General Knowledge 2022+

General Knowledge 2022

Mayra talked about gold.  She told us that she loves gold because it is made of metal and it keeps shining forever.  She said it is an expensive metal that does not loose its value, its value keeps on rising year by year.  It is treasure which can be kept for future generations.  It can be used to make jewellery. 

Alicia talked about gymnastics.  She said that she started with stretching.  You put your legs side to side and your arms to the middle and put your legs in the middle.  She lays down with her arms stretched and lifts her whole body.

Mia talked about healthy foods.  She said that they are yummy and delicious and they make you tall and strong.  She said it is good to eat healthy foods every day.  Some healthy food is read or even lots of colours.  Junk foods make you fat and slow but healthy food makes you fast and grow and be a super girl or super boy.  Mia can name a few healthy food, broccoli, apple, banana, yoghurt, nuts avocados, egg, fish and oats.

Mathen talked about diamonds.  He told us some facts about them.

*Diamonds are one of the hardest substances on Earth.

*Blue and red coloured diamonds are extremely rare.

*To burn a diamond you would have to heat it to a temperature of around 1292 degrees.

*Labs can now recreate diamonds that look and feel identical to real diamonds.

*Sometimes diamonds come on Earths surface through volcanic eruptions but most people have to dig or mine for them.

 Arnav talked about bees.  He told us that bees are insects and they live in groups called colonies.  They collect nectar from flowers and turn it into yummy honey.  Bees make buzzing noises.  They are yellow and black in colour and they have one stinger.  He said that bees are fascinating bugs.

Mohamed talked about the pyramids.  He told us that they are located in Egypt.  They were built more than 1200 years ago.  They are one of the seven wonders of the world.

Tanvi talked about how your body works.  She told us that every bit of your body is made out of tiny building blocks called cells.  The smallest bone is smaller than a grain of rice.  It is called stapes and it is inside your ear.  It needs oxygen to work.  The harder they work, the more oxygen they need.

Zoe talked about being a big sister.  She said that it was really fun but it did mean that you have to be patient when your mum and dad are busy with your younger sibling.  She siad that they are a lot of fun to play with.  Sometimes Zoe's brother will give her a hug when she pickes him up from daycare.  She told us that her brother Zach is the best.

Chloe told us that the kiwi bird only live in new Zealand.   She said that we have more sheep than people in New Zealand.  She said that whales are the biggest animals in the world.  She told us that we have no snakes in New Zealand. 

Aaliyah talked about her dog Ella.  She told us that she is a labrador.  She got her when she was a little puppy.  On her first night Aaliyah slept with her.  Ella loves her cousin because he drops food for her.  Ella and Whero sleep on the couch with Aaliyah.  When Chico was a little puppy Aaliyah like singing to him  The dogs like to sleep by the door.  Aaliyah said that Ella is the best and she loves her.

Nathan talked about the tallest mountain in the world called Mount Everest.  He told us that it is the tallest mountain because it's unique and the highest mountain above sea level.  He said it is located in between China and the Nepal border.  Mount Everest is 8.848 km from top to the bottom.  The first person to climb Mount Everest was Edmund Hillary.

Yazin talked about recycling in his city.  He told us that every home in his city has two rubbish bins, a red bin and a yellow bin.  We use yellow bins to recycle our rubbish and keep our environment clean.  The recycling truck collects the yellow bins fortnightly.  Plastic bottles and containers, class bottles, cans, milk and juice cartons and newspapers can go into the yellow bins.  Plastic bags, food batteries, nappies, clothes and shoes are not allowed to go into the yellow bins.

Lucas talked about Tyrannosaurus Rex.  He told us that this dinosaur can be called T-Rex and it is the king of the dinosaurs.  T-Rex can grow to over 12.4 metres.  It is wide at the rear and has a narrow snout.  It has a big jaw and it is a u shape.  Their arms are very short but strong.  It only has two clawed fingers.  It has a big and long tail.  T-Rex also has sharp teeth.  Their teeth are in different shapes.  Their teeth are very storng, they can rip meat and break bones. 

Alicia talked about junk food.  She told us that junk food is bad for your body.  She said that some people eat too many sweets and they need to go to the dentist.  

Mohamed talked about tigers.  He told us that tiger cubs are born blind.  Tigers love to swim and play in water.  Tigers love for about 25 years.  Tigers can spring at over 60 km per hour.  Tigers stripes are also found on their skin.  A group of tigers are called an ambush.

Shanav talked about global warming.  He told us that there can be storms, rain or hail, also floods and lightning.  We can sometimes see blue stripes.  He said we should not use plastic.

Mia talked about sunrise and sunset.  She told us that every day the sun rises and sets, no matter what happens, but sometimes we can't see it because it is cloudy or rainy no matter where we are in the world.  The sun will always rise in the east and set in the west.  Many people like to watch the sunrise and sunset and it is always different, it depends where you see it.  Both sunrise and sunset creates different images and colours, especially the sunset can be orange, fire red and golden colours.  It is simply beautiful and stunning.  Mia loves to watch the sunrise and sunset.

