The Project Path

Crazy? I was crazy once. I did PLP. A PLP project. A PLP project with memorization. And memorization makes me crazy.

Welcome to Cray Cray Yay Yay, the project where we delve into the world of presentations and writing and, as my hook hinted at, memorization. This project was all about the Apple “Crazy Ones” campaign which was a part of the “Think Different” series of the late 90s. We made use of storyboards and storytelling features to make our presentation more guided, natural, smoother, and less robotic. We worked with many teachers over the course of the month and a half project, and one of the teachers, Ms. Madsen, helped us work on inflection, projection, and all the other “tions” to make our presentations pop. This was a long journey, and it may or may not have driven me, dare I say, crazy.

Without further ado, welcome to the crazy world of Pikachu- I mean PechaKuchas. Enjoy.

My Learning Adventure

I wasn’t on the PLP trip, which unfortunately left me out of a lot of the learning. The kids in Seattle learned about tons of different buildings and people, like Frank Gehry and the MoPOP. The students that stayed at Seycove didn’t learn any of this, and were expected to either research on their own, or just know. It’s not like we were given time for it either. We were kept busy learning about local “crazy” people and how they change the community around them. (see “My Work” section).

Now let’s reflect on how everything went. The preparation could have been better for sure, but everything’s always better with more practice. The performance ended up going well after all, though I had to do my part with a cue card of sorts due to being very nervous and forgetting lines. During the presentation, due to how I was holding the cue card when not in use, when I needed to use it to refer to a topic, I’d have to bring it from my side up to my face view. I realized that this would draw too much attention to it, so I just improv-ed as best I could. I’d say it turned out well, but could’ve gone better! (Granted, we were missing a group member.)

My Work

Charlie Chaplin Presentation

Local Cray Cray Yay Yay Response

Carrie Tennant Chorally Crazy

Architectural Wonders Craft Space

Craft Link

PechaKucha Storyboard

Photo Gallery

Driving Question and Answer

“Why does it take a crazy person to change the world?”

A crazy person changing the world is an important idea. Someone with unique thoughts and a perception of how the world should be or can be that differs from others truly stands out. Like they say, however, knowing (or in this case believing) is only have the battle. All the people we studied in the project like Einstein, Ghandi, and even Charlie Chaplin changed the world in some way by going out there and pursuing their own crazy ideas and ideals. This is exactly what the “Crazy Ones” campaign was all about.

All in all, it takes a crazy person to change the world because they’re the ones that pursue the ideas they have, and act on their inspirations and aspirations.

Thanks for reading, and stay Cray Cray!

Check out my group member’s blogs as well!

Jackson’s Blog

Luca’s Blog

Hello and welcome to the first check-in post for the Cray Cray Yay Yay project. In this post, I’ll show my progress so far, and showcase my work. Expect to see a mini essay and a terrible story spine that shows my plan for the PechaKucha. I’ll also upload the Architecture group’s Craft space to show off the planning we have (or lack thereof). Without further ado, let’s get into things.

My Work

Carrie Tennant Chorally Crazy

Craft Doc

Thanks for checking out my work!

[this blog post will be different from my usual ones, with a different (and hopefully more improved) anatomy]

The Bulk

“Who are you gonna be?” This question echoed throughout my mind since the start of the project, but why is it important? Personally, I find it to be a great self-reflection question that can really get you thinking about yourself and your future. “Self-reflection is a process of communicating internally with oneself. (link)” Looking forwards at goals and expectations that you or others have set out for yourself is important so that you can plan for how you’ll meet those life conditions. Life is also constantly changing, so something that existed as a popular and wide-spread job opportunity when you were a kid might be very low in demand and replaced by another job when you’re in university or when you’re an adult. On the same note, with the world being ever-changing, your personality and who you want to be (see what I did there?) is also ever-changing, affected by the world around you. Life is complicated, and it is one of the main forces that shapes who we are.

Thinking about the driving question (“What kind of person do you aspire to be?”) for the course of the project really helped me improve myself, as it gave me some direction. Especially with the course planning meeting and semester turn-over, all of these influences had me looking forwards more and changing my mindset. This really was a driving force both for pushing myself forwards with projects and life plans, and also with strengthening friendships and relationships to make sure I can still call such amazing people my friends and family in the future. Along with that, I began to think about what kind of person I aspire to be in the future. I brainstormed what really makes someone a role model and also interviewed a person who I thought fit the bill (my grandfather). A role model should be an individual who’s responsible, considerate, empathetic, and trustworthy. These traits are important qualities to me, and something I strive to be in the future. I want to be someone who can be relied on by those around me, and a steady pillar in whatever career path or occupation I choose in the future. I want to be the person who teaches others, mentoring them with the strategies I pick up, and being hardworking and knowledgeable. I look up to those people that can so easily be there for others and naturally be thoughtful and unpretentious. 

