The Last Post

With 2010 completed there will be no further posts from the 2010 GATE group. You can visit the new 2011 investiGATE  blog by clicking on the following link. investiGATE 2011

BP Technology Challenge Attempt 2

Team One's effective parachute drop

Following the failure of our first attempt at this challenge we needed to reflect on what went wrong and how we could improve our method of delivering the egg intact to the trapped miner.

These were some of the teams thoughts:

Team One.



Team Two successfully delivering the goods



Problems: "The bag didn't catch air", "the egg was placed on an angle in the basket", "the egg wasn't cushioned enough".



Improvements to be made: "cushion the egg more and make sure it is held vertical in the cardboard basket", "make a bigger parachute to catch more air."



Team Two

Problems: "The drop was too big and the egg wasn't cushioned properly."



Improvements to be made: "lessen or totally eliminate the drop by using the paper as rope held together with masking tape."



 A couple of days later we had another go with much more success. Both eggs survived completely intact. Both teams agreed that Team Two's method allowed greater accuracy and control in delivering the goods.

BP Technology Challenge Attempt One



Team One ready to release their parachute



Earlier this week we worked together to complete this challenge.



Our team has found a person who is trapped in a mine shaft and is badly in need of some pain killers until further help can arrive. Our team had to design a container which could be dropped 4m but would not allow the medicine bottle (a raw egg) in the container to break when it lands on rocks at the bottom.





Team Two ready to release their egg



We were able to use 4 sheets of A4 photocopy paper, 1m string, 1 A5 sheet of thin card, 1m masking tape, a plastic shopping bag and scissors (for constuction only).



Success was judged on whther the egg was totally intact, cracked or smashed when it is taken from the container at the bottom of the cliff.



The two teams devised different methods for delivering the medicine. Team One used the plastic bag to create a parachute to carry the carefully packaged egg and Team Two used the string and the masking tape to lower the carefully packaged egg as close to the ground as possible before releasing it.


Unfortunately both eggs were smashed on the rocks at the bottom of the mine shaft. Now what?





Old Age

How do you view old age? Two different views are explored by different poets. Describe the view of old age as portrayed in "Old Man Old Man" by UA Fanthorpe and "Warning" by Jenny Joseph, and show how the poets convey their different viewpoints. Use examples from the texts to support your statements.


Show clearly which poem you identify with more and why.

World Rowing Champs 2010

Currently the World Rowing Champs are underway at Lake Karapiro. The spotlight is on New Zealand as viewers around the world follow the progress of their rowing crews. This is a fantastic opportunity to show case New Zealand on the international stage. Unfortunately the event attracted some unwanted publicity even before it had begun. Read this linked article to find out about this negative exposure.
Two thefts mar build up to World Rowing Champs
How do events like this impact on New Zealand? How do such experiences affect the athletes involved?

Write a comment from the viewpoint of either;

• a potential tourist to New Zealand
• a rower from the Austrian rowing team
• a rower  from another competing team 

Giving Children a Say

As a child how often do you feel truly listened to? How important is it for future generations to listen to today's youth? Watch the video of Avora Svitak and decide for yourself.

Kimihia Chess Kids

Congratulations to the Kimihia Chess Team who came second in the regional chess tournament yesterday at Huntly College. There, seven students competed against schools from Huntly, Hamilton and from as far afield as Helensville. Throughout the day each student played seven games of chess from which wins, losses and draws were recorded. At the end of the day the Helensville Team were declared the winners, with Kimihia  second and Huntly College third. This placing entitles Kimihia to send a team of five to the National Chess Finals to be held at Pigeon Mountain Primary School,  Bucklands Beach, Auckland, on Monday 18 October. Well done team!
Play chess on line or find out more about Chess Kids NZ

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

With the term almost at an end, and two weeks of holidays to fill, you could  head to the movies to see Jerry Bruckheimer's, The Sorcerer's Apprentice - an innovative and epic comedy adventure about a sorcerer and his hapless apprentice who are swept into the center of an ancient conflict between good and evil. This Walt Disney Studio production is due to be released in New Zealand on the 16th of September in time for the holiday break.. The movie has had mixed reviews, two of which can be accessed throught he links below:
The ViewLondon Review
The Sun Review UK
Read the two reviews, identify the discrepancies and analyse why these discrepancies may have occurred.