Category: Hanga | Create

The Busy Sunbeam

The Busy Sunbeam

The sunbeam knocked on the snail’s front door.

‘Open!’ it cried,  ‘for it’s spring once more!

Put out your horns and your little grey head,

And hurry away to the wallflower bed.’

 

Then the sunbeam went to a mossy stone,

For sleeping there was a toad alone.

It tickled his ribs with a warm little hand,

And sang, Wake up,  for the sunshine’s grand!

 

Then went to the pond went the sunbeam bright ,

And called to the frogs that slept out of sight,

ome out of the mud,  give your legs  a shake,

For spring is here,and it’s time to awake!

 

It woke the squirrel,

it woke the bee, it found snakes in the hollow tree, 

It tickled the dormouse- then it lay.

Warming my crocruses all the day!

Spring is coming.

Spring is coming.

The flowers from there winter be are now showing there greeny head,

The happy news they want to spread,

Spiring is coming?

 

The birds upon the leafless tree are planning where there nests would be,

And as they fly they sing with glee,

Spring is coming.

 

Goodbye  to winter’s cheerless day,

Hurrah for spring now on the way which makes the world sing everyday ,

Spring is coming!

Author Enid Blyton

Illustrated by Beckey Cameron

 

Math: Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

Today I am going to tell you all about math: Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

Fractions: Breaking Down the Whole

What Are Fractions?

A fraction represents a part of a whole. It’s made up of two numbers:

  • The numerator (the top number) represents how many parts you have.

  • The denominator (the bottom number) shows how many parts the whole is divided into.

Example:

  • 1/2 means you have 1 part out of a total of 2 equal parts.

Fun Facts About Fractions

  • Fractions can represent all sorts of things, from pizza slices to money. For example, 1/4 of a pizza means one slice if the pizza is cut into 4 equal pieces.

  • Equivalent fractions are fractions that represent the same amount but look different. For example, 1/2 is the same as 2/4, 4/8, or 50/100.

  • You can convert fractions into decimals or percentages (and vice versa), which helps when comparing different quantities.

Teaching Tip: Fraction Wall

A fraction wall is a helpful visual tool for showing equivalent fractions. Students can see how fractions like 1/2, 2/4, 4/8 and others fit into the same space

Decimals: The “Dot” System

What Are Decimals?

A decimal is another way to express fractions, especially when the denominator is a power of 10. Decimals are written with a decimal point separating the whole number part from the fractional part.

Example:

  • 0.5 is the same as 1/2.

  • 0.25 is the same as 1/4.

Fun Facts About Decimals

  • Decimals are used everywhere—in prices, measurements, time, and percentages. For example, $3.99 is a decimal price for an item that costs just under $4.

  • The term “decimal” comes from the Latin word decimus, meaning “tenth.” So, the first place after the decimal point represents tenths, the second represents hundredths, and the third represents thousandths, and so on.

Teaching Tip: Decimal Dice Game

Create a dice game where students roll two dice, one representing the whole number and the other representing the decimal. For example, if they roll 4 and 5, they form 4.5. You can then have them practice adding, subtracting, or comparing decimals

 Percentages: “Per 100”

What Are Percentages?

A percentage represents a fraction out of 100. The symbol for percentage is %. For example, 50% is the same as 50 out of 100, or 1/2.

Example:

  • 25% = 25 out of 100 = 1/4

  • 75% = 75 out of 100 = 3/4

Fun Facts About Percentages

  • Percentages are often used to calculate discounts, tax, or interest rates. For example, if an item costs $200 and is 20% off, the discount is $40 (20% of 200), so the final price is $160.

  • 100% means the entire whole, while 0% means none of the whole. 50% is exactly half

 

 

Converting Between Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

How to Convert Fractions to Decimals

To convert a fraction into a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator.

Example:

  • 1/2 → 1 ÷ 2 = 0.5

  • 3/4 → 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75

How to Convert Decimals to Percentages

To convert a decimal to a percentage, multiply the decimal by 100 and add the % symbol.

Example:

  • 0.5 → 0.5 × 100 = 50%

  • 0.75 → 0.75 × 100 = 75%

How to Convert Percentages to Fractions

To convert a percentage into a fraction, divide the percentage by 100 and simplify if necessary.

Example:

  • 50% → 50/100 = 1/2

  • 75% → 75/100 = 3/4

Fun Fact About Conversion

  • One way to help students remember conversions is by using the “moving the decimal point” trick. When converting a decimal to a percentage, you just move the decimal point two places to the right (because you’re multiplying by 100).

