Asynchronous Academy

Culminating Task: Historical Reflection Video

Suggested Duration: 3 Hours

You’ve reached the end of the simulator content, taking your character from World War I through to the early 2000s. Before you write your final proctored exam, you will look back on the journey and extend it into the modern era.

For this culminating task, you will record and submit a 3–5 minute reflection video covering the following two core areas:

🛠️ Video Guidelines

1. Character Connection & Historical Empathy

Reflect on whether using a fictional character perspective enhanced the ease with which you could relate to and understand the historical content.

  • Did writing from their viewpoint help you connect with history more deeply than standard textbooks or multiple-choice worksheets?
  • What challenges did you face when balancing creative storytelling with real-world historical accuracy?

2. Modern Relevance (2002 to Present)

Identify 2–3 major historical events since the end of the media logs (2002 to present) that would have been particularly relevant to your character’s background, career, or family.

  • For example, if your character’s family is in the industrial rust belt of the Midwest, how did the 2008 economic recession affect them? If they work in technology, how did the dot-com bubble burst or the rise of social media shape their life?
  • Explain the cause and consequence of these modern events in relation to your character.

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤

    Your 3–5 minute Reflection Video

💡 A Different Way to Learn

Async Academy courses are inquiry-based. There are no rote answer keys or multiple-choice worksheets here. You learn by exploring, questioning, and building projects you care about.

Because your discovery path is completely unique, you need a human sounding board. Enroll to submit your projects and get personalized video feedback from an Ontario Certified Teacher to guide your work.

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Analyze personal growth and connection to the historical character

  • 🎯

    Evaluate how historical events from 2002 to present relate to your character’s background

Success Criteria

I can:

  • ✅

    Reflect on whether using a fictional character perspective enhanced the ease with which you could relate to and understand historical content

    Expectations Covered: A1, A2
  • ✅

    Analyze 2–3 major historical events since the end of the media logs (2002 to present) that would be relevant to your character

    Expectations Covered: A1, A2

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge / Understanding Demonstrates thorough understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life Demonstrates general understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life Demonstrates some understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life Demonstrates limited understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life
Thinking / Inquiry Critically and perceptively evaluates how writing from a character's perspective affected historical empathy Effectively evaluates how writing from a character's perspective affected historical empathy Evaluates how writing from a character's perspective affected historical empathy with some success Evaluates historical empathy with limited success
Communication Communicates reflections with exceptional clarity, organization, and audio-visual quality Communicates reflections with considerable clarity and organization Communicates reflections with some clarity Communicates reflections with limited clarity
Knowledge / Understanding
Level 4

Demonstrates thorough understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life

Level 3

Demonstrates general understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life

Level 2

Demonstrates some understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life

Level 1

Demonstrates limited understanding of the relationship between historical events and the character's life

Thinking / Inquiry
Level 4

Critically and perceptively evaluates how writing from a character's perspective affected historical empathy

Level 3

Effectively evaluates how writing from a character's perspective affected historical empathy

Level 2

Evaluates how writing from a character's perspective affected historical empathy with some success

Level 1

Evaluates historical empathy with limited success

Communication
Level 4

Communicates reflections with exceptional clarity, organization, and audio-visual quality

Level 3

Communicates reflections with considerable clarity and organization

Level 2

Communicates reflections with some clarity

Level 1

Communicates reflections with limited clarity