The Chunnel
The Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) is an undersea rail tunnel that links the United Kingdom and France.
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Lake Baikal
1. Lake Baikal is located in Russia, near the Mongolian border.
2. Lake Baikal is the biggest lake in the world. It is about 640 km long, and 80 km wide. It is also the deepest lake, at 1,620 meters.
3. Lake Baikal holds 20% of the world���s freshwater.
4. There are more than thirty rocky islands in Lake Baikal, and the largest of these is called Olkhon Island.According to local legend, Genghis Khan was born on Olkhon Island.
5. Animals can live in the entire lake because there is oxygen everywhere. Thermal springs release hot oxygenated water into the lake. The hot water rises up, and mixed with horizontal and vertical currents, causes oxygen to be distributed everywhere.
6. Animals that live around Lake Baikal include bears, moose, elk, deer and Siberian chipmunks. Many fish live in Lake Baikal, as well as the Nerpa.
7. Endemic means that the animals only occur in this area, and not anywhere else in the world.
8. The Nerpa is special because it is the only freshwater seal in the world.
9. The golomyanka is one of only a few viviparous fish in the world. Viviparous means that it doesn���t lay eggs, but gives birth to live young.
10. Twenty-seven of the gobi species in Lake Baikal are special because they are endemic to the lake.
11. In addition to being the largest lake, Lake Baikal is special because unlike other lakes, even the bottom layer (hypolimnion) contains life.
Lake Baikal is truly a spectacular place. Surrounded by mountains, forests and wilderness, it is home to many animals, and even a few people. It has been called the ���Pearl of Russia���, and this is indeed a well-deserved name!
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eohslibraryEducation
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Rugby World Cup 2015
The 8th Rugby World Cup is hosted by England and takes place between 18 September and 31 October
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Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century, at the height of the Inca Empire around 1450, but abandoned just over a century later in 1572 after the Spanish arrival in Peru.
Archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was constructed for use as a Royal Estate.
Machu Picchu is located 2430 m (7970 ft) above sea level on a ridge between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains in Peru.
On July 24, 1911, American explorer Hiram Bingham III (with the help of Melchor Arteaga) re-discovered Machu Picchu. It is believed Bingham was actually looking for a different 'lost' city, known as Vilcabamba.
Bingham brought word of the ruins to the outside world. Only locals and a handful of missionaries and engineers had known of the site's existence.
Bingham's team excavated an estimated 40,000 artefacts to Yale University for further study, including mummies, ceramics, silver statues, jewellery and bones. Peru has long wanted these artefacts back and an agreement was recently agreed for the majority of these items to be returned.
Since re-discovery, over 30% of Machu Picchu has been reconstructed to give a better idea of how the original structures looked. Restoration continues today.
In 1983, Machu Picchu became an UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2007 it was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll.
Machu Picchu was built in a typical Inca style, with beautiful, polished dry-stone walls of quarried granite stone.
The Incas were experts at using a building technique called ashlar in which blocks of stone are cut so precisely as to fit together tightly without mortar.
The incredible civil engineering techniques of the Incas reduced the affects of frequent earthquakes. Mortar-free walls, Trapezoidal, tilted inward and round corner doors and windows helped protect many of the buildings from collapsing.
It is estimated that 60% of the construction done at Machu Picchu was underground, including deep building foundations and crushed rock for drainage.
Machu Picchu's construction is amazing considering the Inca's did not use draft animals, iron tools, or the wheel. It's a mystery how the massive blocks of stone were moved up steep terrain and through dense bush, but it is generally believed that hundreds of men were used to push the stones up.
Machu Picchu had access to springs for water and enough terraced and irrigated land to grow food for around four times as many people as ever lived there.
The Machu Picchu site is divided into an urban area and an agricultural area, with an upper town area where royalty lived and temples were built and a lower town area that included workers quarters and warehouses.
The Incas built a road to the Machu Picchu region and today thousands of tourists trek the 2-5 day high-altitude Inca Trail to visit the site.
As Peru's most visited tourist attraction Machu Picchu is continually threatened by commercial forces. In the 1990s, the construction of a cable car, luxury hotel, and restaurants was allowed nearby. The Peruvian government has since set limits of a maximum of 2,500 visitors per day and only 400 visitors per day into the site.
