Today we studied about the destruction of the Roman city of Pompeii over 2000 years ago. We learned how the city and its inhabitants were consumed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

You are encouraged to visit the Pompeii Exhibition at the Museum of Western Australia to learn more about this captivating historical event.  The exhibition includes an immersive 3D theatre experience that gives “visitors a chance to feel the same drama and terror of the town’s citizens and witness how a series of eruptions wiped out Pompeii over 48 hours”

Today we looked at recording nutritional information on pie graphs and weather statistics on line graphs. The graphing tool I showed you in class can be found here and can be used to create any kind of graph you want. You can even print out your graphs with this tool.

You might want to use this when doing your “Pantry Imports Survey”  for your Trading with Neighbours contact.

We studied the impact of the 2010 Federal Budget on peoples lives today in class, and looked at how budgets are useful tools for planning our finances.

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2897762.htm

You have to create your own budget like I showed you in class. Draw a T-Chart. List your “income” on one side and “expenses” on the other. Use categories like Pocket Money, Job etc for income, and Clothes, food, entertainment etc for your expenses.

Total up the columns and see where you sit financially.

Our Thinkers Keys Contract theme this week is “Trading With Neighbours”,  which involves looking at Australia’s role in global trade and examines how goods are marketed and promoted.

To assist you in getting the best mark possible for your contract, take these tips into account.

1) Read the question carefully. Do exactly as the question asks. If it says to explain and label something, Explain and label it.

2) Spelling and punctuation – Use a dictionary or have someone else look over it. Capitals and full stops!

3) Research things you don’t know. The more you find out about a topic, the better detail and questions you can form about it.

4) Use your time wisely. You get a week to do each contract. Use your time in class and at home to complete it on time.

5) Presentation – Only submit neat work. Labelled diagrams and coloured illustrations. Keep your writing as neat as possible.

6) Ask mum or dad to look over your project and ask for feedback.

Here is this week’s poem. As you may have noticed, it is a more challenging than some of the poems from weeks gone by. Do your best to learn it and support Tate who will be performing it at the Poetry Festival.

The Raven – By Edgar Allen Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`’Tis some visitor,’ I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.’

 into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!’
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!’
Merely this and nothing more.

 Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

 But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered – not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.’
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.’

 `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!’ I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! – quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!’
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’

 And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted – nevermore!

Written in 1898 Happened in 1912

I came across a really interesting article about the amazing similarities between the sinking of the Titanic and a book that was written 14 years before called “The Wreck of the Titan” by Morgan Robertson.

The list of similarities between the real life story and the book are incredible including;

- Both ships were said to be “unsinkable”

- Both ships were approximately the same size.

- Both carried about 20 lifeboats – well below the 3000 lifeboat capacity.

- Both ships sunk in the North Atlantic  by hitting an iceberg.

- Both ships lost approximately the same number of people – 2500 on the Titanic and 2300 on the Titan.

-Both ships were travelling at the same speed when they hit the iceberg.

- Both accidents occurred in April.

The differences between the story were minor. 705 passengers were saved on the Titanic and only 13 on the Titan. And it was the maiden voyage of the Titanic when it sunk.

Eerily coincidental I think….and it’s not the only historical coincidence that has occurred…..

In our Myths and Legends contract this week, one of the Thinking Skills exercises asks for an A-Z of mythical creatures. Wikipedia provides a complete list of mythological creatures from all over the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legendary_creatures

Here are some good student samples of the World Trip Presentation Assignments.

Holiday to the UK by Brandon

PARIS finall 2  by Jarrad

Students focussed on the skills of preparing an attractive presentation, presenting accurate information and using effective speaking skills.

Yesterday we briefly looked at the origins of Cubism as an art form, and three of the most influential Cubist artists.

Cubism Simmary

Cubism is an art style that takes real life objects and breaks them down into geometric shapes. Each shape shows the object from a different angle.

* George Braques and Pablo Picasso were responsible for launching the Cubist Movement, but were hugely influenced by Paul Cezanne.

* Cubism rejected the prevailing beliefs that “art should imitate life”. It ignores the concept of “perspective” used to give paintings depth.

* Picasso’s “Guernica” is one of the most famous Cubism pieces and it depicts the horror’s of the Spanish Civil War.

To make your own online Cubist Self Portrait go to this site and let your imagination run wild.