Ngā Whāinga Ako/Learning Outcomes for this Unit of learning

🙂 Living things - classification of life on earth

🙂 Chemistry - States of matter & diffusion, elements, compounds & mixtures, testing gases, 

🙂 Physics - Forces & Motion 

🙂 Fair testing & Pattern seeking investigations

TASK 2 - Whakatauki - Choose one of the whakatauki related to Harakeke and write what it means to you and how it might relate to your learning.

Kotahi te aho ka whati, ki te kāpuia e kore e whati 

One strand of flax is easy to break, but many strands together will stand strong.

Tūngia te ururua, kia tipu whakaritorito te tipu a te harakeke

Clear the undergrowth so that the new shoots of the flax will grow

Parapara waerea a ururua,

Kia tupu whākaritorito te tupu o te harakeke.

Clear away the overgrowth, so that the flax will put forth many young shoots.

1. HARAKEKE - A LIVING THING

TASK 1 - Harakeki Pūtaiao ideas

Harakeke is a plant, a living thing (organism), but it is also much more than that.

He rauropi e hanga ana i tāna ake kai mā te tukanga ahotakakame i roto anō i ōna rau. Ko te nuinga o ngā tipu he uri nō Tāne Mahuta, nō Rongomātāne, nō Haumia-tiketike, ā, nō Tangaroa hoki ētahi. Ko ngā tipu ēnā kei te pūtake o ngā raupapa kame katoa. Mā te tipu e ora ai ērā atu o ngā rauropi, arā, ngā momo kīrehe katoa. Ko tētahi mahi nui a te tipu he miti i te hauhā (CO2) o te hau takiwā, he tuku i te hāora (O2).

An organism which produces its own food through the process of photosynthesis. Most plants belong to the realm of Tāne Mahuta, Rongomātāne, Haumia-tiketike and Tangaroa. Plants are at the base of all food chains, providing sustenance to other organisms, such as animals. An important function of plants is to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and to give off oxygen. (https://paekupu.co.nz/word/tipu)

1 - Identify 3 key Pūtaiao concepts from this introductory info about Harakeke

2 - Think, pair share;

• What are all living things made of? 

• What is Harakeke made of?

• What makes something living or not living?

3 - Watch the video below, write 3 key ideas, and list 5 science kupu from the video

4. Classification of living things -  complete  the 5 kingdoms diagram, adding an example of 3 living things in each kingdom, and atleast one feature of that kingdom, after watching the video below

EXTRA - Can you split the animal or plant kingdom into further classification groups.

TASK 2 - Putting ideas together

Complete the cloze activity below to summarise key ideas about Harakeke and the science behind it as a living organism.

Harakeke is a tipu/plant which means it is considered a living o______________. Living organisms, like all objects, are made up of very small units known as p______________ or a_________. These particles or atoms form the m__________ that makes up the world around us. All matter is made up of substances called e_____________, which have specific chemical and physical properties. The four elements common to all living things are o________ (O), carbon (C), h________ (H), and n________ (N), which together make up about 96% of the human body and majority of other living organisms. If some of these elements are bonded together we make molecules or c______________ such as H2O or CO2.

2. CHEMISTRY OF PLANTS

TASK 1 - Getting to know the elements of living things

Watch the video above, record all the names of the major elements(pūmotu) that make up living things in a table like the one below, complete the table using some of the following periodic table sources of information found below.

TASK 2 - A closer look at C,H,O,N,P, S

a) Observe the teachers examples of each of the elements, for each element copy and complete the following sentences.

__ is the symbol for the element ______________________, it is an element found to make up living things on earth and has properties such as __________________________________. We can also find it in ____________________________.

b) Testing the gases - Now you can complete a practical activity in the lab to test for 3 common gases that relate to life on earth - Hydrogen ( H2 ), Oxygen ( O2 ), Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

How to carry out the Gas tests are shown below, you will need to copy and complete the following table to collect your results and summarise your findings.

LEARNING CHECK IN SO FAR....

1. From the periodic table of elements, give an element and it's symbol that is essential for growth & survival of Harakeke  

2. What state does this element naturally occur in?

3. Where does Harakeke get this from?

4. What does Harakeke need this chemical for?

TASK 5 - Squishing up some Chemistry concepts with Cloud Dough

1. Make the cloud dough according to your teachers instructions - 1 part conditioner to 2 parts cornstarch. (1:2), keep mixing until it comes together as a soft dough. 

2. Determine the properties of your dough and think about these things; Is it easy to make into a shape? Is it easy to squash? Does it act like a solid? Does it act like a liquid?

3. Now you know a bit more about it, use the kupu/keywords here to complete the cloze activity

Word Bank; chemical, intermolecular, suspension, particles, liquid, hydrogen, physical, carbon, oxygen, properties, solid, chemical

Cloze Activity: The Science of Cloud Dough

Cloud dough is made by mixing a __________ (cornstarch) with a __________ (such as conditioner). The cornflour particles do not dissolve in the conditioner but are spread throughout it, forming a type of mixture called a ________. In this mixture, small solid ____________ are suspended in a liquid, which gives cloud dough its soft, moldable texture.

Cloud dough shows characteristics of both _________ and _________. It can be molded like a solid but flows like a liquid when handled gently or takes the shape of a container. 

