Monday, February 11, 2013

Post #5 Government

POST #5: Your fifth post should describe your government. Who rules? Are there branches of government? How is the leader chosen? or is he/she chosen? Review the Bill of Rights. Create your own set of laws for your utopia. Provide a plan for consequences for anyone breaking the laws. Do you have a court system? How is it decided if you are guilty of breaking a law? Do you have police? How is order maintained? Do you have prisons? Do you have government "helps" for medical or disability issues?



Listen to John F. Kennedy’s speech at:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset+Tree/Asset+Viewers/Audio+Video+Asset+Viewer.htm?guid

={6D480D13-B87F-4E69-9FC0-638F0D053FD3}&type=Audio

Compare and contrast your government plans with those prescribed by Kennedy for America in his speech.

Post #4 Community

POST #4 - Discuss all facets of GROUPING such as family, religion, race, culture, language, and wealth. Sometimes, we choose to become members of a certain group; sometimes the group divisions seem to be made for us. Try to think of all the ways people (in our world) become divided into groups and address those issues. Think back on the "family plan" from The Giver- how will your plan compare? Think about how we see differences in real life based on just the one factor of wealth- homes, cars, other material possessions or privileges such as educational opportunities or traveling? Combine those differences with all the other factors that create grouping. This post should read more as a philosophy than a step-by-step action plan like the genetic engineering in The Giver. Your utopian philosophy should address what makes your island a COMMUNITY- "a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially while living together in your island space." Based on this definition, living in a common location alone does NOT create a community. As the utopian island community planner, you must address this issue by adding a philosophy for sharing a common interest and forming relationships.


This post will have 3 different parts. Please label each as you post.

A. Create and post the philosophy for your utopian COMMUNITY.
B. Research a career as a community planner. Post a 5-8 part job description and share link(s) where your information was found. (President Obama was a community planner in Chicago.)

C. Write a reflection based on the following poem written by John Donne.


No Man Is An Island

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent.
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Post #3 Street Art Utopia


Post #3  LOOK at these examples of what has been coined as " Street Art Utopia."  Do further research today on this topic.  What is considered a part of this?  Can you find or create a definition for such?  For post #3, I want you to look at several examples online of such art and then choose one to represent your own island utopia.  Write a rationalization for why that particular piece of art is representative of "utopia" on your island.

Post #2 Individuality

POST #2- Does your society encourage or discourage individuality? Remember your issues with school uniforms- how do your members dress? What about "style"? Are there other expressions of "me"? Think about choices- what choices does the society decide for you? What choices are left to the individual? Remember to consider what you have learned in history concerning freedom in choice that led to extreme changes in our society. Consider the implications of choice within your utopia that might affect other members in a negative manner. Are you aligning your community to The Community in The Giver? Would you really LIKE to live in this way? Can you feel free to be yourself? Do you really want to be yourself? Think deeply.

  Does this represent your island?

Monday, February 4, 2013

Post #1 Daily Life and Economy

POST #1-  First, define what your utopia is about!  What does utopia mean to you? How do your residents spend their days?  What about jobs and school?  Do you use money?  Do you get paid different amounts for different jobs? (perhaps based on danger of your job??)  What happens if you do not go to work? or school?  How can this be set-up to be WORRY-FREE?  How does age relate to daily living?  Do you ever retire to enjoy life?  What do you consider free-time?  What are you doing during this time?  Is there television?  is it local only or can you view the rest of the world?  How are meals prepared?  individually?  in groups?  Is food grown or bought from grocery store?  Are all of your residents treated equally in all areas of their daily lives?  What happens if someone gets sick?  Do they pay the doctor?  Again, think about all of the literature that we have studied about utopia- remember how their daily lives operated.  Do you see some of the same plans for yours?

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Utopian Island Community


A simple plan to make a dream come true:
who = humans
what = best life
where = island
why = self destiny
when = now
how = knowledge
  
Here are some examples of Utopian societies:

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Introduction

After several months of studying utopian literature, it is time to design your own utopian island community, publishing your explanation of the ideal world on a blog. Through the process, you will establish the habits and practices and will organize the social structures that citizens will follow in your utopian communities.

Unit Objectives:
  • Write a series of texts that communicate effectively with your audience
  • Complete and use research to support the content of the designed utopia
  • Work collaboratively to design the utopian communities