Look! That meteorite sparkled! That might hold diamonds!

Have you seen the sparkly rocks? No, the transparent ones. Those are called diamonds. Have you ever wondered how these precious stones are made? Currently, there are four theories about it.

Scientists and geologists believe that the diamonds formed underground was sent upwards by the volcanoes. The lava that flows  out carries the diamonds. This is evident because of the tiny diamonds in the rocks near the volcanic sites.

The second theory is that there are diamonds are found under tectonic plates. The temperature and the pressure formed inside tectonic plates made small diamonds. This is evident from the diamonds that are found in a subducted tectonic plate.

The third theory is that the Earth was hit by asteroids. These space rocks hit the ground causing it to have high pressure and temperature, thus forming the diamonds. Evidence was that several diamonds were found in asteroid crash sites.

NASA has also detected and seen very tiny diamonds in the meteorites. The tiny diamonds are called nanodiamonds. The nanodiamonds aren't actual crystals, but when they are put together, they make a diamond gem.

Diamonds are made from several different processes, which sometimes take a long time to become the gem that we know and love.

Learning intention: We are learning the structure of a explanation.
Success criteria: I know I can do this when I write the title, text and conclusion to my explanation and write about how diamonds were formed.

Help! There are big flashes in the dark sky!

Look out! Do you see some light flashing in the sky? That's called lightning! Do you know how to protect yourself and your family when there is a thunderstorm?

 Thunder or lightning is made of moisture, air (that is warm and can rise fast) and force that can push upwards. 

 Thunderstorms can appear anytime, any minute, but they mostly appear in spring, summer or in the afternoon or evening. 

 All thunderstorms are dangerous, so don't underestimate their power of destruction. Lightning is made out of electricity. 

Inside a thundercloud, many tiny bits of ice (frozen rain) bump into each other while they move around aimlessly in the air. After a short time, the whole thundercloud is filled up with electrical charges. Protons or positive charges form at the top of the cloud and the negative charges or electrons form at the bottom. When they attract, protons starts to gather on the ground. Then they will move towards anything that is tall like trees, people or mountains. A proton charge will go up the cloud and cause an electron to go down to the ground which will make lightning strike!

 If you want a more simple example, try rubbing your hands on the carpet and then touching a doorknob. If you do, you will feel a shock on your finger which might hurt a lot. This is because there are protons in the doorknob and electrons in your hand which causes the electric flow. 

 If your skin feels tingly or if your hair stands up straight then a lightning bolt is forming! In this situation, it is best to curl up into a ball shape, as lightning will have a lower chance of hitting you. Do not lay your body out. If you hear lightning, run towards shelter. Do not wash dishes, take showers, or fill your cups with water, because water is an excellent conductor of electricity. If you see some black clouds with bright lights flashing, it is best to get to a shelter to avoid any serious injuries.

Learning intention: We are learning to follow the structure of an explanation. 

Success criteria: I know I can do this when I write about thunderstorms, how they form and a concluding statement about thunderstorms.

Help! A funnel is pulling me inside!

Look out! Do you see a spinning funnel? That is called a tornado! If you want to be prepared, you will have to learn how tornadoes form so you can run away to safety and protect your family and all your loved ones.

Scientists claim that tornadoes start from winds from different altitudes. One is hot and the other is cold (normal) wind. They will blow at different directions around each other, in a pattern like they are 'chasing' each other. When they get faster, a cloud will appear above them. The wind forms into a funnel shaped cloud for the top of the tornado. The cloud will be powerful enough to grow in size and make a thunderstorm. The funnel starts growing and growing until it lowers and lowers then eventually hits the ground and annihilates anything and everything in its path. Tornadoes can destroy nearly everything like houses, cars, people, infrastructures, plants and animals. But tornadoes do have a short life. Some stay as short as only 3 minutes before losing its force then it starts to calm down.

If you see a tornado coming your way, it is best to run away to protect yourself from nature's wrath!

Learning intention: We are learning to follow the structure of an explanation.

Success criteria: I know I can do this when I write how tornadoes form, how they work and a concluding statement about tornadoes.

Are black holes always big?

How are black holes formed?

Black holes are created when giant stars that are as big as our sun (or bigger) explode. They start to pull objects to it, and the middle becomes very dark. Once the things are inside, they are compressed into a smaller size, for example, if the Earth encountered a black hole, it would be the size of a golf ball.

Some theories say that black holes, when things are  inside, end up somewhere else.

Giant stars, when they explode, will create giant black holes. They will travel around, until they lose their energy and then fade away into nothing.

Some black holes become giant. They mostly stay in the centre of the galaxies. They are called 'Supermassive Black Holes.' It is said that radiation cannot escape them, but scientists have not proven that yet. They do know that they cover a large area and that they get their size by 'eating' small stars, space debris and asteroids.

Black holes are thought to suck things in, but some people say that things fall into them. This theory has not been proven yet, for no technology that has been used in space has gone into a black hole yet and no cameras have any recordings.

Black holes are very unique but can be very destructive. Let's hope that a medium sized black hole doesn't goes into our Solar system.

Learning intention: We are learning to follow the structure of an explanation.

Success criteria: I know I can do this when I write an introduction, an explanation and a conclusion to explain how black holes are formed.

Are pyramids supposed to be flat?

How were Pyramids built?

Pyramids are giant triangular shaped buildings that were tombs for special Egyptian kings called Pharaohs.

Pharaohs planned these pyramids for when they die as a burial place. They ordered giant workforces of around 11,000 workers to build at least one pyramid. They started with pyramids with steps on them, but later on they gained the knowledge to mould limestone to make smooth, angled shapes to form pyramids. The workers worked for days, weeks, months and even years to make the pyramids.

Finally, when they were done, their Pharaoh ordered it as his own burial ground for himself. If not, his other family members. They mostly bury gold weapons and tools with them because they think they need it in the afterlife.

Pyramids lasts for thousands of years and some lay undiscovered, waiting for explorers to find the treasure within them and learn about the life of the Egyptians.

Learning intention: We are learning to follow the structure of an explanation.

Success criteria: I know I can do this when I write an introduction, explanation and a conclusion to explain how pyramids were built.

My Puppies

Cool! I have some pet puppies! Do you own any? 

Corky and Nami are my pet puppies.
Corky is dark brown with white spots, and Nami is just pure white. 
Corky is very fat while Nami is thin.

 Corky is very furry and has brown eyes and Nami is really fluffy and her eyes look different because one eye is black and the other has whitete and black. 

Nami eats puppy food while Corky gets dog food. Corky is very happy but sometimes he can get angry and bark at you. Nami is always happy because she has a happy mood every day. 

I love them because when we come home, they greet us happily.

Celebrating Christmas

We need to celebrate Christmas because we can celebrate Jesus's birthday. It is important because we can celebrate the coming of Santa. It is fun to celebrate Christmas because we can collect presents from Santa Claus.

 Everyone celebrates Christmas so we can send presents to our neighbours and friends. Supporting Christmas is very important so we can watch the parade of Santa. I think Christmas is fun because there are lots of fireworks and it is a good time to play games,watch movies,and visit your relatives. It is the perfect time to pray with your family.

By Kevin