Rocky Shore Recount

Learning Intentions for Science We are learning to understand that all living creatures have a life cycle. We are learning that living creatures have bodies that are designed to help them to live and survive.   We are learning that all living things are designed to live in a particular environment. We are learning to understand how food webs work. We are learning that in an ecosystem all living things and their environment are interconnected. We are learning to understand about the Rocky Shore and the impact, both positive and negative, we can have on this environment.

Literacy As part of our rocky shore unit we will also use our literacy skills to read and learn about the rocky shore and to write an information report on a rocky shore creature. Writing We are learning to write an information report about an animal. We are learning to use our writing skills across the curriculum.

14 Miles of Awesomeness

On Monday morning Don and Lauren from DOC

(Department of Conservation)

came and had a very long talk with the class about the rocky shore because we were learning about the rocky shore and going on a trip that day. In his (Don) talk he told as about how the gravitational pull of the sun and moon pulls the water towards themselves and that is how you  get tides. We also got to look at a dolphin and seal skull.

Then we got in our car groups and went down to Fourteen Mile Beach. In my car group there was Tim (Dakota’s dad) ,Dakota,Daniel,Rhys,Milan and me. When we got there, we walked to the rocky shore part of the beach, then we sat down and had lunch. During lunch I found a whelk shell and Dakota found a crab shell,although  I don’t know what type it was.

When we had finished eating we got into our work groups.  In my group was me, Sasha, Nevey and our adult was Mrs Maclean. It took us a while to find the rock pool that we wanted to use because we were being very picky. After we had finally found our rock pool, I had to go back  to the shore because we had forgotten the container which we had to use if we found any creatures so we could look at them closer. We also had to use it for the work our teacher gave us. Our group found a lot of animals and plants such as erect coralline Algae, clingfish, limpets, camouflage anemones, periwinkles, pink paint seaweed  and a pill box crab.

After we had done our work, we got to explore around the rock pools. I helped Nevey find the animal that she was researching: which is the cushion starfish and I found one for her. Then we filled up an ice cream container with water and looked around for more cushion starfish. I didn’t look for the creature that I was researching because I had already seen a reef star heaps of times before. In the end we had found four cushion stars.  Lincoln killed one by dropping it.

After that we put the starfish back and buried the dead one because it was time to pack up and go. We had a wee talk to discuss  our trip, then got in our car groups and went back to school.

I found this trip very interesting because I learnt about a lot of new animals

and plants.