Arnav told us that Air New Zealand are bringing back 777-300 aircraft out from the desert into service.  They have been in storage since covid.

Zoe talked about when is rains a flood might come.  She said that floods cause damage.  There have been some floods in New Zealand recently, including some places in the South Island like Nelson and Westport.   She said it can make you sick if you drink the water.  If it floods, you need to evacuate to high ground.  Floods cause damage to people's houses.  You might need to go to a friend's house if your house floods.  Workers put sandbags near rivers so the river doesn't flood onto the road.  You have to make sure the road isn't flooded before you travel.  If there is a flood, listen to the news for information.  Listen to the firemen, ambulance officers and police if a flood comes, they will keep all of us safe.  Firemen help if there's water in your house, ambulances help keep people healthy and police make sure people follow the rules and stay safe.  Floods are dangerous and people need to be prepared for them. 

Nathan talked about waterfall facts.  He told us that waterfalls are cold because the winters temperature is cold.  Some people swim, play or shower in the waterfalls if they want to and we could maybe see rainbows form the waterfalls because it's the suns reflection.  People sometimes want to listen to the sounds of the waterfalls because it makes people feel relaxed and peaceful.

Mayra talked about pearls.  She told us that pearls are found in oceans.  They are used in jewellery, clothes and other wearable accessories.  They are liked by both men and women.  Pearls are good for improving memory and enhancing the intelligence of individuals.  

Mathen talked about castles.  He designed his own book that he shared with us.  He told us that some castle walls were up to 20 feet wide, that is more than twice as wide as a school bus.  Builders used large stones for the sides, they filled the inside with broken building materials.  It could take up to 20 years to build a castle.  Straw and dung were used to protect unfinished walls from the winter weather. 

    

General Knowledge - 2023

Justin talked about King Charles.  He told us that on Saturday Charles became the new King of the United Kingdom.  He took over the role from his mother, who was the Queen of England for 70 years!

There was a ceremony held to celebrate the new king.  This ceremony is called a coronation.  Thousands of people cheered as King Charles rode in a golden carriage through London.

The main event was help in a big church, called an abbey.  More than 2,000 people were in the abbey to watch him receiving his crown.

Justin told us King Charles is 73 years old and he is the oldest person to become the King of the United Kingdom.  He has two sons and five grandchildren.  

Justin thinks he is going to be a good king.

Charlotte talked about volcanoes.  She told us that New Zealand has a lot of volcanoes.  Rangitoto is one of New Zealand's many volcanoes (Rangitoto first appeared around 600 years ago).  Rangitoto is home to the world's largest pohutukawa forest, these trees have bright red flowers.  These trees are an important part of our indigenous Maori stories.  Pohutukawa trees are also called New Zealand Christmas trees.

Jian talked about the kiwi.  She told us that the kiwi has a long sharp beak to eat worms and bugs from the ground.  They are birds but they can't fly because their wings are too small.  Kiwis eat lots of different food from the ground like worms, acorns, walnuts, berries and bugs.  They are nocturnal which means that they hunt at night.  Kiwis have brown, fluffy feathers so they can camouflage.  They can camouflage in the bushes and leaves on the ground in the forest when a dangerous creature comes.  Kiwis are endangered because cats and other animals et them.  Jian told us that we can help save the kiwis by putting out traps for rats and stoats.  

Florence talked about penguins.  She told us that penguins have hooked beaks.  They also have spines inside their mouths.  To move quickly some penguins push themselves across the ice.  Some penguins dig burrows in the ground and lay their eggs in them.  A mother emperor penguin lays an egg on the father penguins feet.  Penguins cover their feathers in oil, this is called preening.

Sadie talked about owls.  She told us that they like to eat beetles, small frogs, mice, small lizards, worms, spiders and caterpillars.  She said that burrowing owls make their burrows by digging holes in the sand.

Ethan talked about the chrysalis and he showed us two that he brought to school.  We also showed a video of the monarch caterpillar.  Here are the facts that we know about them thanks to Ethan:

* The caterpillar grows and eats lots of milkweed.

*The caterpillar hangs by a silky thread.

The caterpillar makes a chrysalis.

*The caterpillar turns into a chrysalis and that lasts for 10 to 14 days.

*The chrysalis goes darker and a butterfly pushes out.

*It dries its wings then flies off in search of nectar.

Isabella talked about plants.  She told us that a tiny seed comes form a tiny plant.  To make a plant she said to put a seed in the said, then give it some water and then put it under the sunlight.  For plants to grow Isabella told us that they need to have water and sunlight.

