Room 17 Speeches

Ty - Natural Disasters
Aaaahhhh! RUN!!!!! What was that?

 I am going to talk to you today about natural disasters like tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes and avalanches.

Don’t you hate tsunamis? Tsunamis are earthquakes in the sea that cause big waves. A tsunami is a chain of fast moving waves. Tsunamis are caused in 3 ways, by a landslide, a volcanic eruption or an earthquake. I think tsunamis are terrifying.

A tornado is a fierce storm with strong winds that spin around in a giant circle. Tornadoes are mainly in America because of the hot air from Mexico and the cold air from Canada. When hot air meets cold air, it pushes it down. That causes a tornado. The winds from a tornado are so strong they can destroy houses, tear clothes of people’s backs and twist people’s mouths so that they cannot speak. I would definitely not like to be sucked up in a tornado. WHOOSH!

Earthquakes are very scary just like tornadoes. An earthquake is a violent shaking of the ground. Sometimes it is so strong that the ground splits apart. I think if you want to survive, you need a wooden building because concrete would break instantly.

Another type of natural disaster is an avalanche. An avalanche is a moving of snow and ice and rock down a mountainside. An avalanche can move as fast as a racing car! Avalanches have killed many people. You can’t stop natural disasters from happening but you can do things to keep yourself safe.

Molly - When Mums and Dads are Annoying

Hi, my name is Molly and I’m here to ask you a little question. I know you love them BUT have you thought, sometimes, that your parents are a little bit annoying? Well I know I sometimes think that. I bet if you think about it, you might too. “Hmmmm, how annoying are my parents?”

Well, if you don’t think so, I’ll tell you what happened once when my mum was annoying. I asked dad if we could get a pet. He said nothing. I went to see mum and she said, “NO!” to all of them. No cats because she has allergies, dogs shed hair, she doesn’t like birds because they squawk too much, bunnies poo all over the grass and fish are dumb. See, that is what I mean about annoying.

Before my speech is done, I’ll tell you how my dad can be annoying. Every weekend (sometimes even if we’re on holiday) my sister asks my dad if she can go pocket money shopping. My dad normally says, “NO!” This is how my dad can be annoying. So my speech is done and please do NOT copy this speech!

 Zach- Insects

YUCK! Don’t you just hate cockroaches? Hi, I’m Zach and I am going to teach you about insects. As you know there are hundreds and thousands of insects so I will not tell you about all of the insects today. If a bird sees a ladybug, because of the ladybugs bright colours, it tells the bird, “Stay away, I taste horrible!” Ladybugs eat five thousand aphids a year but sadly they only live for four hundred days. I wish ladybugs lived for 50 years.

Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects. One type of mosquito carries a killer disease. It picks this disease up when it sucks blood from someone that has the disease then it bites a healthy person. At least two million people die from the disease. Luckily they don’t live in New Zealand. Only female mosquitoes suck blood, male mosquitoes suck plant juice. I hope you learned how dangerous mosquitoes are.

Wasps are insects that give a painful sting. Wasps are not native to New Zealand. Wasps eat insects and spiders. They make nests out of paper, which they make by chewing plant stuff. I hope you liked learning about ladybugs, mosquitoes and wasps.

Hazel- Pandas

WOW! Look at that. It’s a panda. Hello my name is Hazel and I will be talking about pandas. Pandas are in danger because they do not have very much food left. Also people are breaking their habitat. Some people hurt pandas.

Pandas are very small when they are babies. But they can grow very big. Baby pandas climb lots of trees but when they are older they are too heavy to climb trees. Pandas are black and white and red pandas are red, black and white. Also red pandas have a very long bushy tail. Pandas have black around their shoulders and their ears. I love pandas because they have cute black patches around their eyes.

Pandas eat bamboo leaves and drink from mountain creeks. You can’t have a panda as a pet because they will grow really big and break everything. Pandas are a bit of a show off but they are so cute! Pandas are real. I’m glad that people are protecting pandas.

