The focus of my project, The World Needs More Canada, was to explore Canada’s strengths and part on the global platform. Canada isn’t perfect, but as a country we’re continuously working towards creating a sustainable future. My topic for my podcast I chose net-zero. I explored how Canada is involved in this goal and what commitments we have made as a country. There were many steps to this project that helped me organize my ideas and build a structure for the final result. In Humanities, I learned about short story metaphors, participated in Thinking Thursday activities, and researched net-zero to create a script for my podcast. In Maker it helped me understand the process of making a podcast, from learning about the three-act structure to creating a script.

Here is my grade 10 cohorts podcasts

 

Driving question for Humanities: Why does the world need more “Canada”?

Driving question for Maker: How can you tell a story through audio?

 

     One of the first parts of the project in Humanities was understanding short story metaphors. One of the story’s that stuck with me was Tupelo, it is about a girl named Reina who finds a creature under her bed and tries to figure out what it is. She welcomes this creature into her life, sharing her space and her daily routines. At first I struggled to understand the story’s double meaning, but that pushed me to take it apart and rebuild it in another way. Learning about the structure of stories over the past two years in high school helped me look for themes, and consider the how there could be other meanings. From going over the different pieces like conflict, plot, and motivation, I was able to shift my view and start to see a different interpretation.

 

     At first breaking down the stories was a challenge, but reading several of them, discussing ideas with others, and getting different perspectives helped me a lot. This skill turned out to be important when I referenced a short story in my podcast to relate it to my topic of net-zero. In the future I now feel more prepared to clarify complicated text which is important to know in PLP! 

 

     For Thinking Thursday, I chose the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris from September 10, 2024, as a current event to discuss with my classmates. Reflecting on it, I realize there were areas where I could improve. I covered the key points, like the debate’s focus, its importance, and each candidate’s connections to Canada’s identity and international role. I struggled with time management because I left it to the last minute. The debate was pretty close to when I had to present, but the time leading up to that I could have still prepared what concepts I was going to focus on. Not having as much time made it less engaging, and I wished I’d added even more visuals or interactive elements. For next time I’d plan it out better and focus on a few main points to make the topic more memorable.

     Throughout this project I developed new skills in communication, critical thinking, and personal growth. I learned the importance of asking my teachers for help, especially for the theme statement and script structure, which made my podcast stronger. For critical thinking I learned how stories can have multiple meanings, explored the three-act structure, used GarageBand, and sound effects to make my podcast more engaging. I also practiced time management by keeping track of when each step is due on my calendar. Personal growth was towards balancing my workload and identify the things that cause me to procrastinate. Being able to identify those things along the way showed me how important it is to stay organized. This project allowed me to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses, helping me develop strategies for future projects.