Grade Level: High School (Grades 9–12)
Time Required: 1–2 class periods
Subjects: Social Studies, Careers, English, Science, Visual Storytelling
Text Source: The Year That Was (Sept. 2024 – May 2025) by Nature Labs
- activity times are approximate
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will:
- Comprehension: Students will read and interpret the key themes of the provided story.
- Critical Thinking: They’ll analyze major societal forces shaping the past year (political, social, environmental).
- Prediction Skills: They’ll forecast potential developments for the upcoming school year, based on the patterns observed.
- Collaborative Discussion: They’ll engage in dialogue, sharing perspectives and reasoning.
Part One – Warm Up (10 minutes)
Start with a quick prompt:
“Think of one event from the past school year — in Canada or the world — that left a strong impression on you.”
Students jot down their thoughts (1–2 minutes), then share a few examples aloud. Use this to transition into the broader reflection on the story.
Part Two – Reading and Summary (20 minutes)
2. Reading & Summarizing (10 minutes)
Students read individually or in pairs – The Year That Was (Sept. 2024 – May 2025). Then, as a class, briefly summarize the main threads (here’s a start):
- U.S.–Canada relations (Trump’s threats, trade conflict, sovereignty concerns)
- National unity and regional tensions across provinces
- Environmental-economic intersections, especially relating to regional priorities like in Alberta vs. BC/Quebec
After the discussion, ask students: “Why do these themes feel especially relevant to our school and community?”
Part Three – Class Discussion (20 minutes)
Divide into small groups (3–4 students each). Provide sticky notes/index cards. Invite each group to:
- Identify one major trend from the past year that could continue or evolve (e.g. political tension, economic debate, environmental policy shifts, etc.).
- Predict one possible scenario for that trend in the coming school year — either positive or negative.
- Write their scenario in a single sentence and stick it on a board or chart paper.
Part Four – Sharing (10 minutes)
Students walk around, read each other’s predictions, and add brief comments or questions with a post-it/card (ex. “Interesting — but what if…?”) next to each prediction.
Then, as a class, choose 3–4 predictions to highlight. For each, ask:
- What evidence or reasoning supports the forecast?
- What would make this prediction come true — or fail?
Part Five – Summary (10 minutes)
Steer the class in connecting the predictions to broader themes:
- How might these predictions affect us in our community and our school?
- Have students answer “I think this will happen next school year… and I wonder how we as students can prepare or respond?”
Encourage students to consider both hopeful and cautionary possibilities.
Adaptations by Course
Social Studies
Policy Predictions
In groups, students act as a “Future Government Cabinet.” Each group chooses one issue from the Nature Labs story (Canada–U.S. relations, regional divides, sovereignty, environment).
They propose one policy decision their “government” might make this school year in response, then predict the possible outcomes (positive and negative).
Present as a quick role-play press conference or poster.
Science
Scientific Futures
From the story’s natural themes, students pick one scientific angle (biodiversity, energy policy, technological innovation).
They research briefly (or brainstorm prior knowledge) what scientific discoveries, challenges, or debates might happen this year.
Deliverable: A short “Science Forecast Report” — one paragraph + a simple infographic (hand-drawn or digital) explaining the prediction.
Careers
Future Me in the News
Students imagine themselves in June 2026 being interviewed about how the year unfolded.
They write a short “Q & A interview” about:
- What role they played in school or community life,
- What challenges they overcame,
- What success they achieved.
Focus: connecting predictions to personal growth and career development (ex. leadership, teamwork, resilience).
English
Headlines of the Future
Students write a short news article or opinion piece dated June 2026 (end of this school year), predicting a major event that shaped the year.
They must include: a clear lead, a quote (real or imagined), and an explanation of how the event connects to trends from last year.
Feel free to turn the responses into a “front page” display with bold headlines around the classroom. Check back at the end of the year!
Visual Storytelling
Visual Forecast
Students create a poster, collage, or digital artwork titled “The Year Ahead.”
Using imagery, colours, and symbols, they represent one prediction for the school year (e.g., environmental change, political tensions, technological growth).
Encourage metaphorical visuals — e.g., a cracked bridge between provinces to represent unity tensions, or a wildfire reborn as new growth to symbolize resilience.
Extension
End with a Class Time Capsule: each subject’s artifact (headlines, posters, reports, policies, Q&As) goes into a box or digital folder to revisit at the end of the year. Students can then compare predictions vs. reality. Yup – planning ahead!