Some skills I have developed to make my creative activities better are focusing on a theme, double checking my work before letting it dry, and combining additive and subtractive details. Before glazing my mug, I knew that I wanted it to look clean, and focus on glazing techniques. To make said techniques pop, I painted the whole mug porcelain white. This ensured that at first glance, the focus would be the bright coloured bubbling, splattering, and dripping. Since I knew my glazing would be on the simplistic side, I created most of my detail during the molding stage. Using a rubber tool, I took chunks out of the clay, creating the impression of wrinkles and folds. I then used a needle tool to poke holes into the clay, adding skin texture. I know that my thinking ahead and thorough planning allowed me to be successful on this project.
The songs “Wreck Beach/Totem Park” and “Caribou Ghosts and Untold Stories” make our world and community better. They illustrate taking a stand against another’s forced beliefs through the lyrics “I’ll sit on the beach till they put me in cuffs” and “rebellion is on our way. This betters our world because it creates freedom. Instead of being obligated to practice a religion or speak a certain language, this uprising allows for a diverse community. The lyrics “actions call others to action” help make a positive change because when someone sees another taking the initiative to improve a society’s thinking or actions, it gives others the courage to do so. Seeing someone else doing these actions allows others to register that said acts are possible.
These songs represent that “something” is unfair when they state phrases such as, “Cemеtery city the truth about where I grew up,” “A virgin place, the cleanest slate and all the whitest lies,” “We had our reservations, yeah we knew something wasn’t right,” “We don’t have to plan for the win, we always lose anyway,” and “Catharsis is still elusive, we’ll save that for another day.” The word “something” represents equality and rights. These songs depict how Indigenous people are/have been treated, and the injustice that continues to occur.
These songs make me feel unsettled, distressed, and scared. In the first song, “Wreck Beach/Totem Park” by The Zolas, I had more feelings of regret and despair, whereas when listening to “Caribou Ghosts and Untold Stories” by Leanne Simpson, I felt heartbroken and mournful. I think the first song is more compelling because it makes me want to understand the meaning of every word. I want to know what the writers experienced to make them produce this song.
In the Zolas’ song, “[sitting] on the beach till they put [them] in cuffs” is their highest value. Essentially, fighting for their way/rights, until they are forced not to. As for the Simpson song, sticking together and not losing their culture is most important to them. This is evident through the lyrics “Caribou ghosts and untold stories.”
After analyzing these songs, it is obvious that music conveys different perspectives. For example, the lyrics “I’ll sit on the beach till they put me in cuffs” and “Meet me at the underpass, rebellion is on our way” illustrate differences. Although both phrases are representing fighting against power, one group has more risk when standing up. The Zolas “[sitting] on the beach” until they are put “in cuffs” shows a form of protest. Because their song is from the white perspective, they have less consequences when standing up against people of higher authority. As for the Simpson song, “rebellion is on our way” illustrates danger and risk. This is because as a minority group, fighting for themselves is not made easy by individuals such as law enforcement, or in this case, white settlers.
In my parabola, the ‘-4’ is the x in the vertex, and the ‘+2’ is the y; this means that the vertex is (4,2) instead of (0,0) like the parent function. The ‘-4’ makes the x shift 4 places to the right (the negative and positive signs are always opposite in the equation). As for the ‘+2’, that means that the y point will shift up 2 from zero. The ‘2’ value means that the parabola will be directed upwards, similarly to how the parent parabola has a ‘1’ value, meaning it also goes upwards.
Self-Assessment…
I represented the same mathematical ideas in separate ways by comparing two different parabola equations, as well as the parabolas themselves. Doing this showed my understanding of the mathematical concept and demonstrated it with two differing examples.
An example of me using mathematical vocabulary in this assignment was when I explained the vertex, as well as the values in the two equations.
I illustrated neat and organized formatting by labeling each photo as well as writing aspect. Another area that I did this in was by cropping and zooming into the photos pasted, so that they could appear uncluttered.
My groups inquiry question is: “How can an assembly celebrating and educating students on Indigenous history lead towards truth and reconciliation in our school and community.”
So far, our inquiry is running smoothly. We are still slowly working on setting up a solid plan for our Truth and Reconciliation week. Once we have a completed and construct idea of what we are going to present to the school, we will have to get it approved by admin.
I am proud of our communication skills that we have had to use thus far. As I have stated in the last reflection, we have had to connect with various individuals and groups such as Ms. Razzell and the Cent Show; I feel that we have been quite successful in doing so.
An aspect I found quite interesting along this journey has been how little students and teachers know about Indigenous issues and history. It was unbelievable how many people, including myself, didn’t know about the 60s scoop which is a major part of Canadian history.
The biggest challenge we have encountered is that we must have an extremely solid plan as soon as possible because we were given a chance to use money for our project, however, if we don’t spend the money soon, we will not be able to use it.
As of lately, we have just been discussing this inquiry with Ms. Razzell, as she knows who to contact to help us get credibility and approval for certain ideas.
I feel that once all my group members come together and collaborate our ideas, we will be able to come to a concise plan, discuss it with Ms. Razzell, then begin to set dates and purchase materials that we will need.
My groups inquiry question is: “How can an assembly celebrating and educating students on Indigenous history lead towards truth and reconciliation in our school and community.”
