PLP Oregon 2023! 🌊🚌🌲

I just returned from a week-long field study to Oregon, and it was an incredible experience. From seeing a gun library, to visiting the Astoria Column and learning about disappearing guns, to visiting High Life Adventures for some thrilling zip-lining, there was never a dull moment.

One of the most fascinating things we learned about was the impact of colonization on the Chinook tribes and their use of Western Red cedar trees. The Tillamook Valley settlers, on the other hand, were able to capitalize on the wet climate to raise dairy cows and establish a successful creamery.

We also had the opportunity to participate in some citizen science projects, from studying different types of shrimp to conducting a race experiment with crabs. And let’s not forget our attempts at building a functioning robot, which taught us an important lesson about simplicity and functionality.

My favourite experience was visiting Wolf Haven, a sanctuary that rescues and cares for wolves and other endangered species. Learning about the prairies and First Nations’ use of plants only added to the experience.Of course, no trip to Oregon would be complete without a visit to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, a remarkable structure with a fascinating history.

I loved getting to bond with my classmates and explore different surroundings. I have attached my field journal along at the bottom, so you can get the full experience of my trip while sitting right at home! Overall, it was an amazing trip full of learning, adventure, and appreciation for the natural world. I can’t wait for the next field study!

Canadas Colonization 🇨🇦🍁

Canada’s colonization was a lengthy process that had a significant impact on the peoples and the history of the region. European colonization in Canada began in the late 15th century when English, French, and Spanish explorers first set foot on Canadian soil. In the early days of colonization, European countries sought to establish trade relationships and colonization that would eventually lead to permanent settlement. 

After several decades of explorations, British and French colonizers established their presence in the region in the 17th century. British colonization began with the establishment of trading posts, while French colonization was focused on the missionary work and the fur trade, and the Fill du Roi were brought to Canada to populate areas and build a equal gendered society. Poor got to live a new life, getting a fresh start, and the wealthy have an opportunity to take new “unclaimed” land. The colonization process was marked by various conflicts and tensions between different groups of Europeans and indigenous peoples.

The impact of colonization on Canada was enormous. One of the most significant long-term consequences was the displacement of indigenous peoples from their lands. The arrival of European settlers led to the introduction of new diseases, which devastated indigenous populations. Additionally, European colonizers brought with them new technologies and cultural practices that disrupted traditional ways of life among indigenous communities.

Another major consequence of colonization was the forcing of European political and legal systems on indigenous peoples. Europeans established a system of governance based on their own legal systems, which were conflicting with indigenous traditions. This led to a loss of power \ for many indigenous groups and the undermining of their cultural and political identity.

The impact of colonization is still felt in Canada today. Indigenous peoples continue to struggle with the legacy of displacement, assimilation, and loss of culture. Many Canadians can trace their ancestors back to the Fill du Roi, them being called the Founding Mothers. The Canadian government has acknowledged this legacy and has made efforts to reconcile with indigenous peoples through initiatives such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 

In conclusion, Canada’s colonization had far-reaching consequences for all involved. It led to the displacement and marginalization of indigenous peoples and had profound effects on the country’s political, social, and cultural fabrics. It also led to new starts, civilizations and creating The legacy of colonization remains a significant issue in Canada, and efforts towards reconciliation and decolonization must continue.

Mind Over Matter ⚛️

This semester in science was my favourite by far, and here’s why!

Keystone 1.  Who Am I?

In the first keystone , we learned about mass, volume, and density. We discovered that mass is the amount of matter in an object, volume is the amount of space the object takes up, and density is the measure of how tightly packed the matter in an object is. We learned how to calculate these measurements using various formulas and by using different equipment like triple beam balances and rulers. We also saw how these measurements differ for different objects of the same size and how they can be used to identify materials. Our project was to measure an object of our choosing, me choosing my phone, and find the mass, volume, density, physical properties, and qualitative and quantitative observations. This was a fun project and taught us how to discover the dimensions and mass of different objects.

             

Keystone 2.  Gummy Bear Diffusion 🍬🧸

In the second keystone, we dissolved gummy bears in different types of water to see how they were affected by the different states of matter. We learned that hot water dissolves gummy bears faster than cold water, fizzy water didn’t dissolve at all, and ice freezing the gummy bear.  We also saw how the gummy bears changed shape and mass during the dissolution process. They all grew in the end of the experiment, cold water being the biggest and hot water being the smallest and the only one that was semi-dissolved. This project was really fun, and we got to observe the bears as they were affected by matter. 

