To the minister of Tampines, The playground in Tampines is well build! There is variety of facility to be played. Not only that there are many playgrounds in Tampines, too. The playground not only is for the children to enjoy themselves but also to build up their physical level and to overcome some phobia that they have initially in their heart at the same time they can interact with others kids and make more friends which will improve their social skill.
However , although there are many playgrounds in Tampines but there is not many playground in Tampines that is suitable for those people who need more help from the society. So our group has came up and idea that we can build some playground that is only the handicapped children, or they can decide to build some facility in the playground so that the handicapped children and those children who need more help form the society can play together with the others.Instead of feeling that they are different from other people.
The playground that our group have came up with attract every single children! It is not only for the children nor the handicapped children.It allows every single children to have fun and enjoy themself. At the same time they will learn something thorugh the facilities and most importantly the safety is out first priority and all the facility that we have came up with is definately safe : e.g The swing: It is not very high and it is the shape of diapers so the kids will not fall of easily The slide: Allow the children to build their confidence against heights. Soft floor: To prevent the children from serious injury is they fall. Shelter: To allow the children to play even though it is a bad weather at the same time it preven the playground for being wet.Hence, the kids will not slip and fall down. Simon says: It allow the children to practice their memory skill through activity and challenges so that the kids are learning at the same time while they play.
Hope that minister will take our ideas and suggestions seriously and look in to the pros and cons of the playground and improve on it as there are many cases of kids being injured or killed while they are playing at the playground. Everybody once was a kids so i hope that we can give our new generation a good memory so that they will help to improve the facility of their next generation and it will carry on.
Best regards, ricky,khairi.jason, wei jie
Saturday, May 3, 2008
/ 7:57 AM
Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D model
·90 percent of the materials used are recycled.
·The materials used are mostly biodegradable.
·We tried to use each and every material to the fullest so that we do not waste them.
Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
·The bridge that connects the tower and the slide of the model relates to the bridge that Jess built in the novel.
·The swing in our model is the rope which Leslie and Jess use to swing to Terabithia.
·The tower is the tree house that Leslie and Jess built in Terabithia.
Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children
·The slide and swing allow the children to build their confidence against heights
·Mini pet zoo to allow the children to interact with animals and allows them to learn how to take care of other living things and themselves.
·Memory game is to allow the children to train their memory.
·Soft floor to prevent the children from serious injury is they fall.
Down's syndrome (also called Down syndrome) is a genetic condition known as trisomy, where a person inherits an extra copy of one chromosome. People with the syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 rather than two.
This additional genetic material changes the finely tuned balance of the body and results in characteristic physical and intellectual features.
It's not known why this abnormality occurs, but it affects around one in 1,000 babies born in the UK - about 600 babies a year - and is the most common cause of learning disability.
Different types
There are three types of Down's syndrome:
Regular trisomy 21 - all the cells have an extra chromosome 21. Around 94 per cent of people with Down's syndrome have this type.
Translocation - the extra chromosome 21 material is attached to another chromosome and one of the parents may carry the translocated chromosome without any signs of the condition themselves. This accounts for around 4 per cent of cases.
Mosaic - only some of the cells have an extra chromosome 21. Around two per cent of people with Down's have this type, which tends to result in milder features.
What are the symptoms?
Typically, people affected have a flat facial profile and eyes that slant upwards. Other facial features include smaller ears, a flat back of the head and protruding tongue.
People with the syndrome also tend to be shorter than average with poor muscle tone and have short, broad hands with a single crease across the palm.
Almost half of people affected have heart defects, some of which can be treated, some of which can't. Many also have gut problems, which can make eating difficult, and thyroid gland problems. Other physical problems include cataracts, hearing and sight problems, and a susceptibility to infections. Later in life there's also an increased risk of leukaemia.
People with Down's syndrome have varying degrees of learning disability, which may range from moderate to severe.
REUSABLE/RECYCLABLE/BIODEGRADABLE BUILDING MATERIALS
Incorporating reusable/recyclable/biodegradable building materials in your project can reduce waste, pollution, and energy use. Some examples of reusable/recyclable/biodegradable building materials include:
Building materials composed of one substance (e.g, steel, concrete, wood, etc.), or that are readily disassembled into individual materials, are generally easiest to reuse or recycle.Materials composed of many ingredients, such as vinyl siding or wood chipboard are generally not readily reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable.Evaluate materials carefully. Are they the best choice for the application? Are they durable? Can they be readily disassembled for reuse, recycling, or biodegrading at the end of the useful life of the building?
Benefits of Reusable/Recyclable/Biodegradable Materials
The extraction, manufacture and transport, and disposal of virgin building materials pollutes air and water, depletes resources, and damages natural habitats. Construction and demolition are responsible for roughly 30% of the U.S. solid waste stream and real-world case studies by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority have demonstrated more than 85% of that material, from flooring to roofing to packaging, is reusable or recyclable.
The benefits of reusing/recycling/biodegrading building materials include: Reduced landfill waste, reduced embodied energy, aesthetically pleasing materials, and reduced impacts from harvest or mining of virgin materials (e.g., logging old-growth or tropical hardwood trees, mining metals, etc.) Using reusable/recyclable/biodegradable materials supports companies that take the care to make such environmentally preferable products.
On the other hand, be aware that some materials should not be reused, or require remediation. Materials contaminated by hazardous substances such as asbestos and lead paint must be treated and/or disposed of properly. Avoiding materials that will cause future problems is critical to long-term waste reduction, as well as the health of our community and the planet
done by:weijie / 6:18 AM
/ 5:59 AM
Individual Reflections for Literature Mid-Year Project 2008 Sec 2 Express
Khairi Yahya Bin Mohd Sani (30)
Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
-Alot of recycled materials used -Most of the materials used are bio-degradeable and do not pose as a big threat to the environment. -We used cardboard,ice cream sticks, satay sticks, paper. -We tried to use as little materials as possible so as to save the trees and also the environment.
Playground concepts that are connected to the novel
-Towers which looks like the treehouse in Terabithia -A bridge that connects the towers like connecting to Terabithia. -A swing like the one that Jesse and Leslie swing to Terabithia at first.
