Personal and Cultural Identity

Introduction

Discovering and developing our personal and cultural identity means we need to recognize...

1. Relationships and cultural contexts
2. Personal values and choice
3. Personal strengths and abilities

Consider all of these elements as you work through the assignments in this section.

For your final project in this section, you will choose the project that corresponds to your chosen course (New Media 11, Composition 11, Literary Studies 11, Spoken Language 11, Creative Writing 11).

Source: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/pdf/Core_Competencies_Posters.pdf

Summary Explanation of Assignments

Here is a quick overview of the assignments for this unit.  However, be sure you read over the specific assignment instructions that follow for each one.  Review the marking rubrics for the assignments before you start.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Descriptive Writing

     Students will plan and write a descriptive paragraph of a Robert Bateman work of at least 200 words that appeals to the 5 senses and incorporates at least 3 examples of figurative language.

ASSIGNMENT 2: Personal Identity

     Students will examine their personal identity using direct and indirect characterization and respond to a poem on personal identity.

ASSIGNMENT 3: Cultural Identity

     Students will write a poem that describes their cultural identity.  Students will analyze text structures and respond to an essay on cultural identity.

ASSIGNMENT 4: Symbolism

     Students will develop and explain a personal symbol and then respond to a short story.

ASSIGNMENT 5: Culture in Film FORUM

     Students will write a 200-300 word critique of a film and its portrayal of culture.  They will critique a film as it pertains to relationships and cultural contexts that exist among plot, setting, and theme.  

ASSIGNMENT 6: Meaning Through Performance and Language

     Students will view and discuss how a speaker's meaning is conveyed through language and performance techniques.  They will assess how personal, social, and/or cultural identity is conveyed in the performance.

ASSIGNMENT 7:  Descriptive Quiz

     Students will attempt a timed quiz, assessing their ability to recognize and use descriptive language.

ASSIGNMENT 8: Final Project

     Students will create a project based on their chosen course to explain how experiences shape our identities and allow us to make personal, social, and cultural connections to others, to text, and to ourselves.

ASSIGNMENT 9: Big Idea Reflection #2

     Students will write a journal to reflect on their understanding of one of the Big Ideas from the ELA 11 course curriculum.

Descriptive Writing

The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader's mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses.  This is called imagery.  

Descriptive writing also incorporates figurative language.  Figurative language includes similes, metaphors, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, to name just a few examples.  Make sure you review these terms so you can demonstrate your understanding in your response.  Descriptive language also creates a sense of place by developing the mood and atmosphere.  

ASSIGNMENT 3.1: Descriptive Writing

Task:  

Students will select one of Robert Bateman's paintings from the website below and describe it.  Choose a scene you connect to or that speaks to you. Plan and write a descriptive paragraph of at least 200 words that appeals to the 5 senses and incorporates at least 3 examples of figurative language:  simile, metaphor, hyperbole.  Effective descriptive writing should enable the reader to visualize the scene being set.  Word choices should emphasize the meaning and impact of the place.

Read about Canadian artist and naturalist, Robert Bateman who has been identified as one of the top 100 environmental proponents of the 20th century by the Canadian Audubon Society.  His Bateman Foundation is a not-for-profit organization to encourage dialogue about humanity's relationship to the natural world (wikipedia).  Bateman's art is his communication of his connection and personal identification to nature.  His paintings are a beautiful portrayal of the Canadian natural identity. 

Robert Bateman said, 

“ I can't conceive of anything being more varied, rich and handsome

   than planet earth; its crowning beauty is the natural world.

   I want to soak it up, to understand it ... then put it together and

   express it in my painting. This is the way I want to dedicate my life.”

Bateman's website has a full compilation of his work.  Now, select one of his paintings and describe it.  (https://www.artcountrycanada.com/batemanbiog.htm)

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: Exemplary (6/6):  Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student uses specific language including sensory details to evoke specific emotions and senses in the reader and to show and shape meaning and impact. There is a clear connection to place.

Written Expression:  Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission:

Use the "3.1 Descriptive Writing" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

Estimated Allotted Time: 30 min.

Personal Identity

Personal identity is the concept you develop about yourself that evolves over the course of your life. This may include aspects of your life that you have no control over, such as where you grew up or the color of your skin, as well as choices you make in life, such as how you spend your time and what you believe. You demonstrate portions of your personal identity outwardly through what you wear and how you interact with other people. You may also keep some elements of your personal identity to yourself, even when these parts of yourself are very important.

