Utopia—Blowin’ in the Wind
WCATY On-line Program 2008-2009
Oregon Site
Grades 5 and 6
This class, designed for grades 5-6, is an exploration of the concept of Utopia through the
medium of literature and encounters with people who have a vision of utopia today. The students
will engage in reading literature, respond to questions asked both by themselves and the
instructors of the class, write essays that share their understandings of utopia, and complete
activities that will increase their creative and critical thinking skills.
HENRY DAVID THOREAU:
If you have built castles in the air your work need not be lost; that is where they should
be. Now put foundations under them.
JOHN LENNON:
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope someday you will join us, and the world will
live as one.
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN:
We do not have a money problem in America. We have a values and priorities problem.
Required (4 to 5 books): The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
(Chose from the following) The Giver Lois Lowry
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Peter Pan by Sir James Barry
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Animal Farm George Orwell
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Your choice with the permission of the instructor
Suggested:
The Wind, the Sand, and the Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
General Readings: On the Internet or from WCATY
“On The Duty of Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau
French “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”
American “Declaration of Independence”
I Have a Dream speech of MLK Jr.
Garden of Eden—Genesis 2:8-3:24
Selection from the Republic by Plato
Selection from Metamorphoses by Ovid
“Utopia” by Thomas More
Utopia
Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth
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Grades 5 and 6
Web sites to explore:
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/transcendentalism/brook_farm.html
http://www.victorycities.com/resguide/money.html
Videos (for optional viewing):
Time Machine
Metropolis
Animal Farm
The Tempest
Patch Adams
Extending Understanding (optional for all students):
Author/Philosopher investigation—internet access only; cite web page addresses
What motivated this philosopher to write?
What is the historical context (In what time period did (s)he live?
What was going on in the world?) What was (s)he reacting to in
his/her culture/society?
Evaluate the author’s work. Was it worth it or not?
--This may be posted on the WCATY site at any time.
--Philosophers one might investigate: Plato, the Epicureans and the
Stoics (Roman), Nietzsche, the Amish, Emanuel Kant, the
Macabbeans, Greenpeace, and others.
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Utopia
Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth
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Grades 5 and 6
Pre-session activities will be used during the first face to face class period. The three (3)
activities will be posted on the WCATY forum site for participants to read and complete before
the first meeting.
1.
Pre-session writing assignment. Post on the WCATY Utopia site by November 7, 2008.
Chose one of the following four (4) topics. Write a short paragraph (about 8 to 10
sentences) outlining your view of the ideal world, your view of a society that would allow
everyone to reach his or her potential.
Standard: Human Experience 51
•If I were President
•My ideal world
•Five rules of conduct for My World
•3 characteristics of my world that would be rewarded; and 3 characteristics of my world
that would be scorned.
2.
Fill in the blanks. Answer the following questions with information relevant to you.
Standard: Human Experience 45
a. (Knowledge question) My name is _____________ and I live in ___________.
b. .(Evaluation question) My favorite activity/interest at school or at home is ___________.
c. (Analytical question) An animal that best represents me is a(n) _______ because
_________.
d. (Utopian question) My hopes for human kind in the future are (that) ________________.
The assignment will be posted by November 7, 2008.
3.
Vocabulary/Interactive Activity. Define Utopia as it is found in a dictionary of your
choice. Ask three (3) people what they think a Utopia is, i.e. how they would define a utopia.
These people can be parent, teacher, friend, clergy, professional person, or relative.
Standard Human Experience 43
The assignment will be posted by November 7, 2008.
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Utopia
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Grades 5 and 6
Face-to-Face Meetings and On-line Activities
Thursday November 11, 2008
Face-to-Face Activities
Creative Dramatics
Standard Human Experience 45
Sing the Theme song, “Blowin’ in the Wind”
Standard Human Experience 43
Introductory material has been posted on-line. A three-person skit with sounds and/or
actions by an animal (#3 of Fill in the Blank), and acting out either #2 or #4 of Fill in
the Blank.
Standard Human Experience 45
Butcher Paper Listing. List the most interesting definition of utopia and the title
(profession) of the person who offered that definition.
Standard Human Experience 43
Questioning with Bloom (knowledge) and Guilford (quantity), using the Genesis utopia
and/or Ovid’s “Metamorphosis.”
Standard Human Experience 43, 44, 46, 51
Discussion of on-line activities.
On-line Activities:
Read The Little Prince
Read The Giver or free choice from the list of required books.
Students will answer teacher-generated questions from these texts.
Standard Human Experience 44, 45, 48, 51
Students will be responsible to read at least one other child’s response and write
a reflection or comment to that child.
Standard Human Experience 44
Students will post at least one question, which might “stump” other classmates
from The Little Prince or The Giver.