Playground concepts and explaination that meet the special need of the children
-Soft floors so that the children would not get hurt. -Memory game that helps to stimulate the children's capability of thinking. -Slide and swing to help boost the children's confidence. -Pet zoo so that the children would be able to interact with others and not feel left out without any friends. -Calling tube so that it can help them to communicate properly with others.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
/ 12:33 AM
WIP 3) Final of 3D-model.Literature Playground Pictures.
Friday, April 18, 2008
/ 4:04 AM
PROJECT TASK: SA1 (100%) – Final Version
Explanation for the specific recycled materials used in our model=)
The aluminium cans, satay sticks, colourful ice-cream sticks, toothpicks, cardboard and colourpaper are all able to recycle that is why we chose the materials stated above. For the aluminium can the rubbish collecter(Garung Guni)would collect old newspaper or aluminium cans as they can be squashed together with the same type of materials as they are and made them back to a new one. Example the aluminium can can be melted and made into a new can for other drinks products,paper can be made into a new notebook,textbook etc and cardboard can be make back into things like the container which Mcdonalds use to put their fries and sell them. Most of the materials are made from wood which is from the tree and if we use them or recycle them we can save the earth from global warming. As for the styrofoam board they are from the electrical appliances we bought outside and they would put it around to secure the items and we used them as they cannot be recycle and so we reuse them.
/ 3:51 AM
PROJECT TASK: SA1 (100%) – Final Version How the novel inspired our playground:)
The bridge you see connecting the tower to the slide came from the idea of the bridge that was in the novel and the tower is the tree house Leslie and Jess built in the novel which inspired us to build the model.The swing which can be hardly seen on the pictures are the idea when Leslie and Jess took turns to swing the swing which was somewhere near their houses.Above the tunnel is a hideout(without the roof,not made yet) with a ladder that leads to the top of the hideout.The ladder and the hideout is quite similar to what was in the movie of 'Bridge To Terabithia' which we thinks is nice and beautiful. The colourful fences in front of the playground is from the idea of most houses found in the movie as they had a gate in front to beautify and keep the burglars away.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
/ 10:03 PM
1.Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
-The material we use mostly is reused material and about 90 percent of our material that we used mostly is biodegradable,so it will not have a lot of damage on nature and our surrounding.
-The material that is non-biodegradable is being reused.
**I personally think that reused is far more important than recycle.It is because recycle still will required some factory process which need money but reused is very easy and it will not required factory process**
2.Remarks (e.g. materials to be used, relevant research with links, photograph links.etc) -Satay sticks(biodegradable) -ice cream sticks(biodegradable) -styrofoam(non-brodegradable but it was reused) -colour paper (biodegradable)
3.Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
-The playground bridge.
-The tower.
-The pet therapy .
-The swing
4.Explanation of how the designs/concepts are linked to the novel
-The playground we put in a bridge which is similiar to the bridge to Terabethia. -The tower is similiar to the novel because we get the idea of building the tower from the novel when jesse and leslie build a house on the tree so we decided to build a tower. -The pet therapy is also similiar to the prince terrian because they are both put trust and believe in pet. -The swing is similiar to the novel because in the novel jesse and leslie swing acrosee the river with the rope which inspire us building a swing in the playground.
5.Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children
-The pet therapy.
-The swing.
-The floor
-The calling tube
-The memmory game
6.Explanation of how the designs meet the special needs of the children.
-The pet therapy provide the down syndrome children a sense of friendliness as the pet is very friendly towards the down syndrome children.The down syndrome children also can learn how to take care of the pets and they can fully trust on the pet and the pet can be an consultant toward them.
-The swing has a protection seat which is very safe for the down syndrome people,which will not let them fell down and they can have fun at the same time.Also it will build up their comfidence level!
-The floor it is soft and bouncy, so it won't really hurt the down syndrom kids if they fell down while they are running.
-The calling tube enable the instructor to communicate with one another or allow the instructor to communicate with the down syndrom kids secretly so that the down syndrom will have a sense of secure when telling the instructor their own secret.
-The memmory games practice their brain cell and enable the down syndrom kids to have fun at the same times.It is neither very complicated to be played nor easily mastered. It will required the down syndrom kids to memmories the sequence of the colour button that the instructor pressed.
ricky(40)2e7
/ 9:25 PM
WIP 1) Pictures of Playgrounds Some Playground Structures that could be considered
/ 8:48 PM
WIP 1) This is some materials that could be considered using
Cardboard
Clay(mould and create objects from it)
Satay sticks
Used paper, (make paper Mache, could consider to use it as playground floors)
Lollipop sticks(for gates, fences)
Yakult bottles (structure)
Cloth (from old clothes)
Straws(reuse)
Seashells? (it’ll be sand if it cracks to pieces, so no harm to environment)
Matchbox
Aluminum Can
Ice cream sticks
Bottle cap
Twine
Thursday, March 20, 2008
/ 10:32 PM
1.Why did leslie die offstage in the movie? In my personal opinion, I think that maybe during that filiming part,it is maybe the actor's school holiday had ended and she is not able to take out time to film as it is also very tiring after the whole school day or she has cca and is not able to film.I also think that maybe if can act out her parents may object as she is too young as maybe the director will ask her to pretend to sleep in a coffin etc. The actor parent's maybe auspicious and think that it is very unlucky. Maybe the director ask her to to act out the part when she fall into the river and if they did not prepare any safety precautions she might really die.
2.Who/What does Dark lord represent? (i)Leslie(Why) To Leslie Dark Lord is a fearsome creature which will destroy the Kingdom that she had built with Jess and all the ''magical creatures'' in the kingdom or even kill them.Leslie does not have many friends back in her old school as everyone thinks that she is weird and she fear that Dark lord would take away her only friends from her.
(ii)Jess(Why) To Jess Dark Lord is someone that will take away his family members and friends and he fear that he might not see them ever again.His parents does not pay much attention to him and thinks his talent in drawing is useless to them as he cannot make money out of drawing.Same as Leslie they both does not have much friends in school and they could only depend on each other.