Have you ever struggled with the question, 'Who am I?' or thought about who you might become in the future? These questions have been thought about and discussed throughout history, in particular by philosophers who have immersed themselves in the search for knowledge about the nature of being human. Such questions as, 'What does it mean to be a person?' and 'Do I matter?' have engaged key thinkers and created conversations that we still grapple with in our society. Most people feel they want to endure in some way, both in their lives and beyond death. The philosophy of personal identity aims to address these matters of existence and how we even know we exist through time.

Source:  https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-personal-identity-definition-philosophy-development.html

Internal and external identity 

Compare this to external identity. External identity refers to how other individuals interpret who you are and what your public image is as a consequence of what you do, say, and how you look. Your external identity comes about as others talk about you, judge you, and treat you.

As such, in literature, memorable characters are ones that we as readers can relate to. The more we know about their background, their personality traits and their looks, the better we can identify and understand their journey. 

• Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. For example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well-mannered and did not disobey their mother.” The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

• Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different methods of indirect characterization summarized by the acronym STEAL.

ASSIGNMENT 3.2: Personal Identity

Task:  

For this assignment, you will examine your personal identity both internally and externally using both direct and indirect characterization.  (PART A)  Use the graphic organizer to describe your personal identity and examine how you understand yourself in relation to others.  (PART B) Then read the poem "Nonconformist" by Angela Shelf Medearis and answer the questions that follow.  Use the following worksheet to complete your assignment.

Assignment 2 - Personal Identity Response Worksheet (.PDF)

Assignment 2 - Personal Identity Response Worksheet (.DOCX)

"Nonconformist" a poem by Angela Shelf Medearis

I don’t want to be anybody 

but myself.

So, I shaved little lines

in my head and

dyed my hair purple

and green

(with just a hint of orange)

and pierced my nose and

hung a gold earring in it.

AS AN EXPRESSION OF WHO I AM

(who am I?)

Of course,

I waited until someone else did it first.

I didn’t want anyone to think I’m

weird.

You know what I mean?

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: Exemplary (6/6):  Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student uses direct and indirect characterization to describe personal identity and is then able to connect and identify personal perspectives in text.  

Written Expression:  Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission:  

Cultural Identity

Cultural Identity

What are some ways people identify themselves?  What does it mean to have a personal identity?  A collective identity?  A cultural identity?

Some factors to consider may include traditions, cultural background, language, religion and spirituality, the arts (music, dance, etc.), attire (clothing, body markings), relationship to the land, ideological beliefs (political view, personal mottos).

Is a Canadian someone who lives within the "physical" boundaries of Canada?  Or is a Canadian simply someone who identifies themselves as Canadian?  Can you identify yourself as Canadian AND something else?  Think about some common Canadian stereotypes or symbols (hockey, RCMP, the maple leaf, the word "eh", the national anthem).  Does everyone who is "Canadian" identify with these things?  Why do these stereotypes exist?

Dr. Duke Redbird (b. 1939 on the Saugeen Reserve on the Bruce Peninsula, near Owen Sound, Ontario) is an Indigenous intellectual, poet, painter, broadcaster, filmmaker and orator. He brings his breadth of cultural knowledge and artistic practice to the benefit of a global audience.   He delivers a unique perspective from his heritage that is both a positive and optimistic alternative to how we view our universe in the 21st century.

His poem “I am a Canadian” uses contemporary poetic forms such as colloquial language and line breaks that follow oral rhythms.  He develops his poem geographically from Canada's east coast to the west coast.  He has said, “The inspiration for my work comes from the deep well of history and tradition that is the heritage of our people on this continent.  From this well I quench the thirst for wisdom and water the seeds of ideas that the creator has sprinkled upon my soul; nourished into words and verse these ideas become poems which I enjoy sharing.  I hope that they bring pleasure and inspiration to those who read them.”

Source:  https://afptoronto.org/blog/the-power-of-the-land-by-dr-duke-redbird/

Read "I am a Canadian".  As you read, think about how you would identify your cultural identity.

