Category Archives: Grade 11

Pre-Calculus 11 Core Competency Self-Assessment

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Core Competency Reflection

Working collaboratively with others

Throughout the course we were required to work with others almost daily. Whenever we were taught a new lesson, we would break off into groups to do group work questions. Through this, I was able to successfully complete the assigned questions with my group. Anytime any of us were stuck on a question, someone else would step in to help solve it. We would work together and explain our thought processes so we could figure out how to answer the question. Furthermore, after the group work was done and we would move on to homework questions, I would collaborate with the people at my table anytime one of us needed assistance in solving one of the questions. I would work together with my peers to help them understand a question or vice versa.

Strategically preparing for assessments

I had a prepared study plan for every assessment, which always began with inputting the date of a test into my calendar so I wouldn’t forget. To prepare for assessments, I always made sure that I finished all the assigned workbook questions, reviewed notes and asked for clarification from my peers to ensure that I understood all of the content. Furthermore, I found that the ability to explain concepts would help with my understanding, so I would often review each concept by explaining them out loud, as though I were teaching it to someone. Although this may seem like overkill, it greatly helped me prepare for each assessment, as I always went into the tests feeling confident and prepared. My efforts came to fruition, as I often got high marks on my tests.

Dealing with challenges

I faced many challenges throughout the course as we covered new topics. Specifically, trigonometry was the most difficult unit for me, as I missed an important lesson and began the unit with no memory of anything learned in Math 10. I also found the concepts difficult to grasp and confusing at times. To deal with this challenge, I looked through the notes of the lesson that I missed, and when I was still confused, I watched a YouTube tutorial on the topic that explained everything in detail. This greatly helped when doing the homework questions, as I now understood the concepts taught and could easily complete them. As of writing this, I have not yet written the test for the Trigonometry unit, but I’m confident that I’ll be able to do well with some review.

Advice for Future Students

My advice for future students would be to do the workbook questions. The amount assigned is almost always enough to finish in class time and it is good practice for tests. The questions on tests are usually the same as what is assigned in the workbook, so it will help greatly when writing them.

Year End Concert Reflection

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This concert was an incredible way to end the year. Everyone’s performances were incredible, and it was so amazing to see all of the hard work we put in come to fruition.

My favourite song that we performed was Fields of Gold. I love the harmonies we create while singing and the reverb effects that were put on our mics that elevated the song more than I thought possible. It gave me chills the first time I heard the effects and I’m happy with how well the song went.

The only thing that I wish had gone better was the volume of the microphones, as we struggled to hear ourselves during some of the louder songs with the rhythm section/band and were also told by some audience members that we were a bit quiet.

I’m incredibly proud of everything that we were able to achieve in the past few months leading up to this concert. It was a bittersweet time, as we knew it was the seniors’ final concert with everyone else, and also our final concert for the year. However, everyone put on a smile for the performances and just enjoyed another opportunity to perform with each other.

Overall, I think that this concert went incredibly smoothly. There weren’t any major hiccups (that I’m aware of) and it was truly an incredible experience that makes me happy that I joined the music department.

Spoken Language 11 Debating

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My Debate Topic: Children’s rights

ProCon
ChazaiJada
SageTiffany

With our debate, my partner Sage and I were debating against Jada and Tiffany that the right to determine all matters for their children should fall with the parents, with Sage and I representing the affirmative. Some of the main points that came up were that children are not mentally mature enough to make big decisions for themselves and are already dealing with enough stress from school, so by allowing parents to make decisions for their children, it would take some of the burden off of their shoulders. The opposing side brought up the fact that decision making is a skill rather than a privilege, and thus shouldn’t be given at a certain age.

My Debate Reflection

I found debating very fun and challenging. I wasn’t used to talking in front of a big group or arguing in a professional setting, so it was a nice learning experience. My strengths fell with my arguments themselves, as I always received good feedback in terms of the quality of my arguments. On the other hand, I received feedback that I lacked stage presence and I definitely agreed. I was very clearly nervous during the first debate, speaking too fast and not making eye contact, which I fixed for the second debate by slowing down when I spoke and emphasizing what needed to be emphasized.

The Best Resource I Found

https://family.legalaid.bc.ca/children/parenting-guardianship/best-interests-child

This was the best resource I found while researching this topic. It is a credible government source that laid out all of the legal rights that parents have when it comes to decision-making for their children. The website provided a lot of insight for the topic and helped me form my arguments.