(iii)yourself(Why) To me Dark Lord represents lonely alone without any family members or friends and they did not care about me anymore as they drift further and further away from me and disappeared into thin air.A person without family and friends and live in darkness is miserable and scary.
3.Do you prefer the movie or the novel?Why? I prefer the movie.The movie is different from the novel and you can hear and there is image of all the characters in the movie and leslie is more beautiful in the movie than I can imagine as the author in the novel did not described much about her appearance and Jess is like not very good looking.The movie sound effects and the actions were awesome!
WeiJie(31), 2e7
/ 8:36 PM
1) Why did Leslie die offstage in the movie?
I think that Leslie dying offstage adds the realism of Jess being really sad and it is really unexpected for the viewers that she was really going to die.
2) Who/What does the Dark Lord represent?
Leslie.
The Dark Lord represents one of the many characters Leslie made up. It gives Leslie a sense of excitement in life. It is like a goal for her to accomplish and that goal is that she has to avoid the Dark Lord like in the video games. The Dark Lord also represents the obsticles that Leslie have to face in her life.
Jess. I think that the Dark Lord represents his dad and the lack of love that he got. He did not get enough affection from his family and he felt alone and left out. He feels scared of the Dark Lord because he is scared of his dad. The Dark Lord also could represent Jess's fear of losing the only people that he loved and loved him back. So that fear haunts him and he did not want it to occur.
Myself. To me, the Dark Lord represents the feeling of no affection being given to me and I feel alone with no one to talk to. The Dark Lord is simply a mixed feeling of someone who is unsure of who loves him most and felt that his own family members do not really care about him and feel that only some people which are not even his flesh and blood are the one who understands and loves him best.
3) Do you prefer the movie or the book? Explain. I prefer the movie rather than the book. The movie lets me imagine more and really understand how the characters felt by their actions and their facial expressions. The movie also allow me to picture how the characters look like rather than the description given by the book. The movie is also more interesting than the novel as watching is far more easier than reading.
Khairi Yahya (30) 2e7
/ 7:49 PM
Q1.) Why did Leslie die offstage in the movie? Answer: In my own opinion,there are two possible reasons why Leslie died offstage.
The first reason probably could be because the director felt that it would be a little too difficult for the actress(who acts as Leslie) to act out a death scene with her young age as she may not be able to express herself well by her expressions and body movement.Hence,the director decided not to take the scene of how Leslie died.
The second reason could be because the director felt that it would be too dangerous for the actress to act out the scene.I feel that the director may have felt that it would be too dangerous as they would have to the cut the rope and take the scene of the actress falling into the river.In the event that the scene is not successful,they would have to have a few more takes of the same scene which would increase the risk of any mishaps that may happen when taking this scene. Therefore,the director decided to let Leslie die offstage.
Q2.)Who/What does the dark lord represents? (*in my opinion* dark lord= a person's fear of something)
( i) Leslie's dark lord is the fear of being lonely and not having any friends around her to accompany her.She do not really care who she mixes with as long as she isn't feeling lonely. She also wish that she have someone whom she can confide,trust and rely on.
(ii) Jesse's dark lord is the fear of not having any attention from anyone and eventually losing them.These could probably be the reason why both Leslie and him rely on each other to a great extent as she is one who he can confide in.It is also his wish that his family will pay more attention to him especially the attention of his parents.
(iii)My dark lord is the fear of being lonely and not having any friends around me.I've ever experienced that feeling before and the feeling was really awful!It felt like there's a void which needed to be filled up and in my opinion,that void would definitely be filled up by friends.When i just came to Singapore to study,i felt very lonely as i did not have any friends with me and therefore,i did not step out of the house. Besides not having any friends,i did not own a computer or any communication devices with me.Thus,for that first few months,i felt lonely and had no one to rely on except for my mother and sister.Therefore,i feel that my friends are very important to me.
3) Do you prefer the movie or the book?Why? I prefer the movie as i can have a better view of how the characters may look like instead of having myself to imagine.Another reason why i prefer the movie as watching the movie will help me have a better understanding of the story and it's more interesting compared to the book as i would have taken a few days to read finish the whole story and i may not have a good understanding of the story.Besides,it would be troublesome for me as i would have to check the dictionary for the words that i do not understand and it would definitely cause me to lose interest in the book and the passion to read books.
Ricky(40) 2E7
Literature reflections / 7:41 PM
1) Why did Leslie die offstage in the movie? The producer felt that he do not need to show everything out for the viewers and just allowing them to know by the characters in the show saying about the incident.
2) Who/What does the Dark Lord represent? i) Leslie Leslie’s Dark Lord represents her fear of having no friends in her new school and gets bullied by them. Her father knew that Leslie does not have many friend in her old school and they decided to move to the farm and start a new life here hoping to start a new beginning.
ii) Jesse Jesse’s Dark Lord represents people around him dying. He tries protecting the people around him as he was afraid he would lose them. When May Belle wanted to follow him to Terabithia, he was afraid something may happen to her. In the last few chapters, when Leslie died, he was a totally different person. From his reaction we can know he is trying to deceive himself that Leslie’s death was not true and when he woke up the next morning after Leslie’s death, he totally forgets about it as he thought that was not real.
iii) Yourself My Dark Lord represents me being alone. I am afraid being alone as it would be very quiet and no one there to talk to me. When I am alone, I will start thinking illogical things. That is the reason why I try to make as many friends as possible in school so that I would not be lonely.
3) Do you prefer the movie or the book?Explain. I prefer the movie as there are sound effects and facial expressions to help understand the feeling of the characters better. Having to see the characters makes me feel easier to know how bullies in shows looks instead of me guessing how they look. By Jason Loo 2e7 (32)
/ 7:37 PM
Difference between movie and novel
Novel. 1) Jess waves to Janice when he gets off the bus. 2) Leslie introduced herself to Jess at the fence between their homes before school starts. 3) Jess's parents are watchful about him hanging out with a girl. 4) Gary was not punched by Jess for making fun on Leslie's death. 5) Jess has trouble figuring out Leslie's gender at first. 6) Terabithia was an ordinary forest.