Text Structures

To make sense of text, it is important to determine the text structure. Text structure refers to the way information is organized. How does the author develop the main idea?  How does the author support the argument or thesis of the text?  Text structure enables authors to organize their thoughts as they write.  Authors use many different structures to organize and support their ideas.  It also helps the reader in that it provides a structure in which information can be found and understood while it's being read. There are several different types of text structure, including:

• Compare and contrast: discussing similarities and differences
• Spatial:  organized in order of space/location (descriptive writing)
• Timeline/Chronological: discussing things in order they occurred 
• Problem and solution: presenting a problem and offering a solution
• Cause and effect: explaining a cause and its results
• Sequence/Order of Importance: information is listed step-by-step

 Click on each text structure to link to a template for your use.  There are both Word and .pdf formats available in the folder called Graphic Organizers at the front of the course.  You are responsible for understanding and being able to use each of these text structuring strategies.

ASSIGNMENT 3.3: Cultural Identity

Task:

For this assignment, you will examine how you define your cultural identity and the stereotypes that can be involved.  (PART A) Using Dr. Redbird's poem as a guide, you will write a poem that describes how you describe your cultural identity.  Consider the differences between a personal identity, a collective identity, and a cultural identity as you read the poem and brainstorm your own responses.  Consider how the poem has been developed.  How does Redbird construct the poem and how can authors organize their thoughts?  (PART B) What text structures do authors use to develop their main ideas and supporting arguments?  Practice identifying different textual development techniques and then read the assigned text "A Lesson to be Learned - My Body Is My Own Business" by Sultana Yusufali (PART C) and answer the questions that follow.  Use the following worksheet to complete your assignment.

Assignment 3 - Cultural Identity Response Worksheet (.PDF)

Assignment 3 - Cultural Identity Response Worksheet (.DOCX)

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: Exemplary (6/6):  Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student recognizes text structures and how they contribute to meaning.  Student analyzes and communicates comprehension and perspective astutely.

Written Expression:  Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission:  

Use the "3.3 Cultural Identity" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

Symbolism

A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself.  In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. 

Conventional Symbols  

Most of us are familiar with conventional symbols such as the Christian cross, the Nazi swastika, or the American flag.

We understand that these symbols can convey different meanings to different people and in different circumstances.

• The Christian cross symbolizes one thing when it is located on a church, and quite another when it is burning on the front lawn of someone's home.
       
• The American flag represents love of country, security, and pride when it is sewn on the coat of an American tourist, but it represents hatred and extremism when in the hands of an angry Iranian mob.

Literary Symbols

Literary symbols do not have a publicly accepted meaning; rather, they depend upon the context of a story or poem for their meaning. An example of this occurs in Lord of the Flies where the conch shell symbolizes freedom of speech and democracy. Outside the novel, a conch shell is simply something one might find on a beach.

Recognizing Symbols

According to Perrine and Arp in Story and Structure 8th Edition (1992), "The ability to interpret symbols is ... essential for a full understanding of literature." They go on to list four cautions when searching for symbolism in fiction:       

1. The story itself must furnish a clue that a detail is to be taken symbolically. Symbols nearly always signal their existence by emphasis, repetition, or position. In the absence of such signals, we should be reluctant to identify an item as a symbol.
       
2. The meaning of a literary symbol must be established and supported by the entire context of the story.
       
3. To be called a symbol, an item must suggest a meaning different from its literal meaning.
       
4. A symbol may have more than one meaning. It may suggest a cluster of meanings....This is not to say that it can mean anything we want it to: the area of possible meanings is always controlled by the text (pp. 197-8).
     

Archetypes

Carl Jung first applied the term archetype to literature. He recognized that there were universal patterns in all stories and mythologies regardless of culture or historical period and hypothesized that part of the human mind contained a collective unconscious shared by all members of the human species, a sort of universal, primal memory. Recognizing archetypal patterns in literature brings patterns we all unconsciously respond to in similar ways to a conscious level.  Source

Examples of archetypes include symbols (fire, light, circles), characters (the hero or the mother figure), settings (the garden, the island), and situations (the journey, a battle between good/evil), but there are many more.

Allegory

Another reference to symbols in literature is an allegory.  An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Although an allegory uses symbols, it is different from symbolism. An allegory is a complete narrative that involves characters and events that stand for an abstract idea or event. A symbol, on the other hand, is an object that stands for another object, giving it a particular meaning. Unlike allegory, symbolism does not tell a story or encourage a moral lesson.

