Capstone Project Proposal

Name of student: Maysam Saed

Date: May 17 2021
Teacher: Ms. Lacroix
Capstone strand I have chosen is Project Strand
Proposed title for my project: Disconnected Roots

What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that
you cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

How does growing up in a country different to one’s roots effect the identity of second-
generation immigrants in Canada?

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect
to your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

I chose to investigate this topic because of my own recent experience in contemplating how
growing up in Canada has affected not only my identity but how my outlook was on other
countries including the one my parents grew up in. It got me thinking about what narratives
are being subliminally and overtly pushed by various outlets and medias, and on what I was
going to do to undo and unlearn the harmful habits and thinking I had unknowingly adopted
with the profound consciousness.

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this

area of inquiry?

Much of my inspiration, understanding and education had been by reading the books of many
incredible authors regarding various social issues. Out of the 16 books I’ve read this year, 9,
and currently on my 10th, books about socials issues, a lot having to with race and religion in
particular, but have managed to cover a scope of various subjects a top those two. The book
that lead to my person identity epiphany was Eboo Patel’s “Act’s of Faith,” which helped me
understand and articulate some of my own thoughts, feelings, and experiences in ways I
couldn’t do before. Honorable mentions include Desmond Cole’s “The Skin We’re In,” Ruby
Hamad’s “White Tears/Brown Scars,” and Mariam Khan’s “It’s Not About The Burqa.”

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What
connections does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

My intended career is just barely undecided, but it is between studying medicine or politics. At

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 the end of the day, it is very important to me about entering into a career field where I can
improve the lives of others in a powerful, fulfilling way. This is does not mean I believe careers
beyond medicine, social justice and politics aren’t as “powerful” or “as important,” it’s how I do
the improving that matters to me as well.

Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.

For my project, I will be applying skills from English the Social Studies 12 with the core
competencies:
- Social Responsibility > Valuing diversity, defend human rights, advocate for others,
and acting ethically, identifying and appreciating different perspectives on issues and
use and evaluate strategies to resolve problems and working collaboratively with
others.
- Personal and Cultural Identity > Identifying, elaborating and appreciating my values
and culture, and furthermore understanding that culture is a broad concept that
includes my geographic region, nationality, sex, gender, age, ethnicity, language and
religion.
- Communication > I will have to engage in deep and meaningful inquiry for the
awareness and education purposes and for a wide variety of audiences, reflect on
what I know, learned and share it, overall present my project effectively.
- Critical and Creative Thinking > For my project, I will have to gather relevant
information, analyze and make defensible judgements, draw conclusions and consider
a variety of perspectives. Additionally, I am creating and presenting meaningful ideas
that may provide new perspectives that influence how people think about topics.

Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to
present your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once
completed. You may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT
o Physical portfolio
o Website
o imovie presentation
o YouTube channel

Video/imovie presentation: Documentary-esqe execution

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what
will you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced
at the end of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your

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proposal.

My plan to create a video exploring a sector of immigrant POC identity and how
growing up in a Western country affects one's connection to their parents,
grandparents, great grandparents' countries, or ancestral roots.

I will draw upon my own experience and analyze response of other next-generation
POC students on identity and possibly other social-related questions by using a
survey. Also, I want to give some explanation as to why and where these
disconnections and unique struggles of immigrant POC come from and identify
possible solutions or steps to move forward. 

To execute my topic, I aim to make an organized video featuring me talking into the
camera and some visuals. In an attempt to be more specific, I would say it would be a
documentary-like fashion/product. This video will be a product produced after
exploration, research, and investigation is done, as mentioned above. To put it more
eloquently, analyze Canada's muse of unequivocal multiculturalism vs. a more
significant reality from the voices of POC Canadians who have something else to say.
To go deeper and point at the cracks and holes in Canada's mythology as an
undeniably racially and gender-equal, opportune nation for all in contrast
to "America." And simply, poke at this country's popular angel complex.

Along with interviewing peers, I will try to reach out to some of the authors of the
books and articles that have inspired and motivated me to do this project. Additionally,
perhaps if I have enough time, I'll try and create an essay during or after the
production and editing of my video and submit it to multiple newspaper outlets, big
and small, and see if one would be willing to review and publish it. This part of my
capstone will partially depend on how much time I'll have left since pre-production,
production, and post-production will take a lot of effort and hours. With two weeks less
than other quarters of this year, my main goal is to get a good quality video
completed. At the end of the video, I may include additional topics and the sections I
would have liked to cover or expand on but couldn't fit or get to for future
reference/suggestion.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and

skills you will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to
access/learn all of the resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail
your plans.

Computer/laptop, editing and recording software, camera. Editing skills and camera skills are
also needed. Last quarter I did video production 12 and was the first time being in a video
class, which introduced me to editing and filming skills that I will need to execute this project. I
will ask for permission to use the resources available in the video production department, i.e.
final cut pro (for editing) and cameras, if I want to use something other than my phone.
YouTube will also be a resource for learning more about how to edit and use available editing

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 software. I will also need journalism skills, i.e. research, plan interviews, take notes. These are
skills I've been honing in school, and I will make an effort to make sure I execute and arrange
everything as correctly as possible.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will

you need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you?
What is your plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this
project?

- Reach out to social justice authors, writers and journalists (local, nation and
internationally, but at least nationally) whom I admire and read about currently and
discover during my Capstone via social media and or email. UPDATE: no responses
as of now, so video will be recorded and edited without them.
- Peers responses from survey (names will be ommited/anonymous)
- Filming production advice from peers

Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee
that might affect progress with your Capstone Project?

- None of the writers getting back to me on time or at all (will try to create emails asap
after proposal) (Did happen, but that’s okay)
- Post-production taking too long
- Won’t be able to get everything in a video
- Lots of time scheduling problems
- Software and editting problems

Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about
your project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.

References:

Attach a REFERENCE LIST. Your list should be written using correct APA formatting.
An example is provided on page 21 of your Capstone booklet.

Reference list is attached

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