Movie. 1) Jesse waved to Leslie. 2) Leslie was clearly a girl. 3) Jess's mom was pleased to know that he hanged around with Leslie. 4) Jess punched Gary for making fun of Leslie. 5) Leslie met Jess for the first time was at school. 6) Terabithia was too magical and unrealistic.
Friday, February 22, 2008
/ 1:22 AM
C)
Diwali is a short name for Deepavali. Deepavali is the festival of Lights. The word 'Deepavali' is made up of two simple words. 'Deepa' means light and 'Avali' means a row. Hence 'Deepavali' means a row of lights. The festival is associated with many legends and beliefs. One of them is to commemorate the killing of Narakasura, a notorious demon, by Lord Krishna. Narakasura, because of his previous store of virtue, had been granted a boon at the moment of his death. He asked that his death might ever be, commemorated as a day of feasting. Hence Deepavali is known as 'Naraka Chaturdasi' The fireworks that are burst during Deepavali symbolize the use of fiery weapons used during the war that Krishna waged against the demon. Amongst the North Indians it is believed that Deepavali is the day on which Sri Ram returned from His 14 years of exile in the forest, after having got rid of various demons who made life hell for the sages and common people. Deepavali symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and it celebrates the triumphant return of Sri Ram to His Kingdom. People rejoice by burning earthen oil lamps to welcome Sri Ram back to His throne. On Deepavali day, the members of the mercantile community open and worship new account books and ledgers. This is because during Deepavali the Sun enters its second course and passes Libra, which is represented by the 'Balance' or 'Scale'. During Deepavali, spring cleaning is done as it is believed that the Goddess of Wealth Laxmi would enter a clean and cheerful house. Plenty of long-lost items are found and a lot of dirt is removed from the house. How much we care to cast away the rubbish that stirs up trouble within us, is a matter to consider. By lighting lamps in our home, let us strive to dispel the spiritual darkness that we seem to be seeped in, and let us make our heart a place in which Sri Ram may reign and bring about peace love and prosperity. A true Ram-Rajya, the All-Around Auspicious Kingdom of Sri Ram. Happy Diwali
/ 1:10 AM
Celebration of theLantern Festival
Falling on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year, the Lantern Festival takes place under a full moon, and marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. The Lantern Festival dates back to shrouded legends of the Han Dynasty over 2000 years ago.
Legend of the Lantern Festival's Origin In one such legend, the Jade Emperor in Heaven was so angered at a town for killing his favorite goose, that he decided to destroy it with a storm of fire. However, a good-hearted fairy heard of this act of vengeance, and warned the people of the town to light lanterns throughout the town on the appointed day. The townsfolk did as they were told, and from the Heavens, it looked as if the village was ablaze. Satisfied that his goose had already been avenged, the Jade Emperor decided not to destroy the town. From that day on, people celebrated the anniversary of their deliverance by carried lanterns of different shapes and colors through the streets on the first full moon of the year, providing a spectacular backdrop for lion dances, dragon dances, and fireworks. The Modern Lantern Festival While the Lantern Festival has changed very little over the last two millennia, technological advances have made the celebration moreand more complex and visually stimulating. Indeed, the festival as celebrated in some places (such as Taipei, Taiwan) can put even the most garish American Christmas decorations to shame. They often sport unique displays of light that leave the viewer in awe. Master craftsman will construct multicolored paper lanterns in the likeness of butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies, and many other animals; these accentuate the more common, red, spherical lanterns. Brilliantly-lit floats and mechanically driven light displays draw the attention of the young and old alike. Sometimes, entire streets are blocked off, with lanterns mounted above and to the sides, creating a hallway of lamps. Some cities in North China even make lanterns from blocks of ice! And just as in days gone by, the billion-watt background sets the scene for dragon and lion dances, parades, and other festivities.
Yuan Xiao and Tang YuanYuan Xiao and Tang Yuan are balls of glutinous rice, sometimes rolled around a filling of sesame, peanuts, vegetable, or meat. Tang Yuan are often cooked in red-bean or other kinds of soup. The round shape symbolizes wholenessand unity.
WeiJie: I feel that lantern festival is a very important event as it is a form of tradition and we get to eat mooncakes and enjoy the view of the full moon.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
/ 11:14 PM
(a) It was Chinese New Year! Every neighbours around our house were decorating their house.Mostly the decoration is in red. Neighbours around us looked happy and wherever they go they put on smiles. For me, I was a bit sad as I am a foreigner. All of my relatives were at Taiwan, only my mom, sister and I. Although we did put on some decorations but the spirit is just not there. I missed my hometown and my relatives. In the past, we used to gather together during Chinese New Year eve and each relatives family would bring one or two dishes and we would eat together.After we had our dinner, the adult would gamble and we kids would play fireworks. When i started to study in Singapore, all these celebration has dropped out of my life. There was no red packet and even Chinese New Year eve there is nothing much to play or do, but one traditional way of celebration is to reach home early and have dinner together with my family. On that day, mother cooked a very delicious dinner compare to the past. I guessed mother knew that we don't really have fun compare to the past and the only thing she could do is to cook a delicious meal for us. After we have our dinner we called dad through internet and we greeted him happy chinese new year and we chatted for a while than we hanged the phone. We wend to sleep right after we had hanged the phone.During that night,I dreamt that I flew back to Taiwan and I met my relatives and we had real fun together. I miss my country and my relatives.
(b)The difference : 1) I will go to a shopping mall or busy street and count down while Jess and his family did not count down. 2)During Christmas,Jess still has to milk the cow but i am playing. 3)Jess don't have goodies but i have goodies during Christmas. 4)Jess gave his little sister May Belle Christmas present but I didn't give my older sister Christmas present. 5)I put on Christmas decoration but he didn't. 6)I have a Christmas tree but he didn't have.
The similarity : 1) We will still exchange presents with friends and relative. 2)We both enjoyed Christmas. 3)We also celebrated Christams together with our own family.4) He didn't go to church for prayers neither did I.5) My family and his Family did last minute shopping.