My Favourite Quote

https://everydaypower.com/debate-quotes/

I chose this as my favourite quote because I felt that it really reflected the criteria that we were under while arguing. When the judges were filling out their sheets, they would score us on a scale of 1-3 based on how we presented our arguments, rather than what the argument actually was. Therefore, in this context, our actions mattered more than our arguments, as we had to make sure that we had confidence to score high.

Works Cited

Best Interests of the Child | Family Law in BC. https://family.legalaid.bc.ca/children/parenting-guardianship/best-interests-child. Accessed 25 May 2023.

Canada – Place Explorer – Data Commons. https://datacommons.org/place/country/CAN/?utm_medium=explore&mprop=lifeExpectancy&popt=Person&hl=en. Accessed 25 May 2023.

“Do Teenagers Really Make Bad Decisions?” Frontiers for Young Minds, https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2017.00053. Accessed 25 May 2023.

Government of Canada, Department of Justice. Department of Justice – Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Children’s Participatory Rights in Canada. 18 Mar. 2016, https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/other-autre/article12/p3a.html#:~:text=Generally%2C%20parents%20are%20entitled%20to,governing%20consent%20to%20medical%20treatment.

“Know the Law: Children and Consent to Health Care.” Dial-A-Law, https://dialalaw.peopleslawschool.ca/children-and-consent-to-health-care/. Accessed 25 May 2023.

“Legal Guardianship BC, Family Law Act BC Guardianship | Thomas & Associates.” GK Thomas, http://gkthomaslaw.ca/guardianship-in-british-columbia/. Accessed 25 May 2023.

Parental Decision Making | UW Department of Bioethics & Humanities. https://depts.washington.edu/bhdept/ethics-medicine/bioethics-topics/detail/72#:~:text=Parents%20have%20the%20responsibility%20and,best%20interests%20of%20the%20child. Accessed 25 May 2023.

“The Adolescent Brain: Beyond Raging Hormones.” Harvard Health, 7 Mar. 2011, https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-adolescent-brain-beyond-raging-hormones.

Youth Age-Based Legal Rights in BC| Legal Rights for Youth. http://legalrightsforyouth.ca/age-based-legal-rights. Accessed 25 May 2023.

Core Competency Reflection

One of the ways I ensure my partner and I are clear on the common purpose is to constantly communicate with each other on our points and opinions. We both made sure that we knew what the other’s arguments were so that if we could help each other come up with rebuttal arguments and prepare for cross examination.

I used criteria and/or feedback to improve my debate; evidence of that is after our first debate, I received feedback about my stage presence when presenting my arguments. Specifically, I was told to speak slower and more concise, and try to make more eye contact with the audience. I took this feedback and applied it to the second debate, where I received better marks about my stage presence.

When I was faced with ambiguity or setbacks in the debating unit, I would go back to my sources and re-research my topic. I wanted to make sure that I fully understood my topic so that I would be able to debate it and would be prepared for any potential arguments that came my way. By going back to my sources, I would refresh my memory, which would give me new ideas and solve any problems I had.

Transforming Parabolas

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A graph that represents how my assigned parabola has been transformed from the original parent function

My assigned parabola has been transformed horizontally, vertically, and has also been reflected to open downwards from the original parent function.

My assigned quadratic function

The formula for a parabola is y=a(x-h)²+k.

The coefficient a is responsible for changing the width of the parabola. If a is greater than 1, it will cause the parabola to compress or become more narrow, but if a is 1>a>0 or 0>a>-1, it will cause the parabola to stretch or become wider. The coefficient a will also cause the parabola to open downwards if it is negative.

In my assigned parabola, the coefficient a is -¼, which is between 0 and -1. This results in the parabola being stretched and becoming wider than the parent function. It is also negative, which causes the parabola to open downwards.

The variable h is responsible horizontal transformations. In the assigned parabola, h = -1, which results in the parabola being shifted to the left by one from the original parent function.

The variable k is responsible for vertical transformations. In the assigned parabola, k = -4, resulting in the parabola being shifted downwards by four units from the original parent function.

H and k also tell us where the vertex is, or where the parabola begins to open. The vertex of the assigned parabola is (-1,-4).

Core Competencies

I utilized multiple methods of explaining the same mathematical idea through my use of graphs, the quadratic function itself and written explanation. To explain my quadratic function, I used a picture of the function itself, but also included a photo of the function on a graph. I also explained the different variables in the function to make it understandable.

