Categotry Archives: Humanities

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Echos of Colonization!

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Echos of Colonization! 

 

Introduction 

Hello my little sunshine. 🌞I haven’t posted for a while because I have more interesting things to occupy myself with, so my bad. 😔 Although you probably don’t spend your time reading a children’s blog so it’s all good. For this project “Echoes of Colonization” we were put into groups, mine consisting of some phenomenal Homo sapiens, Eloise, Evelyn, Elsa and myself. Prior to starting a keynote presentation that would be presented to grade 11s, as a class we discussed and researched indigenous people, colonization and things that related to that. Once we had a good amount of knowledge to get started, we decided what topics we would each talk about in our presentation. My group and I chose to talk about gender roles and health within the indigenous communities.

 

Two things we talked about in the presentation

Unlike the other groups, mine had one extra person, therefore instead of presenting about one topic we talked about two. Elsa and I focussed on the health aspect of the presentation, whereas Eloise and Evelyn focused on the gender roles. Even though we each had certain aspects we wrote about, everyone had researched a bit about each others’ topic to get a better understanding of the project as a whole.

Health 

The health topics I focused on were the following:

  • Indigenous health pre colonization 

I mentioned the diverse diet, positive healing practices, spiritual beliefs and strong community relationships. Strong mental and physical well being.

  • The Haida indigenous group

For this slide I explained in further detail how this specific group was affected by colonization. These details include:

 

  • the Smallpox outbreaks

Talking about how it affected Haida Gwaii, and the losses they faced.

  • British colonizing Haida Gwaii
  • The challenges Haida faced and how their lives were impacted.
  • Haida belonging to one of two social groups (raven and eagle)  

marriage customs maintained balance between these groups.

Gender roles 

While this was not my main research topic, I’ll mention the highlights.

Past

  • European colonization introduced patriarchal structures 
  • Increased gender based violence against women because of colonial policies 
  • Indigenous gender diversity and non-binary identities were suppressed or erased under colonial rule.

Present

  • gender roles still uneven 
  • protest for gender equality
  • more freedom to choose your sexuality and gender

 

How the presentation went

My group and I, like my classmates, had a chance to present to two groups. I’m really happy that we got this chance because to be honest the first time we presented the keynote didn’t go very well. This is mostly because we had spent so much time working on the actual presentation and notes no one had much time to practice presenting. Therefore, when we got to present again, my group as well as myself did much better. We knew what to work on and conveniently unlike the other presentation, knew the grade 11’s we were presenting to!

Now for some reason the photo is SIDEWAYS AND I DONT’ KNOW HOW FIX IT. So I’m sorry about that.😔

 

The photo below is the feedback the grade 11’s gave us!

 

 

Some things I could work on

I find whenever I present in front of people I start talking very fast since I get lots of anxiety performing in front of others. To improve my presentation I’ll work on a few key areas. I can start by taking deep breaths before speaking to stay calm and centered. During the presentation, I’ll use pauses to gather my thoughts and allow the audience to process the information. I’ll focus on speaking clearly and articulating each word to slow down my pace. Lastly I can seek input from others which will also boost my confidence and presentation skills. Practicing these techniques regularly will help me speak confidently and effectively during presentations.

How I answered the driving question🏎️

For this project the driving question was “what were the consequences of colonization.” There are many consequences of colonization, some examples being loss of land, resources or people introducing new diseases. My group and I demonstrated our knowledge of the project and of the driving question throughout the presentation. In our

presentation, my group and I scampered into these topics,🤓👆 showcasing our understanding of the project’s driving question. For instance, our discussion of smallpox highlighted one of the significant side effects of colonization. Through both the presentation and extensive note-taking, I demonstrated a thorough grasp of the impacts of colonization.”

 

reflection on my individual keynote

For my individual keynote I believe I successfully demonstrated my understanding of consequences of colonization. I do agree with the feed back I got though, which was to look at the audience a bit more. It’s something that I’m going to try and work on in the future.

 

Success criteria 

This was the success criteria for the Echos of Colonization project! I believe my group and I did a good job over all!

Conclusion

In conclusion, I learned a lot in this project even though its not something I was ever passionate to learn about, I found myself-enjoying it! I’m exited to see what project I’ll be learning about next,(which I will definitely be posting about so stay tuned!)🫶

Shout out to my group partners, check their blog post out to!

