Mon 20: Poor Knights video
Let’s dive in to the pristine waters of the Poor Knights…
Below are some talking points and activities to pass the time, all relating to today’s video.
Talking points
Discuss the ideas presented in the video with your family—at home or over video conferencing. Find ways to involve as many people as possible, especially those who you know are isolated by the lock-down.
- The Poor Knights Islands are a marine reserve. What do you know about marine reserves? What might be some of the pros and cons of marine reserves?
- There are a lot of colourful animals in this episode. Which ones did you like? What did you notice about the ways many animals changed colour at night? Why might they do this?
- Did you feel surprised to see the blenny being visited by the much-larger demoiselle, asking for some help to remove parasites? How do you think fish communicate with each other? What did you think of the blenny’s hiding place?
- Did you learn anything new about tuatara or giant weta from what you saw in this episode?
- Do you have any ideas about how the Sandager’s wrasse might breathe while it is buried in the sand at night? The Sandager’s wrasse organises its society in quite a different way, with one male and lots of females, all of whom can potentially “take over” as the male. What do you think might be an advantage of this system?
Task—Paper Bead Bracelet
Lots of the creatures at the Poor Knights are colourful and beautifully decorated. Make yourself an eco-friendly decoration by following these instructions for a paper-bead bracelet. Each bead in this bracelet will be unique!
- Tear a page out of an old magazine Try to choose one with mainly pictures on it rather than words as it will look more colourful. (You could use an old piece of your own artwork if you prefer.)
- Turn the page portrait-wise and fold the bottom up by about 1cm.
- Cut about 10cm along the fold and then cut diagonally in from the bottom edge, so that you end up with a long skinny sail shape.
- Open this out. Place a toothpick at the bottom of the triangle and start folding the paper around the toothpick.
- Secure the bead with a bit of tape and remove the toothpick.
- Thread the beads onto cotton and tie the ends together.
Send us a picture of your paper bead bracelet!
