Students were asked to do found poems based on the story Fear. This student was able to build on the ideas in the story to develop his own.Because the students were asked to share their ideas, the teacher could observe the extent to which the ideas are new to peers. This student’s ideas were powerful enough to have an impact on his classmates.

Students in a Technology Education class were asked to construct a functioning model construction crane like the ones dominating the skyline in their community. This student and her group researched cranes online, did a design sketch, assembled materials, developed multiple versions of the design, tested component pieces, had to redesign a half-lap joint that proved too weak, and then built the crane. She incorporated a swivel scavenged from an old computer hard drive into the final design.

A class was asked to make mash-up poems based on Jack Prelutsky’s Stardines. All the students were able to come up with new ideas of their own based on Prelutsky’s model and elaborate these to develop poems. The ideas were new to them and their classmates. The value to classmates, largely in the humour inherent in new perspectives, varied from poem to poem. This poem was especially entertaining for classmates.

This student has been working with Plasticine for over a month and shows no waning of interest. He is very animated when he tells his stories, moving the Plasticine props and puppets with his hands and making sound effects with his voice. His stories have dark themes, but his use of language is quite sophisticated: “The farmer survived everything because he’s invincible!”

This boy and girl were playing with the small animals in the block centre. The teacher, who knows that play materials with no obvious intended use or purpose can encourage children’s creativity, gave them some scarves. Although these were not obvious construction materials for the barn they were building, they immediately tried to incorporate them into their design. The boy was quite persistent at trying to make something work and eventually used them to make a second level and a roof for their building.

Students in an English First Peoples class were provided with choices for narrative essays that they were asked to write. All topics related to aspects of the students’ lives. This sample is an outline of an essay that responded to the prompt of “How we know who we are”.

Students in an English First Peoples class were asked to identify 4 artifacts that represented four areas of their lives: family, peer group, cultural heritage, and themselves as an individual. They needed to include photos that they took of the objects. They then chose three of the artifacts to describe on a blog and shared one in a sharing circle with the whole class. A link to the assignment is found at: http://eng12fp.weebly.com/3/post/2013/09/stories-of-who-i-am-4-artefacts.html

Students created grad transition presentations.  In their presentations, students talked about:

• Where am I right now?
• Where do I want to go?
• How do I get there?

Charlene examined her past, present and future, then gathered materials and artifacts that helped her to define herself and make her presentation.  She then articulated her values, goals, plans, strengths, etc. to a panel of three or four adults (teachers, district staff, parents, community members).

This project-based learning assignment was designed to be completed over a period of time that allowed students share who they are through their interests and backgrounds. Students worked with their families to gather and share information about their cultural context(s). The project integrated Language Arts (writing), Social Studies (research on family’s heritage), and Fine Arts (drawing and presentation). A student has put together a CD portfolio that includes her heritage, family, Holidays she celebrates, hobbies, sports she plays, her personal attributes, and her personal goals.

Students worked through a number of different class activities over a period of time designed to help them explore their cultural backgrounds, family and ancestors. They completed family trees, identity bags (real and virtual artifacts), crest designs for a paddle, timelines, and writing assignments focussing on special people and places in their lives.  One of the culminating presentations was the “Identity Recipe” that each student created to represent who he or she is.