Introduction
Welcome class!
We recently finished reading Louis Lowry's "The Giver". This book has been very popular amoung young adults for one big reason: dystopian! Dystopian, as we discussed in class, is a society that in some way is scary or undesirable. The interesting part about most young adult dystopian books is that the creators of the society or the people in charge, see their society as utopian. Utopian is a place where everything is perfect or ideal. That does present a problem doesnt it? How can a place be a dystopia to some and an utopia to others?
Task
Many of the problems and fighting in the world result from differing viewpoints. We all have a different set of values. We all have a different set of ideas on how things should be. This results in various groups and organizations, or even countries, working towards different goals.
Consider this quote from John Lennon's song Imagine
"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace..."
Picture this.......
A few atomic bombs, during a war that lasted for over two decades, have destroyed most of the world. What is left, is in ruins.You and, luckily, your friends have survived. You are amoung a group of 100 people that have ended up on some part of the United States, or what was once was the United States. The government, laws, and order are no longer in place. You and your friends know that this is the "new world" and you have to find a way to survive. You are lucky in that this was a place of refuge. There are supplies to build, non-perishable food items, and an old triage center with medical supplies.
Your Task: Look into what causes conflict in the world today. What are some ways people have tried to solve them? What types of utopia's have failed? Create a society for you and the 100 people you are with in order for you to be able to not only surive but thrive. Create your own utopia. Beware though, you dont want it to turn into a distopia!
Process
Step 1: What are the problems?
As a group, brainstorm the problems that exist in the world today. These will possibly be potential problems that might arise in your new society. To help you come up with ideas you may do the following:
1. Research The Giver, Divergent, House of the Scorpion, and any other dystopian book that you have read. Note these are all books we read so do not look at books you havent read yet!
2. Go to any of the following:
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-biggest-problems-in-the-world-acc…
http://www.ted.com/playlists/12/freedom_rising
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Bq-h2JCSE
3. Think a lot about the problems YOU face- what affects you is just as important as what is affecting other people.
Complete the brainstorm worksheet attached. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zSquagoGKSZVno7AaRXGqVjJxfmChh9r8Kfe8B8Vj_Y/edit?usp=sharing
Step 2: What is a Utopian Society?
We have read alot about what a failed utopian society is and have come up with a simple defintion. However, in order for you to create your own society you really need to know what a utopian society is. Using the internet for research, except for Wikipedia, determine a group definition. You must have all the components listed in the attached document in your definition.
Here are some utopian societies, but you may also google more!
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amana/utopia.htm
http://www.acorncommunity.org/
http://www.thefarm.org/index.html
http://www.twinoakscommunity.org/
http://www.utopianstates.com/US1/index.html
Link to the worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uq3qi48jNBBVZ6PZzj7Jnevg4j9oO8NT64rg-cyL-fk/edit?usp=sharing
Step 3: Roles in the Society
So now that you have looked into what other societies have done and what possible issues may arise, it is now time to create your own society. In the last step you looked and the pros and cons of a few established utopias. Now, based on the role you pick, you will go back to these sites and research your role- get ideas for your own society! You may also grab copies of the books in the back or look them up online for additional help.
Roles
1. Leader: You need to figure out the government. You want to make sure that everyone gets along in your new society and that they have a set of rules and laws to follow. You will also want to think about who will be apart of the government and how it will create laws. Hint: Look up various types of government on the internet!
2. Developer: You are responsible for mapping out the community. You will figure out where things and people will go/live, where resources will be found ( i.e food and water) and in general how the society will "look"
3. Planner: Our current society is based on knowledge, we all go to school and learn. Is this going to be possible in your new society? If it is you are responsible for figuring out how it will work- what we will learn. What will you do to provide your member with medicine?
4. Accoutant: We now use money and have a system of poor, middle and rich based on those funds. This might not be how your new world works- espeically if money was one of your problems! Figure out how people will "buy" things and what they will use. How will it be accounted for? I.e banks, barter system.
5. Recreation: Figure out what jobs need to exist in order for the society to run smoothly. Determine how people will pick or be choosen for these jobs. What will people do in the time they are not working?
This step is mostly about THINKING and PLANNING- take notes and turn them in but there is no formal worksheet.
Step 4: Presentation Preperation
Using the online resources you have found, you need to create the following:
1. Map of the community- show us where things will be located
2. Decription of the government- who is in charge, who makes the laws, what is the role of those not in charge etc. Use a chart to show the roles of each government member and then write up how it all works.
3. Create a mission statement for your society- what is your purpose
4. Create a visual to depict the education system and the health care system. For example, we need to know who goes to school, how long, etc. and we need to know where to go when we are sick and have serious inguries.
5. Draw a picture of what we will live in- be creative! You can create a 3D model if you would like.
6. Use a chart or diagram to explain the money or barter system
7. Describe the jobs and recreation options
You will use these to create a presentation to your class. We will all vote on which society we would like to live in!
Evaluation
Please answer the following using a blank document in your Google Drive- please share it with me.
1. What was the most interesting part of this webquest?
2. What did you find most challenging about this webquest?
3. Knowing your own areas of strength and weakness, do you feel you put 100% into this assignment? If not, what were your reservations?
4. What improvements do you recommend for the next class to do this assignment?
5. After completing the assignment, what flaws and strengths did you find in the society you created?
Your grade will be determined by the group grade for all elements turned in ( 0 points if missing, 1 point if answered by not well thought-out, and 2 points for an excellent response) combined with your individual parts based on the "role" you choose which will follow the same point system.
Conclusion
Congratulations!
You created your own society! You and your friends survived because you put your heads together and worked as a team. Often times the issues that we have in society come back to fears and our reactions to them and not being able to work together for a common goal. But you did acheive that!