Yesterday handed me one of those small, bright wins that make this project feel a bit like a treasure hunt. You stare at old records long enough, and when a real person suddenly steps out of the fog—well, that’s a good day.

Still riding the high from the proof-of-concept test last week. The teacher told me that during the parent–teacher interviews the following week, six parents mentioned that their kids came home buzzing about Thomas and everything they’d uncovered. That alone made my week.

I couldn’t have asked for a better class to test the first proof of concept. They were hooked the moment I pulled out the medal. As soon as I told them it had belonged to an actual veteran, and someone who had probably worn it on his chest at one point, the whole room shifted.

Everything's set for tomorrow. The print quality still isn't where I want it; more research and tinkering are needed before they look the way I want - the goal being "real" fake documents. But all of that is fine for now...

I'm getting close to presentation day, and the clock is starting to stare me down. Forty-five minutes isn't a lot of time to walk a room of students through the life of a real First World War soldier, but I've finally landed on an approach that feels right.

For the past few days, I've been bouncing between Ancestry.com , Newspapers.com , and the Archives of Canada, trying to assemble a clearer picture of Thomas McMeekin. It feels like running three detective boards at once, but the pieces are starting to line up. “Winnipeggers in Casualties” (listing T. D. McMeekin as wounded).   The Winnipeg Tribune , 21 Oct. 1918, p. 3. Newspapers.com , www.newspapers.com His War Years I can see when he's wounded by gas, and later when a bull

My starting point is the Personnel Records of the First World War Soldiers on the Library and Archives Canada website. It's one of the best resources we have for following the actual paper trail left by the soldiers who fought in the Great War.

I want to create an experience that connects a student with the past. Time blurs connections, and physical connections are lost. I believe the right object can still make a connection.

If you've ever held a First World War Victory Medal, you know it's a sturdy little artifact. Bronze disc. Winged figure on the front. A rainbow ribbon that looks like someone in 1919 finally snapped and said, "You know what? We're using all the colours."