Turning dreams into reality, goals

My Work

Launch

5 Things

“Who you are? Cameron
What do you love to do? Sing
Who do you do it for? My family and friends
What do they want/need? Entertainment and a friend
How do they change as a result? With friends in choir, I provide support and someone to talk to. Makes them happy (I hope)”

Novel Notes

Personal Interview

“It’s important to balance your life so that you’re not overwhelmed and can’t accomplish what you set out for yourself. My grandfather (interviewee) talks about how he had to give up a bunch of things once he had kids so he could spend the time he needed to with them. This also closes in on the aspect of improving one’s self. Helping others is a good way to also help yourself as it can make you feel good when you accomplish something that makes someone else feel good. Naturally, there can be challenges in the process, but it’s for the best to help become the most efficient and empathetic person you can be.”

Interview Questions and Planning

Exemplary Blogging

Graphic Organizer

The Project Path

Welcome to the fourth part of the “No Sitting Allowed (Exhibition)” series! This post is a smush together, as the 2023 Winter Exhibition was basically just a chance for PLP 10 to show off their Ology of Apology work, which will be the true focus for this blog post.

In the Ology of Apology project, we made a government cartoon, a memorial out of Legos, reflected on propaganda, watched the “Pigeon” film, wrote (a lot), completed an exit ticket, and made a blog post. Oh wait, that’s this! We designed and created a poster board, did lots of DIY work, held class discussions, put together a model memorial, presented, researched, and collaborated with the group.

Now without further ado, let’s begin!

My Learning Adventure

During this project, we learned about Snaidanacs (Canadian “rituals”), went back into worldview, stereotyping and cultural superiority, and bystander and upstanders. We went into detail on what makes a memorial, what some examples of memorials are, what aspects make each one successful, the creative process of making a memorial, and why memorials are important. We also talked about the purpose of a memorial, and whether it’s positive or painful (it can be both). This project really helped me understand more in depth what a memorial really means to a person and why they’re made in the first place. The main focus of the project had us looking at discrimination and what makes it different from general racism. We focused on the discrimination of Japanese, Chinese, and South Asians in BC, and the history behind it.

By the time we got to Exhibition night, I had learned a lot more than when I’d began the project, specifically learning a lot about the tragedy of the Komagata Maru, which was a ship that carried 276 Sikh passengers to BC, only to be denied entry and have many passengers starve before being forced to return. Over the course of the exhibition, I was able to share my knowledge with the passerby coming to see and vote on the different exhibits. It truly was a wonderful experience.

The Skills

I put my skill in DIY and craft (not Craft) to good use during the final stages of the project. I worked smoothly and flexibly with my group to create the memorial we all agreed would, even if not win, still show that we put in effort. I was able to further develop myself in the area of graphic design and creative thinking. The Lego challenge where, with what Lego we were able to snag for ourselves, we had to come up with a memorial and then write about it, definitely helped me work on a lot of my areas of weakness. I truly enjoyed the creation process for the group memorial, and it brought me lots of joy to see the final product that had come together nicely. Something I had a little more trouble with was all the writing necessary, as that’s currently an area of struggle for me.

My Work

Lego Memorial

Analyzing Propaganda

Othering and Upstanders Paragraph

Memorial Plan Rough Sketch Brainstorm

Personal Piece: South Asian Discrimination

Table Layout Rough Sketch Brainstorm

Literal Memorial Planned Site w/ Angles

Photo Gallery

Driving Question and Answer

“How can we keep an apology alive so the wrongs of the past are remembered—and not repeated—today?”

It is critical to recollect the wrongs of the past and the endeavours made to apologize for them, so we can gain from our mistakes and try not to mess up the same way later on.

For instance, recognizing the previous wrongs and moves the transgressor initiated to apologize for the activities. The wrongdoer’s apology statement, which makes it clear that they truly regret their actions and the harm they caused. As well as communicating regret, compensation is a significant approach to keeping the expression of remorse alive and exhibiting the transgressor’s authentic expectations and endeavors to set things right. We can utilize memorials to keep alive the memory of either excruciating occasions or influential individuals, whether to safeguard their memory, or maintaining an optimal the individual/occasion held.

We have to keep the apology alive by keeping it in our memories and learning from it.

