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Unit Plan Part II

Unit Title: Searching for Utopia, Finding Dystopia

Plan: #1 of 15

Context: This is the introductory lesson to my unit developed for a 7th grade ELA class focusing on the theme of Utopia vs. Dystopia. In this first lesson, the students will be introduced to the general idea of a perfect society on the surface. The students will be reading be reading a short story which they will respond to orally and with words, as well as be introduced to the class novel.

Specific Learning Objectives

Materials/Technology Resources Needed

Either access to the internet to use the short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (to be shown on the overhead) or access to the Dot Cam, which will require that I have a copy of the short story

o Dot Cam or Computer/Projectoro The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (story available online)

http://harelbarzilai.org/words/omelas.txt o Book Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04e4SEXQU9s The class set of the novel The City of Ember Pencil Paper

Time: 55 minutes

Procedures/Instructional Strategies

Opener (10 minutes)o Quick Write: The students will complete a quick write where they will describe at

least three material things (clothes, jewelry, phone) in their life that they would be willing to sacrifice if they wanted to live in a perfect society. Furthermore, they will describe where it is they draw line. They might describe the “line” as sacrificing a body part or sacrificing a family member. I will model the quick write by describing my own material things and “line”. We will then discuss what some of the students have written (volunteers) to see if we can find some similarities and differences in the things they were or weren’t willing to sacrifice as well as finding out their reasons why.

Short Story (30 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04e4SEXQU9s

http://harelbarzilai.org/words/omelas.txt

o We will be reading The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin aloud as a class via the overhead projector of the dot cam. I will encourage students to volunteer to read out loud or I will read the story myself.

o Afterwards, I will discuss their reactions to the short story. I will ask them if they would have remained in Omelas or if they would have walked away. I will focus the discussion on what might have convinced them to stay.

o After the discussion, I will then split the class evenly into two groups: those who remained and those who walked away. I will ask that the students remember what group they are in since they we will be doing a class debate activity tomorrow.

The City of Ember (5 minutes)o At this point I will hand out the novel that we will be reading as a class, The City

of Ember. I will show a book trailer for the novel via the overhead projector. Every student will get a copy that they will be responsible for taking care of ( I will mark the book number and the condition of the book upon receiving the novel) and returning at the end of this unit.

Closing Activity (5 minutes)o The students will write about the boy who is sacrificed. I want the students to

imagine scenarios where the boy might have willingly allowed himself to be sacrificed and think about his reasons for doing so. The students will be turning this in to me as their exit slip.

Assigning Homework (5 minutes)o The students will do a brief search on Utopia and write a brief description. I will

also ask that they research some civilizations/culture/society (past or present) that they might consider the closest thing to a Utopia and describe why they think that the civilization/culture/society fits the description.

o The students will read from the Instructions to Chapter 2 of The City of Ember

Accommodations/Differentiation/Special Needs

I might need to print out copies of Those Who Walk Away From Omelas for students who are visually impaired or are struggling readers.

Methods of Evaluation

Quick write Classroom discussions Exit Slip

In Retrospect

Appendix of Materials:

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas


City of Ember Book Trailer


Classroom Set of The City of Ember




Plan: #2 of 15

Context: This a part of my larger unit developed for a 7th grade ELA class focusing on the general theme of Utopia vs. Dystopia. In this lesson, students will engage in a class debate regarding the short story of The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula Le Guin. The students will also read The Lottery by Shirley Jackson discuss their reactions to that and the similar situations in The City of Ember. We will also be viewing clips from Wall-E and examining the relationship between the clips and our theme.



Either access to the internet to use the short story The Lottery(to be shown on the overhead) or access to the Dot Cam, which will require that I have a copy of the short story

o Dot Cam or Computer/Projectoro The Lottery Story (story available online)

http://www.americanliterature.com/author/shirley-jackson/short- story/the-lottery

A timer of some sort Wall-E

o Access to the actual film for the clips or utilize clips from Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1BQPV-iCkU

Pencil Paper

Time: 55 minutes (Extremely likely that this might be split into two class periods)


Opener (5 minutes)o I will collect the student’s descriptions of utopias. Then we will discuss as a class

what they found out about Utopia and the civilizations/culture/society that they found that almost fit the description of a Utopia. The focus of the discussion will be directed why the civilizations/culture/society didn’t quite fit the description of Utopia and if a Utopia is even possible.

Debate on Omelas (15 minutes)o At this point, I will ask the students to move to opposite sides of the classroom

based on the groups that I put them in the previous classroom. This will be the beginning of our classroom debate. I will begin the debate by explaining the rules

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1BQPV-iCkU

http://www.americanliterature.com/author/shirley-jackson/short-story/the-lottery


I will give the argument directed to either to Group A (Those Who Remained) and Group B (Those Who Walked Away). Both A and B will be given time to come with a support for the argument or a counter argument. Once a few minutes have passed, the side defending the argument is allowed to speak for set amount of time. Only one person is allowed to speak at a time, so the students will be required to raise their hands. After a set amount of time passes, the group who came up with a counter argument will be allowed to speak. The same rules apply to them (only one speaker at a time). The prompts will be directed at either side, meaning sometimes Group A will have to defend leaving Omelas or Group B will have to defend remaining. This will give both sides a chance to think about the reasons (empathize) why someone on the opposing team would take the position they took.