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eohslibraryEducation
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Nelson Mandela
Each tab here is a link to my research inquiry: Nelson Mandela using the EOHS Library Inquiry page.
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eohslibraryPersonal
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Queen Elizabeth I
Use the tabs containing links to your research inquiry: Queen Elizabeth I. This information and more can also be found on the EOHS Library Inquiry page.
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eohslibraryPersonal
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The Planets
While researching this weeks study challenge find out more by considering these questions:
How many suns are there in the solar system?
Which planet has an atmosphere containing 21 percent oxygen?
What is the coldest planet?
Where in Otago can you go and learn more about space, or observe the stars?
What is Maori Astronomy?
What is the brightest star in the sky tonight?
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eohslibraryEducation
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Mao Zedong
Use the tabs to find information relating to your research inquiry: Mao Zedong. You can find more information using the research links on the EOHS Library Inquiry page.
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Tuatara
Tuatara are rare, medium-sized reptiles found only in New Zealand. They are the last survivors of an order of reptiles that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs.
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eohslibraryEducation
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Hector's Dolphin
While researching Hector's Dolphin, try and answer the following questions. What is echolocation? How does it work and what is it used for? How could you identify a Hector dolphin and what are some similarities or differences they have with other dolphin species? Does the Hector's Dolphin need protecting? If it does, why and how does it need protecting? Why is it named Hector's Dolphin?
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eohslibraryEducation
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Scuba Diving
SCUBA diving is mostly done for recreation purposes. Divers admire the marine life that is deep within the ocean ��� wide variety of fishes, ocean plants, coral reefs and sometimes even shipwrecks! ��For recreational purpose the divers can only go up to 40m deep. Only trained professionals are allowed to go beyond that by the law. Once you get below 10 metres depth, you can't see red or yellow! If you cut yourself your blood looks blue. Oxygen becomes toxic when under pressure, so at depths greater than 42 metres, special gases with low oxygen are used. Scientists make use of SCUBA diving to explore, and gather information about the ocean and its marine life. Treasure hunters use it to find hidden treasures in the oceans. SCUBA skills also help in projects such as ocean oil drilling and bridge construction. The biggest concern that most people have in relation to SCUBA diving is whether it is safe or not.��SCUBA is safe��as long as you do not exceed your own limits. Most accidents occur due to a lack of training, diving in poor conditions or taking risks such as entering dangerous caverns or wrecks. Sharks kill only 8 to 12 people each year world wide. Humans kill over 30 million sharks each year!
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eohslibraryEducation
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Orkney Islands
The Orkney Islands lie 16 kilometres north of the coast of��Caithness, off the northern tip of Scotland, where the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. There are 70 (approx.) islands ��� less than one third have people living on them. The largest island is known as the "Mainland" and the largest settlement and administrative centre is��Kirkwall, with a population of around 6,500. The earliest known permanent settlement is at Knap of Howar, a Neolithic farmstead on the island of��Papa Westray, which dates from 3500 BC. There are many examples on the islands of ���Standing Stones��� which support this. The Orkney Islands were first written about by the Greek explorer Pytheas, who circumnavigated the islands in 224BC and claimed to have seen the edge of the world! Once part of Norway after the Viking conquests, the islands became part of Scotland in the fifteenth century,��when Christian I who was at that time King of Norway (and Denmark and Sweden) pledged them against the payment of his daughter's dowry when she married King James III of Scotland. King Christian failed to pay up the agreed sum - and the islands were formally annexed to Scotland on 20 February, 1472. The Orkney Islands were the site of a��Royal Navy��base at��Scapa Flow, during��World War I��and��II. After the��Armistice��in 1918, the��German High Seas Fleet��was transferred to Scapa Flow to await a decision on its future. The German sailors opened the sea-cocks and scuttled all the ships. Most ships were salvaged, but the remaining wrecks are now a favoured haunt of recreational divers. The place names on the Orkney Islands are a mixture of Norwegian and Scottish, and many streets in the New Zealand town of Palmerston (Otago) are named after them. A native of the Orkney Islands is known as an Orcadian, rather than a Scot. The soil of the Orkney Islands is generally very fertile and most of the land is taken up by farms. The Orkney Islands have lots of wildlife, e.g.��grey��and��common seals,�� and seabirds such as��puffins,��kittiwakes,��tysties,��ravens, and��bonxies. Whales, dolphins, and��otters��are also seen around the coasts. The��Orkney vole is native to the Orkney Islands. The coastline is well known for its colourful flowers and the��Scottish primrose��is found only on the coasts of the Orkney Islands and nearby Caithness and Sutherland. To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their "nightless" summers. On the��longest day, the sun rises at 3am and sets at 9.29pm��and complete darkness is unknown. This long twilight is known in the Northern Isles as the "simmer dim". The Orkney Islands have a cool temperate climate that is remarkably mild and steady for such a northerly��latitude, due to the influence of the��Gulf Stream.��The average temperature for the winter is 4����C and for summer 12����C��.