[sensitivity warning: World War II]

The Project Path

Hello, and welcome back to another blog post. Today’s project is “Save Juno Beach! ?”, and it’s about WWII. Since this topic is so serious, I’m going to be taking away all of the humour I usually try to include in my blog posts to keep them flowing and light. During the course of this project, we made a mind map, presented on different WWII-related topics (formation of NATO & UN, Canadian industry coming out of WWII, Jews who survived the Holocaust, human rights in Canada, etc.), participated in WWII-themed Kahoots, listened to lectures about WWII, and researched among other things.

Now, I shouldn’t delay it any further, so let’s get right into it. Welcome to World War II.

My Learning Adventure

This project had a lot of talking, learning, and researching. Whether it was memorizing important dates and events during the war, or watching WWII in colour, this was definitely one of the most important projects I’ve ever done research and knowledge-wise. It is extremely important that people learn about WWII, and the horrible events that happened, and experiences that people went through. During one of the activities, we were assigned random groups and told to choose one of the following to present on:

• human rights in Canada (and other “western” nations)
• human rights: Jews who survived the Holocaust
• international cooperation: the formation of NATO
• international cooperation: the formation of the UN
• women who joined the workforce in WWIl
• Canadian identity as a result of WWIl
• Canadian industry coming out of WWII
• Canada’s relationship with the United States

My group (led by my quick and hasty decision since we were first pick) chose industry. Throughout the course of our research, my team and I learned many things, such as the “Baby Boom”, the boost in jobs surrounding infrastructure and suburbs, and how Canadian industry was affected during and after WWII.

The Skills

The main skill associated with this project was writing. Writing and evidence. I managed to further my essay writing skills, and we progressed and learned about the proper format of an essay. We critiqued and revised each other’s (classmates) essays, submitted a final draft. We also got tested with our memory skills, namely the challenging task of getting 100% on 6 different approximately 12 question Kahoots about WWII. We furthered presentation and group collaboration/communication skills with the earlier mentioned “Legacy of WWII” class presentations, and the historical significance Notability sheets.

My Work

“Why is it so important to learn about Canada’s involvement in World War Il? (2 sentences-ish)”

“Canada fought hard, and was a major contributor to ending the war. Honouring the people who fought, discovering how we helped, and finding out why we even celebrate things such as Remembrance Day or receive flowers from Holland each year are all key things.”

“Thesis: WW2 was historically significant because it affected and changed peoples lives semi-permanently, killed millions of people, scarred many more, and led to the creation of new things.”

Industry Keynote

Paragraph Outline

Rough Draft Essay

Revised Draft Essay

Driving Question

Why is it so important to learn about Canada’s involvement in WWII?

Canada fought hard in and was a major contributor to ending the war. Honouring the people who fought, discovering how we helped, and finding out why we even celebrate things such as Remembrance Day or receive flowers from Holland each year are all important factors to consider when trying to answer this question. Understanding what we did during those difficult times, and noticing similarities in the past world and today in Canada could be the key to preventing future conflict as well. Overall, Canada was a key player in the war, and we sacrificed a lot to have a comfortable society today.

[fyi- “we” is referring to the class as a whole]

The Project Path

Welcome to “This is Us ??”! The project that kicked off Humanities semester 1 and gave us a better understanding of Canadian identity. In this project, we had class discussions, talked (a lot), created and answered questions, reflected, learned about the charter of rights and freedoms, and made our own mini driving question.

I hope you enjoy reading about my learning!

My Learning Adventure

This project was full of research, and that gave me the opportunity to learn quite a bit more about the world. For one, we asked questions (that fit guided criteria) we wanted to know about women in the past and how that comes into play in the present. We then researched the answers to those questions and came back to class the next day to discuss what we’d found. Later on, we each chose a topic that we thought was an important part of Canadian identity (e.g. Canadian actors, Tim hortons, the economy). I chose to explore the Canadian education system, since that is exactly what helps me learn. I found out quite a few interesting things like the most common jobs in Canada and where they are most in demand, or the pros and cons of the system.

During the human library, I heard stories from people and learned of their experiences. I listened to someone talk about how difficult it was growing up Latin-American and how they pushed through and became a successful lawyer. I also listened to my grandfather talk about his projects and creations that aid people with disabilities.

In the overall project, I learned a lot about Canadian identity and how it reflects us.

The Skills

Most of the skills during the duration of this project were centred around conversations and asking questions, which I usually struggle with. I found it more difficult to open up and ask questions, as well as even coming up with them in the first place. I did however try to at times lead the group and get us going, though that was usually short-lived thanks to either lack of ideas or lack of effort and enthusiasm. In class discussions, I found it hard to chip in since either the things I’d thought of had already been said, or I just didn’t have anything to say.