To the minister of Tampines, The playground in Tampines is well build! There is variety of facility to be played. Not only that there are many playgrounds in Tampines, too. The playground not only is for the children to enjoy themselves but also to build up their physical level and to overcome some phobia that they have initially in their heart at the same time they can interact with others kids and make more friends which will improve their social skill.
However , although there are many playgrounds in Tampines but there is not many playground in Tampines that is suitable for those people who need more help from the society. So our group has came up and idea that we can build some playground that is only the handicapped children, or they can decide to build some facility in the playground so that the handicapped children and those children who need more help form the society can play together with the others.Instead of feeling that they are different from other people.
The playground that our group have came up with attract every single children! It is not only for the children nor the handicapped children.It allows every single children to have fun and enjoy themself. At the same time they will learn something thorugh the facilities and most importantly the safety is out first priority and all the facility that we have came up with is definately safe : e.g The swing: It is not very high and it is the shape of diapers so the kids will not fall of easily The slide: Allow the children to build their confidence against heights. Soft floor: To prevent the children from serious injury is they fall. Shelter: To allow the children to play even though it is a bad weather at the same time it preven the playground for being wet.Hence, the kids will not slip and fall down. Simon says: It allow the children to practice their memory skill through activity and challenges so that the kids are learning at the same time while they play.
Hope that minister will take our ideas and suggestions seriously and look in to the pros and cons of the playground and improve on it as there are many cases of kids being injured or killed while they are playing at the playground. Everybody once was a kids so i hope that we can give our new generation a good memory so that they will help to improve the facility of their next generation and it will carry on.
Best regards, ricky,khairi.jason, wei jie
Saturday, May 3, 2008
/ 7:57 AM
Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D model
·90 percent of the materials used are recycled.
·The materials used are mostly biodegradable.
·We tried to use each and every material to the fullest so that we do not waste them.
Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
·The bridge that connects the tower and the slide of the model relates to the bridge that Jess built in the novel.
·The swing in our model is the rope which Leslie and Jess use to swing to Terabithia.
·The tower is the tree house that Leslie and Jess built in Terabithia.
Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children
·The slide and swing allow the children to build their confidence against heights
·Mini pet zoo to allow the children to interact with animals and allows them to learn how to take care of other living things and themselves.
·Memory game is to allow the children to train their memory.
·Soft floor to prevent the children from serious injury is they fall.
Down's syndrome (also called Down syndrome) is a genetic condition known as trisomy, where a person inherits an extra copy of one chromosome. People with the syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 rather than two.
This additional genetic material changes the finely tuned balance of the body and results in characteristic physical and intellectual features.
It's not known why this abnormality occurs, but it affects around one in 1,000 babies born in the UK - about 600 babies a year - and is the most common cause of learning disability.
Different types
There are three types of Down's syndrome:
Regular trisomy 21 - all the cells have an extra chromosome 21. Around 94 per cent of people with Down's syndrome have this type.
Translocation - the extra chromosome 21 material is attached to another chromosome and one of the parents may carry the translocated chromosome without any signs of the condition themselves. This accounts for around 4 per cent of cases.
Mosaic - only some of the cells have an extra chromosome 21. Around two per cent of people with Down's have this type, which tends to result in milder features.
What are the symptoms?
Typically, people affected have a flat facial profile and eyes that slant upwards. Other facial features include smaller ears, a flat back of the head and protruding tongue.
People with the syndrome also tend to be shorter than average with poor muscle tone and have short, broad hands with a single crease across the palm.
Almost half of people affected have heart defects, some of which can be treated, some of which can't. Many also have gut problems, which can make eating difficult, and thyroid gland problems. Other physical problems include cataracts, hearing and sight problems, and a susceptibility to infections. Later in life there's also an increased risk of leukaemia.
People with Down's syndrome have varying degrees of learning disability, which may range from moderate to severe.
REUSABLE/RECYCLABLE/BIODEGRADABLE BUILDING MATERIALS
Incorporating reusable/recyclable/biodegradable building materials in your project can reduce waste, pollution, and energy use. Some examples of reusable/recyclable/biodegradable building materials include:
Building materials composed of one substance (e.g, steel, concrete, wood, etc.), or that are readily disassembled into individual materials, are generally easiest to reuse or recycle.Materials composed of many ingredients, such as vinyl siding or wood chipboard are generally not readily reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable.Evaluate materials carefully. Are they the best choice for the application? Are they durable? Can they be readily disassembled for reuse, recycling, or biodegrading at the end of the useful life of the building?
Benefits of Reusable/Recyclable/Biodegradable Materials
The extraction, manufacture and transport, and disposal of virgin building materials pollutes air and water, depletes resources, and damages natural habitats. Construction and demolition are responsible for roughly 30% of the U.S. solid waste stream and real-world case studies by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority have demonstrated more than 85% of that material, from flooring to roofing to packaging, is reusable or recyclable.
The benefits of reusing/recycling/biodegrading building materials include: Reduced landfill waste, reduced embodied energy, aesthetically pleasing materials, and reduced impacts from harvest or mining of virgin materials (e.g., logging old-growth or tropical hardwood trees, mining metals, etc.) Using reusable/recyclable/biodegradable materials supports companies that take the care to make such environmentally preferable products.
On the other hand, be aware that some materials should not be reused, or require remediation. Materials contaminated by hazardous substances such as asbestos and lead paint must be treated and/or disposed of properly. Avoiding materials that will cause future problems is critical to long-term waste reduction, as well as the health of our community and the planet
done by:weijie / 6:18 AM
/ 5:59 AM
Individual Reflections for Literature Mid-Year Project 2008 Sec 2 Express
Khairi Yahya Bin Mohd Sani (30)
Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
-Alot of recycled materials used -Most of the materials used are bio-degradeable and do not pose as a big threat to the environment. -We used cardboard,ice cream sticks, satay sticks, paper. -We tried to use as little materials as possible so as to save the trees and also the environment.
Playground concepts that are connected to the novel
-Towers which looks like the treehouse in Terabithia -A bridge that connects the towers like connecting to Terabithia. -A swing like the one that Jesse and Leslie swing to Terabithia at first.
