Let’s we understand some concepts first, a “utopia” is a fictional, idealized place of perfect harmony, equality, and prosperity. A dystopia basically means anti-utopia or fake-utopia, it is an imagined society that appears to be a perfect world but is secretly a nightmare of oppression and control, often used as a warning.

What moved me the most was reading “Fahrenheit 451” (assigned) and “1984” (I read that by myself). It suddenly makes me realize that the methods of control depicted in these books already have some early signs in our own lives. In today’s world, many people willingly give up questioning and thinking to avoid trouble. Aren’t the book-burning firefighters and the ordinary people who report their neighbors in 451 just versions of many people in real world? (Like the book banning in us, ICE) Moreover, with the increasingly authoritarian in U.S. politics under President Trump, we are seeing more and more elements that resemble those described in dystopian stories. “Dystopia” was never far away from us, it might be hiding in every instance of our silence.

While writing my own dystopian story, I didn’t want to just write about overt, brutal evil government. Instead, I wanted to depict a “beautiful world” that people willingly walk into. My story “Big Fish”, is about where people live in a comfort zone created by a mysterious force, they only see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear. The main character are fighting against villains, but also against a society where everyone is indifferent and numb, and the fear of realizing they’ve lost the ability to think. Halfway through writing, it kind make a connection: isn’t this just like the short videos and personalized news feeds people scroll through every day? It isn’t being forced, it’s that we willingly surrender our freedom to think. 

This project truly changed the way I see the world, my worldview. It’s like I’m now wearing “dystopian glasses” I am always noticing these early warning signs: big data feels like the embryo of a surveillance society, and the pursuit of fitting in quietly erodes our independent thinking. The critical thinking skills I learned in my last project have become even more important—they’re practically survival skills. I constantly ask myself: Who wants me to believe this? What am I missing? What have I given up for comfort?

What made me most proud while writing my short story was discovering that I’m actually quite good at and really enjoy writing stories. I like writing those “good systems” that make people unconsciously sink in are truly terrifying. The real villain is comfort itself. In the end, writing stories isn’t just for interest, it’s really a way of thinking. I come up with a lot of new ideas while writing stories, and this really feels amazing

Of course, the whole process wasn’t all smooth sailing. Sometimes, reading these dark story felt really sad, as if individuals are powerless against the system. But later, I understood: writing dystopian stories is itself an act of resistance. Even if it’s just creating a different possibility on paper, it’s still saying, that the future isn’t set in stone, we still have choices.

I remember the night before the deadline, I was revising until very late. When I finally closed the document, dawn was almost breaking outside. A friend who read it asked me why I used such a cute background to discuss such heavy topics. I said, “Maybe because only by clearly seeing the darkness can we truly cherish the light.”

And here is my short story “Big Fish”

Story 2.0

In this project focus on dystopian, I want to exercise my critical thinking ability(which I learned a lot from the last project about dictatorship). I hope that every viewpoint I made are not just remaining in the level of “my feeling” or “my opinion”, but be like writing a essay or a story, with a clear structure and solid evidence to support it. In this project, I will always ask myself: “Is this explanation reliable? Or am I just being lazy and not trying?”

To achieve this goal, I need to get full control with my own learning process. This means that I won’t just pick sources that conform to my ideas to prove myself, I want the connections to challenge and correct me. Our final product is a writing piece, my one must be logically right and well-supported, allowing readers to clearly read from the beginning to the end. For the theme, I don’t want to stay at the simple conclusions like “the world of dystopia is sooo terrifying”, but rather explore how a society, through those imperceptible means, make its people to unconsciously accept the reality of being controlled. Or how the most dangerous censorship does not come from the government, but from the manipulated and numbed people themselves.

Why is this important? In today’s era of information explosion and people have more simplistic opinions, being able to make thoughtful and well-grounded arguments is more like an intellectual form of self-defense. The bottom line is, reading dystopian literature and novels are the perfect training to cultivate this ability, I am really excited to the books.

The World I Want to Enter

I hope to enter a world that values truth and protects freedom.

In that world, people enjoy their rights, take responsibility for democracy, recognize the hidden dangers of authoritarianism, think independently, and take action to defend openness and justice in society.