Standard Human Experience 44, 46, 52
Read American “Declaration of Independence” (1776)
Read “The French “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” (1789)
Students will write questions á la Bloom (analysis) and Guilford (forced
association).
Standard Human Experience 43, 44, 46, 51
Students will list five (5) things that are similar AND three (3) things that are
different between the two documents.
Standard Human Experience 43, 51, 52
Student Writing:
Students will write a four paragraph essay using the two (2) books they have read.
Standard Human Experience 51, 52
 Paragraph #1: Introduction
 Paragraph #2: Describe the similarities of the two books.
 Paragraph #3: Describe the differences within the two books.
o Paragraph #3a (optional) Reflect on the utopian ideas in the
two books. In what ways do the ideas reflect utopian thought?
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Utopia
Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth
 Paragraph #4: Conclusion.
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Grades 5 and 6
The assignment will be posted by December 5, 2008.
Written assignment is handed in with accompanying rubric on December 9, 2008.
Thursday December9, 2008
Face-to-Face Activities
Pass in analytical essay of the two books read thus far.
Sing the Theme Song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
Questions from the students.
Discussion of on-line activities.
Discussion of the books read for this session.
Standard Human Experience 43
Standard Human Experience 52
On-line Activities:
Read Animal Farm and one other from the list of required books. Four (4) books total.
Students will answer teacher-generated questions from these texts.
Standard Human Experience 44, 45, 48, 51
Students will be responsible to read at least one other participant’s response and
write a reflection or comment to that participant.
Standard Human Experience 44
Students will post at least one question, which might “stump” other classmates
from Animal Farm.
Standard Human Experience 44, 46, 52
Read “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students will write questions á la Bloom (synthesis) and Guilford (reorganization).
Standard Human Experience 43, 44, 46, 51
Gathering of Mission Statements
Students will get the mission statements from their schools. Students will get
the mission statements from their moms’ and dads’ places of work (if available).
Standard Human Experience 43
Student Writing:
Write a five-paragraph essay on the mission statement(s) you have
gathered. What has to happen in order for the mission to be accomplished?
What things (actions, rules, (inter)personal skills) need to be in place or
happen for this mission to be successful.
Standard Human Experience 51, 52
Paragraph #1: Introduction.
Paragraph #2: Articulation of the mission statement(s).
Paragraph #3: What will have to happen in the work place for this
mission statement to be successful? Talk about each group
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Utopia
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Grades 5 and 6
(teachers, students, parents if you have a school mission statement;
workers and management if you have a business mission statement).
What must each group do to fulfill the many parts of the mission
statement (look at each part of the mission statement separately).
Paragraph #4: How do these actions, rules, and interpersonal skills
reflect an ideal, or a utopia? Bring the discussion back to utopia and
ideal worlds. What things in the previous paragraph reflect utopian
ideals?
Paragraph #5: Conclusion.
The assignment will be posted by January 9, 2009.
Final Project:
Standard Human Experience 43, 44,45,46,48, 51, 52
Student Choice: Students will begin to synthesize thoughts and ideas about utopia in
preparation for the final class period. Chose one of the following activities. Each activity
should produce a piece of writing for 100-200 words.
•Creative Activity. Create a skit, cartoon, video or other medium that reflects an
understanding of utopia in relation to the readings. Please consult with the
instructor for this activity.
•Write a utopian story.
•Write an essay on how to achieve a utopian society.
•Write a poem illustrating a utopia.
•Develop a web site illustrating your utopia or the world as you would like it.
•Create a futuristic newspaper with articles (advertisements, editorials, news
stories, obituaries, features, etc.) describing your utopian society. “Eureka!! We
have made it!!”
•Is a utopia only a fool’s idea?
•Free choice with the consent of the instructors.
•Book jackets. Two (2) pieces of expository writing related to the theme of utopia
that articulates the ideas (of two books or short readings) with two or three
events to pique a reader’s interest.
•Create an essay that unifies the ideas from the readings (novel or short
selections).
Thursday, January 13, 2009
Face-to-Face Activities
Sing the Theme Song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
Questions from the students.
Discussion of on-line activities.
Matrix on books read
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Utopia
Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth
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Grades 5 and 6
Assignments that will need to be posted:
***On or before December 5, 2008: Paper on the two (2) books read thus far.
*** On or before January 9, 2009: Five paragraph essay on the mission statement(s).
*** On or before January 9, 2009: Final writing assignment (story, achieving utopia, poem, web
site creation, newspaper, essay on a “fool’s idea.”
These papers are posted on the web site for review by students’ peers. These same papers with
the educator’s comments are handed in at the next face-to-face meeting.
Blowin’ in the Wind
Written by Bob Dylan
Made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary
How many roads must a man walk down
Before they call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
How many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
How many years must a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea?
How many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn’t see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
How many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
How many deaths will it take
“Til he knows that too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
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