When we first made our learning plan, our main focus was providing a general presentation with a speaker educating the students on Indigenous history; specifically what hasn’t been taught. As we move forward and progress within our goal for Truth and Reconciliation Day, we have discovered that rather than having a couple presenters just standing there on the stage speaking at us, it would be more effective and captivating to have engaging activities such as music performances and interactive tasks.
As of now, there is not much we can do just yet during our IDS time, other than adding and expanding on our plans. This is because our final project will be taking place next year, rather than in the upcoming four months. Every Cent Time we either have a group Social Justice Meeting and cultivate our ideas, or we work independently in our smaller groups and work on finalizing our plans.
The most helpful resource my group has been using is Ms. Razzell. She knows the limits for what we can and can’t do throughout the school, as well as is able to contact outside sources or presenters that we can use.
Some challenges we have faced thus far have been budgeting issues, time management, as well as engagement issues. We find it extremely difficult to find ways to captivate our audiences without providing a ‘bribe’ or reward.
I feel that a growth we have had to work on is Communication. Throughout this process, we have had to convey our ideas with each other, Ms. Razzell, as well as other Social Justice members.
To share our learning of our inquiry, we will create either a slideshow or a poster of our plans, ideas and goals for our Indigenous awareness week taking place next school year. We still have lots of finalizing and editing to do on our plans, but so far we are on track.
I think this project would be good to work on for my Grade 12 capstone, as the main idea of it will be taking place next year.
One strategy or activity that stimulates my imagination is…painting. It is a calming hobby that allows me to debrief after a long day. I find that when I notice myself beginning to feel stressed out, I immediately turn to art. It is an extremely handy tool to use, especially when it comes to schoolwork. I feel that it ends up improving my work performance, as well as shapes me to be more efficient and productive. This is a convenient unwinding device which I have used most and my life, and will be using this year.
When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I…go on a walk. This is a strategy I have just recently started using, and have found it immensely helpful. There are times when I am doing homework where I get stuck and my brain starts shutting down. When this happens, I tell myself I need a break, and walk outside for at least half an hour. I find that the fresh air, exercise, and overall interval helps reset my mind, and I am able to get straight back to work.
Some of the things I do to stay mentally and physically healthy include…journaling and running. I have found journaling very helpful in my day to day life. It makes me more productive because it creates organization and routine. It is a healthy way to express my thoughts and emotions. As for running, it has become a positive habit that I have created. I find that it allows me to destress and I always feel ten times better after doing it. It is also a fun way to challenge myself and set goals to improve.
My biggest takeaway after reading “Romeo and Juliet”, was the theme of haste and that you shouldn’t let your emotions overrule your life. Evidently, many characters in this play didn’t think before they acted, leading to much death and cruelty. I learned that this takes great strength to avoid. For example, in the play, Romeo acts quite hastily and marries Juliet the day after they meet. Their plan is to be wedded by Friar Laurence, who at first believes that they are being “rash.” Friar Laurence is a good example of one who is deliberate and unrushed. He constantly showed this when he would make statements such as, “Wisely and slow, they stumble fast when they run.” This sentence shows that he understands the result of acting hastily is negative consequences. I grasped that even I act quite hurried on a day-to-day basis. I do this while talking to others and answering questions, especially if I am tired and in a bad mood. A lot of the time I will answer quite harshly and snap, later regretting my response. Whereas if I were to stop, take a deep breath and think, I would answer politely, leaving both sides of the conversation satisfied. I believe that Shakespeare wanted to emphasize this theme, to make others aware of how being rushed can impact your life in cynical ways. He did a great job at highlighting this because at the end of the story there was a feeling of great loss and tragedy, which had only happened after the span of a few days. Overall, I am happy to have reflected on this play, forcing me to take a look at the way I act with a fresh pair of eyes.
During this assignment, I learned about consumerism in the 1920’s and how similar it is to today. Not only that but it allowed me to grasp an understanding of the proper criteria for a mind map. I think I did a good job at organizing this paper and finding main aspects of consumerism. I feel that I could have included more images as well as overall information. If I were to do this project again, I would research more and fill up the page with pictures and ideas.
Canada has come a long way with its racially motivated discrimination, but it could be a lot better, not only for African Americans but also for Indigenous peoples, Asian Americans, etc. To Kill a Mockingbird was based in the 1930s in southern United States where African Americans were highly discriminated against and hated for their skin colour. This is shown in the text when Atticus states to Scout that “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life.” Racism happened all the time, every day because white people thought that they were superior. Because of this, they didn’t have or show any respect for black people and took advantage of them, and certainly didn’t show any empathy for them. Mayella used society’s racism to her advantage when she tried to seduce Tom Robinson. When it didn’t work, and her dad beat her because of what she attempted, she accused Tom of rape. Atticus expresses his feelings about this situation when he says, “My pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man’s life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt.” It is unfair that black people were treated so poorly, taken advantage of, accused, and punished for crimes they did not commit, and discriminated against in every aspect of their lives. They did nothing to prompt this kind of treatment and certainly did not deserve any bit of it. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.” I feel this sentence highlights the sentiment that people of colour were just simply living their lives while constantly being tortured for the way they looked. I think racism is horrific and wrong; and after reading To Kill a Mockingbird, my opinion has only grown stronger. It saddens me to think that even today racism is still an ongoing issue. I hope that someday a world without racism can exist.