The Most Powerful Learning

In our PLP 12 project “Don’t Be a Dictator.” I learned not only what political systems mean, but also about human weakness and how history tends to repeat itself.

What struck me most was Timothy Snyder’s point that authoritarianism rarely arrives suddenly, it creeps in slowly, becoming part of daily life like a frog in warming water. The idea of “anticipatory obedience” resonated with me: sometimes, people give up their freedom even before anyone forces them to.

That made me realize the first defense against tyranny doesn’t lie in parliaments or courts, it begins inside each person’s clear, independent mind.

I also started to feel uneasy. “Tyranny” isn’t just something in textbooks or novels. It’s real, it’s like a “gray rhino”, a huge, obvious danger that people ignore until it crashes right into them.

Many people think individuals can’t make any difference:

“What’s freedom got to do with me?”

“Whether I act or not doesn’t matter.”

But justice has never been a marathon for a few, it’s a relay for the many.

We speak out for fairness not because we are brave, but because we fear one day realizing that the torch we could have carried was left in our hands.

That’s why my belief is simple:

“What if the change really depends on me?”

Rethinking Freedom

This project also helped me understand freedom differently.

Freedom isn’t only “freedom from interference,” but also “freedom to act.”

I thought about a ball rolling down a slope, technically, it’s free; no one stops it. But if that freedom only leads it downward, is it truly free?

Freedom should mean the power to choose wisely, not just the right to drift.

Growth

The most important thing I gained was critical thinking, to question information, stay rational, and not be controlled by fear or anger.

I used to think “critical thinking” meant disagreeing with everyone, no matter what. But now I realize it means thinking about thinking, being rational, open to diverse perspectives, and making independent judgments.

This skill isn’t just useful for resisting authoritarianism; it helps in every complex part of life.

Strengths and Future Direction

My biggest strength is creativity and critical thinking. But what I’m most proud of is PLP 12’s agency as a class, we didn’t just study history, we responded to it. By creating our documentary, we practiced “the freedom to act.”

Going forward, I want to get better at stepping out of my comfort zone, communicating confidently and expressing my ideas more clearly to others.

Understanding Citizenship

This project changed how I see what it means to be a citizen.

Before, I thought “citizen” was just a word, something abstract and distant. But now I know: I am a citizen.

Democracy isn’t a privilege to take for granted, it’s a responsibility to protect.

Data of losing democracy, the stories of silence, and historical examples all show the danger of complacency.

A citizen isn’t just someone who votes or follows laws, they are a guardian of truth, a defender of institutions, and a watcher of fear.

We’re not smarter than the people who saw democracy collapse, our only advantage is that we can still learn from their mistakes.

As V for Vendetta says:

“People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

Governments exist to serve the people, not control them. We have the power, and the duty, to protect our own freedom.

Connection to My Personal Vision

This project brought me closer to my original goal: to become a responsible and active citizen.

I’ve come to realize that the greatest form of resistance isn’t shouting or rebelling loudly, but keeping an independent mind and staying constantly aware.

Challenges

My biggest challenge was my fear of speaking up in class. I often stayed quiet because I lacked confidence and cared too much about what others might think of me.

This reminded me of something the Chinese writer Wang Xiaobo once said:

“In life, people need experiences like this, completing one task after another, until they gradually gain confidence in what they do.”

That sense of steady accomplishment is what breaks fear. Many people give up when things get tough because they’ve never experienced the satisfaction of finishing something they believed in. That’s also my problem, I used to lack the motivation to fix things when they went wrong.

Through this project, I learned that the problems we avoid will eventually come back to us in another form. There’s a quote that really struck me:

“At 15, you think swimming is hard and you give up. At 18, someone you like invites you to swim, and all you can say is, ‘I can’t.’ At the age of 18, you found English difficult and gave it up. By the time you are 28 and meet a good work place that required English, you can only say, ‘I don’t know it.’”

The fear we have early on only becomes harder to fix later, and sometimes, it’s too late to fix at all.

Since following the crowd and playing it safe hasn’t brought me happiness, it’s only made me anxious and lost. I’ve decided I’d rather take risks and do the things I’ve always wanted to do but was too scared to try.

