1. Utopia Project
TASK
Jonas lives in a very different society than ours. What do you consider to be a
perfect society? Why? In this Language Arts/Science cross-curricular project,
students will create their own utopias. Create your own utopian society. Apply your
knowledge of alternative energies to a habitation and modes of transportation of the
future. Think about how you will balance personal freedoms and government
control.
Warm-Up
1. Look up in the dictionary or class notes the following terms and write down the
definitions in your own words.
Society:
Utopia:
Alternative Energy:
Fossil Fuels:
2. What movies, books or TV shows portray a utopian society?

2. Step I
Choose a group secretary. Answer the questions below on a separate sheet of
loose leaf or typed.
A. Government
• Who will make the rules and how will they be enforced?
• How will you decide on leadership? (Vote, royal family, etc.)
• What are some of the rules your community will have?
• What will happen to someone if they break the rules?
• How will your government be different from our current one?
B. Education
• What will your education system look like? (Grades, ages, etc.)
• What subjects will be required? Think about what skills you want emphasized
in your community and the jobs you want people to be prepared for.
• How will your education system be different from our current one?
• What special features will school have to help students learn?
C. Employment
• What kind of businesses will you have in your society?
• How will students be trained for employment?
• How will your society be similar and different than the Giver’s? How will it be
different from ours?
D. Money
• How will people be paid?
• What type of monetary unit will your society use? How does it compare to our
dollar?
• How will you provide for those who are unemployed?
E. Transportation (Must not use fossil fuels)
• What type of transportation will your community use?
• What type of public transportation will you provide? (Think about pollution)
• Will you have any special means of transportation other than roads?
F. Recreation/Entertainment
• What types of entertainment will you provide for children? Teenagers?
Adults? Elderly?
• Will you monitor the entertainment for young children and/or teenagers?
• How do you plan to maintain cleanliness and keep up the environment?
• What type of clothing will be popular?
G. Responsibilities

3. • Will there be responsibilities of children? At what age do children begin to
have adult responsibilities?
• What will adults’ responsibilities be? What about the elderly? At what point do
you consider a person elderly?
• What will happen when the elderly can no longer take care of themselves.
How will you provide for them?
H. Outside Influences
• Will you be a self-supporting community (provide your own food, waste
disposal, etc) or will you need to get things from outside communities.
• If you are self-supporting, what are the things that your community will need
to provide for?
• If you trade with other countries, what will be your policies about trade?
• What kinds of things or services will you get from outside communities?
• How does your community feel about allowing visitors or letting members of
your community visit other places?
I. Alternative Energy
• How will you generate electronic power to your buildings?
• How will people commute from place to place?
• Will you use multiple alternative fuels? Why or why not?
• List all of the fuels your society will use.
• Explain how each alternative fuel will work in your community.
Step II
You must create the following elements for your utopian community:
* answers to all questions and any additional notes.
* an 8X10 drawing of a typical home and mode of transport with explanations.
* a travel brochure for the community.
Step III
You must present your community to the class. You’re goal is to convince the class
yours is the perfect society and the one they would most want to live in.

4. Utopia Project
Grading Rubric
Travel Brochure- The travel brochure should highlight the best elements of
your society and include multiple persuasive techniques such as logical
arguments, appeal to values, appeal to emotion, charged words, expert opinion, and
statistics. The pictures should include explanations which are neat, detailed and in
complete sentences.
Alternative Energy- The presentation must be creative and engaging. The
speakers must hold the attention of the audience with their body language, tone,
and clear voice. The presenters (entire group) must all be involved in the
presentation and should make eye contact with the audience. The speakers
should stand straight and not fidget or sway while they speak.
Names Persuasive Similarities Differences Points
Techniques
How is your How is your Brochure
List techniques used community similar to community different (10 pts.)
in brochure: our society and to our society and
Jonas’ community? Jonas’ community?
1. 1. 1. Alternative
Energy (10 pts.)
2. 2. 2.
Bonus Point
(+1)
3. 3. 3.
Bonus Point: ALL GROUP MEMBERS MUST BE PRESENT!
The presentation must be creative and engaging. The speakers must hold the
attention of the audience with their body language, tone, and clear voice. The
presenters (entire group) must all be involved in the presentation and should make
eye contact with the audience. The speakers should stand straight and not fidget
or sway while they speak. (1 pt.) Map is a 3D model of the community. (1 pt.)