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Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is found in the US state of Arizona. Many people consider it to be one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The Grand Canyon is 446 kilometres in length. At its widest point it stretches 29 kilometres across. At its narrowest point it stretches 6.4 kilometres across. The Grand Canyon is around 1800 metres deep. The Colorado River runs through the Grand Canyon. It has been eroding its steep sides for millions of years. The different types of rock visible in the Grand Canyon make it an important site for geological research. The rock found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon (schist) is around 2 billion years old. The rock found on the upper rim (limestone) is around 230 million years old.
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eohslibraryEducation
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The Giant Panda
This peaceful creature with a distinctive black and white coat is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. The panda has been WWF's logo since their founding in 1961. The rarest member of the bear family, pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat from 12 to 38 kgs of it every day, a formidable task for which they use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs. Newborn pandas are about the size of a stick of butter���about 1/900th the size of its mother���but can grow to up to 150 kgs as adults. These bears are excellent tree-climbers despite their bulk. Crucial Role in Forests Pandas play a crucial role in the bamboo forests where they roam by spreading seeds and facilitating growth of vegetation. In the Yangtze Basin where pandas live, the forests are home to a stunning array of wildlife such as dwarf blue sheep, multi-colored pheasants and other endangered species, including the golden monkey, takin and crested ibis. The panda���s habitat is at the geographic and economic heart of China, home to millions of people. By making this area more sustainable, we are also helping to increase the quality of life of local populations. Pandas bring huge economic benefits to local communities through ecotourism.
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eohslibraryEducation
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Venice
Get lost in the narrow streets of Venice, Italy, and find out some curious facts about the picturesque floating city.
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eohslibraryEducation
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Koala
Koalas are native to Australia. Koala fossils found in Australia have been dated as long ago as 20 million years. Koalas are NOT bears but are MARSUPIALS, which means they give birth to their young in a pouch. A baby koala is called a ���joey���. They are about the size of a large jellybean when they are born. Joeys live in their mother���s pouch for around six months and remain with them for another six months or so afterwards. Koalas may grow up to a metre in height. Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves and almost nothing else. There are hundreds of different types of eucalyptus, but Koalas only eat a few dozen kinds. They also eat a little bit of dirt every so often���it helps their stomach digest eucalyptus leaves! The brain size of modern Koalas has reduced substantially from their ancestors, possibly as an adaptation to the low energy they get from their diets. Outside of breeding seasons, Koalas are quiet animals. The closest living relative of the koala is the wombat. Koalas have sharp claws which help them climb trees. They have similar fingerprints to humans and have large noses that are coloured pink or black. Koalas cannot be kept legally as pets. While Koalas currently aren���t listed as a threatened species, 80% of koala habitat has been lost to human homes and businesses, drought, and fires. Koalas also are at risk when close to human populations, being killed by cars or dogs.
