Lisa Johnson Lincoln County Middle School Language Arts

Watch The Video Utopia / Dystopia Quick write your first thoughts. Discuss.

Making a Claim In this unit we will make a claim on whether or not society would benefit from a utopian society. We will back our claim up with valid reasoning and relevant evidence. Claim: An argument that people can either agree or disagree with.

What is your response to this statement? “Just as a day is a balance of dark and light, so is life.” Write. Discuss.

What might our initial working claims look like? Because of the struggles that humans face, a utopian society would be better. Even though humans face struggles that can be very tragic, a utopian society would not be better.

Watch the video and complete It Says/I Say chart In your notebook, create a t-chart. On the left side write “It Says” and on the right side write “I Say.” Utopia - The Perfect World As you watch the video, record what it says about utopian societies on the “It Says” column of your chart. Discuss.

“I Say!” Now take some time to record your thoughts about the video in the “I Say” column. Discuss.

Using the information you acquired watching the video, write a paragraph explaining your thoughts and feelings about the possibility of living in a utopian society. Use sentence starters like the ones below. Be sure to go beyond just reporting what was said. COMMENT about each fact or idea that you mention. “The video [insert the title] explains …” “ According to …” “Supporting my example, …” “Just as the commentator in the video explains…….” “Although the video says …” “While the video explains …”

Sample Student Response According to the video, “Utopia, A Perfect World,” humans crave a society free from depression, war and hunger. I wonder if that would even be possible, considering how selfish and unkind we are as a human race. Could we ever overcome our self-centered human traits in order to create such a society?

Peer Review Review your partner’s new paragraph(s). Did he/she use sentence starters that show where the evidence came from? Did he/she make a comment about the evidence? “The video explains……..” “ Although the video says…….” As the video states……..” “According to……….” 1. Underline the starters you find. 2. Make a * anywhere you see an opportunity for your partner to add one of these phrases. 3. Circle the comments your partner wrote about the evidence (the facts). 4. Draw an arrow to show where your partner COULD make comments about the facts. 5. Switch papers and talk about your suggestions.

Research Read the Article Experiments with Utopia available at Looking at the title, what do you think the main idea of the article will be? Discuss. First reading: Highlight important terms and definitions. ( This will help you later when we quote the text.)

Second Reading Divide into groups: RE-READ Experiments with Utopia by For the first reading you highlighted important terms and definitions: For the second reading: On Sticky notes, capture the most important information that stands out to you as a group.

Add To Your Writing Using the evidence from the article Experiments with Utopia, add to the writing that you have already done. Has the article changed your opinion in any way? What evidence might you add from the article that can back up your working claim? Re-read what you have written so far. Then write what you are now thinking. These questions may help: Is a utopian society a good idea? Would it help us solve our many social issues? Is it even important to worry about solving these problems? Explain your thinking.

What’s your answer to the problem? What should we do HERE? NOW? Bring it home. Let’s brainstorm claims about this issue. Good claims Show the writer’s position on the issue We should or we should not … It would be better to …. Try to narrow the topic. You could focus on human suffering, depression or universal health care, for example.

Possible Claims The world would be a better place if we lived in utopian societies. Universal health care would solve the problem of our government having to pay for the uninsured. A utopian society would end the violence that has overtaken our world. A utopian society would restrict human feelings and make it impossible for us to have fulfilling lives.

Brainstorm and “Vet” Our Claims Let’s create a class list of claims! Does the writer take a position on the issue, pro or con? Does the writer narrow the topic? How? Can we see what direction the writer plans to go? How? Is the claim debatable, defensible, and compelling? In other words, is there evidence that could be used to support it AND would readers care about this angle on te topic? Choose one that interests you.

Here’s What I am Thinking Write your claim at the end of your notebook entry and then write a paragraph or more explaining what needs to happen.

More Research Read the article From Utopia to Dystopia: Technology, Society and What We Can Do About It, by Alijandro Garcia De L Garza. Using the “Connecting Evidence to a Claim: Argument Planner,” write down any information about the article that stands out to you. This evidence can be used as you continue to build your claim.

Completing a Draft from Your Notebook Entries Using a Kernel Essay Structure (Bernabei) Overview of the problem (Would society benefit from a utopian society?) Some people think…….(the opposition) But here’s what I’m thinking…….(your claim and evidence) In the end, I say……….(conclusion—what you want your audience to do or believe) Each of these sections will have 1 or more paragraphs.

The “Big” Section of Your Essay is this one: But Here’s What I’m Thinking… That’s where you will cite evidence and explain how it supports your claim. Review the chart, notes, and article for any support that will help you convince your readers. Select the most compelling and relevant pieces of evidence and try to apply them to your claim. Use a starter to introduce each piece of evidence (fact). Explain how and why it helps you prove your claim.

Completing the Draft: Write a conclusion (IN THE END, I SAY) Leave us with something to think about. You might ask a rhetorical question or leave us with a thought- provoking quote. Make clear what you want us to do or believe about utopian societies.

Revision: Kicking out the scaffolding Overview of the problem Some people think……. But here’s what I’m thinking… In the end, I say… Change these words to ones of your own! They were just here to help you organize. Consider removing the “I” and just SAY it!