Coat of Arms

This activity will help students explore the different values and images that represent who they
are as human beings. Complete each section by following the instructions below.

WHAT IS A COAT OF ARMS?

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica a coat of arms is the principal part of a system of
hereditary symbols dating back to early medieval Europe, used primarily to establish identity in
battle. Arms evolved to denote family descent, adoption, alliance, property ownership, and,
eventually, profession.

ASSIGNMENT:
Create a personal Coat of Arms based on your leadership qualities. On each section of the Coat
of Arms you are to design an image that represents who you are. You can cut pictures from a
magazine, draw with your own hands or find images on the web. You do not have to use the
template provided on the next page if you don’t choose to but it must have all the elements
from the list below.

DESCRIPTIONS:
Box #1: Find two symbols that represent the type of person you are. Are you hard working? Are
you caring?

Box #2: Find an animal that is close to your temperament? Are you a bulldog and face the world head
on? Are you a cat and are very particular who you hang around with?

Box #3: Find an image that represents your core values. What is important to you? What are your
personal beliefs?

Box #4: Find an image that represents your interests and hobbies. What you like doing in your spare
time, what you are naturally good at.

Box #5: Find an image that represents your dreams, your career focus. Your hopes and aspirations,
your long-term goals. Are you naturally drawn to a specific career? Some careers that interest you.

Box #6: Your personal motto - a word or short sentence that describes your life philosophy. What
would be your theme if you were a leader of a group of people?

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Coat of Arms

EXPLANATION QUESTIONS: After you finish your design, write a brief description about why you
chose the images for each box.

BOX #1:

The first image in this box was picked because it showcased how introverted I am in terms of how
much I value my alone time. The image incorporated a girl in a bottle, full to the brim of what she
loves to do. Although I enjoy socializing with others, I prefer working in a quiet environment and
improving my hobbies when recharging my “social battery”. This image seemed to capture my
introverted personality perfectly. The second image was also chosen because it demonstrated how I
tend to drift to my creative side when performing tasks. This image included the use of vibrant
colours to shape a violin and flowers which surrounded it. When most people hear the word
"creative," they immediately think of art, specifically drawing/painting. However, I believe that being
creative does not have to be limited to being artistic through art because you can express yourself
through a variety of mediums such as language (poems), dancing, singing, baking, and even playing
instruments.

BOX #2:

I chose a snow owl for this box because I thought it matched my personality. It was also chosen
because I felt a snowy owl embodied my curiosity, understanding, and knowledge. Snowy owls are
known for being nocturnal, solitary, territorial, and not particularly affectionate. They are recognized,
however, for being quite intelligent when in their environments because they can evolve their senses
and physical attributes to adapt to their lifestyles. I also chose this creature because I thought it
represented my "Night Owl" self, which means I get the most energy at night, as well as how curious
and knowledgeable they are, concerning their hunting methods.

BOX #3:

For this section, I chose an image that represented what was most important to me, which was my
family, friends, and myself. The image incorporated an individual surrounded by others on their

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Coat of Arms
birthday. My family and friends are very important to me because they have been with me through
my ups and downs and have continued to encourage and support me throughout this journey we call
life. They were the people who influenced and shaped me into the person I am today. Furthermore, I
regard myself as an important aspect of my life, not only for never giving up and always giving my
best effort even in difficult situations but also for never allowing the dismissive opinions of others, as
well as my doubts, to affect me. As a result, I continue to believe that how you treat yourself will
affect the way you treat others no matter how you try to pretend. This means that if you can love and
care for yourself, you will be able to do the same for others, and vice versa. This statement is true
because the only people who truly know us are ourselves, and the way we care for ourselves is the
same way we care for others.

BOX #4:

Regarding this box, I chose this image because it reflected my hobbies and interests, which include
drawing, listening to music, reading, and writing. In the illustration, there was a person, I assume a
female, who appeared to be sleeping while surrounded by her electronics and books. I have many
interests, but I chose these four because they are the ones I spend the majority of my free time doing.
I enjoy doing these activities because they allow me to be creative without limits, which means that
there are endless ways to express myself while taking part in these activities. Skateboarding, dancing,
singing, and baking are just a few of the other hobbies I enjoy. Although I don't participate in these
hobbies as frequently as the others, I still get a lot of enjoyment out of them, which is, in my opinion,
the main reason why we do them.

BOX #5:

In terms of my dreams and career goals, I chose this image because it represented my dream
occupation of being a Graphic Designer, as well as an occupation that I am interested in (Naval
Architect). A Naval Architect is someone who designs and builds ships, dredges, submarines, buoys,
and other structures. A Graphic Designer, on the other hand, is known for creating concepts by hand
or using specialized graphic design software. These careers pique my interest because they are also
related to my hobbies, as I enjoy drawing and learning new things. Choosing an occupation of interest
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Coat of Arms
to me means choosing something that requires me to do new things daily, such as meeting new
people and discovering new skills. This is because I detest doing the same thing over and over. As a
result, I begin to lose interest, and I would hate for this to happen in something I would have to do in
the long run of my life.

BOX #6:

If I were a leader of a group of individuals, the theme would need to be simple yet meaningful. So, I
chose “Expect nothing, but appreciate everything”, this is because this statement emphasized the
most important thing in life whilst using little to no words. The idea of showing gratitude whether it’d
be towards yourself, others or the little acts in life and expecting nothing in return is something that
we should all have in us. This is because it helps in pushing away all negative thoughts and increases
our chances of finding the good things in life. In the process, we are also able to attract good
responses and individuals who will help in supporting during in various areas of our lives.

COAT OF ARMS RUBRIC:

5 4 3 2 1

Box 1: Type of You clearly state the type of
person you are. It is clear that
Person you have thought about who
you. The image is a great
representation of you.
/5
It is apparent that you have
thought about the type of
person you are; however, it is
somewhat unclear as to the
relevance of the image used.
Type of person was
attempted; however, they
were not well thought out
and it is difficult to how the
image connected

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Coat of Arms
Box 2: Animal You clearly illustrate an animal It is apparent that you have The animal illustrated is not
and how it is important to thought about your animal connected to you at all.
you. and what is important, but it is
somewhat unclear as to how
/5 this is connected to you.

Box 3: Values There are very clearly stated There are somewhat clearly The values stated are not
values. started values values at all

/5

Box 4: Interests and The image chosen is a clear The image chosen is a The image chosen does not
representation of your somewhat clear link you to your interests
Hobbies interests and hobbies representation of your and hobbies
interests and hobbies

/5

Box 5: Dreams – The image chosen is a clear The image chosen is a some The image chosen does not
representation of your dream what clear representation of link or represent your dream
Career Focus job. your dream job. job.

/5

Motto It is clear that the student has
come up with a motto that
represents who they are and
what will help them focus to
/5 achieve their goals.
It is apparent that the student
attempted a motto; however,
it is unclear how this motto
represents who the student is
and what will help them to
focus and achieve their goals.
A random sentence is
written and it is unclear as
to how this sentence
resembles a personal motto.

Overall
Student does not just have images/colour/drawings, but uses words to depict their boxes /5
Student’s coat of arms is neat, organized and visually appealing (not messy) /5

TOTAL /40