ASSIGNMENT 3.4: Symbolism

Grammar Check Up

Grammar skills are important in many aspects of our life from education to our employment from our social life to our home life. Grammar lays the ground work for effective communication.  When you use your cell phone to call a friend and you have bad reception, you will most likely find that the intent of your conversation will be greatly affected.  Your friend may not understand what you are trying to speak to them about.  The same can be said for our understanding of proper grammar.  Improper grammar can greatly affect the meaning and clarity of our intended message. 

1.  Click on the links below to learn the following grammar lessons:

Keeping Tenses Consistent

Choosing the Correct Pronoun Form

2.  Complete these self-marking quizzes to ensure you understanding of the lessons:

Practice Test: Keeping Tenses Consistent

Practice Test:  Choosing the Correct Pronoun Form

These assignments DO NOT need to be submitted to your teacher.  Your understanding of these concepts should be displayed in every assignment you submit and your lack of understanding will result in lower grades throughout the course.  They will also be formally assessed on the final exam.  

ASSIGNMENT 3.5: Culture in Film FORUM

Discovering and developing our personal and cultural identity means we need to recognize...

1. Relationships and cultural contexts
2. Personal values and choice
3. Personal strengths and abilities

Task:

     The interrelationship between land, story, and community plays a vital role in many works.  Looking closely at the way a story represents place can reveal a lot about human relationships and different ways of understanding place and land.  How can we read a variety of settings - rural, urban, interior, exterior - as enriching our understanding of the way the characters relate to their surroundings, to themselves, to each other?  How does the plot structure, setting, and theme (main idea) portray a cultural identity?

For this discussion forum post, write a film critique as it pertains to relationships and cultural contexts that exist among plot, setting, and theme.  Write a 200-300 word critique of the film and its portrayal of culture.  How is culture portrayed in the movie?  Are there stereotypes?  Is it positive or negative?    This isn't an overall critique of the film, but rather its use of setting, plot, and theme to describe a culture.  You could choose a play or a movie.  Make sure you identify the title of the film in your topic sentence. 

Click here for a sample movie critique.

Click here for an explanation on how to write movie critiques.

 Be sure you:

1. Post your example as described above by clicking Add a New Question.
2. Reply/Respond to your classmates' examples by clicking on their topic and selecting Reply.  Try using the following prompts to guide your response to another post:  "I wonder...", "I know...", "I can...". 

Assessment: Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.   

Learning Target(s):  Exemplary (6/6):   The chosen resource is an exemplary example of cultural representation in film.  The student clearly identifies how plot structure, setting, and theme portray a cultural identity.

Written Expression:  Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission:

Use the "3.5 FORUM:  Culture in Film" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your forum contribution by clicking on "Add a New Question" in the forum.  Do not submit to the TEACHER ONLY dropbox.

Estimated Allotted Time: 30 min.

Oral Language

Language, in all its forms, constructs personal and social and cultural identities.  Oral Language is the system through which we use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas, and feelings.  There are many rhetorical strategies/literary devices we use to make our spoken language more effective.

These include: 

• rhetorical question – ask a question which doesn’t need to be answered to get your audience thinking about their own opinions
• hyperbole – is an exaggeration often used to add humour or emphasis
• understatement - presenting something as being smaller, worse or less important than it actually is
• imperative – a command word used to grab attention
• listing – of examples and words to support an idea
• alliteration – using words starting with the same letter to make it memorable.
• other sounds devices - onomatopoeia, internal rhyme, cacophony
• simile/metaphor - comparisons 
• repetition - used to emphasize important points
• enjambment/line structure - the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line or natural break
• context - the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.
• text structures - how the information is organized
• syntax - the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language
• diction - the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.
• pun - a play on words to evoke humour

The use of language in texts shapes readers' and viewers' construction of meaning and appreciation of author's craft.  Types of language used include:

• Colloquial - conversational language
• Dialect - a particular form of language that is specific to a region or social group
• Vernacular  - the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region
• Accent  - a distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class.
• Slang  - a type of language that consists of words or phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people
• Jargon - special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.
• Idiomatic expressions - phrases, sayings or a group of words that has a metaphorical (not literal) meaning, which has become accepted in common usage

Further explanation of these terms can be found at Literary Definitions.