Playground concepts and explaination that meet the special need of the children
-Soft floors so that the children would not get hurt. -Memory game that helps to stimulate the children's capability of thinking. -Slide and swing to help boost the children's confidence. -Pet zoo so that the children would be able to interact with others and not feel left out without any friends. -Calling tube so that it can help them to communicate properly with others.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
/ 12:33 AM
WIP 3) Final of 3D-model.Literature Playground Pictures.
Friday, April 18, 2008
/ 4:04 AM
PROJECT TASK: SA1 (100%) – Final Version
Explanation for the specific recycled materials used in our model=)
The aluminium cans, satay sticks, colourful ice-cream sticks, toothpicks, cardboard and colourpaper are all able to recycle that is why we chose the materials stated above. For the aluminium can the rubbish collecter(Garung Guni)would collect old newspaper or aluminium cans as they can be squashed together with the same type of materials as they are and made them back to a new one. Example the aluminium can can be melted and made into a new can for other drinks products,paper can be made into a new notebook,textbook etc and cardboard can be make back into things like the container which Mcdonalds use to put their fries and sell them. Most of the materials are made from wood which is from the tree and if we use them or recycle them we can save the earth from global warming. As for the styrofoam board they are from the electrical appliances we bought outside and they would put it around to secure the items and we used them as they cannot be recycle and so we reuse them.
/ 3:51 AM
PROJECT TASK: SA1 (100%) – Final Version How the novel inspired our playground:)
The bridge you see connecting the tower to the slide came from the idea of the bridge that was in the novel and the tower is the tree house Leslie and Jess built in the novel which inspired us to build the model.The swing which can be hardly seen on the pictures are the idea when Leslie and Jess took turns to swing the swing which was somewhere near their houses.Above the tunnel is a hideout(without the roof,not made yet) with a ladder that leads to the top of the hideout.The ladder and the hideout is quite similar to what was in the movie of 'Bridge To Terabithia' which we thinks is nice and beautiful. The colourful fences in front of the playground is from the idea of most houses found in the movie as they had a gate in front to beautify and keep the burglars away.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
/ 10:03 PM
1.Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
-The material we use mostly is reused material and about 90 percent of our material that we used mostly is biodegradable,so it will not have a lot of damage on nature and our surrounding.
-The material that is non-biodegradable is being reused.
**I personally think that reused is far more important than recycle.It is because recycle still will required some factory process which need money but reused is very easy and it will not required factory process**
2.Remarks (e.g. materials to be used, relevant research with links, photograph links.etc) -Satay sticks(biodegradable) -ice cream sticks(biodegradable) -styrofoam(non-brodegradable but it was reused) -colour paper (biodegradable)
3.Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
-The playground bridge.
-The tower.
-The pet therapy .
-The swing
4.Explanation of how the designs/concepts are linked to the novel
-The playground we put in a bridge which is similiar to the bridge to Terabethia. -The tower is similiar to the novel because we get the idea of building the tower from the novel when jesse and leslie build a house on the tree so we decided to build a tower. -The pet therapy is also similiar to the prince terrian because they are both put trust and believe in pet. -The swing is similiar to the novel because in the novel jesse and leslie swing acrosee the river with the rope which inspire us building a swing in the playground.
5.Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children
-The pet therapy.
-The swing.
-The floor
-The calling tube
-The memmory game
6.Explanation of how the designs meet the special needs of the children.
-The pet therapy provide the down syndrome children a sense of friendliness as the pet is very friendly towards the down syndrome children.The down syndrome children also can learn how to take care of the pets and they can fully trust on the pet and the pet can be an consultant toward them.
-The swing has a protection seat which is very safe for the down syndrome people,which will not let them fell down and they can have fun at the same time.Also it will build up their comfidence level!
-The floor it is soft and bouncy, so it won't really hurt the down syndrom kids if they fell down while they are running.
-The calling tube enable the instructor to communicate with one another or allow the instructor to communicate with the down syndrom kids secretly so that the down syndrom will have a sense of secure when telling the instructor their own secret.
-The memmory games practice their brain cell and enable the down syndrom kids to have fun at the same times.It is neither very complicated to be played nor easily mastered. It will required the down syndrom kids to memmories the sequence of the colour button that the instructor pressed.
ricky(40)2e7
/ 9:25 PM
WIP 1) Pictures of Playgrounds Some Playground Structures that could be considered
/ 8:48 PM
WIP 1) This is some materials that could be considered using
Cardboard
Clay(mould and create objects from it)
Satay sticks
Used paper, (make paper Mache, could consider to use it as playground floors)
Lollipop sticks(for gates, fences)
Yakult bottles (structure)
Cloth (from old clothes)
Straws(reuse)
Seashells? (it’ll be sand if it cracks to pieces, so no harm to environment)
Matchbox
Aluminum Can
Ice cream sticks
Bottle cap
Twine
Thursday, March 20, 2008
/ 10:32 PM
1.Why did leslie die offstage in the movie? In my personal opinion, I think that maybe during that filiming part,it is maybe the actor's school holiday had ended and she is not able to take out time to film as it is also very tiring after the whole school day or she has cca and is not able to film.I also think that maybe if can act out her parents may object as she is too young as maybe the director will ask her to pretend to sleep in a coffin etc. The actor parent's maybe auspicious and think that it is very unlucky. Maybe the director ask her to to act out the part when she fall into the river and if they did not prepare any safety precautions she might really die.
2.Who/What does Dark lord represent? (i)Leslie(Why) To Leslie Dark Lord is a fearsome creature which will destroy the Kingdom that she had built with Jess and all the ''magical creatures'' in the kingdom or even kill them.Leslie does not have many friends back in her old school as everyone thinks that she is weird and she fear that Dark lord would take away her only friends from her.
(ii)Jess(Why) To Jess Dark Lord is someone that will take away his family members and friends and he fear that he might not see them ever again.His parents does not pay much attention to him and thinks his talent in drawing is useless to them as he cannot make money out of drawing.Same as Leslie they both does not have much friends in school and they could only depend on each other.
