Welcome to today's Advanced Composition lesson
Below are links for you to get started on your research about utopia. Today's goal is for you to research the history of utopias: who coined the term? where did ideas of utopias originate? why do we think about utopias? what role might the idea of a utopia have played in history?
While it is unlikely to find any definitive answers to these questions today, this is a starting point for you to begin generating your own ideas about utopia to prepare for you to begin your group projects and to allow you to think about what utopia may mean to you before we begin reading "Brave New World."
You do not have to follow the links in order, nor do you have to stay solely with the links provided. However, by the end of the period, you should have at least one article of interest to complete the "Non-Fiction Assignment" worksheet. As you search, you should also be taking notes (along with reference information for biliographies) about anything which piques your interest and may enrich your group project.
Do not worry that we have not yet picked groups. This is for you to enrich and expand your conceptions of utopia. Focusing on your own ideas today (and tomorrow) will help bring a greater diversity of ideas to your group.
Ok, now get started:
General Research Sites
LAPL
Go to Databases to find journal articles
Alta Vista Search Tools and Tips
Utopian Specific Sites
Thomas
More's Utopia
Read the text that started it all
Journal
for Utopian Studies
A periodical all about utopian studies
Utopia
Online Library
Primary sources from utopian visionaries
Utopian Experiments
Intentional Communities
Homepage
This site is dedicated to Intentional Communities. These include ecovillages,
co-housing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing
cooperatives, and other such projects and dreams. This extensive information
center dispels myths about these types of utopian societies, gives historical
facts about them, and includes chat rooms and forums. (Andrea Thomson--Sep 30,
1998 03:54 PM)
New
Harmony Schools
The title of the web page is "New Harmony Schools" and refers to the
New Harmony community in Indiana. The page itself begins with a brief historical
introduction into the foundation of the community. Following are the e-mail
addresses of the principals at both elementary and secondary school levels.
At the end of the page, there are twelve links that provide more detailed information
about the school such as a weekly bulletin. The one of interest to us is the
mission statement that defines their idea of a utopian society. The emphasis
is on a learning environment formed from a cooperative effort between the school
itself, the parents and the community. An example of their insistence upon this
collaboration is their "Family Time Policy" which allows parents more time to
spend with their children without interruptions. (Tina Dong--Oct 04, 1998 11:47
PM)
Utopian: Misc. Sites I Bookmarked