Argument Prompts In Omelas, everything is perfect so we don’t have to leave In Omelas, everything isn’t perfect so we should not remain What if the child sacrificed was your family member? Why should I care about somebody I have never met? Leaving Omelas is going into the unknown, where you can be

hurt? Remaining in Omelas is dangerous because you have no idea who

will be chosen The Lottery (20 minutes)

o As a class via the dot cam or overhead projector, we will read the short story by Shirley Jackson. I will encourage students to volunteer to read segments of the story (or I may read aloud if necessary)

While reading, the students can mark any words or phrases they do not know so that they can research them at a later date. I will expect everyone to have a few words marked down

o Next, we will enter a classroom discussion where the students will describe to me their reactions to the story. Then I will focus the instruction towards the reasons why these people choose to remain in a town where people are sacrificed. I will ask them to brainstorm some reasons for this with a partner then we will discuss it as class.

o Then, I will guide the discussion towards comparisons between The Lottery and The City of Ember. Using the classroom whiteboard I will create a chart comparing the anticipation and reactions of the characters towards being picked (being picked for the lottery and being picked for a specific duty). Essentially, both characters (Lina and the mother from the Lottery) live in a “pre-determined” society (they have no choice, once they are picked) so why might their reactions

be so different (besides the obvious stoning fear in The Lottery). We will also describe the reactions of the supporting characters.

Clips (5 minutes)o I will show various clips from the film Wall-E. Specifically, I will focus on the

clips of the humans leaving for their space stations, and the development of these humans as they have lived off the convenience of the space station. I will have them to write a quick write where they describe if they would be willing to live in an environment where everything is done for them at the sacrifice of their physical and mental freedom, even if that place might be considered a Utopia. They will also describe to why or why not.

Closure (5 minutes)o This quick write will be there exit slip for the class. If they do not complete it then

they will finish it for homework. Homework (5 minutes)

o The students will research dystopias and write a brief description that will be turned in on the next class. They will also describe any dystopias they might have encountered in any previous literature they have read.

o The students will read chapters 3-4 of The City of Ember


For this particular plan, I might print out a few copies of The Lottery for the benefit of the students who have visual impairments of some kind or have trouble with reading. In fact depending on how the previous lesson went, I might just print out copies for everyone.


The Utopia homework they researched and wrote about The classroom debate The classroom discussions The quick write

In Retrospect


o The Lottery Story (story available online) http://www.americanliterature.com/author/shirley-jackson/short-

story/the-lottery Wall-E

o Access to the actual film for the clips or utilize clips from Youtube




Plan: #3 of 15

Context: This is part of my larger unit developed for a 7th grade ELA class focusing on the theme of the Quest for Perfection (specifically Utopia vs. Dystopia).



Either access to the internet to use the poem Tedious Utopia (to be shown on the overhead) or access to the Dot Cam, which will require that I have a copy of the poem

o Dot Cam or Computer/Projector Poems

o Dystopia http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/dystopia-2/

o Tedious Utopia http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewPoetry.asp?id=159133

The City of Ember novel Pencil Paper

Time: 55 minutes


Opener (5 minutes)o The students will hand in their definitions and then we will discuss the definitions

they found of dystopia as well as any literature that they have read that have dystopian societies in them.

Utopia and Dystopia (15 minutes)o I will then give my students a handout (for students who do like to write things

down) where we will define what dystopia is and review what a utopia is. They can then put this definition into the notes section of their binders so that they have something to reference in the future.

Discussion of The City of Ember (15 minutes) o At this point we will discuss the student reactions to the books so far. Specifically,

I will focus on their reactions to the plot and the characters. Who are their favorite characters so far and why?

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewPoetry.asp?id=159133

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/dystopia-2/

o Students will be given a handout where they will describe how so far the city of Ember fits the description of a Utopia and how it might fit the description of a Dystopia. I will be writing the students descriptions on the board so that everyone can follow along.

Poetry (15)o I will hand out a copy of a poem entitled Dystopia by Josh Gibbons that we will

read as a class. I will then ask that the students rewrite the poem by changing words and phrases in the poem so that the poem might possibly describe a Utopia. I will ask for volunteers to read and I will also volunteer to read my rewrite of Dystopia. In the end the students will turn in their rewrites, I will give them back to the students the following day.

o I will then put on the overhead/dot cam a poem entitled Tedious Utopia by the author known as Chanti. The poem describes a perfect world where no one has any room to grow. We will read the poem as a class. The students will complete a quick write where they compare their rewrite of Dystopia and Tedious Utopia and determine if the utopia in Tedious Utopia is really considered a utopia with reasons as to why or why not?

Closure o The rewrite of the poem, the handout about The City of Ember Utopia/Dystopia,

and the quick write will be the exit slip out of the door. I will give the rewrites of the poem back to the students the next day because I want the students to create Voicethreads at the next class.