The process of making cloud dough involves a ____________ change, not a chemical one. This means no new substances are formed—the cornflour and conditioner keep their original ____________ and can be separated again. In contrast, a __________ change creates something entirely new, like when a cake is baked.

The chemistry behind cloud dough includes basic elements such as ___________ (H), __________ (O), and __________ (C), which make up the complex carbohydrates in cornflour (starch). The conditioner coats the flour particles using weak _______________ forces instead of forming strong chemical bonds and this helps the solid particles slide around in the liquid.

4. Thinking about .... What do you need to apply to the cloud dough to make it change shape? 

3. FORCES ON FIBRE

Task 1 - Observing Forces & Physics ideas

Carry out the 4 practical tasks below, record your observations in the template sheet and try to explain what you observe in relation to Physics ideas such as Forces, Motion & Energy.

1) Diving test tubes

Squeeze the side of the bottle observe what happens to the tubes inside.

2) Racing ramps

a) Set up the ramps with the same surface at different heights, release a car on each ramp and observe how far they go.

b) Set up the cars on the 2 ramps with the same surface with a different weight on one car, release them and observe how far they go.

c) Set up the cars on 2 different surface ramps, release them and observe how far they go.

3) Magic water

a) Rub the balloon backwards and forwards rapidly on your hair or your woollen jersey

b) Turn the tap on to get a thin stream of water

c) Place the balloon next to the stream of water, observe what happens

d) Repeat the above process with a plastic classroom ruler and observe what happens

4) Marble Gravitrax

a) Using the marble use the gravitrax set up. Observe what happens to your marble when you use the different starting points.

5) Launcher 

Observe the launcher system set up, test it out. Record you observations.

6) Magnetic manoeuvres

a) Have a play around with the magnet pairs, what observations can you make about how they affect each other? Do they have to touch each other to make the other move?

7) Airball (Hoverball)

Turn on the airball- place it on the lino at the back of the classroom - what makes it move? What types of energy are involved in it's movement?

8) Gyroscope

Set the gyroscope in motion (pull the cord), what do you notice about it when you hold it on the ends? 

9) Slinky malinky

Play with the slinky, what makes it bounce back up when you hold one end and let it go? What types of energy are involved?

10) Ruler tricks

Place a ruler about a third of the way over the edge of the table. Hit the end of the ruler, observe and record what it does. Add a sheet of A3 paper over the section of the ruler on the table, and then hit the end of the ruler with your hand. Observe and record what it does.

11) Helicopters

Drop the 2 paper helicopters from the same height, observe the difference between the rate they fall at. Use the stopwatch to record some quantitative data about this. Can you think of reason why you observe what you do?

Task 2 - Intro to forces

Complete worksheets 1 - 3 below, each covers some of the following key ideas about forces;

• A force is a push, pull or twist

• Forces aren't visible but there effects are

• Forces either change an objects shape, direction or speed.

• Forces are measured in Newtons (N) and are represented by arrows on diagrams

• There are a range of different forces, but they fit into 2 major categories; contact or non-contact

• Forces acting on an object can be balanced or unbalanced

Extract from Te Kāuru Hou — a new leaf: Processing Harakeke (Phormium Tenax) for WholeGarment® Knitting Technology by Kimberley Alexander-Maaka

For Māori, the importance of this plant provided essential parts of life. Numerous fundamental items were made from harakeke in Māori society prior to European colonisation, including many different kinds of basket (kete), clothing (kākahu), floor mat (whāriki), and fishing net (kupenga). Buck[24] notes that “with the exception of kiekie and toi used in some rain capes, the fibre used in Māori garments was obtained from the leaf of the Phormium tenax.” The ‘muka’ fibre is a native and natural resource that provided Māori communities with many uses. Weavers favoured using harakeke for its durability, strength, fibre content and availability. These qualities have been significant in my exploration, which I will unpack later.

Before ‘sisal’ fibre became the preferred choice of the time, hand-dressed muka fibre was exported overseas in a lucrative European trade[25] to produce industrial items shipping ropes, fishing lines and net making[26]. Europeans recognised the value of harakeke and its potential by observing Māori. The traditionally extracted muka fibre by Māori people was exported to Sydney and England as harakeke became a marketable commodity. Māori ‘haro’ method of extraction was preferred by traders for its superior quality fibre and tensile strength. However, the exploitation towards Māori, the laborious process of prepping harakeke and muka combined with a history of colonial factors, abruptly ended bartering, over time during ‘the Māori Land Wars’.

https://medium.com/@k.alexander.maaka/the-infinite-potential-of-harakeke-phormium-tenax-8428c7ed38a9 

Task 4 - Background information - Extracting muka & traditional fishing methods

Using the variety of sources below collect information, record it and share with your classmates about the following;

• What processes are used in turning muka fibre into rope/cord (aho)?

• What uses did/does the muka fibre have in fishing?

• What benefits are there to using fibres like muka compared to modern materials like nylon?

Reference for the information and images above;

Paulin, C.D, (2007) Perspectives of Mäori fishing history and techniques. Ngä ähua me ngä püräkau me ngä hangarau ika o te Mäori,  Tuhinga 18: 11–47, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Task 5 - Practical Investigation; How strong is that fishing line? 

Look at the outline for the practical investigation below, use this as a guide and to give you some direction to carry out and complete your own investigation about How strong muka fibre is. You will need to change the number of strands of muka fibre for your investigation.