Introduction
As part of our literature curriculum, we will be covering Utopian societies depicted in novels, short stories, and film. The above painting is a picture of what painter, Robert Owen, considered to be a utopia. Utopian societies are meant to be perfect societies where everyone is happy. However, as we will soon read and view, Utopias are not all that they seem.
Task
Your task is to research and evaluate the difference between a utopian society and a dystopian society. You will also research American utopias. While these utopias may not exist anymore, their beliefs and systems may have had an effect on American society.
Process
Read https://kami.app/l3iBLTraP9NU Origins of Utopian Idea by Rustin Quade
Directions: Highlight any terms that you are unfamiliar with while you were reading.
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What words come to your mind when you think of the word utopia?
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Why do you think Eden is a utopian society? What happened to Eden? Did it stay utopian?
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What do you think Plato meant by communal living?
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Analyze the definition of utopia. What is ironic about a utopian society based on the term’s definition?
Do you think the article does a good job providing context clues? Why or why not?
Watch the following Video Clip: https://youtu.be/peSpUDMcGR8Utopia-The Perfect World.
Directions: Answer the following questions
1. How were the articles similar? Does the author seem to support utopian and dystopian societies? What sets these two societies apart?
2. What were some of the terms that were unfamiliar to you while you were reading? Does the author supply enough context clues so it would help you understand them easier?
3. Describe how a utopian society could eventually fall apart?
4. Describe how a dystopian society may seem perfect to the people in its community.
Read https://www.ushistory.org/us/26b.asp Experiments with Utopia
Directions: Answer all questions with complete sentences. Give evidence from the Website to support your answers.
1. When were the utopian colonies established? What was their common bond in a vision of communal living?
2. Why do the utopian societies seem to always belong to a religious organization? Give evidence from the article.
3. Who are the Shakers? What evidence shows that they lived in a utopian society?
4. What was the Harmony Society? How were they similar to the Shakers?
5. Describe the end of the 19th Century utopian colonies. What were the causes of the demise?
Evaluation
WebQuests are evaluated based on the use of complete answers with evidence.
Conclusion
Now that you have done your research, evaluate your information. In a one page reflective essay argue whether a utopian society can truly exist. Consider and include details from your research that will explain your answer. Compare the utopian societies you have researched to America's society today. If you think a utopian society can exist, what conditions must it be under? Lastly, would you create a utopia if given the chance? What might your fundamental belief be in the utopia?