(iii)yourself(Why) To me Dark Lord represents lonely alone without any family members or friends and they did not care about me anymore as they drift further and further away from me and disappeared into thin air.A person without family and friends and live in darkness is miserable and scary.
3.Do you prefer the movie or the novel?Why? I prefer the movie.The movie is different from the novel and you can hear and there is image of all the characters in the movie and leslie is more beautiful in the movie than I can imagine as the author in the novel did not described much about her appearance and Jess is like not very good looking.The movie sound effects and the actions were awesome!
WeiJie(31), 2e7
/ 8:36 PM
1) Why did Leslie die offstage in the movie?
I think that Leslie dying offstage adds the realism of Jess being really sad and it is really unexpected for the viewers that she was really going to die.
2) Who/What does the Dark Lord represent?
Leslie.
The Dark Lord represents one of the many characters Leslie made up. It gives Leslie a sense of excitement in life. It is like a goal for her to accomplish and that goal is that she has to avoid the Dark Lord like in the video games. The Dark Lord also represents the obsticles that Leslie have to face in her life.
Jess. I think that the Dark Lord represents his dad and the lack of love that he got. He did not get enough affection from his family and he felt alone and left out. He feels scared of the Dark Lord because he is scared of his dad. The Dark Lord also could represent Jess's fear of losing the only people that he loved and loved him back. So that fear haunts him and he did not want it to occur.
Myself. To me, the Dark Lord represents the feeling of no affection being given to me and I feel alone with no one to talk to. The Dark Lord is simply a mixed feeling of someone who is unsure of who loves him most and felt that his own family members do not really care about him and feel that only some people which are not even his flesh and blood are the one who understands and loves him best.
3) Do you prefer the movie or the book? Explain. I prefer the movie rather than the book. The movie lets me imagine more and really understand how the characters felt by their actions and their facial expressions. The movie also allow me to picture how the characters look like rather than the description given by the book. The movie is also more interesting than the novel as watching is far more easier than reading.
Khairi Yahya (30) 2e7
/ 7:49 PM
Q1.) Why did Leslie die offstage in the movie? Answer: In my own opinion,there are two possible reasons why Leslie died offstage.
The first reason probably could be because the director felt that it would be a little too difficult for the actress(who acts as Leslie) to act out a death scene with her young age as she may not be able to express herself well by her expressions and body movement.Hence,the director decided not to take the scene of how Leslie died.
The second reason could be because the director felt that it would be too dangerous for the actress to act out the scene.I feel that the director may have felt that it would be too dangerous as they would have to the cut the rope and take the scene of the actress falling into the river.In the event that the scene is not successful,they would have to have a few more takes of the same scene which would increase the risk of any mishaps that may happen when taking this scene. Therefore,the director decided to let Leslie die offstage.
Q2.)Who/What does the dark lord represents? (*in my opinion* dark lord= a person's fear of something)
( i) Leslie's dark lord is the fear of being lonely and not having any friends around her to accompany her.She do not really care who she mixes with as long as she isn't feeling lonely. She also wish that she have someone whom she can confide,trust and rely on.
(ii) Jesse's dark lord is the fear of not having any attention from anyone and eventually losing them.These could probably be the reason why both Leslie and him rely on each other to a great extent as she is one who he can confide in.It is also his wish that his family will pay more attention to him especially the attention of his parents.
(iii)My dark lord is the fear of being lonely and not having any friends around me.I've ever experienced that feeling before and the feeling was really awful!It felt like there's a void which needed to be filled up and in my opinion,that void would definitely be filled up by friends.When i just came to Singapore to study,i felt very lonely as i did not have any friends with me and therefore,i did not step out of the house. Besides not having any friends,i did not own a computer or any communication devices with me.Thus,for that first few months,i felt lonely and had no one to rely on except for my mother and sister.Therefore,i feel that my friends are very important to me.
3) Do you prefer the movie or the book?Why? I prefer the movie as i can have a better view of how the characters may look like instead of having myself to imagine.Another reason why i prefer the movie as watching the movie will help me have a better understanding of the story and it's more interesting compared to the book as i would have taken a few days to read finish the whole story and i may not have a good understanding of the story.Besides,it would be troublesome for me as i would have to check the dictionary for the words that i do not understand and it would definitely cause me to lose interest in the book and the passion to read books.
Ricky(40) 2E7
Literature reflections / 7:41 PM
1) Why did Leslie die offstage in the movie? The producer felt that he do not need to show everything out for the viewers and just allowing them to know by the characters in the show saying about the incident.
2) Who/What does the Dark Lord represent? i) Leslie Leslie’s Dark Lord represents her fear of having no friends in her new school and gets bullied by them. Her father knew that Leslie does not have many friend in her old school and they decided to move to the farm and start a new life here hoping to start a new beginning.
ii) Jesse Jesse’s Dark Lord represents people around him dying. He tries protecting the people around him as he was afraid he would lose them. When May Belle wanted to follow him to Terabithia, he was afraid something may happen to her. In the last few chapters, when Leslie died, he was a totally different person. From his reaction we can know he is trying to deceive himself that Leslie’s death was not true and when he woke up the next morning after Leslie’s death, he totally forgets about it as he thought that was not real.
iii) Yourself My Dark Lord represents me being alone. I am afraid being alone as it would be very quiet and no one there to talk to me. When I am alone, I will start thinking illogical things. That is the reason why I try to make as many friends as possible in school so that I would not be lonely.
3) Do you prefer the movie or the book?Explain. I prefer the movie as there are sound effects and facial expressions to help understand the feeling of the characters better. Having to see the characters makes me feel easier to know how bullies in shows looks instead of me guessing how they look. By Jason Loo 2e7 (32)
/ 7:37 PM
Difference between movie and novel
Novel. 1) Jess waves to Janice when he gets off the bus. 2) Leslie introduced herself to Jess at the fence between their homes before school starts. 3) Jess's parents are watchful about him hanging out with a girl. 4) Gary was not punched by Jess for making fun on Leslie's death. 5) Jess has trouble figuring out Leslie's gender at first. 6) Terabithia was an ordinary forest.
