DUE: NOVEMBER 28-29, 2016

Building Your Own Dystopia Project

Why: Authors use dystopias to critique parts of our own society that they think are oppressive or unjust. In order to analyze and understand the ideas of dystopia further, you will create your own dystopia based upon a modern injustice you see in our world and those represented in your shortstory collectively.

What: Create your own dystopian society based upon one worrying/unjust trend you see in our world and/or your class novel. Your trend can come from any aspect of life (friends, school, media, government, business, etc.) It can also be inspired by events in your novel. For example in “The Perfect Match” it’s argued that humans depend too much technology or in “The Giver” people often make the wrong choice when given choices. You will come up with your own observation about the world. After selecting this one area, make a creative project that artistically represents a dystopia based upon your modern-day injustice. You will have to “multiply” or exaggerate, this trend in the future.YOU MUST WRITE A BACKSTORY THAT IS AT LEAST ONE PAGE IN LENGTH THAT DESCRIBES YOUR DYSTOPIA.

Ideas: Technology concerns (Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, texting, video games, television, etc) Environmental Issues (global warming, pollution, waste, etc.), Social Human Issues (racial profiling, women’s issues, gender norms, etc) Government/Economic concerns (privacy and governmental control, education and testing (cutting Arts, Over testing), and others.

How: You will present the social issue that you are critiquing and then give an overview of your dystopia to the class in a presentation. In addition to the overall summary of the dystopia, each group member will create an artifact or an individual will create at least 2 artifacts that represents the dystopia in some way. You should focus especially on setting and ensuring that your artifact demonstrates the social issue being critiqued and exaggerated in your created society. Your presentation could include the usage of digital media. (powerpoint, prezi, video, etc.)

Project Artifact-Choose 2 individual or Choose 1 per group member

  • Propaganda Poster/illustration
  • Song, Rap, or Chant
  • Illustration or blueprint of typical dwelling from dystopia or a blueprint/illustration of the city/place
  • Comic
  • Newspaper Article
  • Speech/ writing in role journal entry from a protagonist in the community
  • Law, Constitution, Bill or Act
  • Commercial or advertisement

Project Steps:

  1. Select a social problem (This will determine the idea you will present in your dystopia.)
  2. Identify nature of control (government, corporate, technology, religion, leader, etc)
  3. Brainstorm examples of how citizens are expected to conform, modes of control and other characteristics of your dystopia.
  4. Create a backstory that is at least 1 page long describing your dystopia.
  5. Decide which artifacts to use to represent your dystopia and create them.
  6. Practice presentation.