Dreaming won’t help. Waiting won’t help. Overthinking won’t help.

If I want a brighter future, I have to break out of my comfort zone and fight for it.

That’s why, from now on, I hope to take initiative in class,  to share my thoughts and express my ideas. This isn’t just an empty promise. It’s a real, concrete first step toward becoming the person I want to be.

FIN

Here is a animation I made for the documentary

Presentation 40

Then, I also wrote the script for the first paragraph of the documentary’s propaganda section.

And a storyboard was made for the entire propaganda section

One of the things I find particularly interesting is that a learning program can teach you a lot about yourself. When I first started the writing project, I didn’t expect to find out so much about how I write beyond the subject I was exploring. From analyzing rhetoric to creating personal stories, I have the ability to think critically, be creative, and go beyond what I think I’m capable of. Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

1. I learned the power of humor and insight in reading No Canada

Humor has always been an important part of my personality. This is my response in embarrassing situations, and it often comes out in my writing. When I saw the “No Canada” article, I realized that humor can be a good balance between satire and serious writing. I think humor isn’t just a way to mask my point of view, it can also help me to say things on a deeper level.

In reflecting on the article, I saw that the author used humor to explore the connection between Canadian identity and the “O Canada” national anthem. It’s a fine line to make sure the humor doesn’t undermine my point, but actually helps highlight it. Intentionally funny can also bring depth to academic writing (if you push the boundaries of your mind without losing the message you’re trying to convey, rather than showing how funny you are in every situation). This reading and feedback experience taught me that my voice in writing doesn’t have to choose between serious or funny; I can combine the two to approach complex topics in a way that comes naturally to me.

2. Stereotypes in All Quiet on the Northern Front

Reading All Quiet on the Northern Front made me understand how hard it is to write funny stereotypes without falling into their trap. Josh Freed explores stereotypes of Canadians as “boring” and “conservative” through his satirical style essays. Stereotypes aren’t just lazy generalizations; they reflect cultural differences. In analyzing Freed’s essay, I found myself thinking about how these cultural differences can be reduced to simple, one-dimensional ideas. The humor in his works is not only meant to be funny, but also to make people sad (?), Canadians really are not “not funny”. For example, comedian John Candy and The naked gun Leslie Nielsen are also Canadian. However, I do agree with the author that writing can explore cultural complexities without oversimplifying or judging them.

3. Zettelkasten check: Organize ideas purposefully

To be honest, I didn’t think I’d like the writing note taking system so much before. But how valuable the organization is to my work. It’s not just jotting notes; It’s about building a personal knowledge base that makes my writing more purposeful and connected. Tackle complex topics systematically by breaking down my thoughts about a variety of things into smaller, interconnected notes. Instead of just shoving a bunch of facts into notes, I connected my thoughts and constructed a clear, persuasive narrative. The process of writing: research, organization, reflection, editing is just as important as the final product. The Zettelkasten system allows me to explore problems from multiple perspectives, and I think everyone should have one.

4. Personal style in Who I Am – Six Stories

When I embarked on the Who I Am – Six Stories project, I explored my identity through humor, reflection, and creativity. It’s a chance to write something really personal. But it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. As I write each story, highlight different parts of myself, such as being a student at school, mom and dad’s daughter, my sister’s sister, etc. I reflect on how these characters have shaped my perspective on life. Writing about moments from my childhood made me realize how a relaxed mindset and optimism played an important role in my interactions with the world. What’s the point? Writing these stories is not just about narrating events, but finding the deeper meaning behind them. What did I learn from those experiences? How did my childhood shape who I am now? These are not easy questions, but these stories become honest reflections on what I have written. It taught me to embrace myself and realize that even the smallest moments reveal a lot about our character.

