Utopias Great and Small A cross curricular (and cross kingdom) unit Utopias Great and Small A cross curricular (and cross kingdom) unit

For humans, a utopia is a conception of an ideal society in which the social, political, and economic evils afflicting humankind have been eradicated and the state functions for the good and happiness of all. What is a Utopia?

For bacteria, a utopia is unlimited space, energy sources and water; and the absence of predators and antibacterial agents. What is a Utopia?

How may we apply lessons from the ancient world to our modern lives? What does it mean to be "civilized?" What are the qualities of a good leader/ruler? Utopia: Essential questions

What are the responsibilities of a good citizen? What are the consequences of challenging authorities? What do the rules of a society tell us about its values? Utopia: Essential questions

What are one's responsibilities as a stranger in a new land? What are the effects of ruling through love versus ruling through fear?

Utopia: Essential questions Are people naturally good, or are laws necessary in order to make them good?

Utopia: Essential questions What is the population growth potential for asexually reproducing organisms under ideal conditions? How many hours will it take for a bacterial colony to number one million? Two million?

Utopia: Essential questions What did one bacterium say to another bacterium? Jeez, I hate to eat and split.

Students read, evaluate and interpret Gonzalos Commonwealth Speech from Shakespeares The Tempest, focusing on its historical context within Elizabethan imperialism. Utopia: Defined through Literature

Ultimately students will construct their own utopias from the perspective of a literary character of their choosing, including such elements as national anthems, mottos, flags and eulogies for heroes. Constructing literary utopias Gonzalos Utopia: Voces multae, unum carmen (Many voices, one song)

Gonzalos Utopia motto: Voces multae, unum carmen (Many voices, one song)

For the Utopia unit, students learn how to create presentations using digital media such as PowerPoint and Windows Movie Maker. Using technology to present literary utopias

Students evaluate different forms of governance through comparing and contrasting ideal societies conceived by Plato and Confucius, as well as those actually attempted by a variety of ancient civilizations. Utopia: Defined through Social Studies

CONFUCIUS Family=ideal beginning of utopian state 5 Relationships (Superior/Inferior roles, bound with love) -Father & Son -Older Brother & Younger Brother -Husband & Wife -Teacher & Student -Ruler & Subject Let the ruler be the ruler, the subject be a subject, the father be a father, and the son be a son. Plato/Confucius conceptions of Utopia PLATO Philosopher-kings: Enlightened/Makes everything around them better (eg. JFK, Tanzanian President Julius Nyeri) Lifts people to reach their potential through cultural diffusion and exchange Bedrock occupations: farmers, soldiers & philosopher-kings Ideal state: Sparta Equality between genders

Through hands-on activities and field work, students explore how the American forefathers appealed to a utopian ideal of a Golden Past to establish legitimacy for democracy. Utopia: Defined through Classical Studies

Architecture: Ancient temples v. Contemporary designs, i.e., Parthenon, Colosseum, White House, Bulfinch buildings, State House Identifying Classical motifs of the ideal

Identifying Classical motifs of the ideal

Identifying Classical motifs of the ideal

Heroes: Ancient heroes v. Contemporary heroes, i.e., Hercules, Cincinnatus, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. Identifying Classical motifs of the ideal

Students culture bacteria under ideal conditions to simulate a Utopian environment. They will calculate and graph the exponential population growth that results. Utopia: Defined through Science and Math

Culturing the ideal environment for bacteria

Students use their reading of the Indian folktale One Grain of Rice to deepen their conceptual understanding of exponential growth. Defining exponential growth

Calculating and graphing the exponential population growth of bacteria

Students also read… Pericles Funeral Oration Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream speech Lois Lowrys The Giver John Lennons Imagine Excerpts from the Old Testament and Sir Thomas Mores Utopia A selection of Utopian thematic readings