Movie. 1) Jesse waved to Leslie. 2) Leslie was clearly a girl. 3) Jess's mom was pleased to know that he hanged around with Leslie. 4) Jess punched Gary for making fun of Leslie. 5) Leslie met Jess for the first time was at school. 6) Terabithia was too magical and unrealistic.
Friday, February 22, 2008
/ 1:22 AM
C)
Diwali is a short name for Deepavali. Deepavali is the festival of Lights. The word 'Deepavali' is made up of two simple words. 'Deepa' means light and 'Avali' means a row. Hence 'Deepavali' means a row of lights. The festival is associated with many legends and beliefs. One of them is to commemorate the killing of Narakasura, a notorious demon, by Lord Krishna. Narakasura, because of his previous store of virtue, had been granted a boon at the moment of his death. He asked that his death might ever be, commemorated as a day of feasting. Hence Deepavali is known as 'Naraka Chaturdasi' The fireworks that are burst during Deepavali symbolize the use of fiery weapons used during the war that Krishna waged against the demon. Amongst the North Indians it is believed that Deepavali is the day on which Sri Ram returned from His 14 years of exile in the forest, after having got rid of various demons who made life hell for the sages and common people. Deepavali symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and it celebrates the triumphant return of Sri Ram to His Kingdom. People rejoice by burning earthen oil lamps to welcome Sri Ram back to His throne. On Deepavali day, the members of the mercantile community open and worship new account books and ledgers. This is because during Deepavali the Sun enters its second course and passes Libra, which is represented by the 'Balance' or 'Scale'. During Deepavali, spring cleaning is done as it is believed that the Goddess of Wealth Laxmi would enter a clean and cheerful house. Plenty of long-lost items are found and a lot of dirt is removed from the house. How much we care to cast away the rubbish that stirs up trouble within us, is a matter to consider. By lighting lamps in our home, let us strive to dispel the spiritual darkness that we seem to be seeped in, and let us make our heart a place in which Sri Ram may reign and bring about peace love and prosperity. A true Ram-Rajya, the All-Around Auspicious Kingdom of Sri Ram. Happy Diwali
/ 1:10 AM
Celebration of theLantern Festival
Falling on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year, the Lantern Festival takes place under a full moon, and marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. The Lantern Festival dates back to shrouded legends of the Han Dynasty over 2000 years ago.
Legend of the Lantern Festival's Origin In one such legend, the Jade Emperor in Heaven was so angered at a town for killing his favorite goose, that he decided to destroy it with a storm of fire. However, a good-hearted fairy heard of this act of vengeance, and warned the people of the town to light lanterns throughout the town on the appointed day. The townsfolk did as they were told, and from the Heavens, it looked as if the village was ablaze. Satisfied that his goose had already been avenged, the Jade Emperor decided not to destroy the town. From that day on, people celebrated the anniversary of their deliverance by carried lanterns of different shapes and colors through the streets on the first full moon of the year, providing a spectacular backdrop for lion dances, dragon dances, and fireworks. The Modern Lantern Festival While the Lantern Festival has changed very little over the last two millennia, technological advances have made the celebration moreand more complex and visually stimulating. Indeed, the festival as celebrated in some places (such as Taipei, Taiwan) can put even the most garish American Christmas decorations to shame. They often sport unique displays of light that leave the viewer in awe. Master craftsman will construct multicolored paper lanterns in the likeness of butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies, and many other animals; these accentuate the more common, red, spherical lanterns. Brilliantly-lit floats and mechanically driven light displays draw the attention of the young and old alike. Sometimes, entire streets are blocked off, with lanterns mounted above and to the sides, creating a hallway of lamps. Some cities in North China even make lanterns from blocks of ice! And just as in days gone by, the billion-watt background sets the scene for dragon and lion dances, parades, and other festivities.
Yuan Xiao and Tang YuanYuan Xiao and Tang Yuan are balls of glutinous rice, sometimes rolled around a filling of sesame, peanuts, vegetable, or meat. Tang Yuan are often cooked in red-bean or other kinds of soup. The round shape symbolizes wholenessand unity.
WeiJie: I feel that lantern festival is a very important event as it is a form of tradition and we get to eat mooncakes and enjoy the view of the full moon.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
/ 11:14 PM
(a) It was Chinese New Year! Every neighbours around our house were decorating their house.Mostly the decoration is in red. Neighbours around us looked happy and wherever they go they put on smiles. For me, I was a bit sad as I am a foreigner. All of my relatives were at Taiwan, only my mom, sister and I. Although we did put on some decorations but the spirit is just not there. I missed my hometown and my relatives. In the past, we used to gather together during Chinese New Year eve and each relatives family would bring one or two dishes and we would eat together.After we had our dinner, the adult would gamble and we kids would play fireworks. When i started to study in Singapore, all these celebration has dropped out of my life. There was no red packet and even Chinese New Year eve there is nothing much to play or do, but one traditional way of celebration is to reach home early and have dinner together with my family. On that day, mother cooked a very delicious dinner compare to the past. I guessed mother knew that we don't really have fun compare to the past and the only thing she could do is to cook a delicious meal for us. After we have our dinner we called dad through internet and we greeted him happy chinese new year and we chatted for a while than we hanged the phone. We wend to sleep right after we had hanged the phone.During that night,I dreamt that I flew back to Taiwan and I met my relatives and we had real fun together. I miss my country and my relatives.
(b)The difference : 1) I will go to a shopping mall or busy street and count down while Jess and his family did not count down. 2)During Christmas,Jess still has to milk the cow but i am playing. 3)Jess don't have goodies but i have goodies during Christmas. 4)Jess gave his little sister May Belle Christmas present but I didn't give my older sister Christmas present. 5)I put on Christmas decoration but he didn't. 6)I have a Christmas tree but he didn't have.
The similarity : 1) We will still exchange presents with friends and relative. 2)We both enjoyed Christmas. 3)We also celebrated Christams together with our own family.4) He didn't go to church for prayers neither did I.5) My family and his Family did last minute shopping.