The one thing I didn’t struggle with as much was independently creating a video to go along with one of my books (presenters) experiences. They sent me some photos and videos, and I made it into a video that would loop during the conversations people had with my grandfather. I think people found it helpful because it gave them more things to question and talk about, along with being a guide for their imagination when he’d explain something.

I also refined my researching and notetaking skills when I researched my education topic to share with a small group for class.

My Work

Canadian Education System Elevator Pitch

Answering the Education System NTK

Reflection Journal

Photo Gallery

Driving Question and Answer

How can we use conversation to help us advance the concept of a “just society”?

Conversations are a great way to make connections and open up to people. It’s only with conversations that we can challenge corrupted perspectives, work towards and compromise on solutions that benefit everyone, and bridge gaps.

Firstly, conversation allows us to expose strong biases and prejudices (had to look for a second word) that throw justice and equity out the window. By having honest and thoughtful conversations, people can work through such things.

In addition, conversations create a place for empathy and understanding (as we saw with the human library). When people actively listen to each other and try to see new perspectives, we can make connections even through different experiences.

In conclusion, it is through conversation that we can create the change necessary to build a more equitable and just world for all.

The Project Pitch

This blog post will be a bit different from my usual ones. I mean that in the sense that this post is actually two things smushed into one! In this post, I’ll reflect on and talk about both the process of “Dulce et Decorum Est” and the skills I gained from it, and how the Spring Exhibition went or if I can add more on the topic of the Spring Exhibition.WW1 Paragraph Placeholder

My Learning Adventure

Throughout the course of this project, we learned a lot of things. Some of those things included

• learning the components of a successful story, along with the forms they take and why we tell them
• stuff at MONOVA
• causes of WW1
• Canada in WW1
• a deeper dive into some of the important aspects of the war (trench warfare, medicine, planes, tanks, and ships, weapons, PTSD, minorities and women in the war)
• propaganda, consription, internment, ethical judgement

Overall, I was able to further my knowledge on a lot of topics I originally had little to no clue about.

The Skills

As for the skills I was able to pick up or further improve on, I’d say I utilized a lot of them. A few of them were as follows:

• brainstorming for coming up with ideas for theatre script
• acting
• technology design (sound design and video editing)
• paying attention (joke)
• public speaking (WW1 weapons presentation)
• reflecting

I feel like throughout not just this project, but the school year as well, I’ve gained and progressed on lots of new skills, and am therefore becoming a better learner than the year before. tPols here I come!

My Work

Dulce et Decorum Est:

”Museums tell stories in multiple ways, and in many forms. For example, there’s interactive displays, and even in those, there are multiple forms. There’s visual, auditory, tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), etc. There’s also dioramas, VR, and living exhibits, such as people pretending to be a notable character. There are also layouts that help to understand the story the museum is trying to show or make example of. Some of these are thematic galleries, time & date, location of events, and many others. All in all, museums can tell stories in a variety of ways to drive it forward in the way they choose.” -Keystone 1

”The competing narratives of war can be sectioned into 2 main views: “The reality of war”, and “the myth of war”. For example, the myth might be a healthy soldier in a crisp clean uniform and little to no injuries on a poster telling people to join, as opposed to the reality that in war, uniforms were dirty and may even have lice in them (see “Weapons of WW1” presentation, subclass “Bayonets”), and the soldiers would have grave wounds, with diseases passing throughout the trenches. The myth of war refers to the government using propaganda to protect the country, gain public support, counter enemy messages, and recruit soldiers. It fixes war in the glory of a “noble and necessary endeavour.” On the other hand, the reality of war is the more negative effects of such. For example, the negative side of propaganda was that it manipulates people, limits freedom of expression, and spreads false information. These different perspectives show that war is a complex topic, with some justifying propaganda’s use, while others loathe its impact on ethical values and society.”
-Keystone 2

Launchers, Torpedos, and Bayonets, oh my!

“Solar:
– Make sound louder = fixed by air playing it to TV
– make trench look more like trench = brown paper or cardboard
+ Acting was very good
+ Sound effects really added to the performance

Owen:
+ Emotion was very powerful
+ & – Good emotional ending, but try to act better (practice)
+ & – Card is nice, but make sure you have an exhibition layout soon
+ & – Trench is easily noticed, but add texture
– Make grenades” -Keystone 3 feedback

“Cam:
– writing the Script and rewriting it to work around problems and ideas
– provide stomp rocket (for mortar shell)
– filming and video editing (for flashback)
– acting (in theatre performance)
– sound design” -Keystone 3 what I provided in the group work

Spring Exhibition 2023:

BONUS: My Experiences

Dulce et Decorum Est:

Throughout the project, we were given multiple opportunities to expand our learning. The museum visit to the Museum of North Vancouver (MONOVA) and the multiple classes for creation, planning, and work all helped us reach our final goal of making a true museum experience.