I showed my understanding through the mathematical vocabulary I used to explain what each variable represented. For example, when explaining the significance of the variable h, I used mathematical vocabulary such as horizontal transformation to explain the parabola being moved to the left as a result of the value of h being -1.

In the assignment, I formatted it so that there was a separate paragraph for each variable that I was explaining, making the entire post easier to read and understand in comparison to a post where all of the text was in one paragraph.

The Marrow Thieves: Personal Connection Piece

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My Movie

Curricular Competency Reflection

How did your journals support your preparation for your final assessments?

While preparing for the final assessments, I was able to go back to my past journals so that I could see my past thinking while reading the book and used some of the information I put in my journals as sources for my presentations.

How did the graphic organizer help you connect your novel(s) with the sub-themes?

The graphic organizers helped me lay out what sources I wanted to use to back up the points I would talk about when we would write essays. They also allowed me to pre-write what points I wanted to talk about in my essays so that when I went into the essay, I wouldn’t struggle with what to say. The graphic organizers also helped to connect my novel to the sub-themes because I got to lay out my definition of relationships and the “big ideas” made it easy to pick out examples from my sources.

How did participating in the circle help you formulate your ideas for the essay write?

By participating in the circle, I could get new perspectives about my sub-theme that helped when formulating ideas for the essay write, as some people offered insight that I originally wouldn’t have thought of before.

How did you choose what you would do to create the personal connection piece?

I decided to write a song because I’ve written multiple songs before, and it is something that usually comes quite easy to me, especially when there’s something clear that I’m writing about. The fact that we had already gone through the theme of relationships and power extensively also helped in generating lyric ideas for the song.

Core Competency Reflection

An example of where I built upon someone else’s ideas is during our circles, as I was able to provide insight about relationships and how it related to my novel after listening to another person who had read the same book that I did. They explained certain aspects of the book and how the themes within the book related to the theme of relationships, such as the familial relationship that the main character has with the other members of his group. I was able to add on about how their experiences created the circumstances in which they were able to become a family.

I can contribute to and work with criteria to improve my own work; evidence of that is also during our circles. At the start of the semester, I was very awkward when it came to public speaking and wouldn’t make eye contact very much and was clearly nervous. However, as time went on, I got feedback on what I could do to improve. I’ve gotten better at being more engaged with the audience and generally being less nervous.

I can describe how the identities of Indigenous communities relates to my experience growing up in Canada as a 2nd-generation immigrant. We learned about the struggles with identity that Indigenous people face, as their identities as Indigenous people are sometimes not recognized, or they are placed in a box in which they don’t fit, or they are shamed for their identity. I related to this as I was often put into situations where I was shamed for my culture and forced to assimilate to what was considered “normal”, and have had a similar struggle with feeling as though I was a stranger to two different cultures.

Desert Island Project

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Desert Island Artifact

About the project

For this project, we were given a scenario in which our entire class was stranded on a desert island and our task was to create an efficient form of government for the group to follow to ensure everyone’s survival. We began by creating different units to delegate tasks to, as well as a leading unit (Justice Unit) that was responsible for enforcing laws and keeping order. We also set out the general rights of everyone on the island, the laws they must abide by, and the corresponding punishments for misconduct. At the end of the project, we reflected on what other types of government and how previous legal codes influenced the creation of the system, such as the Justinian Code and Magna Carta.

Core Competency Reflection

I can take on roles and responsibilities in a group; I do my share.

Due to the substantial amount of work that the project required, my partner and I had to both do a lot of work to ensure that we had something that we were happy with. I took on the responsibility of developing and explaining the different units.

I can work with others to achieve a goal.

This project was done by myself and a partner. We worked together and collaborated to brainstorm ideas, which worked well as we could point out when there was a discrepancy in what we had written. Talking with another person helped in making sure our form of government was solid and had as little holes as possible.

I can form new ideas to create new things. I can also build on the ideas of others.

This desert project took a lot of creative thinking due to the fact that we were creating a whole new government system on our own. My partner and I were able to build on each other’s ideas while we wrote to create new ideas.

I can persevere over time to develop my ideas, and I expect setbacks and failure, but use that to develop my ideas.

We faced many setbacks while developing our government system, as we had to take into account the limited amount of people we had, their own interests, what laws to enforce and who would get the authority to enforce them, and it was a daunting task for two people. However, we worked through these setbacks and used our knowledge of law to create an effective government system.

