Real+Utopia+Project

Real Utopia Project **Overview:** For this project you will research an attempt at creating Utopia in the real world. This Utopia may be a historical community that has disappeared or one that is still in existence.
 * Once you and your partner(s) have received your Utopian Community assignment, begin researching. Either before or soon after you start researching, meet with your partner(s) to decide how to divide the work. This division will vary, depending on the community you have been given and on your member's interests and talents.
 * You will only have **2 days** in class to research your topic. All other research must be done on your own as homework. Remember, you can also access these online sources from home through my website. **HW:** Write your paragraphs for the poster.
 * You will have **1 day** to revise, and edit your paragraphs. You will share paragraphs with each other so that each team member can help edit and revise the writing, while at the same time learn about what your fellow members have learned. **HW:** Finalize paragraphs for poster if not completed during class.
 * You will have **1 day** to make a poster presentation for the class.
 * On the **5****th day**, we will spend the class period presenting our findings to each other.


 * The four topics below will give you an idea of how to divide the work within your group:  **

1. **General information about the community:**What did they call themselves? Why did they call themselves this name? Where were/are they located? Why are they located here? What this their form of government? What are their rules? What were the rituals of the community?

2. **The Big Why:** Why this group decided to create this Utopia and what makes it different from our society.Who started this community? What did they dislike about society at the time they created their utopia? How did they plan to solve these problems with their new society?

3. **A Description of Daily Life:**What were their jobs? How did they interact with each other? How did they interact with the outside world? How were the children educated? How did they handle food and paying for things? Do or did they use technology? Did you learn anything interesting or odd that your other team mates questions did not answer?

4. **IS IT A UTOPIA?:**Find the definition of "Utopian Ideal." Explain what that means in your own words. Now, read about your community and think about how they have or have not achieved this "ideal." How successful were they?: Why did it survive or die? What did they do to stay successful? OR What caused their downfall? Using specific details, explain why they did or didn't achieve their goal to be a "perfect society."

For your visual presentation, you need to include images that connect with the topics you have written about for your poster. You **must** include a map of your community.
 * VISUAL ELEMENTS REQUIRED FOR YOUR POSTER: **

You must use at least 2 online sources. I have provided sources below for you to use. You may also use any other sources you find on your own, including books! All of your sources must be cited - provide website address somewhere in your presentation. YOU CANNOT USE WIKIPEDIA AS A SOURCE. Internet Site
 * HISTORICAL UTOPIAN COMMUNITIES || EXISTING UTOPIAN COMMUNITIES ||
 * [|New Harmony] || [|Hutterites] ||
 * [|Historic New Harmony] || [|Twin Oaks] ||
 * [|Bishop Hill-Utopia on the Prairie] || [|Twin Oaks Community] ||
 * [|Bishop Hill] || [|The Farm] ||
 * [|The Amana Colonies - Educational Resources] || [|The Farm Community] ||
 * [|Amana Colonies] || [|TheAmish: History, Beliefs, Practices, Conflicts, etc,] ||
 * [|Ephrata Cloister] || [|Amish Heartland] ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|Canterbury Shaker Village] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|The Amish & The Plain People of Lancaster County] ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|Shaker Historic Trail] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|The Mennonite History] ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|Ephrata Cloister] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">H[|utterites] ||