Engaging Activities to Reinforce Learning

  • Fraction Pizza Party: Have students create pizzas using paper plates and divide them into fractions (e.g., 1/2, 1/4, 1/8). This visual activity helps solidify their understanding of fractions.

  • Decimal Bingo: Create bingo cards with decimal numbers and call out equivalent fractions or percentages. This reinforces both decimal recognition and conversion skills.

  • Percentage Scavenger Hunt: Post different percentages around the classroom (e.g., 10%, 20%, 50%), and ask students to find real-world examples (like the price of an item or a fraction of something).

How Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages Are Used in Real Life

  • Shopping: Percentages are essential for calculating discounts, sales tax, and tips.

  • Sports: Understanding statistics like batting averages, shooting percentages, or completion rates often involves fractions or decimals.

  • Cooking: Recipes often require fractions (like 1/2 cup), and adjusting portions might require conversions between fractions, decimals, and percentages.

  • Finance: Understanding interest rates, savings accounts, or loans involves percentages and decimals.

Conclusion: Why Mastering Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages Matters

Fractions, decimals, and percentages are not just abstract concepts—they are essential tools used in everyday life, whether it’s calculating a tip at a restaurant, figuring out a sale price at a store, or measuring ingredients for a recipe. Mastering these concepts in Year 6 sets students up for success in high school and beyond, where more complex math concepts build on these foundations.

Maths Week/Free math challenges for New Zealand Schools.

Welcome to Maths Week

Maths Week 2025 is now over

Maths Week 2026 will be held from Monday 10 – Friday 14 August.

Maths Week is free, and is available on-line to teachers, home educators, students and anyone else.

Maths Week was established by the New Zealand Association of Mathematics Teachers in 1998.  It is a premier event in the school calendar.  Recently, it has gained the attention of about 280 000 students, teachers and home educators, and others each year in the last few years.

 

 

Here’s the Maths Week writing team

Gillian Frankcom-Burgess

Gillian has been involved in Mathematics Education since 1982. She has taught in Secondary and primary classrooms, in New Zealand and in London prior to moving here in 1992. She is President of NZAMT and an executive member of the AMA. Gillian writes questions with others for AMA Mathex Competitions and writes for NZAMT on occasion. She moved into Teacher Education Mathematics in 2004 when she joined ACE which later that year became the Faculty of Education at the University of Auckland. Gillian gained first her masters and then a PhD in 2016, the subject for both was Maths Anxiety. This is very close to her heart and her mission in life is to help find better and more interesting ways to teach mathematics, including the use of mathematical investigations.

Speech

Walt write a speech to persuade people or change peoples minds.

 Persuasive Writing Graphic Organiser

 Why should we take care of the world’s oceans?

Tena Koutou katoa. I strongly believe the world’s oceans are important for our world and all living things. Today I’m going to share with you why we should be taking more care of the world’s oceans.

 Firstly, did you know that the oceans cover 70% of the earth’s surface? Well  guess what. There is so much more to our oceans than how much of earth it covers. All living things need oxygen. The ocean provides 50% of our oxygen. We all rely on the ocean whether we know it or not for the oxygen we breathe.

 

If the ocean is not looked after and becomes polluted and unhealthy the water cycle can be affected and may cause a change to our climate,like extreme weather patterns and widespread desertification – this is when healthy land can dry out and become desert-like. Changes to the land would cause problems for all living things. 

My next reason why we should look after our oceans is that the ocean is home to 2.2million animal and plant species with many more yet to be discovered.

Did you know that the oxygen we breathe is created by  plankton  and the process of photosynthesis. Microscopic plant-like organisms that live in water capture and use sunlight and carbon from the water to create  food and energy and release oxygen in the process. This action is called photosynthesis and is why I believe we need oceans to continue to have the oxygen we and other living organisms need to breathe.

Not only does the ocean help to provide oxygen but it also provides food and livelihoods for millions of people who live on earth. 

At least 70,000 ocean related jobs support the livelihood of many people around the world, like fishing, water activities and transportation just to name a few.

The ocean is a major source of food. Over 3  billion people rely  on the protein it provides.

   Obviously, it is clear that one of the oceans biggest threats is  plastic pollution Over 11 million tonnes of plastic finds its way into the ocean every year.  You may wonder how this happens and why? One of the biggest reasons is pollution caused by man and man made products and waste. The waste takes a long time to disappear so the pollution is around longer which can interfere with the making of oxygen.                         

Again I believe we should take more  care of our oceans because less than 1% of New Zealand’s oceans are protected and people should do more to reduce pollution to get our oceans healthy again and oceans are important for our world and all living things.