Joan Wiffen

Matariki

Matariki
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in mid-winter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year. Matariki literally means the 'eyes of god' (mata ariki) or 'little eyes' (mata riki).

Fossils

Fossils are dead animals or plants.They are usually skeletons found embedded in rock.Sometimes fossils are footprints or poop.Small animals or insects get stuck in tree sap which hardens and traps them forever.Large animals can get trapped in ice, or their carcass gets trapped in layers of rock.Over One Thousand of years, pressure builds up.Next the mould left is filled with minerals that form rock.The rock shape is the fossil-an exact replica of the dinosaur.This process takes Ten Thousand years.Palaeontologist find fossils when the top layer of dirt or rock washes away. 

Continents of the world

Birds

The Emu
The Emus length is 1.8 and its mass is 36 - 40 kg.
The emu is only found in Australia.It lives through most of the country,ranging from coastal regions to high in the Snowy Mountains. Emus were once found in Tasmania, but were exterminated soon after Europeans arrived. It eats lots of different fruits.


The ostrich
The ostrich is 2.1 - 2.8 tall.Its mass is 120kg.Their diet consists mainly of roots, leaves, and seeds, but ostriches will eat whatever is available. Sometimes they consume insects, snakes, lizards, and rodents. They also swallow sand and pebbles which help them grind up their food in their gizzard, a specialized, muscular stomach.


The cassowary
1-1.7 metres and its mass is 44kg.The cassowary is an omnivorous bird and therefore eats a wide variety of both plants and animals in order to gain all the nutrients that it needs to survive. Cassowaries mainly feed on fruits that have fallen to the ground from the trees, along with leaves, grasses, seeds, insects, spiders and other invertebrates.

The Rhea
15-70 kg big.Greater rheas are opportunistic eaters. They enjoy plants, fruits, and seeds but also eat insects, lizards, birds, and other small game. Rheas have a taste for agricultural crops, which earns them the ire of many South American farmers.

Continents of the world