The Open Classroom Hong Kong

Meet the Diving Instructor

Students learnt about the ocean, endangered marine species and brainstormed ideas to save them. They were treated to an educational and fun session with Mr. Paul Hodgson, who shared exciting stories about his experience as a professional diver.

Read PDF

Meet the Diving Instructor

Students learnt about the ocean, endangered marine species and brainstormed ideas to save them. They were treated to an educational and fun session with Mr. Paul Hodgson, who shared exciting stories about his experience as a professional diver.

Read PDF

Meet the Diving Instructor

Students learnt about the ocean, endangered marine species and brainstormed ideas to save them. They were treated to an educational and fun session with Mr. Paul Hodgson, who shared exciting stories about his experience as a professional diver.

Read PDF

Meet the Diving Instructor

Students learnt about the ocean, endangered marine species and brainstormed ideas to save them. They were treated to an educational and fun session with Mr. Paul Hodgson, who shared exciting stories about his experience as a professional diver.

Read PDF

ADVENTURE IN 2010: The WACKIEST TRIP EVER!

Bbring! Hooray! Schools over! I was so excited, because I was going to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Right when I arrived at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I smelled the sweet scent of Butterbeer. Soon, I was looking at all the wands and finally made up my mind to buy Hermoine’s wand. I noticed that people were starting to go into the silverfish and umber-colored castle. As I crept closer, I found out that it was actually a ride, so I begged Mom to take me on it (my brother was too short, so mom had to stay with him in the child swap which is a place where kids who are too short go to wait for their family).

After waiting for quite a while, it was finally our turn, “This is it!” I thought. I had my wand in my coat pocket for protection. The ride was amazing but when I got to the Dementors, that was when things started to get wacky. Let me tell you about it. At first, when I went through the treatment of Floo power, I felt fantastic! But when I went to the Forbidden Forest on my Enchanted Bench things got scary with spiders all over the place (I am terrified of spiders)! The more I looked, the more I realized – the spiders were actually real! I didn’t stop to think, I just grabbed my wand and started casting spells like “Expelliarmus” and “Stupedgy”. And it actually worked! But there was more to come! The next surprise was with the Dementors. The Dementors were black, hooded figures and when you saw them in the wizarding world, the air around you became cold and it seemed like all happiness was gone. The only you could say to get rid of them was “Expecto Patronum” and you had to think of a very happy moment in your life. Now back to the scene. The Dementors were real, just like the spider, so I cast the spell and drove them out of the castle.

After the ride ended I hurried out and ran to the child swap. My mom went on the ride by herself and after she finished I told her all about my adventure. She just laughed at me sarcastically. Oh well, if she didn’t believe me, who would? I decided to just keep my mouth shut.

That night, the stars were shining brightly. As I lay in bed, I thought about the stupendous expedition that I encountered. I would remember it my whole life. 

Super Cyclone

Last night at 4: 52 am, with no warning, in the city of Niseko, a huge tornado tore roofs of 400 houses (including schools, hospitals etc.). About 67 lives lost and 89 still missing. Angry men and women were protesting in the road, because of the loss of their children. They complained that the schools had no bomb shelters, even the police could barely stop them!

Today at 6:00 am, the tornado triggered a 450 foot tall tidal wave hitting Hokkaido and killed at least 600 people and 60 people are still buried under the rubble.6hours later, a huge landslide came down Sapporo and crushed 40 houses. Luckily, no human lives were lost, but a little dog and a cat were found dead deep below the rocks.

According to scientists, tornados form from thunderstorms, hot air and cold air mixes together. The hot air turns into a spiral and the cool air gets pushed out and creates a tornado. This is called a mesocyclone, the mesocyclone hits the ground and the tornado is formed. People are panicking because this is the worst tornado, because it is so rare in Japan, the speed is 400 kph! In history, the fastest is only 100 kph, so this is the not only the biggest in Japan, but in the world!

Many heroic moments and miracles came out of this disaster. This morning at 7:00, in a collapsed building, there were children who survived the storm. Inside the arms of a dead mother, there lay a son, about 7, and his baby sister, approximately 6 months old. They said their mother held their hands and ran. The floor was giving away. When the floor was just steady enough the ceiling fell. The mother used her body to protect her children and sacrificed her life.

A few blocks down, a 12 year old boy saved a baby by lifting up a flipped over car.

Just when the tornado left, we received messages at the mega storm center, from New York. The Super Cyclone passing their way! I don’t agree that the Japan Saving Center had to be in Hokkaido. The helicopters are weak, 17 of the strongest helicopters left today at 6: 11 and have not returned.

I realized that no mater how strong we are, nature can wipe us out easily. 

