Dystopian Worlds
In this four week unit we will consider dystopian worlds.
Week 1: The Hunger Games
August 24 through August 30
This week we will be watching the movie The Hunger Games. I'd like you to consider the world that Katniss lives in. Her world is set in the future. So, when Katniss refers to her ancestors, she is referring to us. What do you think happened in North America? How might we have contributed to the destruction of it? These are some of the questions you can consider using in your blog/vlog response.
Assignments:
Blog/Vlog due by Friday at midnight
Microtheme for this unit is due by Sunday, September 27 by midnight.
Week 2: Unwind by Neal Shusterman
August 31 through September 8
This week we will be reading the book Unwind by Neal Shusterman.
Neal Shusterman raises a lot of questions in this book (like abortion, religion, etc.). What does each character think of these issues? Who do you agree or disagree with, and why? Are there ever any answers in the text? Do you think a Second Civil War, like what happens before Unwind begins, could ever take place in real life? Would a Bill of Life ever be drafted in the real world? You can respond to any of these questions or others that you have this week.
Assignments:
Blog/Vlog due by Friday at midnight
Microtheme for this unit is due by Sunday, September 27 by midnight.
Week 3: Catching Fire
September 8 through 13
This week we will be watching the movie Catching Fire I'd like you to revisit the world that Katniss lives in. How is her world different or the same from Connor and Risa's world in Unwind? How do these two narratives relate? What sort of connections can you make between them?
Assignments:
Blog/Vlog due by Friday at midnight
Microtheme for this unit is due by Sunday, September 27 by midnight.
Week 4: Anthem by Ayn Rand
September 14 through 20
This week we will be reading the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand. If The Hunger Games is capitalism that has gone wrong you might say that Anthem is socialism gone wrong. Both of these dystopian worlds show the breakdown of society. They do it in very different ways. One way you can consider the difference between the two lies in the effect of the use of the word “we,” and why is it important that the last chapter is the only place where the word “I” exists in Anthem. Another interesting idea is that The Hunger Games is set in the future. Anthem does not have a set time. Why do these two narratives diverge in this aspect? These are some ideas you can address in your work this week.
Assignments:
Blog/Vlog due by Friday at midnight
Microtheme for this unit is due by Sunday, September 27 by midnight.