Assigning Homework (5 minutes)o Students will read chapters 5-6 of The City of Ember.o I will inform the students there is an upcoming quiz on Day 5 so the students

should be keeping up or caught up on the reading by Friday.


Handing out copies of Tedious Utopia for visually impaired readers or struggling readers


The Dystopian Homework The City of Ember Utopia/Dystopia Classroom Discussion Dystopia Rewrite Classroom Discussion

In Retrospect


HANDOUT 1

Utopia and Dystopia

What is a Utopia?

What is a Dystopia?

In what ways are Utopias and Dystopias related?

Examples of Utopias/Dystopias in the books that you or your classmates have read:

HANDOUT 2

City of Ember: Utopia or Dystopia?

UTOPIA DYSTOPIA

POEMS

Dystopia

Smoke pumping into the sky, A Gothic Skyline filled with blackBlack architecture, Dominating a brooding landscape

Clanking cogs grinding, Making an inhuman screamPeople walking silently, In black uniform lines

No individuality survives, Everyone dressed the same, skin pale to the eyeMorbidly cold to the touch, Mere machines

Blackness permeating everywhere, Flesh providing no warmthI dream of what the world could have been like, Full of color and life, full of creativity and uniqueness

No place to voice my ideas, Dangerous ideas crushed by those in controlPart of one collective mind, Merely a subjugated citizen!

Josh Gibbens

Tedious Utopia

Long ago and farawaywhere all good tales beganin a land of plentynot marred by thinking manNo poverty or sickness,no anger, greed or hateTime was not the masterand folk were never lateUtopian land of dreamsHeavenly place to someTo one man it seemed tedious“A paradise for the dumb.”“Not for those who questionor rise to seize the day,No challenges to stretch their minds”was what he’d like to say.Others seemed contentin the endless glow of sunbut the wise man prayed most earnestlythat it would come undoneHe grew tired of endless dayand longed for the contrast of nightbecause ‘Only after darknesscan they hope to see the light.’He looked upon the peoplegrown complacent, soft and fat“Nothing more and nothing less.What’s a ball without a bat?”There’s no competitionWhen everyone agreesSurrounded by perfectionwhat could they hope to see?A better world is foundin balanced black and whiteGrowth can only happenthrough challenges in life.Hearts and minds grow strongerwhen they bravely bear the loadHow can one developwith only one choice of road?"

CHANTI


Plan: #4 of 15

Context: This is part of my larger unit developed for a 7th grade ELA class focusing on the theme of the Quest for Perfection (specifically Utopia vs. Dystopia). Today I will have the students utilize computers and the tech tool Voicethread to create a Poem in Two Voices



Access to the school computer room or a class set of laptops

Time: 55 minutes (This lesson can very well take up to two class periods)


Opener (5 minutes)o The students will receive their Dystopia rewrites back today. I will pair the

students up and have them share their poems with each other. There may be groups of three in which case, I will have them all share their rewritten poems.

Using Computers (20 minutes)o I will reserve the computer lab for the students for at least two days (the

alternative is I can reserve a class set of laptops for the students to use). The students will be working their partners (or in small groups) so only one student needs a lap top or computer per partnership/small group.

o Voicethread Through instruction by me, I will show the students how to set up a

Voicethread account. All the students in the pairs or groups will set up an account so that they can access Voicethread at a later date. I will also show them how to make their Voicethreads public so that we can view their products at a later date. I will also show them how to upload a picture into Voicethread so that they can have background image/images in their video.

o Uploading it to the Wiki At this point, I will have created a classroom Wiki. I will guide the

students into creating a wiki account then, allowing them to join the classroom wiki. I will show them how to create a link (with the partner’s names or the group members’ names) and how to upload their final product unto their Wiki page.

To demonstrate this I will create a brief Voicethread, then create a Wiki page and upload the video to it.

Poem in Two Voices (25 minutes)o A two voice poem is where there is a dialogue going on in a poem. For this

purpose I want the students to work with their partners. The students will decide who will use the rewrite of Dystopia and who will use the original version. In a three person group the students will decide who will read their rewrite while the other two read the original.

o The pairs/groups will read the poems line by line. One person will read the first line of Dystopia, then another person will read the first line of their rewritten poem, then move on to the second line of Dystopia, then second line of Utopia and so on. In the end, the poem should essentially a dialogue describing one person’s Dystopia and another person’s Utopia. They will use Voicethread to record this.

o My Role Throughout this I will be walking around and making sure that the

students understand what it is they should be doing and answering any technical questions. This activity will more than likely take up the entire class period and part of next class period as well.

Assigning Homework (5 minutes)o Students will read chapters 7-8 of The City of Ember o I will make inform the students to make sure they have been keeping up with the

reading of The City of Ember there will be a quiz up to chapter 8 during the next class period.


I will need to be careful who I pair the students with. I will try to pair students together who have no issue working together. I will also try to pair a student who is more comfortable with technology with another student who may be struggling with technology


Observing students and making sure they stay on task

In Retrospect

Appendix of Materials

No other materials necessary

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