The Grade 8 hallway has been buzzing with talk of supply chains, raw materials, and carbon footprints for the past few weeks as students have been putting finishing touches on their major term assignment in Social Studies: the "Made in Canada" Project.
Moving beyond simple geography lessons, this interdisciplinary project turned students into investigators. Their mission? To find a product that is truly Canadian — designed, sourced, and manufactured right here at home — and tell its full story.
The goal of the project was to push students to think critically about the items they use every day. Students were tasked with peeling back the label to identify the product's origins, to trace the path of that product made "from farm-to-table," and to explore the social, economic, and environmental impacts the product is making.
By mapping out the lifecycle of a product, students have been learning to calculate the environmental cost of shipping and the social importance of fair labour practices. They are evaluating whether "buying local" is just a slogan or a viable path to a greener future.
Students were encouraged to extend their learning further by reaching out to local businesses and manufacturers with formal requests for resources and product samples. Many have been successful in acquiring both.
Students have connected with the likes of Kawartha Dairy, Comeback Snacks, Craig's Cookies, Lululemon, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, Peace by Chocolate, iOGO Yogurt, Cwench Hydration, Sap Sucker, Heinz Ketchup, Dorito's/Frito-Lay, and Hardbite Potato Chips. Grade 8 student, Soren, even toured the local COBS bakery to discover the secret to their scones and cinnamon rolls.
Earlier this week, one of our students conducted a live interview via Google Meet in front of her classmates with Steve Morisette, Marketing Coordinator for Squish Candy in Montreal. Not only did she ask some probing questions in her quest for information, by the end of the call, Steve even agreed to ship some samples of sugar to her. A shipment of Squish Candy is en route!
And, last week, Aurelie visited the One of a Kind Show at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place as a real-world extension of their learning, which directly supported their "Made in Canada" investigative project. They were able to step away from their computers and engage directly with Canadian entrepreneurs, artisans, and small business owners and witness the economic and social impacts of local production firsthand, which helped to answer core curriculum questions about identity, sustainability, and community development.
The "Made in Canada" Project will culminate in January with a "Made in Canada" Fair that will allow students to showcase their products and share their findings.
As the Grade 8s prepare to present, they have been reminded of their role as Contributing Citizens and Intentional Relationship Builders, and learned a very important lesson: every purchase we make tells a story, and "Buy Canadian" is a national story that is worth telling over and over.
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