I can analyze my own beliefs and consider views that do not fit with them.

This statement is something that I want to work on because, while I am able to analyze my own beliefs, I want to continue to work towards ignoring my own biases/beliefs and my ability to put myself into other’s shoes to understand their thought process and how they came up with their conclusions. I want to become more flexible in my thinking and instead of automatically jumping to conclusions, be able to think about other’s logic first.

Curricular Competency Reflection

Our government system took a democratic approach, with elected leaders to enforce laws that were created and agreed upon by the majority of the group. Although there were leaders, people that were considered “regular citizens” still had many freedoms and rights, such as the right to challenge laws and authority. The government system was structured but did not feel authoritarian and everyone was expected to do their share and contribute to the welfare of the group. My partner and I used our own ethical views to create the laws and punishments, such as murder being illegal but the death penalty not being used.

Facing a Challenge

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The first time I tried this problem, I found it challenging because of the sheer amount of steps that were involved in the problem. While working through it, I made sure to work slowly to avoid any possible mistakes that could occur.

However, while I was simplifying terms, I accidentally forgot to subtract x from the left side, giving me 2x – 3 = 4√x + 2 instead of x – 3 = 4√x + 2. This resulted in me struggling when it came to factoring the trinomial, as I had incorrect values that I was trying to find factors for.

Eventually, I figured out what I had done wrong after a classmate let me know that something was wrong with the equation. I looked through every step I had done up to that point and discovered my error of forgetting to subtract x. Once I had made the appropriate changes, I was able to go through the rest of the steps easily and solve the equation.

To be able to solve this problem, I needed to use skills that we had been practicing all throughout unit one. The overall problem was solving for x and determining any restrictions or extraneous solutions. I had to isolate one radical on one side while using FOIL on the other side of the equation. The problem also involved simplifying terms and factoring trinomials, which I did by using the Zero Product Property. To determine the extraneous solutions, I simply plugged in the answers I had gotten for x into the equation to see whether they were correct, which -1 was not. To determine restrictions, I took the radicands, turned them into inequality equations and solved for x. As -3/2 was a greater number than -2, it was used as the restriction because any number greater than -3/2 will automatically be greater than -2.

Next time I encounter a difficult equation, I might try looking over previous steps before moving on to the next step to ensure that I haven’t made any errors along the way.

Lab 20C: Acid-Base Titration

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Titration is a technique used in labs to determine the molarity of substances. In this lab, it was used to determine the molarity of an acid, HCl, by titrating it with NaOH. Phenolphthalein is used to indicate the equivalence point, which is when there is an equal amount of acid and base, as the solution will turn a very pale pink. In our experiment, we found that the average volume of NaOH used was 15.17ml +/- 0.1ml.

During this lab, I demonstrated communication skills as this lab was done with a partner. We communicated throughout the entire lab to ensure that we were following the correct procedures. At the point where we had to film and take pictures to demonstrate half-drops, we made sure to communicate with each other so that we took videos of everything we needed. We took turns taking half-drops and filming so that both of us could have videos. After we finished the lab, we communicated to put away the materials by asking questions when we didn’t know where something went and making sure that everything was returned to their designated spot.

Musical Performance Reflection

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Halloween Music Concert

I am very proud of the Vocal Jazz’s performance of Don’t Get Around Much Anymore by Duke Ellington. It’s a very pleasant song to listen to that we had to work on a lot to refine the harmonies. The song was also sung acapella, so we needed to rely on just our voices to fill up the song. I think that the song went well and the practice we put in could be seen.

Curricular Competencies Reflection

Through this experience, I was able to show the ability to listen to the people I was singing with and blend with them. I would like to continue to improve on this ability as being able to blend with others is one of the most important parts of being in an ensemble and finding balance is important as it could throw off the entire song if there is a lack of it. In the future, I’d like to continue singing with other people as I find it very enjoyable and fulfilling.

Core Competencies Reflection

Through being in Concert Choir and Vocal Jazz, I’ve had many chances to collaborate with my peers for our performances. There were a few times when some of us would have to step up to lead a practice, so we’d all work with each other and take turns to lead so that we could ensure we got things done. We’d collaborate on things such as warm-ups and song choices, and were also able to be honest with each other so that everyone could improve. To improve for next time, I’d want to be more confident in the chance that I would need to lead again.