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The Rhinoceros
The name rhinoceros means ���nose horn��� and is often shortened to rhino. There are five different species of rhinoceros, three native to southern Asia (Indian, Javan and Sumatran) and two native to Africa (White and Black). Rhino habitat ranges from savannas (African species) to dense forests in tropical and subtropical regions (Asian species). Despite their name, White Rhinoceros are actually grey. Rhinos rank among the most endangered species on Earth. Valued for their horns, they face a serious threat from poaching. Rhinoceros horns are made from a protein called keratin, the same substance that fingernails and hair are made of. The horns are ground into powder and sold as a medicine, which is believed to cure everything from fever to food poisoning. All five species of rhinoceros can grow to weigh over 1000 kg. White rhino can weigh over 3500 kg. They are the second largest land mammal (after the elephant). Rhinoceros have thick, protective skin. Relative to their large body size, rhinoceros have small brains. Rhinoceros are herbivores (plant eaters). White rhinos, with their square-shaped lips, are ideally suited to graze on grass. Other rhinos prefer to eat the foliage of trees or bushes. A group of rhinoceros is called a ���herd��� or a ���crash���. As solitary creatures, both male and female rhinos establish territories. Males mark and defend their territories. Rhinos use their horns not only in battles for territory or females but also to defend themselves from lions, tigers and hyenas. Biologists estimate that wild rhinos live up to 35 years. In captivity, a rhino may live 40 years. Males and females frequently fight during courtship, sometimes leading to serious wounds inflicted by their horns. After mating, the pair go their separate ways. A calf is born 14 to 18 months later. Although they nurse for a year, calves are able to begin eating vegetation one week after birth.
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The Colosseum
Visit the giant ampitheatre in Rome, built in ancient Roman times, where numerous animals and people met their deaths, all for the entertainment of the masses!
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eohslibraryEducation
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Thermometer
A THERMOMETER measures the air temperature. Most thermometers are closed glass tubes containing liquids such as alcohol or mercury. When air around the tube heats the liquid, the liquid expands and moves up the tube. A scale then shows what the actual temperature is. In New Zealand, we measure temperature using a Celsius scale. In 1593, Galileo Galilei invented a basic water thermoscope, which for the first time, allowed temperature variations to be measured. Today, Galileo's invention is called the Galileo Thermometer, even though by definition it was really a thermoscope. It was a container filled with bulbs of varying mass, each with a temperature marking, the buoyancy of water changes with temperature, some of the bulbs sink while others float, the lowest bulb indicated what temperature it was. In 1742, the Celsius scale was invented by Swedish Astronomer Anders Celsius. The Celsius scale has 100 degrees between the freezing point (0��C) and boiling point (100��C) of pure water at sea level air pressure. In 1612, the Italian inventor Santorio Santorio became the first inventor to put a numerical scale on his thermoscope. It was perhaps the first crude clinical thermometer, as it was designed to be place in a patient's mouth for temperature taking. Both Galilei's and Santorio's instruments were not very accurate. What can be considered the first modern thermometer, the mercury thermometer with a standardized scale, was invented by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1714.
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Kate Sheppard
Here are a variety of links to my research inquiry: Kate Sheppard. They were all found via the EOHS Library inquiry page.
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First Australians
The original inhabitants of the continent of Australia took up residence there at least 40,000 years before Europeans landed at Botany Bay in 1788.