5. Writing in Action: My voice

Looking back on everything I’ve done so far, one thing that stands out is that I’ve been finding with my writing voice. Whether it’s through humor, structured analysis, or personal stories, I’ve learned how to inject my personality into my work. Writing isn’t just about putting ideas on paper, it’s about how those ideas connect with others and create meaning. This project has been a journey to discover my true writing voice, finding a balance between various styles. As I continue to grow as a writer, I’m excited to see how my voice will evolve. This is just the beginning of my journey. I can’t wait to see where this newly discovered voice takes me next

If you wan to check out my writing (with my teacher’s feedback):

Do you know what is a PuchaKucha? PechaKucha is a presentation style. It has 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each, totaling 6 minutes and 40 seconds per presentation. It’s a concise, fast-paced and engaging way to share ideas. It is also is the final project in “Cray Cray Yay Yay.”

In our project called”Cray Cray Yay Yay,” we explore the driving question: “Why does it take a crazy person to change the world?” Inspired by the iconic Apple commercial “Crazy Ones,” we set out to discover the power of innovation and creativity. We had a field trip to Seattle to give us first-hand information on the question, we explored some of the city’s most innovative and influential companies, as well as the crazy ones. Finally we need to create an PechaKucha presentation to express our answer to the driving question!

During my learning journey, I faced many challenges and successes, and these things shaped my growth. Here are my reflections on myself:

What I did well:

I’m more comfortable in public speaking situations. I used to be afraid to speak because I wasn’t confident, but I stepped out of my comfort zone. I helped with the process of writing scripts for my team. I was always the kid in the group who didn’t do anything, but I now have a 

awareness of helping the group.

What I did bad:

There is one area I struggled with the most, which was relying too much on cue cards during presentations. It affects my communication with the audience. Also, I found myself scared to participate in class discussions and answer questions, which was largely due to self-doubt about my English. But I have to learn to accept myself and believe in myself.

Improvements:

Despite the challenges, I can overcome the nervousness of public speech. Through practice and preparation, I become more confident when speaking in front of people.

Need to Improve:

I’m going to be more active in the classroom and overcome my fear of expressing myself. Due to language issues, I was shy and didn’t want to talk. I need to recognize that my English skills are better than I thought. I’m going to contribute my ideas more freely because I know my contributions make the learning environment better.

How field studies help me learn:

The field trip broadened my worldview and taught me the culture and experiences of a different city (Seattle). Trap to Seattle not only enriched my knowledge, but also made me curious about the world. Seeing a lot of ways that crazy people deal with challenges has inspired me to want to be a person who makes positive change to the world.

Here is some of the photos I took in Seattle:

Young people should bear in mind the terrible disaster that fascism has created. and they need to be wary of the reemergence of fascism that affects world peace. If people can’t learn lessons from history, they will never progress. 

     It is important for people to learn from experience and lessons from history, and they gain wisdom from that. 

     The disaster caused by World War Two(WWII) is something that all people who love peace can never forget. At that time, Germany caused the death of tens of millions of Europeans through many cruel means. The Japanese caused terrible crime in China, and they invaded more than 10 Asian countries. 

     History tells us that fascism is an anti-human and anti-civilization. It brings disaster to mankind.  

     Looking back at history, people can see that it was expansionism, right wing thought, and extreme nationalism that made the fascists control the countries. 

     The people have been deceived by fascism, and the country has become a tool for the politicians to enslave people. 

     Now, although the smoke of this world war has cleared, this painful lesson of history will always be worth learning.

     In this project, I learned about the historical significance of WWII, and why people should always remember about it. I need to write a essay at the end of the project. Let’s we see how learn about WWII, and finish this essay.

     Building Knowledge 1: The Causes of WWII “PEE” Answer.

I need to think about why in WWII started in three ways, they are: my point, why I think that, and why it is important.

Building Knowledge 2: Historical Significance of WWII.

The chart that shows my understanding of the affects of WWII.

Building Knowledge 3: Bulletin Board Contributions.

I did a BRIEF (2 sentences) to the driving question: Why is it so important to learn about Canada’s involvement in World War II?

The Essay: Brainstorming.

Ideas that are as many as I can think of  for the .

     Thesis of the essay: It important to learn about Canada’s involvement in WW2. because people should not forget history, the suffering of the victims, and the sacrifice of the soldiers.

Outline:

The Final Draft of Essay:

• In this project, I learned a lot. The World War II was the most curl  war in human history, with more than 60 million people losing their lives. The significance of commemorating World War II is to remind people not to forget history, and today’s peace does not come easily.