Spring Exhibition 2023:

Being able to showcase the work that me and my group had been working on for while was probably one of the most enjoyable parts of this project for me. Both during and after the Exhibition, my group and I got multiple compliments and rounds of applause, and I’m really proud of that. Each time we performed, we’d notice little things we weren’t happy with or wanted to experimentally change, and it slowly bettered our performance to what we could call satisfactory.

Driving Question and Answer

How can we make the contrasting narratives of war come alive for an audience?

It’s possible to make the contrasting narratives of come alive for an audience in a multitude of ways, and a museum is one of the best ways. Museums give the audience a unique experience to walk through history themselves, getting to see the different perspectives, listen to key stories and events, and explore many other possibilities. Theatre (living exhibits), interactive displays, VR and AR, dioramas, and many other things can offer an interactive and interesting experience to keep the audience intrigued and interested. All these things and many more make it fun to learn about and explore the contrasting narratives of war, as we got to see through our final product. The theatre performances, the interactive cannon (along with other interactive exhibits), and realistic dioramas were all a big hit during the museum experience on Exhibition night. Making the contrasting narratives of war come alive for the visitors was certainly a journey, but a rewarding one.

The Project Path

Welcome to “A Case for a Nation”. The nationalism/confederation DIY project. In this project, we brainstormed symbols of Canada, simulated confederation, and made a board game and corresponding rules.

My Learning Adventure

This project helped me learn about a whole range of things. Specifically, Canadian history. It’s funny to think that even though I live in Canada, I knew so little about its actual history. I learned a lot about PEI, along with all the other colonies and their histories before confederation brought them together to form the Canada we know today.

A little bonus thing I learned is in the “Symbols of Canada” activity, I researched Tim Hortons and learned more about how it came to be and it’s long history in Canada since 1964.

The Skills

In this project, I got better at making big decisions based on available knowledge (confederation simulation). I also was able to further strengthen my AR and video editing skills with the “Symbols of Canada” activity. Another thing I was able to get better at is thinking up, designing, and creating board games (collaboratively). The last time I had the chance to do this was back in grade 8, with the “Tectonic Chances” board game in Scimatics. I feel like I’ve come along way and can be proud of my (and my groupmate’s) work.

My Work

“The representatives of PEI chose to reject the Confederation invitation, but if the Confederation in the future becomes a stable, safe, and secure place, we will join at a later date. As of now, they remain a neutral party, not allying with either the U.S. or the Confederation. They made this decision due to the fact that two of their biggest and most pressing conditions weren’t met, and the situation of the economy. It would be too expensive for citizens of PEI to live in such a society where they’re basically poor all the time. Canada East and West benefitted from Confederation the most, as apposed to smaller colonies like PEI, who got the short end of the stick. The colony of PEI made significant efforts and struggle to have their demands met, and though they managed to have some of the more communal requests satisfied, they still couldn’t get the two biggest demands agreed with. I noticed that Confederation is a very tricky thing, where lots of hard agreements and bargains are made. This can be very troubling for smaller colonies as they may be ignored by bigger colonies and such.”

– Confederation Simulation Reflection

Board Game Proposal

Confederation Station

Driving Question and Answer

What did nationalism mean for people around Canada?

Nationalism is a complex concept that can have different meanings for different people. In Canada, nationalism can be understood in multiple ways, depending on influences such as cultural, political, and historical contexts.

For some Canadians, nationalism is a sense of pride and loyalty towards the country and its symbols, such as the flag, the anthem, and the maple leaf. This kind of nationalism is often referred to as civic nationalism (which I didn’t know until now), which emphasizes a shared political identity based on a common set of values, such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

For others, nationalism is more closely tied to their cultural identity, language, and history. This form of nationalism is often referred to as ethnic nationalism (which I did actually know to call it), which emphasizes a shared ancestry, culture, and language as the basis of national identity. In Canada, this kind of nationalism is often associated with Quebec, which has a distinct French-speaking culture and a history of separatist movements.

In some cases, nationalism can also be tied to political movements or ideologies. For example, some Canadians may identify with a particular political party or ideology, such as conservatism or socialism, and view their political beliefs as an expression of national identity.

Overall, nationalism in Canada is a complex and diverse concept that can mean different things to different people, depending on their cultural, political, and historical backgrounds.