Andrew Cui talked about China's firs t domestically built, large passenger jet that has successfully completed its flight.  The C919 tool took from Shanghai at 10:32am on 28 May, 2023 and landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at 12:32am, successfully completing its first commercial flight.  The C191 was built by the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (Comac).  The company began developing it in 2008 and has spent a total of 15 years.  The C919 is 38.9 metres long, has a wingspan of 35.8 metres and a height of 11.95 metres.  It can carry 156 to 168 passengers. 

Andrew Chan talked about ants.  He told us there are about 10,000 names species of ants.  The largest ants are the driver ants.  The queen ants can be up to nearly two inches long.  The smallest ant is the pharoah ant, it is no bigger than a grain of sand.  Ants are grouped by how they look, what and where they live and what they eat.

George talked about dogs.  He told us that greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog and it can read up to a speed of 45mph and can outrun a cheetah.  Dogs sense of smell is at least 40 times better than humans.  Dog's powerful noses are being used in medicine to detect diseases.  Dogs can be incredible swimmers.  New Foundland dogs are so good at swimming that for many years they have been used as a water rescue dog.  The only place that dogs sweat is on their paws.  Dogs are as intelligent as a two year old, they can learn over 100 words.

Catherine talked about rabbits.  She told us that a bunny can live until 12 years old.  Rabbits communicate using a secret code.  Baby rabbits are called kittens.  When your rabbit is happy you might notice them doing a little 'binky'.  This is when they hop in the air and twist a little bit then land back on the ground.  Rabbits also sleep with their eyes open and they can also sleep with their eyes closed too.

Callum told us some fun facts about red panda.  He told us that they were given the name panda first, roughly fifty years before the black and white variety.  Red pandas are the size of a cat.  Their diet is bamboo.  The have six digits on their front paws.  They spend two thirds of the day sleeping in their tail.  Red pandas quack like a duck.

Victoria talked about fish.  She told us that there are many types of fish in New Zealand.  Victoria's favourite fish are salmon, blue cod and snapper.  Victoria's mum always cooks for her steamed blue cod with soy sauce, mixed ginger and spring onion.  Sometimes her mum buys are a whole salmon to make sashimi which is Victoria's favourite.  Sour soup snapper mixed with a lot of vegetables and bake it and serve with salad plus a sauce is yummy and tasty.

Rohullah talked about mantises.  They are insects with three parts to their bodies, the head, thorax and abdomen,  Mantises are the only insects with 3D vision and the ability to gauge distance.  They have six legs and a single pair of antennae and their wings cover their entire back body.  Their forelegs are equipped with sharp spikes.  They can rotate their head up to 180 degrees so they are aware of their surroundings.

Zio talked about the galaxy.  He told us the Earth is just a tiny dot beside the Milky Way.  The centre of the sun is called the core.  He said that Earth is made up of rock to form Earth.

Tyler talked about 3D printing.  He said it is an amazing technology and it is one of his daddy's hobbies.  3D printing allows people to create actual objects from digital designs on a computer.  For example, you can make a phone case or a cup.

The 3D printing idea was developed by David Jones in 1974.  After 49 years the technology has been developed a lot further.  3D printing is now used in many businesses and also by designers and students.

3D printing works by squeezing very hot melted plastic out of a little hole.  The computer moves the melted plastic around and draws the shape.  It keeps on moving around until it has build the whole object.

3D printing an object can take hours or sometimes days to complete!  Tyler showed a video of how he made a wonderful 3D elephant with his dad.  The children got to look carefully at some of the things they made. 

3D printing is a lot of fun and Tyler hopes all the students have the chance to experience it in the future.

Tyler showed us some of the things that he had made with his dad and the children were able to touch some of the objects.  Tyler and his dad made some very special clips and at the end of the day he gave one to each student to keep and take home.

Thank you Tyler for letting the students have some of your very special 3D printing, that was very kind of you.

Jordan told us some fun facts about New Zealand.  She ssid that the population of new Zealand is 5.2 million people.  The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington and the official languages of New Zealand are, English, Maori and the sign language. 

Haider told us about the kiwi.  He said that they are flightless and they have tiny wings under their feathers.  The bird is from New Zealand.  

Charlotte T talked about kiwifruit.  She told us that they are grown all over the world, especially in places like Ne Zealand, Italy, California, France, Greece and Chile.  There are even crops in China, Japan and South Korea.  Gold kiwifruit has a hairless skin that's a nice golden-brown colour.  The flesh of the golden kiwifruit is a vibrant yellow colour with a small core and fewer seeds.  Cutting it in half and scooping out the flesh with a spoon is one of the easiest ways to enjoy them.  It is also rich is vitamin C.

Natalie told us about cats.  She told us that they are cute and they can scratch you with their claws.

Zoe talked about polar bears.  She told us that they are mammals and mammals are animals that make milk for their babies.  Polar bears live in the North Pole.  Polar bears have black skin inside and white fur outside.  They even have fur under their feet.