SLJ Positive Impact

Activity 3: The Columbian Exchange

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer born back in 1451. He started sailing when he was 14 years old and spent a lot of his life looking for a passageway from his home continent of Europe to Asia. He never found one. Instead, he spent much of his time in the Americas (North, Central and South).

Christopher Columbus was, and still is, a very controversial man. Some people would even call him ‘infamous’ (well-known for doing something bad) because he spent much of his life sailing around the world, enslaving innocent people, spreading diseases and taking natural resources from the countries that he visited. His actions had a significant impact on the lives of others.

Who has had a significant impact on your life?

My mum and dad has made a positive impact in my life, if it wasn't for them I would've not exist. Without my parents I would be hopeless but sometimes we need to move on without them. But they will be in your heart, just move on, for them.

SLJ Interviews

Activity 2: When the Rubber Hits the Road

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. It is located in South America and is home to an incredibly special and unique environment. Unfortunately, the long-term health of the forest is at risk with hundreds of people entering the rainforest and cutting down trees without permission. Activists, like Marina Silva, are fighting back against this illegal logging and, in some cases, they are winning.

Marina actually spent her childhood working in the Amazon rainforest as a rubber tapper. She did not attend school or learn how to read or write until the age of sixteen. In fact, she was the first person in her family to ever go to school and the first one to earn a university degree. Her family must have been so proud of her accomplishments.

Benjamin: I am proud of going to school because I am actually learning.

Cyrus: I am proud of participating in the games I have never tried.

Ocean: I am proud of finishing in time because I get smarter by that.

SLJ Environment & Exploration

 ENVIRONMENT & EXPLORATION

Activity 1: The Rainman of Rajasthan

Arguably, the most important resource that we have on this planet is water. Without water, we simply would not survive. Here in New Zealand, almost everyone has access to free, clean drinking water but this is not the case in other parts of the world (e.g. Rajasthan, India; sub-saharan Africa, etc.).

In fact, almost 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. People like Peter Chasse have set up organisations like The Water Project to help address this issue and bring drinkable water to communities that do not currently have access to it.

In some countries like Africa and India, people had to walk back and forth collecting water for their family. The water is dirty by human and animal waste, people die every year in Africa and India because of dirty water.

SLJ Chess

Chess Pros

1. Garry Kasparov
2. Anatoly Karpov
3. Magnus Carlsen

Learning and playing a game like chess actually stimulates the growth of dendrites.

Chess raises your IQ.

It improves your memory.

Moving it without thinking about it.

Being a sore loser.

Being too serious.

SLJ Equal pay for Equal work?

I think women and men should earn the same amount of
money, because fights might happen between a Lady and
her fiance. The lady won’t get enough money to feed herself
and her children.

SLJ Shelly's Simile

Shelly is as fast as lightning striking the ground.

Shelly is as tall as Red Wood.

Shelly is as small as a shrew.

Shelly is as beautiful as a rose.

SLJ B.F.G