 

Keystone 3.  Scratch Video Game 🎮

In the third keystone, w had to make video games, so I made mine about about the different states of matter, including plasma. We used scratch to code our games, and that was not an easy task, but we figured it out. The process itself was very straightforward, but the coding took a bit of time, so I needed help form my fellow classmates for some of the codes. Everyone’s end result was amazing, each unique to the creator and still showing the aspect of states of matter. This project taught us about the creative process of making video games and how to make educational material engaging and interactive.

My video game ⬇️

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/842310134/

All these keystones were so fun to do, and helped my understanding of the states of matter and the mass in and around them. 

Small but Mighty!

Through these few months in science, we have been focusing on the microorganisms all around us, whether in our body or our environment and expressing our knowledge through keystones.

Our first keystone we were observing things through the microscope, varying from leaves to our phones. We spent a week doing this, then we experimented and made a field journal to keep notes and observations. The experiment was to swab parts of the school to show how microorganisms are all around us. I decided to swab the science class door on one side of my Petri dish, and an empty shelf on the other, with my hypothesis that the more used surface had the most thriving organism. We observed them grow bacteria for 1 week, then made our final scientific decision. This keystone showed us that many tasks can be done by using the scientific method and that its used for more than projects.  

The second keystone was focused on the innate and immune systems and the roles they have in your body. We spent the first week of the project learning about both systems, gathering information from the slideshows so we can have the best understanding of our keystone. Once we learned all about our body’s many immune systems, we moved on to our project, which was one of my favourite projects this year. We had to make character cards for the 5 most important parts of our immune system (white blood cell, macrophage, T cell, B cell and antibodies), and create or find characters for each of them. I used my favourite characters from Brooklyn 99, and I’m proud to say that it was the best choice. 

Our last and most current keystone was focused on biases in science, especially around vaccines. We learned about the polio disease and vaccine, and how propaganda in the news can shape people’s perspective on things. Then after we were given all the necessary information, we got assigned our assignment, a vaccine infographic. We got in partners and chose a different rumour to write about, my partner and I chose the “microchips” in vaccines. I was very proud of my poster, as I spent lots of time perfecting it, and now have knowledge of how to use Canva!

All the projects are down below, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Field Journal Template

5 images

 

 

Exploring the world (Travelogue edition)

For our final Keystone in Humanities before the break, we were given the task of creating a Travelogue. We had 4 expeditions to chose from, and then would have to write the log from first person, from either a page get on the voyage, or the captain himself. I chose Vasco da Gama, the captain of the Expedition to India, as not a lot of people chose to write about him. This project was really fun to create and has taught me tons about the early explorations that shaped our world. So enjoy the travelogue, and hopefully it will improve your knowledge about the Portuguese exploration!

Adventures into the Radical Renaissance!

Thesis

The Renaissance was a period of great innovation, and its advances have had a lasting impact on our lives today. Through modifications and improvements, many of the inventions and technologies from this time remain prevalent and essential in our everyday lives.

Introduction

My triptych reflects 3 different purposes throughout each panel. The left panel shows the new Renaissance innovations like the printing press and glasses, and how they changed history. The right panel shows the traditional view of the Catholic Church, with their patriarchal values and poor eyesight. The centre panel shows the adapted versions of those innovations, like the phone for communication and prescription glasses for our eyes.

Left Panel

The Renaissance saw major changes in the ways people interacted with the world and each other, such as better communication and time management, and new types of art that could express ideas more effectively than words alone. My triptych highlights the importance of the innovations of the Renaissance that are now essential in modern life. It illustrates the transformation of the printing press into a cellphone, the mechanical clock into digital time, and advances in medicine that led to effective vaccines. Without the Renaissance, our world would be much worse off, with no form of communication and more deadly viruses.

Right Panel

The traditional ideas during the Renaissance were set in place to benefit the wealthy and powerful, causing poverty and unfair taxes across Europe. Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses in 1517 led to the Reformation that caused a divide between Catholics and Protestants. It caused a major shift in the way the Catholic Church operated, particularly involving the sale of indulgences and the patriarchal structure of society. This shows how the Renaissance changed people to create outstanding innovations, and artwork and gives them the courage to speak up against the oppressive rules in their society.

