U-Know Utopia
The Giver
WebQuest and Pre-Reading Project
---The Task---
Utopian societies are based on the belief that there can be social and political perfection within a community. For this novel, we will be looking hard at this concept. First, it is important that everyone understand what Utopia means. You will research this term in a team of five people. Once your team understands the basic aspects of a utopia, you will be responsible for creating a new community. You will be required to visualize a utopian lifestyle in which your communities will thrive. Each teammate will choose a specific aspect to research and you must work together in order to create a new utopian community that will combine all these aspects.
For the assignment, it is important to remember that the roles assigned to you may be unnecessary in a utopian community, but in order to develop the community some organization is required. The roles will be as follows: leader, developer, planner, accountant, and recreation director.
---The Group---
The Leader
As the leader, you will decide on a name and where the community will be located. It is up to you how you finalize this information. You may let the group vote or you can use your power as leader to determine these aspects. Your members will come to you to ask for approval of their decisions. It is important that you share this information with your group so that they will have the information they need to do their own research. As leader, you will decide the form of government your community will use. Remember that this is a utopian community, and anarchy is most likely not an option. Use the sites of other communities to find what you think will work best.
The leader will be responsible for making sure that the group is ready for their presentation. They need to help compile ALL presentation materials so that the group can share with the class.
The Developer
As the developer, you will work with the planner to decide what types of buildings will be necessary for the survival of your community. You will be entirely responsible for mapping out the community, making sure to include natural resources found on your land like lakes and farmland. Be sure to discuss decisions with your leader and ask for input because they will have chosen the land and should know about its size and resources. The accountant will need to know how much land you devote to farming so they can take that into account when determining income.
The Planner
As the planner, it is essential that you work closely with both the developer and the accountant. You will be responsible for deciding on issues such as education, medicine, religion, and housing. The developer will need to design and leave space for schools, hospitals and churches. The developer will also need to know if s/he should build houses or communal living spaces. The accountant will have to help you decide if you will be able to afford all the things you want to include. You will also have to help the accountant decide on how to have an income. You may have to plan to have your community hold outside jobs in order to support themselves financially. Always remember to discuss your decisions with your leader.
The Accountant
As the accountant, you will have to decide how your community will make its living. You can use other utopian communities for ideas and inspiration. Remember to consult your leader when making decisions. You will also have to decide if the monetary resources will be communal or how much people will contribute and how often. You and the planner will also have to determine if your community will house such necessities as doctors, your own medicines, how much of your food will be grown there, and how much will be purchased elsewhere.
Recreation Director
As the recreation director, you get to decide on the fun stuff! Using your groups' choices for your community you will decide what your members will do for fun. Research what other communities do and try to come up with some unique activities on your own. If you find that you need space on the property do not forget to consult with the developer. Also, you will need to keep in mind some of the choices the planner made. There are numerous religious activities to chose from, but if s/he decides not to have a religion in your community, you have to respect that. Don't forget to talk to your leader to get his/her input!
---The Presentation---
All groups will present their communities to the class. It is up to each group to decide how they choose to present, whether it be keynote, powerpoint, iMovie, etc. You are also required to "dress the part." You need to decide what your community would look like from a clothing perspective.
---Learning Advice---
Remember to work together as you create your individual aspects of the community. If your planner decides to have an education program on the property and the developer did not design a schoolhouse, then it will be obvious that you did not consult each other. If the leader makes a decision you are unhappy with, you must respect his/her authority. You could always try to reach a compromise if you feel that strongly about something. It is your choice whether to include children in your community, but remember that your task is to create an environment in which your community members will thrive. Not taking children into account is a sign of losing track of your goals.
---DAILY PROGROSS BLOGGING---
At the end of each day, whether you complete it at school or at home, every student must respond to the questions on the daily blog. You may access this blog with the link below. Remember to put your group name and duty at the end of each post that you complete.
---Assessment---
Your group will receive a group grade and each person will receive an individual participation grade. The group grade will be based on the rubric provided.
The idea for this webquest comes from a web page entitled "A WebQuest - Ms. Finn's Classes."
http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ss2002/finn/web1.htm
|
|