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Amphibians
What are amphibians? Amphibians are a class of animals like��reptiles,��mammals, and��birds. They live the first part of their lives in the water and the last part on the land. When they hatch from their eggs, amphibians have gills so they can breathe in the water. They also have fins to help them swim, just like fish. Later, their bodies change, growing legs and lungs enabling them to live on the land. The word "amphibian" means two-lives, one in the water and one on land. Amphibians are Cold-blooded Like fish and reptiles, amphibians and cold-blooded. This means their bodies don't automatically regulate their temperature. They must cool off and warm up by using their surroundings. Growing up from Egg to Adult Most amphibians hatch from eggs. After they hatch, their bodies are still in the larvae stage. In this stage they are very fish like. They have gills to breath under water and fins to swim with. As they grow older, their bodies undergo changes called metamorphosis. They can grow lungs to breathe air and limbs for walking on the ground. The transformation isn't the same in all amphibians, but they all go through some sort of metamorphosis.��Types of Amphibians Frogs - Frogs are amphibians of the order anura. They generally have a short body, webbed fingers and toes, bulging eyes, and no tail. Frogs are good jumpers with long powerful legs. Toads are a type of frog. Two species of frogs are the American bullfrog and the poison dart frog. Salamanders - Salamanders look a bit like lizards. They have skinny bodies, short legs, and long tails. Salamanders can re-grow lost limbs and other body parts. They like wet, moist areas like wetlands. A newt is a type of salamander. Caecilians - Caecilians are amphibians that don't have legs or arms. They look a lot like snakes or worms. Some of them can be long and reach lengths of over 4 feet. They have a strong skull and a pointed nose to help them burrow through dirt and mud. Where do they live? Amphibians have adapted to live in a number of different habitats including streams, forests, meadows, bogs, swamps, ponds,��rainforests, and lakes. Most of them like to live in or near water and in damp areas.�� What do they eat? Adult amphibians are carnivores and predators. They eat a variety of food including spiders, beetles, and worms. Some of them, like frogs, have long tongues with sticky ends that they flick out to catch their prey. The larvae of many amphibians mostly eat plants.�� Fun Facts about Amphibians Most amphibians have thin, moist skin that helps them to breathe. Amphibians are considered��vertebrates��as they have a backbone. Frogs swallow their food whole. The size of what they can eat is determined by the size of their mouths and their stomach. Frogs cannot live in salt water. All amphibians have gills, some only as larvae and others for their entire lives. It is a myth that you can get warts from touching a frog or toad. A group of frogs is called an army. An Amphibian's skin absorbs air and water. This makes them very sensitive to��air��and��water pollution. The��world amphibian population is in decline.
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Cape Horn
CAPE HORN��is at the southernmost tip of South America, on Isla Hornos (Hoorn Island), part of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. It is governed by Chile and the Chilean Navy maintains a station on Hoorn Island, consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse.��A short distance from the main station is a memorial, including a large sculpture made by Chilean sculptor��Jos�� Balcells��featuring the silhouette of an��albatross, in honour of the sailors who died while attempting to "round the Horn".��
The Dutch navigators Jakob Le Maire and Willem Schouten were the first to sail through CAPE HORN, in 1616. Schouten named the point "Cape Hoorn" after the town of Hoorn in Holland, where he was born.
CAPE HORN��marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage and divides the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. For many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world.
The waters around CAPE HORN��are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and��icebergs; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailors��� graveyard.
Several prominent��ocean��yacht races, notably the Volvo��Ocean��Race, the Around Alone (formerly the VELUX 5 Oceans)��and the Vend��e Globe, sail around the world via CAPE HORN, and speed records for round-the-world sailing are recognized for following this route. Despite the opening of the Suez and��Panama��Canals, CAPE HORN��remains part of the fastest sailing route around the world.
In 1945 Isla Hornos and some neighbouring islands were officially made a national park. The park is mostly a reserve, uninhabited by people.
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The Himalayas
When translated, the Himalayas mean the ���abode of snow���! The Himalayas formed approximately 70 million of years ago following a collision between India and Asia via the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates. This tremendous collision resulted in the beautiful Himalayan range for which Nepal is now so famous. 75% of Nepal is covered by the Himalayas. Although the Himalayas is the highest mountain range in the world, it is also the youngest. The Himalayas in Nepal contain over 250 beautiful peaks which all exceed 6,000 m in height. 31 of the Himalayan peaks exceed 7,600 metres. Of the fifteen highest mountain peaks in the World, nine of them are contained within the Nepal Himalayas. Mount Everest (8,848 metres), the highest mountain in the world, is part of the Himalayas in both Nepal and in China. Edmund Hillary (of New Zealand) and Tenzing Norgay were the first people to successfully climb Mount Everest in 1953. The Himalayas are formed of three key ���bands��� all of which are parallel with each other. The highest peak of mountains from within these three bands is the Great Himalayan Range. The Great Himalayan range has an average height of 4,570m. Although Nepal is famous for the Himalayas, this beautiful range of mountains also reaches into China, India, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar) and Pakistan. The Himalayas are the source of the Indus Basin, the Yangtze Basin and the Ganga-Brahmaptura, which are three of the world���s primary river systems. The Himalayas are geologically alive! The southern front moves approximately 20mm a year and it is estimated that in 10 million years time, the Himalayas will have moved approximately 1,500km into Asia.
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