This is the creative piece I made for my Identity Unit Final Project.
Curricular Competencies Reflection
Create and Communicate: What did you learn about Indigenous themes, issues, or perspectives during this assignment or task and how did you grow in your writing, speaking, or representing skills? How will you take what you learned and use it towards working on reconciliation?
As I worked through this assignment, I researched the different issues Indigenous peoples, specifically Indigenous woman face to this day. I discovered that Indigenous woman face discrimination for their culture and gender, and they face severe sexual harassment. My picture above illustrates all of the issues mentioned as an Indigenous woman is seen on her knees begging to her ancestor above for help as men of both white and Indigenous blood surround her, some even trying to grab and grasp at her clothing. When it to completing the writing component of the project, for each explanation I wrote about how the picture depicts the issue and detailed certain facts and information I found about the topic. As I complete each explanation, my writing grew and my knowledge on the subjects increased as I read and wrote. I would take what I learnt from one explanation and tied it into the next. I will take what I learnt during the duration of this project and help to raise awareness to these issues Indigenous woman encounter.
Core Competencies Reflection
Share the experience of positive personal/cultural identity for your artifact (Consider your strengths and qualities, any connections you can make to of your identity, how you made decisions based on your values, and what you would improve on for next time
When it came to choosing what to do for my project, I chose to do a creative piece because I knew that that is my strength, creating art. I chose to focus more on Indigenous woman because we had learned that they were sexualized and abused when the settlers first came to turtle island and I wanted to address those issues and raise awareness. I know that from my own identity woman have so much to offer and shouldn’t be praised or categorized because of their figure and features, but because of their personality and ideas. If I can add more next time around, I would include actions plans that would further explain how to end or prevent these issues.
Once explained, the scientific method doesn’t sound that complicated to learn, but once actually conducting an experiment and getting that ‘hands on’ learning experience, will you will truly learn about the concept and the importance of the scientific method. When I was building my first device, the news paper tower, I didn’t pay attention to the foundation of my base and didn’t realize the importance of it, I was only thinking about ‘Deductive Learning’, using my device to test out my hypothesis, which was “If my tower stands of 4 legs, connected by a news paper tringle, then, my structure would stay balanced.” I was so consumed with this idea, that I over looked one of the important part of the scientific method, ‘Inductive Learning’, using observations to help solve a problem, or in my case help make my tower. If I’d use inductive learning, I could made a better foundation by feeling how much the gold ball weighed, using that information, I could of made the tower studier. But I didn’t, so, I’m sure you guess what happened to that tower. It didn’t stay balanced.
Using my new knowledge, and learning from my mistakes, when building the egg dropper device, I used ‘Inductive Learning’ to help build my device. First, we saw the height of the drop, it gave me the idea to use straws and place them at the bottom the device, so the straws could soften the impact of the fall by letting the eggs rest on the straws and keeping it from touching the floor. Next, I saw and measured (with my hands, not a ruler) how big the egg was, before also getting an idea how much it weighed. Using this information, I wrapped the egg in newspaper, but made sure the could could fit, without it being so tight. I added extra layers of newspaper so that the weight of the egg can’t bounce around in the container, and that the impact is softer. I added a few more details, like adding cardboard on the bottom and tapping things together before testing the device and our hypothesis which was ” If we secure our egg in our device, quite tightly then our egg won’t break”. It did break, but it didn’t splat. These experiments helped my improved my learning of the scientific method, by showing me the importance of ‘Inductive’ and ‘Deductive’ learning and showing me how to and the importance of an accurate hypothesis.
Core Competency Self Assessment and Creative Thinking
It’s important to celebrate our accomplishments. Which SCIENTIFIC METHOD LAB are you the most proud of and why?
I’m most proud of my egg drop. We didn’t win, but I did learn and expand my knowledge about the scientific method. I used ‘Inductive Learning’ to help build my device based on observations on the materials and the setting of my experiment. When dropped, the egg did crack, but it didn’t splat, meaning my device design could’ve won, next time I just need to make it more balanced.
What strategies did you use to overcome those challenges? Describe in detail.
A challenge, or the main problem, that came up with our newspaper tower was the foundation. The base of our tower had 4 legs connected by a large newspaper tringle. This, itself, is a problem because what can we do with it. Can’t build on top of it or add to it, because that requires tape, which I don’t have much of. I also couldn’t added newspaper face down, because the golf ball weighs to much. At that point I thought nothing will work. But then I remembered 1 thing, a strategy that will help you in life. ‘Find the silver lining” I knew I couldn’t give up, I had to try and get up again, but this time with a positive mindset. And I did I took apart the tringle but keeping the 4 legs, before adding paper with a hole in the middle, that held up our tower.
A problem with our egg dropper device was that even though we had all our information, based on our observations, we had a trouble putting it together. The strategy that help me through this was ‘ Take it Step by Step’, don’t rush into it, but take it step by step. And that’s what I did. I took it step by step, I added and designed, making sure everything had a logical reason to be in their place, and before I knew it, I can done.
Describe your experience with understanding of the Scientific Method doing the 2 labs?
Like I said before, you don’t fully understand the concept, before getting some ‘hands on’ experience. When making the first lab I got to make an accurate hypothesis and test it out. I focused on ‘Deductive Learning” when conducting this lab, but for the second lab I focused on not just ‘Deductive learning” but also “Inductive learning.” For the second lab, it was the same as the first, I made an accurate hypothesis before testing it out, but this time I expanded my knowledge, leading me to a better understanding of the scientific method.
Tell me how you did the following:
A) I demonstrated that I can create new things when I … Put my mind to it.
When putting my mind to work I could develop a lot of new ideas. For example, when constructing my egg dropper device, I had some trouble putting my ideas to together. After a while of thinking, I started jotting down ideas. After writing down the ideas I started working on the device, creating a creative and cool new device.
B) I demonstrated that I can build on the ideas of others when I … Have some time to think.
When having a few minutes to just sit down with my peers and and talk and brainstorm, we could come up with a lot of ideas. An example of doing this is when me and my partner sat down and brainstormed ideas for our egg drop device. I suggested wrapping newspaper around the egg, and adding straws on the bottom, but we didn’t know what to do with the cardboard. After a going back and forth she suggested adding the cardboard on the bottom.
C) When trying new things, I expect setbacks and failure and use them to develop my ideas. An example of this from the Scientific Method labs would be … When I first created the newspaper tower.
I didn’t expect to win, I’ve never done something like this before, so I knew there would be a big chance of failure and a fair share of setbacks. When building the tower, our foundation failed us, but after some worrying I realized this was just a minor set back. I kept the 4 legs and got rid of the tringle. After thinking I started adding some more rolls or news paper, and after some time, we had a tower.