Center Panel

The middle panel reflects on the impact of important innovations such as the printing press, medical innovations, and glasses in modern society. We take these simple things for granted not knowing how deeply they have impacted us in ways that without them, our worlds would look drastically different. It acknowledges the great value these inventions have provided and how they have shaped our day-to-day lives. We feel that these innovations are important to the world, and we must strive to ensure their continued existence for future generations.

Conclusion

This project highlights the influence of European and Asian culture during the Renaissance, Crusades, and Middle Ages on the world today. It shows how these periods of history led to increased critical thinking skills, the adoption of new artistic ideas, and the challenge of traditional societal norms. Their contributions have helped to shape the world we live in today and have a significant impact on modern society. Those are the concepts I have based my triptych is based on, and what all of the big ideas behind our note taking were all about.

The process of creating my triptych was trial and error from the very beginning. I’m not a talented artist like my fellow classmates, so I used the main strength I had in this area, which was design. We were showed how to use this photoshop app to complete our task, and the rest was up to us, so I immediately started on my design. 3 panels later, I have my full, completed triptych, that I am very proud of.

Learning about the Renaissance through taking notes is very useful. When you do this, you have to be fast to collect the information off the documents, but they make good resources to come back to for completing the bigger assignments. It was relatively straightforward and easy, so it gave me more time for the bigger projects.

The overall takeaway from this project was The advantages of the new research and resources we were shown. Superimpose X, Pixabay, Craft.do and Blog44 were some of the best examples of the takeaway. I used Pixabay to find licence free images, Superimpose X to edit the photos, Craft.do to write my Historical conclusion & Blog44 to post it to the world! These new tools will help me further in the future, and I’m thankful for that.

mPOL 2023!

“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.”

Four months ago, I started my school year ready to learn and adapt, and four months later, I am proud to say I did just that.  We have worked on numerous projects and blog posts throughout both maker and humanities that have shaped me into the learner that stands before you today. so sit back, relax and get ready for my mPOL!

In the past, school has always been relatively easy for me. If I just followed the directions to the best of my abilities and handed in something true to myself, I’d get a good grade. I went through my whole kindergarten to grade 7 school year doing this. Once in a while, things would be challenging, but usually, with some help from my peers and some extra focus, I could figure it out. But now going into a program that wants only your view on a project has caused me to adapt my approach to schoolwork. I didn’t learn that until we did the learning plan.

The learning plan was the assignment that showed me I can’t just try to write what I think people want to hear. I learned this lesson when I got a revision of my learning plan. PLP tells us to voice our thoughts and opinions in our work which is different from what I’m used to, so when I resorted back to my original way of working, the teachers were quick to call me out on it. I saw the revision symbol and didn’t know what to do. I thought I was doing everything right. I thought I had failed the assignment. I quickly realized that I got my revision because I wasn’t writing my personal goals, but what I thought my teacher’s goals for me were. That project taught me that I have to be true to myself, and not try to write what I think would get me a better grade.  

Strengths

https://www.blog44.ca/izabeller/getting-to-know-me/ 

 https://www.blog44.ca/izabeller/geek-out-izzy-style/

It took a long time to realize what were my strengths. Until September, I just followed the criteria, but now I’m expressing myself more throughout my work, and I start to see things I am good at.  My main strength is being myself. I have always been opinionated, but I didn’t show it through my work. Now whenever I have a chance to voice my opinion, I do. Some of my favourite projects this semester have helped me identify this strength. The assignment that proved most insightful was the novel study we did on the classic book, The Outsiders. We were assigned a new job each week and would present the finished product in class.  Most of the jobs we based on our own opinions and outlook, so it helped me start presenting my honest thoughts, and it helped a lot. This new strength has made multiple projects and blog posts more authentic to me. Another project that helped me identify my newfound strength was 2 blog posts I did, which was based in me and my hobbies! This project especially, showed me that it was ok to the side of myself that I thought was not supposed to be incorporated into work.

 Growing points

https://www.blog44.ca/izabeller/2023/01/23/my-book/

Besides the learning plan, I’ve had a fair share of learning points throughout this semester. This growing point was most prominent in Maker, as it is a big part of the curriculum.  This skill is art, particularly drawing. I have never been sufficient at drawing, and having to draw through this semester in both Humanities and Maker has proved a challenge. We would usually use drawings to communicate what we couldn’t with words, and it would take me multiple re-draws to do that. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so this is more of a personal struggle with myself than anything else. I get good marks on my artwork and compliments from my peers, but I always get this gut feeling telling me that I could have done better.

