The endangered african weasel

Apparently you are very lucky to see an African weasel once in your life because they are endangered, so I was incredibly lucky here..

The Hadeda

Some of you have started some excellent work on your animal fables, quizzes and contributions to the blog. I am very impressed!

The other day during my lesson with Mark and Harminder we were interrupted by a 'Hadeda' outside the window. I will let you work out what that was, but the clip below will give you a clue...

-Lee

Howick Falls- Fears and phobias

Howick Falls has always been 30 minutes away from where I grew up. I never knew you could face your ultimate fear and abseil down the sheer 107m cliff face right next to it. It's a prime example that you only stop learning interesting facts about where you come from if you stop looking.

The first clip is from my visit the other day and the second the new adventure I discovered...



I know you have been working on fears and phobias in PSE recently, would any of you try this?



You can read more about this experience in this article from our local newspaper, 'The Witness' here

Free Me Wildlife rehabilitation centre continued...

Most of you have had a chance to check out the first part of my visit to the Free Me KZN Wildlife Centre in Howick. We discussed the concept of rehabilitation and I know some of you also paid some attention to how a place like this can survive without funding coming from generous people. We'll continue to give all of this some more thought...

For now here are some of the others:

Free Me - KZN wildlife rehabilitation centre

I was really lucky to visit this wildife rehabilitation centre called 'Free Me' which is about 25 minutes from my house in town called Howick. They care for all wild animals that have been injured, harmed or seperated from their parents in the hopes that they can be released back into the wild.

It is a 5 part 'series' and I'll add them one at a time...



TASK D:
We have all remember stories about 'how the leopard got it's spots" or "how the lion became the king of animal kingdom". Do you know what these types of stories are called?

-See if you can find your favourite animal fable about animals in Africa. (Remember we don't get tigers here!)
-See if you can think of 3 fable titles you think would make a good story.
-Once you have done this select the one you would most like to write about.
*Remember to consider how your story will start and end. Do fables always seem to start and end in a similar way?

CHRISTINE'S SOUTH AFRICA CHALLENGE

A challenge.: go to rorkesdriftvc.com and find details of my relative who was awarded the Victoria Cross in the famous battle with the Zulus.

A clue - he was awarded the VC under a false name - he enlisted under the name of John Williams so that his mother did not know he was in the army - but his real name was John Fielding - he even has a pub named after him in the Welsh town of Cwmbran which is where my father was born. My Great Grandmother was known by my Father as Granny Fielding - she was the sister in law of John Fielding .

If you have seen the film there is no truth in the myth that they all sang Welsh songs ,such as Men of Harlech , to repel the Zulus [ but I and Rick can sing it - we will record it for your blog - just a joke !!! ]

- Christine

Journey of contrast: Durban Airport to Pietermaritzburg

We have been looking at different things we didn't expect to see in South Africa. Hopefully we are starting to realise that what we expect to find is not always what we will actually find in reality.

We dropped my brother at the airport the other day and I filmed part of the journey from Durban to Pietermaritzburg as it really illustrates the great contrasts you find in South Africa. Look out for the rural school.

Watch the youtube clip and let me know what you think...




TASK C:

The youtube clip had a short piece on a rural school that you can see from the road between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Write about what you think it would be like to attend school here. It may help to think of the different aspects of your school life and imagine what might be similar or different if you attended this South African school.

You could present your thoughts in one of the following ways:
-A diary entry of a day in the life of a student (written in the first person)
-A descriptive writing piece
- You may wish to pretend you were sent on a school exchange with a student from this school who would then attend Red Balloon for a week
-A comparitive paragraph where you highlight the similarities or differences you think you would encounter

Mall time in South Africa

Jamie asked if I would film some of the shops or the mall in Pietermaritzburg. I looked a little mad talking to myself and trying not to walk into people, but it should give you an idea of where I did my Christmas shopping this year. Have a look at the youtube clip and let me know what you think.




TASK B
See if you can write down 10 things you observed or learnt in this youtube clip on the mall.

Use these points to help you:
-Did you expect it to look like this?
-What was similar to England and what do you think was different? Make sure you give reasons
for your answers.

PS. I am looking forward to the snowman clip you are producing!

South African ski resort

South African ski resorts

In South Africa there isn’t a variety of ski resorts to choose from. There are a few slopes in the Drakensberg Mountains in the east of south Africa, where you can go to one ski resort called Tiffindell.

Tiffindell is the only ski resort in south Africa, with a a 1km long slope with a snow machine that guarantees snow over 100 days. Located in the Drakensberg Mountains, you can visit the highest pub in south Africa, at about 2720m above sea level.

About 300 skiers and snowboarders use the slopes at Tiffendell every day, with accommodation for 116 people. Off-slope hotels and hostels are available in the New England and Rhodes areas of South Africa.

A compulsory beginners course is required for first-timers. This takes place on a 60m long flat course with instructors to help you learn quickly and easily. Equipment is available for hire on-site

After a long days skiing you can put your feet up at one of the bars, sit around a fire, or watch one of the torch-lit ski demonstrations available or relax with a massage from the resident masseuse.

There are other daytime activities available if skiing is not what your after, such as walks to local frozen waterfalls and landmarks, snowman building or even just a simple snowball fight.

