Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students are introduced to the idea of a "utopia"—an idealized society. Students read Sir Thomas More's Utopia and examine the concepts behind his vision of an ideal society. Students then contrast the ideas in Utopia with those found in the Constitution of the United States. In a culminating activity, students write and perform a monologue from the perspective of an inhabitant of More's utopia. Throughout the lesson, students contemplate issues such as: What constitutes an ideal society? What is the individual's role in society?

Length of Lesson:

Four 45-minute periods

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• read Sir Thomas More's Utopia.
• explore the feasibility of creating an "ideal" society.
• examine the tension that exists between the role of government and individual freedoms.
• read the Constitution of the United States.
• develop and articulate an argument about the pros and cons of a "utopian" society.
• write and perform a monologue from the perspective of a resident of Sir Thomas More's Utopia.

Supplies:

• A recording of "Imagine" by John Lennon (Available on Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon. Capitol Records, 1998.)
• Utopia by Sir Thomas More
• The United States Constitution

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up

On the first day of the lesson, play the song "Imagine," by John Lennon. Engage students in a discussion of the lyrics. Ask them whether they agree with Lennon's vision of a perfect world (no heaven or hell, no countries, no religion, no possessions, etc.).

Introduce the idea of a "utopia," or an idealized society. Ask students if they have heard this term before. Explain that the word "utopia" is originally the title of a work by Sir Thomas More (1477–1535), an English scholar and Catholic saint who was executed by Henry VIII after he refused to sign an oath recognizing the king as supreme head of the Church of England.

More's Utopia is a fictional account of an idealized society with a just government, a happy and prosperous population, and a peaceful attitude. More describes the society in an anthropological way, as if he visited the country. He expresses great admiration for the way of life in the utopia he describes.

Guided Practice

Have students read More's Utopia. As a class, discuss More's "ideal society." Have students identify specific characteristics or elements of the society that they admire. Then, distribute the Utopian Quotes handout and ask students to work in small groups to respond to the text excerpts, indicating whether they feel these attributes would be conducive to an ideal society.

Ask students to think about the roles that individuals played in the society described by More. How does the society balance the role of the individual with that of the government? Discuss preliminary ideas a class.

Independent Practice

Have students read the Constitution of the United States, with particular emphasis on the Bill of Rights.

As they read, have students record similarities and differences between the government described in the Constitution and the government described in Utopia. Have students create a Venn diagram reflecting the similarities and differences.

Tell students to consider the pros and cons of each type of government and imagine what it would be like to live in each of the societies.

Assessment:

Language Arts

Have students write a short essay on the following topic:
Sir Thomas More described a country in which all inhabitants worked together to benefit the greater society. The Bill of Rights was crafted primarily to preserve individual freedoms. Using the Venn diagram you completed, write a comparative analysis of the fictionalized government of More's utopia and the government of the United States. Take a position on which government would be more conducive to a productive society.

Theatre

Have students write and perform a monologue based on a scenario described in the Utopian Visions Assignments handout.

Extensions:

Divide the class into two groups. One group will play the role of Americans; the other group will play Utopians. Stage a debate between the "Utopians" and the Americans. The subject of the debate will be, "Utopia or America: Which is the Great Society?" Three topics will be covered: government, family life, and economic welfare. You should be sure that the debate teams include representatives from different socio-economic strata in each society.

Authors:

• ARTSEDGE
  The John F. Kennedy Center
  Washington, DC