Emily- Kittens

Aren’t kittens CUTE? Kittens are cute because when they are first born they are very, very small and they can hardly see or hear. When they are one week old they are also very cute because their eyes are just opening and their legs start to stretch and scrabble. At three weeks old they are cuter than one week or a newborn. I think kittens are really cute.

To look after a kitten you have to feed it, give it clean water every day and put it out once in a while. There are lots of types of cat’s food. You would have to buy two bowls. One is for food and one is for water. You would also have to buy a scratching pole and some cat toys. If you don’t look after your cats they will get sick.

Cat’s colours can be white, black, ginger and grey. Ginger is a kind of colour that is a mixture of brown and skin colour. Black and white and brown or white and black can be a cat’s colour too. Cats have beautiful colours. I feel happy that cats live on earth and we can have them as pets.

Eloise- Fairies

Have you ever seen a fairy? Do you know if they’re real? Do you know how small they are? They’re about as small as a fantail’s tail feather. They ride on birds if their wings get too tired to fly. Fairies are small creatures like people just smaller and they have wings to fly around with and they have wands as well. I would like to see a fairy, wouldn’t you?

Fairies live in houses made of twigs to hold all of the things together so they stay. Fairies have trimmed flower petals for their beds and little leaves sewed carefully onto some beautiful fabric. Fairies have lovely little spots on everything. Fairies are SO lucky!

Fairies have lots of different types of jobs, for example the tooth fairy and her fairy helpers. There’re the green fairies and their helpers. Then there are the forest fairies, and the sunshine fairies. If you have noticed, all the types of fairies are special. I wish I could be a fairy!

Ruby- Horses and Ponies

WOW! Have you ever seen a pony? Some horses and ponies live in the wild and some live in a stable and are cared for by people. There are many horses and ponies living in New Zealand. I really love riding ponies.

To look after ponies and horses you have to brush the horses and ponies on their legs and backs. The food that horses and ponies eat is grass. You have to clean the stables or the hoses and ponies will get sick. When they get sick you take them to a vet. A vet is a doctor for animals.

If you live far away, like in the countryside, go to town and find a horse or pony vet. If there isn’t a park, you keep on going to different towns. If there isn’t one go to where you bought the horse or pony. If you didn’t buy the farm, go to the person who owned the farm. They probably will tell you where they bought it from. Maybe you went past it. I feel happy when I get to ride a pony or a horse.

George- Oxygen

Today my speech is about oxygen. Oxygen helps people and plants to live. Without oxygen everything would die. Oxygen makes the air fresh and nice to breathe. Enjoy the oxygen while it is still there.

In years to come it may get harder for us to breathe. It will get harder every day. Smoke and smog from pollution can really damage your body. Pollution comes from factories, hairspray and cars. I think people who live in cities are in the most danger.

There are some things you can do to help you survive. One idea is to move from the city to the countryside. You could wear a face mask to stop the smoke and smog getting into your mouth and nose.

Tell the scientists to find out a way to recycle the smoke and smog to make it fresh air again. Maybe if you study you can be a scientist, save the world and visit the queen for a reward.

Holiday-Horses and Ponies

Clip, clop, clip clop, clip clop! “Whoa, slow down Toby!” Have you ever ridden a horse? You can ride a horse if you own one or you can have lessons. Having lessons will cost money and you have to look after your horse. Looking after a horse can be hard work. But I still LOVE riding horses!

You need to brush horses hair. “Stay still Toby!” You use a brush that has a handle. There are lots of other brushes, like a body brush, a rubber comb and a plastic comb. To wash a horse you use a horse sponge. They can be blue or yellow. I love washing Toby so that he will be nice and clean.

Riding a horse can be dangerous. You need to keep yourself safe. Always wear a safety helmet. Never stand behind a horse or you might get kicked. Riding a horse can be fun as long as you keep safe.

