Recently in Humanities, we learned about WWII in a project called Juno beach. Our driving question was What role did the conflict of World War II play in shaping Canadian identity?
To start, we had several slideshow lectures to learn about important battles and aspects of WWII. I learned about the success of D-day when the allies took over 5 beaches in Normandy and the 6 million jewish lives taken by the Holocaust. As well, I learned about Canada’s contributions to the war, such as the Battle of the Atlantic and their role in supporting the war from back home too.
Following this, we independently researched about 5 different topics and how they were affected by post WWII: the evolution of human rights; international cooperation relating to NATO and the UN; the economy and the advancement of technology; Canada’s relationship with the US; social issues. Then we chose of these topics and turned our research into smart brevity notes.
Smart brevity notes are a way of formatting to make the information more concise and includes only the essential information to help understand a topic. It is also a way to organize your note to be easier to read and keeps it simple.
I decided to focus on The UN and Nato. Both of these organizations are very helpful in maintaining world peace and promoting human rights, as while as providing support to countries struggling with conflicts. I learned a lot from this! This is my note:
https://s.craft.me/u4PB7DiDtQT5jY
Then we turned our learning from these notes into an essay. I chose to write just about the UN. While writing my essay I improved a lot on formatting it correctly and using MLA formatting.
After getting our essays approved, we turned them into our final project, in the format of a zine. We received a general template to use, however the rest of the formatting was up to us, to add images and quotes, while ensuring it filled up exactly 2 or 3 full pages. I am pretty happy with how my zine turned out and it was really interesting to make because I have never made one before. Here it is:
Along side this part of the project, we also learned about service and what it means to us. In this project, we had the opportunity to choose an act of service to do for the community and be sponsored $10 which we put towards buying a flag to donate to the Juno beach centre. My friend Alva and I decided to bake dog treats for our local dog shelter, since we both really love animals. We first sent an email to the West Van SPCA to confirm that it would be ok, and they loved the idea. We spent an afternoon and evening baking treats with a dog friendly recipe. Then we brought the treats to the shelter. Like I said in my reflection, I really liked the experience of getting to give back to the community in a way that was specific to my passion and the treats not only made the dogs happy, but the act of kindness and service also makes me happy to know I am helping.
act of service reflection
Kaia is a Grade 10 student at Seycove Secondary in the PLP program. In their current project, Kaia and her friend Alva decided to base their act of service on supporting local dogs in need. They first emailed the SPCA, asking permission to bring homemade dog treats, and received a positive response. They found a dog-safe treat recipe and baked about 300 treats. The next day, they drove to the West Van SPCA to deliver the treats. Kaia’s act of service not only highlights her love for dogs and other animals, but also her commitment to helping those in need and giving back to her community. She believes that even small acts of kindness can significantly impact the lives of animals waiting for their forever homes. The notion of service embodies Canadian identity by showing compassion and community support. Every single step, no matter how big, is important in making a difference.
World War II played a pivotal role in shaping Canadian identity by fostering a sense of national unity and pride. Previously, Canada was closely linked to Britain, however Canada independently joined WWII, which helped Canada define their identity without the influence of Britain. Canada was recognized for it’s military contributions which solidified the country’s reputation as a reliable and capable nation on the world stage. The war prompted important changes, including improvements in women’s rights as they enter the workforce to take on the jobs men left behind to be soldiers. As well, WWII caused technological advancements and led to economic growth. WWII also improved Canada’s relations with other countries, leading to their involvement in world peace organizations such as Nato and the UN. Overall, WWII had a key impact on shaping how Canada is perceived by the rest of the world, as well as Canada’s personal identity as a independent and united nation.
Thanks for reading!