Persuasive Writing

Shark Finning

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

by Sophia Mason (G7, HKIS)

Actions always speak louder than words. Throughout history and even now, the stands people have made have made a big difference in how the world is shaped. People have learned to take a stand. Without that ability, the world would be a very different place.

Rosa Parks was one of the many African-Americans that took a stand for their rights after the Civil War was over. Ms. Parks sat in the front of the bus after a long day at work, knowing it was the “whites only” selection. A white asked her to move, but she refused. Ms. Parks was arrested that night, and kept in jail until her friend, Martin Luther King Jr, bailed her out. Rosa and her family received many death threats and hate mail, but she still kept up the fight for African-American rights. This sole action that Rosa Parks did was louder and more effective than any speech that Martin Luther King Jr. had said. It was the tipping point for the African-American people’s rights. It was the one action that turned the heads of both white and black people. It made everyone realize that no matter what color you are, you will always have a voice in the community.

On a more current level, the Libyans are taking a stand for their country. Instead of letting go an opportunity to capture their freedom, they
took it to the streets and protested. Now in the aftermath of a great civil war, the protesters are finally free from Gaddafi, the dictator/leader of Libya. This is a clear example of how actions speak louder than words. If the Libyans didn’t address the fact that they needed a new leader, and actually take a stand, Libya will not be able to reach its full potential. With a new leader and an official seat at the UN, Libya has a very bright future ahead.

Actions speak louder than words, whether you are silently protesting or taking it to the street. People always are capable of taking a stand. If we don’t exercise the will to speak and be free, we will be nothing. 

Short Story

Boy Holding Two Bottles

People often say, “Be thankful for what you have, you have no idea how lucky you are.” This thought popped in my mind as I strode along the bustling road. Yet, I had doubts about the saying. How do you expect me to be a cheerful child when my dad was on his deathbed and with a life that finds itself at a deadend? Every night, I hear my dad’s agonizing groans, I see my dad’s grimacing face, I see my dad’s fading body. He was fighting a losing battle with cancer. However, all I could do was watch in despair and the thought of death was ever present in my mind. We could not afford treatments or medications. I tried to make some money by picking up plastic bottles on streets and selling them. All I could find were cardboards and waste paper cups.

Today was different. I found two enormous wine bottles lying on the side of the street. I strolled over to retrieve the bottles. As I picked up the bottles, I could hear clinging sounds in one of the bottles. My heart started to pound, and I shuddered in anticipation. I peeked into the hole, and I caught a glimpse of pennies and cast in the bottle. I stared into the other bottle and found a paper slip that read, “This isn’t much, but I just want to let you know that there is hope.” Tears rolled down my cheek as I lifted my head. There was a figure silhouetted across the street; he gazed at me with a smile and vanished.

I would see the light at the end of the tunnel, shining towards me. I could see the shriveled flowers once again bloom in the sun. What was in the bottle was not just $100 dollars alone. There was love and warmth radiating from the bottle. It gave me hope and a fighting spirit. I realized that my dad and I were not alone. 

Descriptive Writing

Mac OS X Lion

Mac OS X Lion uses advanced technology to achieve guaranteed convenience. It has lots of new features, either just for fun or as an advantage. Free-file sharing and the amazing world of shortcuts and touch gestures are the handiest factors.

Mac OS X Lion clearly focuses on appearance and sound effects. Once you turn on your new Mac OS X Lion, a start up “strings” sound springs up to let you know it’s working. Then, the login screen appears – a grey apple with a knitted background. After you enter your username and password, your default desktop pops up onto the screen. It is an Andromeda Galaxy swirling in space. The only thing on your desktop should be a grey disk called “Macintosh HD,” which stores everything in your account onto the computer. At the bottom of the screen (but could be set somewhere else), there is a dock where your applications stay. Removing an application is as simple as ABC. Just drag it outside until you see a puff of smoke and let go; the application will disintegrate from your dock, NOT your computer. To delete an application forever, drag it to the “Trash Box” at the end of the dock, then open it and press “Empty” at the top right corner of the window. Beware! Once the trash is emptied, it cannot be undone! It will show a warning every time you empty it. Afterwards, if the volume is on, there will be a sound of someone crumpling paper, and the trash will be emptied! Sometimes, files get lost in the cyberspace of your computer. No worries – at the right side of the menu-bar, is a magnifying glass in which it will search for apps or documents that include a certain word you typed.