Elsa❄️⛄️:http://www.blog44.ca/elsaw/

Evelyn:http://www.blog44.ca/evelyns/

Eloise:http://www.blog44.ca/eloiseg/

 

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POL Declaration

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Categories: Humanities, Maker, Science, Tags: , , ,

Intro

POL Declaration

“Thank you for coming to my presentation of learning. I am the expert on my own learning. I am also responsible and accountable for my own learning. You can expect me to give an honest evaluation of my progress. We will discuss my strengths and opportunities for growth. Thank you in advance for listening and for offering feedback that I can use to improve as a learner.”

 

Transition:

“The first thing I’m going to talk about is some strategies and habits I will work on for the remainder of the school year.” 

 

Strategies/habits I will work on for the rest of the school year  

Mindfulness and Self-Care(self regulation)🎧

Something Iv’e noticed throughout the school year is that I’m not very good at is prioritizing my self care. When I get an assignment I try to get it done right away to get it off my plate, however I tend to overwork myself. As I work through the rest of the school year Im going to work on prioritizing my well-being by taking breaks when I need them, and engaging in activities that help me get into a healthy and comfortable mind set. Continuing to reflect on my overall health and well-being will help me maintain a balanced lifestyle and optimize my performance in school. 

 

 

Coming into tutorial more often

The second strategy I’d like to to work on is coming into tutorial more often. It’s a very helpful tool and I’d like to utilize it. By getting a head start on tasks before the day gets busy, I hope to create a focused environment for productivity. Coming in earlier could help me manage my time better, establish a positive routine. I believe this approach aligns with my goals of maximizing my potential and making the most of my education. In addition to this Im going to try and go to bed earlier so I have an easier time waking up for tutorial.

 

Learning Plan💪

At the beginning of the year, we got together and made plans for how we wanted to learn and grow. These plans covered a wide range of areas like taking responsibility, staying engaged, behaving well, being honest, getting ready for tasks, managing our time and actions, communicating effectively, and working as a team. Alongside these plans, we also wrote down our thoughts on what we hoped to achieve through our learning experiences.

 

 

Statement of learning intent

My learning intent is to comprehend all the information I’m being taught and be proficient or developing in my PLP classes. To do this I can actively engage in class by taking notes and asking questions. Second, I can review my notes regularly to reinforce the material. Third, I can seek additional resources like talking too other PLP students to deepen my understanding. Lastly, I can practice what l’v learned through hands-on activities or real-life applications.

 

Science Reflection🔬👩‍🔬

I quite enjoy science but there is one thing we learned in particular that I found very interesting. Using the microscopes has been particularly fascinating to me, revealing hidden worlds teeming with life. I loved being able to go outdoors with a container and pretty much pick up anything, seemingly lifeless, and examine it under a microscope. I also appreciate the regular breaks we take, which help me stay focused and refreshed. However, not every aspect of our coursework has been smooth sailing. The project where we created a science-based video game, for instance, proved to be quite challenging. Despite my best efforts, the website would become glitchy, which was frustrating at times. Nevertheless, I still valued the experience as it introduced me to new concepts and skills in game design and programming. It was a learning experience in itself, demonstrating the importance of perseverance and problem-solving in the face of setbacks. Beyond the occasional bumps, the collaborative learning environment has been an overall helpful learning experience, and at times I was able to help others with the video game knowledge I had learned. Overall, science class has enhanced my appreciation for the natural world. I look forward to continuing this journey of exploration, embracing both the successes and the challenges that lie ahead.

This is the link to my video game if you want to check it out:

Maker Reflection

For my maker refection I’d like to talk about my favourite project we did. This project is called “becoming a PLP learner.” Some things I really enjoyed about this project is that I was able to show my artistic side in assignment such as my me emoji. With projects like these I got better at having a good eye for what photos, shapes and colours look good together. However, something about this project that really stood out to me was how much I learned about myself. For example in Becoming a PLP learner presentation I realized how much of a nerd I can become when talking about animals, but in my defence, animals are very interesting. Overall, this project was both enjoyable and enlightening, leaving a lasting impact on my learning journey.

