Reflective Journal Project Outline

Students are required to create a reflective journal that they will hand in
periodically throughout our unit on Canadian culture for review. (Each time
your journal is handed in you will receive feedback and suggestions for future
entries.)
Review Dates:

At the end of the unit, students will hand in their completed reflective journal
to be graded.
Final Due Date: _______________________

Format: you may choose to create either a traditional paper journal or an

electronic journal.

Requirements: you are required to submit 5 journal entries addressing

the following topics.

Journal Entry #1:

What does the term Canadian cultural identity mean to you? What does
Canadas cultural identity look like? What makes Canadas culture unique
from other countries? List and describe at least the 5 characteristics you
chose to portray in your visual project and discuss what you think Canadas
cultural identity is.

Journal Entry #2:

Discuss where you see yourself (and your culture) within Canadian society.
What effect does this have on your personal identity? Has your culture faced
discrimination in Canada in the past? In the present? Has your culture
benefited from the discrimination of others?

Journal Entry #3:

Discuss why you think it is important that Canadians learn about Indigenous
cultures and the relationship between First Nations and the Canadian
government. Were you surprised by any of the information you learned
regarding this relationship? What do you think the moral implications are for
todays society to try and fix the mistakes of the past? Explain your answer.

Journal Entry #4:

Choose and discuss one of the group presentations made by another peer
group in the class. What did you learn from their presentation? Were you
surprised by any of the information in their presentation? Why were you (or
were you not) surprised? Compare the information your peers presented to
the information your own group collected. What similarities or differences are
there regarding how both group was acculturated? Has Canada always
followed politics of inclusions?

Journal Entry #5:

Has your view of Canadian culture and society changed at all since the
beginning of our unit? How has your understanding of Canadian cultural
identity changed? How has it stayed the same? Whose worldview is most
valued in dominant society? Be sure to address all 5 attributes that you
discussed in your first journal entry.

Journal Entry #6:

Based on the information we have learned and discussed in class, along with
your personal experience, discuss what you think Canada needs to work on
regarding our nations cultural identity and acceptance of other cultures.
Who do you think should be responsible for improving our society? Is this
strictly a government concern? Choose one issue and discuss some possible
ideas or methods that you think would help fix the problem. Think both large
and small scale at the personal and collective action level.

Journal Entry #7:

In your own words, explain what you think the term cultural arrogance
refers to. What are some of the dangers of cultural arrogance? Use
examples from Canadian history as well as from current events.