1520.htm http://www.ljlseminars.com/monthtip.htm http://www.ljlseminars.com/elements.htm

And try to remember some of what made Winston, MLK, Adolf and others such effective speakers.

Think of an act - it's a speech, not a discussion.

Base 10 versus Base 12

In class today I challenged MysteryMan to uncover a reason why a base 12 counting system might be superior to a base 10 system, like ours.
Feel free to be the person to beat Mysteryman to provide me with answers to my advanced maths challenge.
I will provide links to several sites that may help you, but as always, it is best to think critically about the sources of info online and to triangulate your data to see if it is reliable.
One link in particular is clearly someone's opinion rather than hard facts. It is interesting though and does include some valid points worth investigating.

I found this amazing diagram related to someone's musings over base 12.
http://www.milesokazaki.com/imgs/majorminor4.jpg

Here are the other links:
http://www.rattlesnake.com/notions/base-12.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numeral_system
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.bases.html

Ancient Maths and secret symbols...

On Matainui there are many mysteries to solve. You have been discovering ancient structures, mysterious inscriptions and symbols. Some of you have found artifacts and others have narrowly escaped horrifying demises...
Part of your adventure involves unravelling codes and cyphers. You can reap rewards by posting your theories and research discoveries on your won blogs. Benefits will befall you...

Mayan structures and maths may be of interest. Similar historical facts may also be of use. But don't think it's all about the past, because it's not.

Remember this morning's Mayan maths? Well, the ability to read coded messages in other languages may prove very fruitful if you find structures, caves, tunnels, chambers, or mysterious advanced 'machinery'.

Scenes on Matainui

Here are some scenes from the first day ...