 

 

 

Humanities Refection:

This year has been quite a roller coaster! There were many ups and downs throughout this year. In particular, my humanities class stands out as a significant part of my school experience. It was a subject that not only broadened my understanding of various cultures, histories, and philosophies but also encouraged my critical thinking and creative expression. Similarly, when studying history, we didn’t focus solely on overarching narratives but also examined specific events, movements, and perspectives that played vital roles in shaping the course of history.  were encouraged to express our thoughts and ideas in meaningful ways. This not only helped to deepen our understanding of the subject matter but also fostered a sense of ownership and engagement in our learning process.

 I’ve now said quite a few good things about Humanities but that doesn’t mean it was all perfect! There were many tough and stressful days throughout the year, and at times, I thought I’d never get through it! As you can see I am here and alive right now so clearly I did. I don’t want this to sound like an advertisement but the app “things” quite literally saved my life.

Growth

This brings me into my growth I’ve made this year. In September there we’re so many apps we were introduced to and so many different functions! However I made a lot of growth learning how to operate the apps such as Things which I mentioned earlier. Apart from Things another app I found worked really well with my learning style is Showbie. This is mainly because Showbie, like many of the PLP apps is very organized.  I’m the type of person that relies on writing down what I need to get done so I can have the satisfaction of checking it off. Despite the initial challenges, I’ve successfully learned how to operate essential tools like Things and Showbie. These apps have become fundamental to my workflow, providing organization and satisfaction as I tackle tasks. Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue leveraging these tools to further enhance my productivity and achieve my goals.

 

Conclusion

“As I reflect on my growth, I’m grateful for the support and feedback received. Moving forward, I’m excited to continue leveraging these experiences to enhance my learning and achieve my goals. Thank you for your time and contributions to my growth as a learner.”

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AR Story Telling

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Categories: Humanities, Tags: , , ,

AR Story Telling 

Intro

For this project we learned about storytelling and all the different and important aspects of creating one. We also learned how to operate an app called AR Makr! (I’ll just call it AR though, because it’s easier) You probably don’t know what AR is but don’t worry, I’ll explain everything in good time!

Learning  About The History

We needed to understand what we were talking about (historically) so as a class we would do readings and small assignments to show our understanding. 

We learned many things about European exploration. Technology that helped them travel, what motivated them to take such dangerous voyages, consequences of exploration and how does it still affected my world today. These were some of the things I learned during this project and it was so much fun!

 

Overview of What I Did

 

 

 

 

 

The Process

Playing Around With The AR App 

As a way to get used to AR we made a short easy story to understand how it worked! 

 

 

How to Work AR

 

1. The first thing you need to do is find a clean space like a floor or desk, but it can be glitchy at times. 

2. Once you’ve done that you create the drawings you want to insert into your story!

3.  After that is completed I would place my drawing where I wanted them and start filming! 

4. Lastly, you can either voice over your video after words or just talk while filming, and that about sums it up! 

 

My Thoughts on AR

To be blunt, I wasn’t really the biggest fan of AR. It was pretty glitchy and hard to operate but I really like the idea of it! It’s a fun way to express our creativity while giving cool visuals. 

 

Notes I Made

 Remember how I said we did some in class learning? Well these are some of the notes I made!

 

 

 

Learning About the Technology

At this point in the project we started to learn about the different tools Europeans used in general and to travel as well as the history of them. We did some drawings of a few different technologies and we wrote a bit about them. I’ll show a few below!

 

 

 

 

 

Something I Loved About This Project 

I really enjoyed that while we were in the learning experience of this project we hardly ever just read a website and were expected to remember everything. Instead, we were given fun templates or ways to remember what we’d learned. Like how we learned about the technology!   This also applies when we learned about the exploration and the causes and consequences of it.

 

 

  

Collaboration and Getting Feedback

This is something I’v done many times throughout school, not just in PLP and it’s a great way to improve your work! A few times in the project the class would get into groups and do “two stars and a wish” with whatever we were working on at that point.

What is Two Stars and a Wish?

Two stars and a wish is when you give two positive comments and one comment on what you could improve on. For example if I made a drawing my friend would say two nice things and one way I could improve.