Oral language uses a variety of voice techniques, as well. The following list shows you how and why you can vary your voice:

• pace – fast to show excitement, slow to show importance
• pitch – high to show excitement, low to show importance and authority
• intonation – the rise and fall of your voice when you speak
• inflection – when your voice goes up at the end of the sentence as if you were asking a question
• tone – feeling needs to suit the words said
• volume – loud to show excitement, soft to show fear
• pause – a planned rest in your speaking to emphasize an idea
• enunciation - pronounce words or parts of words clearly
• emphasis - stress laid on a word or words to indicate special meaning or particular importance

Source:  http://www.studyit.org.nz/subjects/english/english2/5/subjectcontent/orallanguage/

Don't forget the importance of good performance techniques, as well.

• Nonverbal techniques - facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, gestures displayed through body language and the physical distance between the communicators
• use of props or effective visuals
• eye contact
• memorize

ASSIGNMENT 3.6: Meaning Through Performance and Language

Task:

This assignment asks you to consider how the speaker's message is conveyed through language and performance.  How is personal, social, and cultural identity conveyed in the performance?  Select one of the following performances and discuss how the speaker's meaning is conveyed through language and performance techniques as you respond to the questions below.

Rhetorical Strategies

• What rhetorical strategies does the speaker use to convey his message more effectively?
• What is the developmental structure?

Language

• What language does the speaker/storyteller use?

Performance

• What voice techniques does the speaker use to convey the message?
• What performance techniques does the storyteller/speaker use?

Identity and Message

• What is the main idea or message of the performance?
• What does this performance reveal about personal, social, and/or cultural identity?

Practice

Try this performance first.  In 2007, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, unveiled the first iPhone during Apple's Macworld keynote, marking a crucial moment in the company's history and a revolutionary new project.  His keynote speech is still noted as one of the best presentations of all time.  Watch his presentation and assess how he uses language and performance techniques to communicate his message.  Here is an answer guide for you to follow as you watch the video.

It's Your Turn

Select one of the following performances and discuss how the speaker's meaning is conveyed through language and performance techniques.  How is personal, social, and/or cultural identity conveyed in the performance? You  might also consider if the message changes before and after listening.  Does the oral version help with comprehension?

Selection #1:  Countdown by PrufRock Shadowrunner.  Shadowrunner is a well-known veteran of the slam poetry scene in Canada. Based in Ottawa, he's a member of the city's slam team, and also DJs, raps and acts. His video Countdown is an insanely clever, effortlessly delivered monologue about being black in the 21st century.

Selection #2:  Explaining My Depression to My Mother by Sabrina Benaim.  On Twitter, Sabrina Benaim describes herself as a poet, dance party enthusiast and Slytherin. We have another three words to add: powerful, brilliant and courageous. In her viral video, , Benaim gives an excruciatingly bang-on description of what it's like to explain depression to someone who loves you, but just doesn't get it.  Here is the text version.

Source:  https://www.cbc.ca/books/7-must-see-canadian-poetry-performances-1.4266637

 Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: Exemplary (6/6):  Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student recognizes rhetorical strategies, language, and voice and performance techniques and how they contribute to meaning.  Student clearly communicates how the speaker's message and identity is conveyed through language and performance.

Written Expression:  Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission

Use the "3.6 Meaning Through Performance" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

Estimated Allotted Time: 1 hour

ASSIGNMENT 3.7: Descriptive Quiz

Task:

Please complete the descriptive quiz on the main page

The quiz will assess your ability to recognize literary devices, text structures and rhetorical strategies and respond using descriptive language.  Review your notes on writing paragraphs.  You will have 1 hour to complete the quiz.  It is password protected, please contact your teacher for more information.

Submission:

Use the "3.7 QUIZ: Descriptive Writing" link on the main page of this section of the course to complete the quiz

Estimated Allotted Time: 30 min to prepare - 1 hour to complete

ASSIGNMENT 3.8: PROJECT

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:  How do our experiences shape our identities?

Task:

For this final project, you will explore how our experiences shape our identities - personal, social, and cultural.  How does one's identity construct meaningful and personal connections with self, text, and the world?  You will use the provided resources to analyze texts and communicate your understanding of what these resources have to say about how our experiences define us.  You will also analyze your own resource selections and communicate your personal connections with self, text, and the world.  Your research and final product will be done under your specific course umbrella, as detailed in the course specific handout to follow.  In other words, students who are enrolled in either Composition, Creative Writing, Literature Studies, New Media, or Spoken Language will each have a different approach to this topic. 

