Our focus for camp this year was a continuation of our 'Rivers and Us' study. We visited the Huka Prawn farm and learnt how they harness waste hot water to heat their ponds. Action world gave the kids a chance to push themselves outside their comfort zones, though some have very large comfort zones it would seem. AC baths was a hit with the hill slide and a BBQ dinner. We visited the Tongariro National Trout Centre where Ranger Anna had the children totally wrapped up in learning about water care, trout, and using critters to assess the state of our rivers. On our last day Simon was our very knowledgable (and entertaining) skipper on board the Ernest Kemp, taking us out to the rock carvings on Lake Taupo. A huge thanks to the parents that came on camp. Your help was very much appreciated and we can't do these activities without your assistance. Thanks for the great photos Rob, though animotos don't do them justice.
I'd advise starting this then pausing it to allow it to load.
Today Miss Wesley said we would be doing an experiment. She was going to show us what a catchment area was. First we all got a container each because we didn't have a hose. We walked down to the sandpit and made hills and mountains in the sand. (Just so it looked all bumpy.) We laid a plastic sheet over the sand. We sprinkled some sand on the edges of the plastic so it keeps it flat down. Then we raced up to the tap and filled our containers with water. When we were all back in the sandpit we tipped the water slowly onto the sheet. You could see all the water was running down the hills to the lowest point. Some of the water formed lakes. The water flows off the plastic sheet into the sand and forms a river. If we had of kept putting water on it would have flowed to the sea (eventually). 
Miss Wesley told us we were going outside to do an experiment. Everyone had to get a small container of water then listen to MissWesley . . .
We put some plastic on a hilly bit just out of the sandpit and put a cup down at the bottom of the hill. We put a bit of turf (grass) at the top of the hill. Miss Wesley poured water on the grass. The water flowed down into the cup, when it was full Miss Wesley picked it up. The glass had a few stray pieces of grass in it along with the water.
Miss Wesley turned the turf over so that it was dirt side up. When we poured water on to the dirt it stayed where it was but we could see that some dirt was running off down in to the cup. Miss Wesley picked up the glass; it had some dirt floating around. After a while the dirt sunk to the bottom of the glass and some grass made its way to the top.
We went back to the sandpit; Miss Wesley put sand at the highest point then sprinkled water on it. The sand washed down with the water. Miss Wesley picked up the glass. It had HEAPS of sand in it. While we went back to class, the sand was slowly making its way down to the bottom of the glass. The water seems to get lighter the higher up it is.
Our experiment told us that because grass has roots it all held in well. The sand didn’t have anything to cling on to so it slid down the hill. What happened to the sand is called ‘erosion.’ Out of the three glasses the grass side up one was the cleanest.
Who knew school could be so much fun? !!!