It took months of self-doubt until our “Learn to draw” section in maker to realize I was doing just fine. We started with drawing our names, and with a name that had 2 z’s in it didn’t help me much. I spent the next 5 hours drawing it to make it look perfect, but it was still mediocre at best. When I came to school the next day, we took a look at other people’s art, and they were the same as mine. It was a relief to see, and the next time we were assigned to draw, I drew to the best of my abilities, not worrying about perfection. This constant reminder that I am not perfect is still very present in my mind for things like my writing and talking, but now I don’t worry about it in art, and trying my best is the best thing I can do. 

Grade 8 has had its ups and downs in every subject, and all of those have proved to be useful learning opportunities for the future.  And as the semester comes to an end, I feel that as a result of revisions, rainbows, self-doubt and public speaking, my 1st semester in the PLP program has shown me the best way of learning for me. It challenges me, encourages me to think above and beyond the curriculum, and overall pushed me to have a new joy for school, instead of resenting it. So from that, I am looking forward to the future, especially my next mPOL, to see how I will reflect on my first year of high school. I hope everyone has a wonderful year and keeps working through their problems, no matter how challenging they may be.

Reflection on the Middle Ages

For the past month and a half, my class and I have been studying the feudal system and the crusades, both vital parts of history. I have viewed everything from the religious faith throughout the crusades down to everyday lives of townspeople. This post is to inform you of the process I used to create these assignments, and the evidence to back it up. We have done several writing assignments and projects on it, and as this sector comes to an abrupt end, I will be reflecting on it.

The main focus of the keynote was focused on power structure, also known as the feudal system. It was simple to understand, church at the top, followed by the kings, nobles, knights, farmers and other salesman, then peasants.  Everyone had to abide by the rules set by the king, and attend the daily mass at the church.  I made a graph to show the day to day power that all the roles have, and when it was done, it helped me answer some questions that I had trouble with at first. 

We spent about 2 weeks on each of the two major keystones, using the rest of the time doing various activities to help get the full picture for the assignments. Lots of activities were based around the feudal system, so we discussed the roles and how much power they had. Vendiagrams were used, charts were created and paragraphs were written, all full of information to help with the upcoming projects. When the time came to hand in our project, I was able to apply my best work, proving the activities in the past to be quite handy.

The project was difficult at first, and many versions of the project were discarded because they weren’t my best work. Learning about a historical event that takes place hundreds of years back is complicated, because you have to think about questions how they would, which means creating a whole new way of learning. I asked a lot of questions and frequently spent mornings in tutorial time to get my result. When I got my revision, it didn’t discourage me, and within the next few days it was handed in, all previous errors fixed.  The Middle Ages was a great topic, providing inquisitive questions and forcing us to think outside the box!

Pandora’s Box

Avatar is a movie that takes place on Pandora, a planet not far from earth with the most beautiful atmosphere and surroundings you’ve ever seen. It’s the home of the Na’vi people, an indigenous tribe that has made a home in the ferocious jungles. This movie was what our winter exhibition was based upon.  And as my winter break starts, I can’t help but reflect on my experience and the workload that was done to create it.

Planning:

We started working on it around the middle of November, planning every detail into a launch journal which we kept for reference. It was all very new, the idea of the exhibition, the planning of my box and the writing explanations for it. In class, all of us participated in numerous of writing and presenting assignment, preparing us for the exhibition. We only had 3 weeks to work on it, so most of the time was spent planning, so eventually we would have a great idea about the theme and creation of our box. 

Building:

 The building process didn’t start until December 2, leaving us one week to for construction. The next week was a blur of modelling clay, paint of all colours, glue guns and shoe boxes.  Everyone had tons of work to do, and with only an hour and a half each day, we worked the whole time. My box was simple to do, just paint the inside and glue moss on all the surfaces, so most of my time was occupied with making the braid and the plants, the main focus of the box. It took lots of clay in a variety of colours,but the end result was worth it.

Room:

Once the boxes were done, we had 3 days to make our rooms the best example of our theme possible. My room theme was Spiritually and the connection the Na’vi have with the animals and land around them. We had black lights spread across the room, earthy decoration all around and the pope in the middle was wrapped in green and brown fabric, representing the home tree. We had drinks and food, face-painting for everyone and beautiful tables with all of our projects on display.

 

 The night was so fun, showing everyone my project, interacting with people curious about avatar and getting to see my peers boxes. It was extremely rewarding with all the complement and support from everyone, and I can’t wait to do it again!