As for the software, Mac OS X Lion is an expert “attention-getter.” The favourite trademark is Launchpad App, which organizes all your applications into an iPad–like format. Also, there is Mission Control App. It shows all the programs running and the Multi Desktops Program for which you can add extra space. Auto-Save and Versions Program promises to keep track of every change made to a document. Multi Touch Gestures and Airdrop Programs generate fun and easygoing ways to work and to file share at the speed of light! Full Screen Apps Program could be a new solution to a “getting distracted because of something else” problem, as the whole screen focuses on one thing only. Mac OS X Lion has a brilliant memory program. Every time you turn it on, it will reopen all the applications that have not been closed before shut down. The application, Mail App, has improved formatting, just like a normal web browser. Photobooth App has a tracking feature, which finds your head and turns the picture into a magical surprise with a countdown timer. For instance, Love-struck makes hearts float off your head, Dizzy gives you a halo of birds flying around, and Chipmunk enlarges your cheeks as if it was stuffed full of acorns! This provides better effects for films.

Airdrop could be found in the Finder sidebar. It discovers other users within 30ft without any Wi–Fi. To share a file for free, drag it onto their icon, and once they accept it, the file will be immediately transferred into their downloads. This could be very practical when sending class work to your teacher, as this is done in real time. If you email him or her, your teacher may not check her email right away, but with Airdrop, if she accepts, then she would receive it in a few seconds!

During the “Apple Generation,” Multi Touch Gestures have been a popular focal point. To launch Launchpad, pinch with 3 fingers and a thumb. This makes it effortless to start instead of finding it in the Dock or the Applications folder. The same applies to the Mission Control shortcut; Swipe up with 4 fingers. To swipe between desktops, swipe left of right with 4 fingers. The list goes on …

The amazing thing is that, Mac OS X Lion is just a software, no matter what type of Macbook it is, it still works the same. As technology flows on, maybe someday the Mac OS X Lion will become a known legend to everyone. 

Expository Writing

Grenades

One of the most used weapons that people always talk about is grenades. So we should learn more about it. The concept of grenades is easy to understand. You pull the pin, throw it, and……BOOM, it explodes. However, they are very hard to make.

Grenades are usually used in tough situations. For example, when you are cornered by your enemy, you throw a grenade towards them and they freak out while you make a speedy escape. They are also used to destroy gigantic waves of enemies.

A long time ago, people used stick grenades instead of round ones. They looked like a bottle of wine. You were supposed to unscrew the screw, and then pull the string that sets the warhead off. However, many people died using it because it blew up too early. Nowadays, you see the round grenade more often.

There are ten different types of grenades called: smoke grenades, tear gas grenades, incendiary grenades, fragmentation grenades, concussion grenades, anti-tank grenades, mills bomb, stun grenades, sting grenades, and impact stun grenades. However, we usually break it into 3 types of grenades: explosive grenades, chemical grenades, and gas grenades. Perhaps, the earliest grenade is the incendiary grenade, which dates back into the 8th century. Greek fire was used at that time. Anti-tank grenades were used in WWII when people realized that tanks were useful and powerful. The newest type of grenade is probably the impact stun grenade, also called the BFIG (Blank-Firing Impact Grenade). Preferred in many situations, especially in training for two main reasons: they are more economical because the charge is a stand and ammunition blank, and they are subject to very few transport restrictions when unloaded. “The mills bomb is the first ‘safe grenade’ made,” as British army officers said. Its “pin-and-pineapple” design is still used in some modern grenades.

It is important to know more about grenades because they could come in handy sometimes and also not to talk about using it in the wrong situations. Its ability of destroying groups of large quantities makes it the most used weapon.

A grenade is made of the pin, the handle, the fuse and the explosives. First, the handle is made, and then a small mechanism that fits onto the handle is assembled to the handle and spring. A bigger mechanism fits onto the spring and the striker is put on. Then, they put on the fuse where a small number of explosives are on the end. The main explosives are added on. After that, the outside of the handle is assembled along with the pin; then, the shell is attached on to the explosives along with the bottom and a metal ring. Now the grenade is fully assembled. Diel , Mecar, Ruag, and Rheinmetall are grenade manufacturing factories.

People also make them at home too. First, you take a can with the pin off. Secondly, you take a knife and start cutting a circle on the top. Thirdly, you stuff the can with tissue paper up to half of the can. Fourth, you put the weight in. Fifth, you stuff the can with tissue paper until it’s almost full. Sixth, you take a smoke ball and stick two matches onto it. Seventh, make the ring with two strikers on a matchbox and stick them, striker facing in, with the ring. Eighth, put the smoke ball in the can’s hole. Ninth, put the ring on the matches. Finally, go to an open space, squeeze and pull the ring and throw it! Smoke will come out.

To make a grenade work, you pull the pin and then throw it! When you pull the pin, nothing happens until you throw it. The handle comes off once it is flying. When the handle is off, the striker spring and the striker are released and the striker strikes the percussion cap. When that happens, the impact causes the chemical delay to start off. It reaches the detonator which explodes, and after that, the whole thing explodes too. The shrapnel is what hurts you.

To conclude everything, the grenade is something that hurts people. However, it has literally more than a thousand designs. People use grenades for fun too even though it takes a lot of time and measurements to make.