 

 

 

 

My Final Story Draft+How it Went

Here is my final story draft, but it was no easy process. I believe I revised it three times!  Every time it was critiqued I got one step closer and had my friends and peers to help out along the way. These critiques were very helpful though, because every time I changed it, not only did it get better but I understood and learnt more about the project!

 

 

 

 

Answering The Driving Question

 

The Driving Question:

The driving question for this project is, “how can we use storytelling to investigate what sparked global exploration and understand its impact.

Storytelling is an amazing tool to investigate what sparked global exploration and understand its impact. To do this I used firsthand narratives, (in this case not a First Nation narrative because of cultural insensitivity) and even fictional stories set in that time period to get a deeper understanding. By analyzing the motivations, challenges, and outcomes of explorers, I could paint a vivid picture of how global exploration shaped the world. 

The One and Only AR Video!!!

 

Here is the video of my AR story. I really liked how it turned out, and considering that this is pretty much my first time doing something like this, I think I did well! 

AR Video: 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion 

Truth be known, I had lots of fun with this project! I learned so much and I got to incorporate my artistic side while doing so many drawings!  Even though there were some bumps as I progressed in the project everything turned out great. I hope to do similar things in the future! (Im sure I will)

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My Radical Poems

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Categories: Humanities, Uncategorized, Tags: , , ,

My Radical Poems

 

 

My Radical Poems

 

The driving Question

The driving question for this project is “how might I write poetry that I enjoy and show who I am?” The book above is all of the poems I learned how to put together!  

Before I continue, I’ll show some of the criteria for the “e-book” so you have a bit of an understanding about it.

 

 

Intro

Throughout the past few days we learned how to do many poems, some of which I had never even heard of! Although we did have a few setbacks, like the snow days (I’ll talk about that later) we did as much as we could in the time we had. Keep in mind, poetry was never something I liked to do in the past, it was always something that I would dread doing in school. So I wasn’t very ecstatic about this unit, although you may see my opinion change through the poems I did. I have found it interesting to read sometimes but it was never something I wanted to do myself. 

Sometimes you are expected to find so much more within the poem instead of just reading it for enjoyment. 

 

 

Throughout the many poems styles we created, there were some I liked and others that I wouldn’t want to do again. For example I really enjoyed the “found” poem. It was fun just being able to pick up a random book and make a poem out of it. 

My Favourite Poem

 I selected this book from the LAC room, not really knowing what I was looking for or how it was going to end up. If I had chosen a book from home, I would have flipped to my favorite page, and it would have been good BUT I wouldn’t have put much thought into it. By choosing a book I had never seen, the outcome of possibilities was endless. I had no pre-mindset of what I wanted. The end result was a poem that I’m quite proud of, as it has a lot of meaning, mood and emotions. This poem shows a lot of who I am because it feels like the things I enjoy and is relatable. 

Found Poem

The Ocean Breeze

Stood quite still, listening

The lights glowed

The books were neat and orderly in their cases

The bay stretched dark and silent

It was late September, the night was breathless

Summers dead hand still lay heavy on the land

The tiny spark hissed and went out

In the dark, the moon alone at night

The loneliness, starlight

The other poem I really liked making was the imagery poem. This is probably because I’m a very visual person and I like to paint a picture in my head of how the words turn into a story. 

For example when I was writing about my fish tanks, I felt like I could really picture them as I was writing. There’s DEFINITELY a mood to it. It’s a very bubbly and light hearted poem in my opinion.

Imagery Poem

In a glass oasis, fish dance and shimmer,

Plants sway, creating a watery glimmer.

Bubbling streams, rocks and caves to explore,

A hidden world, a serene place to adore.

 

The Poem I Didn’t Like so Much

Haikus

Although it is an unpopular opinion, I’m not fond of haikus one bit. What could be easier than writing three lines about nature?? However, I find it irritating when I get a good idea, write it down and it’s not the right amount of syllables. It’s just annoying… not much else to say. 

How May I Write Poetry That I Enjoy and shows who I am?

For me personally, I write poetry better when there are less rules, for example a free verse poem. With a free verse poem you can say just the right words without having to worry about if there are the right syllables or a rhyme scheme and what not. I like poems that are more personal and don’t just say exactly what they mean. That way it reaches the right audience. The poetry I enjoy is creative and about the things I can relate to. 

