Utopias Great and SmallUtopias Great and SmallA cross curricular (and cross

kingdom) unit

Utopias Great and SmallUtopias Great and SmallA 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 applylessons from theancient world toour modern lives?• What does it meanto be "civilized?"• What are thequalities of a goodleader/ruler?

Utopia: Essential questions

• What are theresponsibilities of agood citizen?• What are theconsequences ofchallengingauthorities?• What do the rulesof a society tell usabout its values?

Utopia: Essential questions

Utopia: Essential questions

• What are one'sresponsibilities as astranger in a newland?• What are theeffects of rulingthrough loveversus rulingthrough fear?

Utopia: Essential questions

• Are peoplenaturally “good,”or are lawsnecessary in orderto 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 Gonzalo’s “Commonwealth Speech” from Shakespeare’s 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

Gonzalo’s Utopia:“Voces multae, unum carmen”

(“Many voices, one song”)

Gonzalo’s 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 Lowry’s The Giver•John Lennon’s “Imagine”•Excerpts from the Old Testament and Sir Thomas More’s Utopia

A selection of Utopian thematic readings