Pioneering+Past

toc This term we are Discovering our Pioneering Past. We have visited Howick Historical Village to learn all about how people lived when they first came to New Zealand.

=Our Research Topics=

These are the six questions we have narrowed our research down to. The kids chose which ones they wanted to find out about the most. This eliminated one question (that wasn't chosen as the favourite), but I have left it on the chart.



=What do WE want to discover?=

We sat down as a class and made a brainstorm of the things we would like to learn or discover about New Zealand's pioneering past. These are questions children don't know the answers to yet.



=Why move to New Zealand?=

We looked at why people uproot their lives and families to move to new places, like New Zealand. We focused on two main questions: Why did people come to live in New Zealand 150 years ago? (Considering what a long journey it was and how little they could take with them.) And then: Why do people come to live in New Zealand now? We thought that many of the reasons were the same, but there were some differences...





=Old Time Sayings=

One of the things we have learned about is old sayings and what they mean... Here are some we have been talking about:

Meaning: If you hang out with people who do bad things (dogs) then you can expect to fall victom to the things that happen to those people (fleas).
 * He that lies down with dogs must expect to rise with fleas.**

Meaning: Softly and calmly spoken words will sooth anger, but harsh or bitter words will only make anger worse.
 * A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.**

Meaning: We struggled with this meaning, but I have found a few other sayings that mean the same thing. Perhaps these will help? "Who makes himself a sheep, the wolf devours him." "Be not all sugar, or the world will swallow thee up."
 * Daub yourself with honey and you will have plenty of flies.**

Meaning: You can look at the past and understand it and learn from it, but you can't know the future and you must just live it. Don't keep worrying about the past.
 * Life must be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards.**

Meaning: If you hold onto something long enough, you will find a way to use it (whether you really need to use it or not).
 * Keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it.**

Meaning: Pride was considered one of the deadly sins, and too much pride resulted in something happening to make the proud person regret it.
 * Pride cometh before a fall.**

Meaning: Learn while you are young, even though it seems 'painful', tedious and boring, because it is better than seeming 'stupid' when you are older.
 * It is less painful to learn in youth than to be ignorant in age.**

Meaning: If you are happy and joyful, you will find more joy in the world around you, and more good things returned to you, than if you are sullen or angry all the time. People will treat you nicer, and better things will happen to you.
 * He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.**

Meaning: The higher the rise the harder the fall. Similar to the saying "Pride cometh before a fall". If you consider yourself very high-and-mighty, it will be very humiliating when it is proven that you are not.
 * Climb not too high lest the fall be the greater.**

Meaning: Don't gloat about what a great and powerful person you will be, or what wonderful things you will accomplish tomorrow, because what happens today might change everything. Live for today. Do it TODAY.
 * Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.**

Meaning: Don't procrastinate. If you have something you need to do, and you can do it now, don't put it off until later. Do it NOW.
 * Defer not till the evening what morning may accomplish.**

Meaning: Two people working on a problem to find a solution work much faster, and much better, than just one person trying to solve the problem.
 * Two heads are better than one.**

Meaning: A small problem (like a little leak) can become a big problem or have very big consequences (like the sinking ship).
 * A little leak will sink a great ship.**

Meaning: You can say you will do something, but actually doing it is much better. Lots of people say they will do things, but never do.
 * Saying and doing are two things.**

Meaning: You live your own life the way you want to, and let others live their lives the way they want to. We discussed this in terms of religion - that some people believe in God and some people don't, and it's not fair to try and force people to live your way just because you do. It is about embracing our differences.
 * Live and let live.**