Emma- Kiwis

WOW! Have you ever seen a kiwi out in the bush, a little brown one? They eat worms from under the ground that wriggle in the kiwi’s mouth. Kiwis cannot fly but they used to be able to a long, long, time ago. They are nocturnal, which means they sleep at day and play at night. I can’t wait until I see a kiwi.

To have a kiwi as a pet you have to look after it very well. You have to feed it and put it in a dark place so it will think it is night. You have to clean the kiwi and clean it’s house. It needs a house with real dirt and real bugs and worms. It really is hard work looking after a kiwi.

Kiwis can only be found in the North Island and the South Island of New Zealand. The kiwi’s enemies are possums, weasels, stoats, ferrets and others. They try to kill the babies inside the eggs. Some of them attack the kiwis as well. I love kiwis because they are so cute and special to us because they only live in New Zealand.

Dylan- The Jungle

Do you want o live in the jungle? Jungles can be very dangerous. If you are ever visiting a jungle you need to be very careful. If you are not careful you may be seriously hurt. I don’t think a jungle would be a very good place to live.

You need to be very careful walking through the jungle. There might be branches that fall on your head, or snakes that you don’t notice hidden in the leaves. If there are poisonous plants, and you touch them you could get very sick. If you are on your own, there will be no one around to help you. If you go into a jungle NEVER, EVER go on your own!

There are many dangerous animals in the jungle. When you go in the jungle you should bring some special gear. You can’t just walk into the jungle and find a McDonalds. You will need to have food, water and a tent for shelter. If you want to go to the jungle, ask your parents first and remember to bring your gear.

Mila- Kids Care

Is this how you hold a baby? NO! This is how you hold a baby. Hi, I’m Mila and I am going to teach you about Kids Care. We are a caring community. We are really lucky to have hospitals and orphanages in New Zealand. If you think you have a broken bone and you want to see if it is broken, what would you do?

You would go to a hospital, wouldn’t you? But imagine not having a hospital near you. You would be in pain. You might die. Hospitals save lives.

Orphanages take care of kids with no mums and dads. We need to be grateful to have a mum and a dad or just to be alive! Kids in orphanages don’t have much food. They have rags for pants, tops and jackets.  Everything is GREY! Grey beds, grey food, and grey rooms. That means you are really lucky to have nice beds, nice food, nice rooms and you can go to school.

There are many different types of kids all around the world. We are kiwis. That means we are from New Zealand. New Zealand is our home. So next time you see a poor kid care for them and think about how lucky you are.

Zealand- Cats

MEOW, MEOW! That cat wants food again! Have you ever had a pet cat before? Well if you really want one, you have to tell your parents. If they say yes, you can have one. I would like a pet cat.

The food that a cat eats is biscuits and meat. Sometimes they eat mice. You have to take really good care of cats. If you don’t feed them, they might die.

They can come in different shapes, sizes and colour. Their colour can be black, white and brown. Some cats are big. Some cats are small. I really like cats because they are soft and cuddly.

Liam- Tsunamis and Floods

Hi today I will be talking about tsunamis and floods! A tsunami is a water wave caused by a sudden large movement of the sea floor or by something like a meteorite disturbing the water surface. I would hate to be in a tsunami, wouldn’t you? The 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean killed thousands of people, millions of survivors lost their homes. People were left with no clean water and no food to eat. Tsunamis can destroy everything along a coastline, like boats, cars and buildings near the shore. I hope I’m never in a tsunami!

What would you do in a tsunami? Lie on the beach and sunbathe? That is not a very good idea! Get to the highest place you can straight away. Tsunamis are VERY dangerous, so don’t just stand there……RUN!!!

Floods are very dangerous too. Floods are like tsunamis, with lots of water. I would not like to be in a flood. Floods can cover cars and trees. So that is all I have to say about floods and tsunamis. Thank you.

