At the start of the year, you may have examined major global and national events and made predictions about what might come next with the ‘Predicting Our Year Ahead‘ activity. Now, you will return to those ideas, compare them with what actually happened this year, and reflect on how global events shaped your learning, identity, and community.
If you did not complete the original activity, don’t worry. You will simply begin by working with a provided class summary of key events and trends from earlier in the year, and use that as your starting point for reflection and prediction. You can still fully participate in the activity by building your own informed starting predictions before moving into the comparison and reflection sections.
observation → prediction → lived experience → reflection → future thinking
Part One: Looking Back to the Beginning
Revisit your original responses from the start-of-year lesson ‘Predicting Our Year Ahead‘.
In writing or discussion, answer:
- What event did you choose that first stood out to you? Why?
- What did you predict might happen in the coming year?
- Looking back now, how accurate or inaccurate was your thinking?
- What did you not anticipate at the time that turned out to matter?
Then read a new updated summary: List of Nature Labs Topics Covered in the 2025/26 School Year (feel free to add your own events!)
As you read, highlight:
- One event that surprised you
- One trend that continued from last year
- One issue that feels more important now than it did then
Part Two: The Reality Check Discussion
In groups of 3–4, discuss:
- Which predictions from earlier in the year actually showed up in real life?
- Which ones were completely off and why might that be?
- What patterns do you notice between global events and local life (school, province/territory, your community)?
Create a simple group statement:
One thing we understand better now about the world than we did in September is ________.
Part Three: Nature Labs Connection Lens
Now reconnect the year to your Nature Labs themes: interconnected systems, environment, society, and place.
Choose one lens:
- Environment & Climate
- Civics & Society
- Careers & Economy
- Language, Media & Communication
- Art & Cultural Expression
Answer:
- How did this year’s events show up in your chosen lens?
- Where did you see connections between global issues and your everyday life or school experience?
- What role did learning help you understand those connections?
Part Four: Then vs. Now – Prediction Revision
Go back to one of your original predictions from the start of the year.
Now revise it:
- What would you change based on what actually happened?
- What new prediction would you make for the next year instead?
- What evidence from this year supports your updated thinking?
Write it as:
‘At the beginning of the year I thought ____. Now I think ____. Moving forward, I predict ____.’
Part Five: Class Stream Projects (Choose One Path/Your Course)
Social Studies — Policy Response Round 2
You are now the government responding to a year that has already unfolded.
- Identify one major issue that actually emerged this year
- Create a policy response
- Include predicted consequences (positive + negative)
- Present as a short press briefing or cabinet statement
Science — What We Learned the Hard Way
Choose one scientific or environmental issue that became more visible this year.
Create a short report:
- What happened this year (or was revealed)
- Why it matters scientifically
- What might happen next
- One simple diagram or model
Careers — Future Me, Revisited
Return to your earlier ‘Future Me‘ thinking.
Now write:
- How your understanding of the world has changed this year
- What skills you actually used (not just hoped to use)
- What experiences shaped you most
- What you now think your future self might focus on next
Format as a short interview or podcast transcript.
English — The Year That Actually Was
Write a reflective news article from June 2026 that includes:
- A headline capturing the year’s defining moment
- A summary of real or likely major events
- A quote from a fictional or real perspective
- A connection to one trend you studied at the beginning of the year
Optional: compile into a classroom newspaper edition!
Visual Storytelling — Map of Change
Create a visual showing how the year shifted over time.
You might include:
- Before/after imagery
- Symbols for tension, growth, disruption, resilience
- A pathway showing how events influenced each other
Title it: How the Year Moved Through Us
Part Six: Final Reflection — The Full Circle
Individually reflect:
- How did your thinking about the world change from September to June?
- What surprised you most about real-world events?
- How did connecting global issues to school subjects change your learning?
- What is one question you are now more curious about than you were at the start of the year?
Finish with this thought to ponder:
This year taught me that understanding the world is less about being right, and more about learning how everything is connected.