All students will be required to:

• Use the skills that you have developed in this course.

• Research the given topic so that you become an expert on it.

• Keep an MLA-style works cited list that will be turned in with your final product.

• Develop an descriptive product that creates a clear image of the main idea.

The Topic:

The following resources will help you gain a basic understanding of how authors communicate meaning and share how their experiences have come to define their identity and connection to others, to text/the world, and to themselves. 

 In order to deepen your understanding so that you are able to effectively complete this project, you are required to conduct your own research as well, exploring avenues of the topic that are most relevant to your course.  

Resource #1:  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - "The Danger of a Single Story". 

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in Enugu, Nigeria is a Nigerian novelist, writer of short stories, and nonfiction. Adichie, who was born in the city of Enugu in Nigeria, grew up as the fifth of six children in an Igbo family in the university town of Nsukka in Enugu State. "The Danger of a Single Story" talks about how "our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding."

Resource #2:  Katherena Vermette - "Heart". 

Katherena Vermette knows her beloved neighbourhood in Winnipeg has a reputation for violence and racism, and the Governor General Award-winning Métis poet is using the power of words to change that.

Course Specific Projects

Develop a project that clearly communicates how experience shapes identities - personal social, cultural - and how these identities construct meaningful and personal connections with self, texts, and the world. Using the provided resources as examples, analyze how the experiences of the writers have shaped their identities and connections to the world, to others, and to themselves.   The select your own examples and synthesize these responses.  A few points to consider as you prepare your project:

• Synthesis means to use multiple sources to contribute to a main idea.
• There are many experiences that form our sense of connections to others, to ourselves, and to the world  Much goes into our self-identification.  
• It is important to remember that there is always more than one story.
• Use formal vocabulary and structure so that your communication is mature and thoughtful.

Course Specific Projects:

Below you will see handouts outlining the project specific to your course.  Please download the handout that corresponds to your enrolled course.  You must only complete the project that corresponds to your course.  

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.   

Learning Target(s) - Exemplary (6/6):  Final product demonstrates a rich understanding of how experiences shape identity and how identity constructs meaningful and personal connections to self, text, and the world.  This understanding results from thorough research and close analysis of texts, language, and author's intent which is presented in a Works Cited list with accurate MLA formatting.  Students recognize experiences are formative in identity creation and clearly communicate how identity is necessary for building relationships and connections to others, to the world, and to ourselves.

Ideas/Content - Exemplary (6/6): Exemplary development of ideas.  Content is clear, concise and true.  Accomplishes the purpose with originality, individuality, maturity, and sophistication.

Reflection and Insight - Exemplary (6/6):  Complex connections and original ideas are included in a thoughtful response that includes specific examples of the student’s learning process and growth, which has been the result of informed, reflective, and insightful research.  

Conventions/Sentence Fluency - Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written (or spoken), and carefully chosen.  Composition shows maturity in vocabulary, structure, and organization. Reflection on the quality of writing is evident, resulting in few or no errors.

Submission:

Use the "3.8 Project:  Experiences and Connections" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

Estimated Allotted Time: 2-3 hours

ASSIGNMENT 3.9: Big Idea Reflection #2

English 11 is designed around a set of big ideas.  These are meant to guide our thinking as we explore the concepts that are presented to us across the course.  Below, you will find one of these big ideas.  In a multi-paragraph journal, explain your understanding (or interpretation) of this big idea.  Consider the things you’ve discovered in this course so far - the text’s you’ve read, the ideas you’ve developed.  But also consider your experiences outside of this course - how might they impact your understanding of this big idea?  In other words, what does it mean to you? Why does it matter?

The Big Idea:  Texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed.

Assessment: Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.   

Learning Target(s) - Exemplary (6/6):  Develops a rich understanding and makes meaningful personal connections between self and the big idea.  Elaborates and explains these connections in depth, providing examples. Ideas and viewpoints are personal, but also consider the perspectives of others.  

Written Expression-  Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization. Responses are skillfully organized, edited and easy to read.

Submission:

Use the "3.9 Big Idea Reflection #2" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

Estimated Allotted Time: 40 min