PREPARING FOR SCHOOL (SIGH!)

 When the last tree

is felled

The last river poisoned

The last ocean

is dead

The last fish

has died

Then you will know

You can't eat

Your money.

Author unknown.

I heard the other day that the world is consuming oil faster than it is being found. I find this quite scary. Are we just going to be able to replace fossil fuels with those we grow? Who knows. Is there going to be enough room to grow all the plants needed to provide fuel when our oil supply runs out? We can't seem to feed all the world now. How can we grow fuel instead of food?


This poem just makes me think about how unsustainable things are. We are constantly warned. Are we just going to use everything up? I hope not. Ultimately it will not my problem as I probably won't be around any more. But I hate to think of my children in a sudden global economic down turn from which there will be no coming back. 

I suppose I am one of those people who waits for somebody else to do something. I do recycle. I have a lot of trees in my backyard and I buy local when I can. I have a car that mainly drives just me around, which is not efficient. But it is convenient. I don't walk enough which would both do me good and help the environment.


Like everyone else, I complain about the price of petrol, but these are the good days. I think that one day, as oil resources are depleted, and the law of supply and demand clicks in, most of us won't be able to afford to run cars. I hope I am wrong, but if I am right I certainly hope public transport here improves!

Back to school

School is on the agenda again and I happened to buy some assignment cards from the Salvation Army Store or the Salvos for $3.

Assignment cards.

The cards are a bit dated and have been created specifically for the World Book Encyclopedia. But after having a look through the cards I was pleased to see that at least they were post the Berlin Wall coming down. These will be handy for the ends of lessons when some students finish their work faster than others. I can send them down to the computers to get answers from the internet.

Assignment cards

The questions look quite simple for Year 10 students but many of the students I teach, while being quite proficient at using Facebook, find it quite difficult to research answers to specific questions. They also have a very limited general knowledge, and these sort of questions help.

I have been spending the evenings covering the cards in adhesive plastic. I know if I don't they will be written on by students.

Cards covered in adhesive plastic

The only problem is that before I hand out any of these cards I will have to make sure they are doable. I shall have to go through and do all the assignments myself.

Interesting sites

1.

Photo:homeDSGN

 Click here to read about this unusual house in Japan.

2.

Photo:Moon to Mo

 If you like Bohemian interiors click here to see the house of photographer Mike Maples.

3.

Photo:Source

  Click here to read about this pedal powered boat which is also home.