Oscar- Reptiles

Hi, do you know what reptiles are? Reptiles are animals that have cold blood, like a snake. The largest turtle is the leatherback sea turtle. It grows about as long as the height of a tall man and weighs more than a cow! I wish I could see a sea turtle!

The dinosaurs were reptiles that lived more than 65 million years ago. That’s such a long time ago that people weren’t even born. The yellow sea snake ranks as the largest sea snake. It can grow up to about 9 feet (that’s 3 meters) in length! Chameleons have long tongues for catching food. They can even be camouflaged. The reason why chameleons can change colour is because sometimes they can get into danger.

Large crocodiles and alligators attack pigs, deer, cattle and …….. EVEN PEOPLE!! Crocodiles hide in the water, waiting for animals to pass by on the shore. Crocodiles have huge jaws that are lined with sharp teeth for gobbling up other animals. Crocodiles swallow their food whole or tear it into large chunks. They eat fish, frogs, crabs and other stuff. Reptiles can be many different shapes and sizes and live in many different parts of the world.

Demitrius- Dark Dragons

Have you ever seen a dragon before? Dragons are some kind of creature often seen in movies, books, games and on TV. Dragons have wings and sharp teeth and big eyes and they’re also HUGE! Dragon’s are brown and black.

Dragons live in small caves. Dragons are not real. They are just made up creatures. I like watching dragon movies. But dragon games are a little different to movies.

Dragons are the biggest, most dangerous creatures on earth. Well, not all of them are big enough, because it takes a lot of years until they get huge. Dragons are cool but are not good pets!

Deklan- Dragons

Have you ever seen a dragon in your life? Would you like to live in a cave or do you want to live in a house? Caves are dark, wet and scary. No one has seen a dragon before. Dragons are not real.

There are many dragons in books, movies or games. I really like playing games about dragons. I am not scared of dragons. Dragons are just made up things. Some people say they are real but I say they are NOT!

What do dragons eat? What colour are they? Are they big or small? Do not go near any dragons because they are dangerous!!

Hanna- Pets

Do you wish you had pets? Pets are animals that live inside and outside your house. Some pets are friendly and some pets are wild. If you love pets, they will love you. I would feel very happy if I had a pet.

If I had a pet, what would it look like? Would it have black eyes and black and white hair? Would it be big or small? Would it have a long or short tail? Your pet can be any size or colour you want!

How do you look after a pet? Do you just throw it in the bath or do you just turn the tap on for your pet to jump into the bath? Well, if I had a pet I wouldn’t do that. I would clean my pet outside with some clean water from the kitchen sink. I would put my pet into a warm, comfy basket. I would be very lucky if I had a pet.

Grace- Fiji

Bula! Do you want to know about Fiji? Well I will tell you. It can take 2 and a half or 3 hours to get there in a plane. There are lots of different islands. It looks beautiful.

There are lots of things to do there, like getting your hair braided like this. You can dance to the music at the buffet. It sounds wonderful. There is a cool place called Kids Club. The staff are really nice. They have awesome activities. Snorkelling is the best part of Fiji because you can see the amazing coral and fish.

There are a lot of places to stay at in Fiji. You can stay in a hotel. You can also book a house. The houses are close to the beach. Fiji is a beautiful, sunny, amazing place.  I really wish I could go back to Fiji again.

Madeline- Horses and Ponies

Do you want a horse or a pony? Well first you need to think about where you are going to put it. You might not have a big enough back yard. You need to think about where you are going to put the stable. You might think that you put it in a good place but you haven’t.

If you have a show jumping horse, it might jump over the fence and gallop away and you might not get it back. They can jump really high. They can also gallop very, very fast. You should put up a big fence. I would love a show jumping horse and I would go in shows.

Horses and ponies are different sizes. Ponies are not as tall as horses. Ponies have smaller heads than horses. Ponies are only 10 to 14 hands high. Horses and ponies are measured by how many hands they are high.

