Summer Learning Journey Week 1 - Day 3

DAY 3: Awesome Animals

Activity 1: Fantastic Beasts [4 points]

In New Zealand we have many unusual animals. One of the most unusual is the kiwi bird - a bird that does not have wings and can not fly. Pretty strange, eh?! J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, has recently written a new book about strange or unusual animals called ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.’

For this activity, please watch this cool book trailer. Year 7 and Year 8 students in South Auckland, New Zealand helped to make it. Once you have watched the video, use your imagination and create your very own beast. What does your beast look, smell, feel, and sound like?

On your blog, post a description of your beast. Use interesting adjectives (describing words) to tell us about your beast.

 My beast is a strong, fearless, fast, big, nice, friendly, unseen literally unseen creature!

His name is Ethereal! He fights for whats right, and he love's to see people in a happy mood. If there is any danger, the citizens will just call his name and he will be there is just a matter of seconds. In other words he is invisible!

Activity 2: The Secretive Skink [4 points]

We have a number of small lizards (geckos and skinks) living in New Zealand. One of the least common is the Chevron Skink. According to the Department of Conservation, Chevron Skinks live mostly on two islands - Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island. These islands are ‘animal reserves.’ Very few people, other than staff working for the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), are allowed to live there. The DOC staff are called ‘Rangers.’ Their job is to protect the wildlife (animals and plants) living on the island.

Would you like to be a DOC ranger and live with the animals on Great Barrier Island?

On your blog list three pros (good things) and three cons (bad things) about working as a DOC ranger. At the bottom of your post, tell us whether you would like to be a DOC Ranger or not.

Pros:
1. Fight for the endangered animals!
2. Raising them and watching them grow!
3. Learn new things about animals!

Cons:
1. Some will run around making your job harder!
2. They might have a disease!
3. They can bite you!

I would like to be a DOC Ranger, so I can protect the animals and also keeping they're habitat clean, safe and tidy! I also wanted to learn new things about animals that I don't already know! 

Activity 3: The WWF: World Wildlife Fund [10 points]

In 1961, a number of people came together to start an organisation called the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The main goal of this organisation was/is to protect life on earth. Hundreds of WWF staff work in countries all over the world trying to protect our planet and the animals who live here. To learn more about their amazing work, click on one of the two video links below.

Clip #1: Freshwater Seals

Clip #2: Tigers

Once you have watched the video, go to your blog and, using full sentences, tell us:


1) The name of the animal the WWF is working to save?
The Seals and also the cubs of the seals!

2) What the WWF is doing to help the animal?
They are building snow banks for the seals to give birth to their cubs! If seals give birth in the open, they don't have any protection against predators, cold and human disturbance! Which also means there cubs will die.

3) What, if any, success they have had protecting the animal?
Just protecting the wildlife! When your older you can look back and say "hey I saved many seals life" It will feel great and amazing thinking of what you've done. Saving animals!