Humanities with Mr. Elliott! - Cycle 3 Content Goal

The Research Lesson Topic

Dystopian Literature, analyzing texts, and Colorblindness / Critical analysis of identity and imagination.

Background and Research on the Content Topic

Students are reading Dystopian Literature (The Giver / Fahrenheit 451) and are having discussions around themes, and the nature of how the present/past shapes visions of the future.

Students have done activities where they are asked to

Relationship of Unit Standards

Prior learning standards that unit builds on

Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of core themes of dystopian literature in constructed response format, using the words oppression. Control, and resistance.

Learning standards for this unit

Students will be able to identify and compare themes of oppression and resistance in dystopian literature and compare them to real world examples both orally and in short reflection writing

Later standards for which this unit is a foundation

Students will be able to use core themes of dystopian literature to justify acts of resistance and civil disobedience in a written, oral, or visual call to action

Goal of the Unit

Students will be able to use core themes of dystopian literature to justify acts of resistance and civil disobedience in a written, oral, or visual call to action

Flow of the Unit/Rationale for the Design of Instruction

Once students are able to reliably identify the core themes of dystopian literature (oppression and resistance), they will be able to compare these acts of resistance to real world examples. Combined with simulated experience, these core themes can become evidence of the validity of resistance by marginalized peoples in the modern day.

Unit Plan

Learning goal(s) and tasks

Lesson 1

Lesson Goal: begin to identify themes of oppression in dystopian lit

Task: read the giver + reflect in writing

Lessson 2

Lesson Goal: begin to identify themes of resistance in dystopian lit

Task: read the giver + socratic seminar

Lesson 3

Lesson Goal: begin to identify themes of oppression + resistance in dystopian lit in american history

Task: watch documentary about Indigenous boarding program, complete venn diagram comparing to dystopian lit

Lesson 4

Lesson Goal: Students will be able to identify and compare themes of oppression and resistance in dystopian literature and compare them to real world examples both orally and in short reflection writing

Task: “Welcome to Elli-Topia”

Lesson 5

Lesson Goal:Students will be able to identify and compare themes of oppression and resistance in dystopian literature and compare them to real world examples both orally and in short reflection writing

Task: class discussion + written reflection of hunger game

Summary Box #10: Content Understanding Goal

“Students will critically identify which identities are included in, and which are excluded from, visions of the future, and what those imaginings say about the current experiences of marginalized groups in a collaborative socratic discussion.”

Summary Box #11: Theory of Action AKA “Lesson Hypothesis”

If we give students an opportunity to roleplay marginalized people in a dystopian society and enact their own revolution, students will be able to formulate deeper and more genuine connections between core themes present in dystopian literature and modern day acts of resistance.

We will see if this is working by collecting activity reflection sheets that they will fill out at the end.