Arthur-Nature

Hello, do you really care about nature? I hope you do because nature is very important. Trees give us fresh air. Nature is not always good because a volcano could explode and then that sets a forest fire. Tornadoes could throw trees and knock others. Tsunamis can push trees over too. Nature can be both good and bad.

Nature is important because it helps animals live. Trees give food to animals, like giraffes that eat leaves. Nature is also important because birds lay eggs in trees. They would have to lay their eggs on the ground and then people would stand on them.

Smog can hurt nature. Nature can be blown away by a hurricane. Trees can get pushed over by an avalanche. An avalanche is made by a massive chunk of snow that falls on to more snow that crumbles down down and knocks over trees. It is really important that we keep planting trees.

Trees are part of nature. Trees help many animals like birds. If birds didn’t have trees, we would be standing on them! Without trees life would be harder so I hope people keep growing trees.

Charlie- Horses

The moment I saw Coffee I knew they were going to let me ride him. I knew horse riding was for me! Coffee was the first horse I ever rode. Have you ever ridden on a horse? You have to be quite tall to ride a horse. Did you know fifty million years ago there were no horses. There were animals called Eohippu. They were short animals, about the size of a cat.

There are lots of uses for horses. Horse bones can be used to make glue and gelatine. They can also pull carts to help cut wheat. They can be police horses too. In the olden days horses were used instead of cars.

Equus is the old Latin word for horse. Horses have been domesticated for at least 5000 years. Horses like carrots, apples, celery and cabbage. That’s all I really know. I think horses are great. People should go back to horses and leave the cars at home. I’d like it and it’s better for the environment.

Pete-Reptiles

WOW! Look at that turtle. It’s SO big! Hi, I am going to talk about reptiles. Reptiles are cold-blooded animals and are called vertebrates. This means they have a backbone. They come in many shapes and sizes and live in many parts of the world. I think reptiles are really cool because they look strange creatures I don’t see every day.

I really like the way reptiles look. Reptiles have millions of scales on their body. Their scales protect them from predators. Reptiles’ enemies are hunters. Hunters kill snakes and crocodiles for their scales. Reptiles try to hide themselves from hunters.

The leatherback sea turtle weighs more than a cow! Turtles do not have teeth. Instead they have hard beaks. The desert tortoise makes burrows to protect them from the sun. Desert tortoises slam into each other until one tortoise is knocked onto it’s back. Scientists have put tracking devices on sea turtles to find out where they live and how they migrate. I think reptiles are AWESOME!

Rose- The Centre of the Earth

Have you ever dug a hole on the beach and your dad came up to you and said, “If you dig too far you’ll get to China!”? Well, parents are silly when they say that because if you dig to the centre of the Earth you will get to the inner core.

The Crust

The crust is the first layer of the Earth. The first layer is made up of about 16kms of rock and loose materials we call the crust.

The Mantle

The mantle extends to a depth of approximately 1800 miles and is made of a thick, solid, rocky substance that represents about 85% of the total weight and mass of the Earth.

Outer Core

The Earth’s outer core is a huge blob of super heated molten lava.

Inner Core

The inner core is a smaller sphere of solid iron.

So you are better off flying to China because it will take a long time to dig there and you will burn up before you get there.

Jayshal- My Trip To Auckland Museum

Good morning Room 17. Today I would like to talk to you about my trip to the Auckland Museum. Auckland Museum is in the Auckland Domain. Entry is free for people who live in Auckland. The museum building looks like a palace. It is so big. It has 3 levels. While at the museum we attended the Maori Cultural Show and heard their songs.

The museum is so huge that we only visited the ground floor, which had the Maori exhibition, the cultural shows (all the different Island cultures), the Wild Child, The Ocean Swim and Weird and Wonderful.

From my trip to the museum I got to find out so many more things to learn and we are planning to go again.