When I go to write poems the mood and the tone are probably the most important piece of it. How I’m feeling in that moment definitely impacts how the poem ends up and what audience it’s going to reach. I’d say it’s probably one of the biggest pieces of the poem. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, even though I still don’t ADORE poetry, I do feel my perspective on it has changed. I’ve gained a greater understanding of what it really means to be a poet and that there are so many different poetry styles out there. I believe this project was a good learning experience for me.

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My Showcased Work

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Categories: Humanities, Uncategorized, Tags: , ,

                My Showcased Work

By:Brooklyn

 

Intro:

For the past few weeks my classmates and I have worked on making a triptych. Now, you may be thinking, what the heck is that, and how did you do it? Well, read more and you’ll find out!

 

What’s a Triptych?

Before I explain what we did, you’ll need to understand what a triptych actually is! Triptychs are three pictures or carvings on three separate panels, typically hinged together side by side and used as an altarpiece. Now that you know what a triptych is, let’s actually get started!

 

My Groups Triptych 

To get a better understanding of how our triptych was going to play out every group needed to make a digital version of what it was going to look like. Below is my groups digital version. 

This was our final digital version. We sketched drafts before hand. I will show these below. 

 

 

 

The Process We Went Through

 

The triptych we strived to make was of the medieval times, Renaissance era and contemporary, or modern. At the start of this project all we were doing was learning about Medieval Times as well as the Renaissance and contemporary eras, which was actually a lot of work. I should probably tell you before we continue though, the triptych we made was not the ordinary triptych you may see. Instead of a painting or carving, WE were in the triptych. Pretty cool, huh? 

 

 

As an audience member it may have seemed like a simple task to do this, but let me tell you, it was not! This is one of the reasons everyone was put into groups. Below are some of the photos of props we made.    

 

Here is a small video o

IMG_3983

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, like anyone else we ran through some problems but as a group we worked through them! There was a speaker for each scene and while the speaker was explaining what the said scene was about, for example the Medieval Times, the rest of the group members would be behind a certain changing into clothes that represent Medieval Times as well as incorporating props that we made into the triptych.

 

 

Photos and Videos of How the Exhibition Went! 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the exhibition all of our hard worked finally payed off. If you didn’t already know, as a grade 8 PLP student, this is our first exhibition so everything about this is new to me and my classmates. Although as this school year progresses I will continue to learn new things and grow not just as a PLP, student but as a person.

 

 

My Power Play Post & How This Project Built on 

If you would like to check out my power play post, click on the link below.

https://www.blog44.ca/brooklynw/2023/11/26/the-story-behind-my-artwork/

 

Radical Innovation and How it’s Going has build on our previous power play project in many ways. For instance, learning about history and its societal impact throughout time allows me to gain a broader perspective on my current worldview. I gained a greater understanding on how the people in the Renaissance and Medieval times functioned in their everyday lives. For example, a lot of decisions were made off of their economical status. In addition, it was a time of patriarchy, where men were always or often the leaders and felt their opinions outweighed that of a woman. Lastly, The Medieval part of the triptych became part of the overall triptych, which I showed earlier in this post.

The Driving Question

The Driving question for project is “What can we learn from the past and why does that matter to us today?” Within this project I have gained a greater understanding of how learning from the past applies to us today. For example I’ve learned the importance of art, science and literature which has made a lasting impact on our society today. In addition to this, throughout this assessment I have become more aware of how lucky I am to live in this society and be surrounded by all these wonderful people.

 

 

My Renaissance Photos and Paragraphs + Improvements From my Drafts 

The first Renaissance photo is not revised, while the second is.

 

Not Revised 

 

Revised

 

 

 

Original Renaissance Photo 

 

Improved Renaissance Photo

 

 

 

 

Group Members Blogs

I will link my group members blogs below if you’d like to check them out!

https://www.blog44.ca/milainac/

https://www.blog44.ca/kieral/

https://www.blog44.ca/maggiet/

https://www.blog44.ca/oliverf/

Conclusion 

In  conclusion, this project was a LOT of work, but it was worth it! I learned so much about the Medieval, Renaissance and contemporary eras as well as how to get better at working in groups. It was an amazing experience and opportunity, I look forward to doing similar projects.

 

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