Create Your Own Utopia--

In this class,  we will create a utopian, "perfect" society, then a dystopian society. 
Week One:   Background information on utopias-- when and where people attempted to create them-- the elements:  setting, people, government, economy, transportation, recreation, technology.    Students will then design a "perfect" utopian society using these elements. We will then discuss which of the elements could easily turn negative.                 

 Week Two: Background information on dystopian literature and films. We will watch some trailers,  talk about the dystopian books and short stories students might have already read. We will discuss the elements common in dystopian fiction.  Then, I will introduce a new element to the utopias they created, and together, we will see how that utopia might turn into a dystopia. They will use the same template for setting, people, government, economy, transportation, recreation and technology. 
Students can work independently, with a partner, or in a small group ( depending on how many students enroll).

Week Three:  we will read a dystopian short story, "The New Utopia"
Weeks Four and Five: we will  work on an original story. Students can work independently or with a partner

Week 6: In our last session, we will evaluate how closely their dystopian society incorporates the elements we have talked about. We will talk about  what connections we can make to our current society.  We will share the original stories