- Ruairi

Penguins

The south african peguin came up in lee's picture quiz I was not completely sure if africa had penguins but I got it right. The african penguins or the spheniscus demersus are the only penguin to breed in africa and are not found any were else in the world. Now for the facts the african penguin is 68cm in length and between 2.1 and 3.7kg in weight. The penguins breeding area is from Hollomsbird island, off central Namibia, to bird island in algoa bay. There are 6 breeding islands in algoa bay.

The peguins rate of decline is 2% there is probably

half the ammount of penguins than there was in the 1900. The main reason for there decline is the use of the eggs as food, the disturbance of there nest.

- Derek

Box of ice

This is the picture of an ice skating rink, this is one of the pictures I got incorrect on Lee's picture challenge. I do have an excuse though, there was no sky in this particular photo and as I was guessing every picture on the way the sky was, like if it was a clear blue sky, it was South Africa, and any other type wasnt. Anyway I assumed they wouldnt have an ice rink in South Africa, I suoppose because its always nice and warm, I thought 'why would they want to stand in a box of ice'. It must be tricky keeping the ice strong and thick as when I asked Lee what the hottest day she had has so far, she replied 36 degrees. It must be rare though to find a shop in South Africa were they sell ice gear: skates, big coat etc, they would probably find it odd in the shop if it was 36 degrees, and I asked for a wooly coat and gloves.

- Mark

Charlie's thoughts

It was a bit strange talking to Lee on a computer when she is in another country, when she is so far away. But I think it is exciting and extrordinary to talk to someone in another country.

There were pictures and i needed to find out where they came from. Maybe South Africa or another country.

-Charlie

Pietermaritzburg city centre

Many of you have asked me to film different things in South Africa. I know it is difficult to picture a place you have never visited before, so I hope the series of videos to come will help to paint a picture for you of the many contrasts in South Africa.I know they are amateur, but I hope to learn from your developing ICT video skills!

Below is a video of Church street in Pietermaritzburg, it is the centre of the city and is loaded with different shops. It is not as busy as it used to be as shopping malls have popped up around the city and I filmed it on a quiet day too.

The reality of South Africa - The picture quiz!

Last week we completed the 'South Africa picture challenge' and on the whole your answers revealed that our knowledge about what you can possibly find in South Africa needs some attention! (Who is your teacher educating you anyway? I need to have a word!).

It turns out that Eustace got the most number of questions correct with a score of 9/11. Well done Eustace! The answer to the quiz was....

ALL THE PICTURES ARE TAKEN IN SOUTH AFRICA, EXCEPT THE LAST ONE... WE DON'T GET TIGERS IN AFRICA!


TASK A:
Choose one of the pictures from the 'picture quiz' that you really don't believe was taken in South Africa. Conduct some research into the facts behind the picture and write about what you have discovered. You need to save your findings (include pictures and clips if you like) then email it to me so I can post it on the blog.
Remember to:
- Quote the source of your findings and use your own words to write about it so you don't
plagiarise.
- Give your writing a relevant and interesting title.
- Pay attention to how you start your paragraphs.
- Consider 'purpose' and 'audience' for you piece (if we have discussed it in class).

BBC monkey documentary... well almost!

It has taken almost a week and I realise that documentary making is not my calling. I will stick to teaching as soon as I return to Red Balloon!

On the theme of wildlife, my cousin has just started working at a wildlife rehabilitation centre about 20 minutes from Pietermaritzburg. He has invited me (and you with the video camera!) to go to the centre to meet some of the animals they have in their care at the moment. Pretty exciting and does anyone know what a 'genet' is? I think we may get to hold one next week!

So here it is the full 'Monkey invasion video' let me know what you think!

-Lee

Harminder's blogging debut

School today or a snow day?

There was a small possibility of no school or teaching due to snow today even though it is 35C outside my window. It has rained for most of the time I have been home so the sunshine is greatHopefully you all have the chance to build a snowman outside.

I will keep it short today because you will add to the posts. I challenge someone to take a picture out the window so we can compare it with the one I just took below...

-Lee

Derek and Ruairi's first day....

Today we had our English lesson over skype to south Africa it was a bit strange to talk to a computer screen and not to someone in the flesh.
It is good how you can talk to someone who is so many miles away I am looking forward to learning a lot about south Africa and the different places and cultures.

-Derek and Ruairi

Where on earth is Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa?

Morning Red Balloon!

This is the first official post on our Red Balloon South Africa blog. It is a space for you to share your thoughts and ideas as we explore South Africa together and a work in progress as we all learn from each other along the way. Skype, msn, youtube, blogspot and picasa will replace the good old paper and pen for a while which I'm sure you are even more excited about!

I am sitting at the dinner table and it's drizzling lightly outside, the parrot is sleeping quietly for once in his cage next to me and the little sausage dog is barking at the neighbour cutting his lawn. It is our newest Red Balloon classroom in Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa which you can find here...

It may take a little patience to master the new teaching and learning set up, but once we have got used to it the possibilities are endless! I will update the blog throughout the day with video clips, photos, news and stories. You can leave comments and contribute as much as you like!

- Lee

PS. I tested my IT and BBC documentary skills with the short clip below. The local monkey population drift through our neighbourhood quite often.

Monkey invasion in the garden