Week
Focus/Intent
Teaching Content
1.
Introducing Dystopian
Genre
Key definitions for explicit teaching and recall:
Genre, Convention, Dystopia
Conventions
Begin lesson with explicit teaching of the word
genre, judge preexisting understanding. Use follow
up ‘book cover’ task to assess this – ideas in notes.
Aim: To introduce the
Dystopian Genre and the
Conventions is has. To see
how these can be used in a
text.
Dystopia definition written in full in book (or glued,
dependent on class/set) – Have small discussion on
‘What can we imagine could happen to people
who fight back in this sort of world?’
Introduce idea of conventions, rules or patterns
that genres follow.: ‘For example: Action novels will
often have violence, car chases, mysteries, fight
scenes and the hero will grow across the text!
Can we think of common ‘conventions’ for the
following genres in books, films or games.
Romance
Horror
Fantasy’
Talk through common dystopian conventions
(inform students this list is not a full list, but a taste of
common things they will be exploring in their
writing):
 Information, independent thought and
freedom are restricted
 Threat of violence or violence used to keep
citizens in line
 A figurehead of concept is worshipped by the
citizens of the society.
 Citizens are under constant surveillance or at
least think they are being watched
 Citizens have a fear of the outside world
 Citizens conform to uniform expectations.
Individuality and dissent are bad.
 The society is an illusion of a perfect Utopian
(no flaws, ideal) world.
Read extracts from Dystopian novel (Maggot
Moon) have students in pairs pick out conventions
and answer question with evidence: How does
Maggot Moon fit the Dystopian Genre?
Oracy Point: “School is a bit like a dystopia. The
teachers have all the power. Students are
controlled.”
2.
Dystopian Settings
Aim: To understand the
features of Dystopian
settings and how they are
used to show power and
control.
Recap key vocabulary and Dystopian conventions
from last lesson.
Using film clips from ‘The Hunger Games’ and
‘1984’, have students make notes about what they
notice about the settings.
Then discuss how this might be used to control
people. (specifically, fences/walls, desolate or
impoverished neighbourhoods, cameras, use of
24/7 surveillance, soldiers etc)
(Key idea, keeping MOST people poor, trapped
and hungry makes them less likely to rebel or fight
back)
Read the two extracts from THG and 1984, having
students highlight the lines that show this these
settings are unpleasant, frightening,
Have students look for visual imagery, and how this
imagery is being used to create tension, suspense
and show that the environment is hostile and
unpleasant.
Using setting inspiration prompts, students should
write the opening paragraph/ two paragraphs of a
Dystopian setting focusing on features such as:




run down or neglected places
fences/walls/spikes
cameras/spies/people watching
bad weather, rain, sleet
Students should FASTCAR in purple pen for
accuracy at the end.
To reflect at end of lesson, start of next, students
should green pen how this setting reflects the
Dystopian Conventions.
3.
Dystopian
Leaders/Government
/Rhetoric
Aim: To understand that
Dystopian Leaders use
Rhetoric to control their
citizens
Rhetoric - Created by Philosopher
Aristotle – a belief of how to be
persuasive and to convince
others of your opinion and ideas.
Aristotle believed even if people were against your
ideas, if you followed Rhetoric they would believe
part of what you were saying.
Talk through Logos, Ethos, Pathos and how they might be used
when trying to persuade or convince :
Logos: Logic and Reason – facts, statistics, appealing to common
sense in people, trying to sound factual
Pathos: Emotion – pulling on heart strings, making people feel
bad/good about something you are trying to promote, using
emotional/emotive or dramatic language, using strong or
controversial language
Credibility: Using statistics, presenting self as the expert OR using
‘experts’ opinions/facts to support argument, trying to seem like
you are trustworthy and the ‘RIGHT’ side.
Outline what ‘The Thinning’ Dystopian world is (on slide), have
small discussion on whether we think this is fair.
Watch speech, providing speech transcript to help students follow
along and reflect with questions afterwards:
1. Did you think he was convincing?
2. Were there any parts of his argument you agreed with?
3. What made his speech convincing and persuasive?
(Philosopher thinking point).
Have students examine speech for examples of convincing
language and language that uses the three points of Rhetoric
explained above.
Introduce prompt: You are going to write a speech for your
followers to convince them to follow your new law:
“Oxygen must now be bought from the government.”
Those who cannot afford to pay will die.
You could use:
• Emotion – convince them WHY they should care
• Logic – Use logic and reason to make this decision seem
fair/logical
• Threats/ Reminders of Punishment
• Charm – Remind them how much you appreciate their
sacrifice.
Teachers MAY want to model opening with students and provide
sentence starters where necessary.
Remember, this task should be encouraged to be fun and
overdramatic as an EVIL dictator controlling others for their own
gain.
Students should FASTCAR in purple pen for
accuracy at the end.
To reflect at end of lesson, start of next, students
should green pen how this speech reflects the
Dystopian Conventions.