Culminating Project: The Ultimate Social Contract

1. Culminating Project: The Ultimate Social Contract What problems did the creation of the Constitution resolve?

2. Your Assignment in Brief Now that you’ve discovered yourself stranded on an island in the Pacific with sufficient food and shelter, you have the opportunity to create your own rules and society. What will it look like? The following slides show you: • General Requirements • Student Sample: a slide with a sample paragraph description • Grading rubric for the assignment • Island maps to choose from • Slide Instructions • Declaration of Independence Instructions • Slide templates for you to fill in • Brainstorming the Big Picture • Bibliography template • Group work instructions • Background essential questions included in this unit The goal of this project is to consider your society (in the United States) in relation to the one in the story you chose, and one that you will create.  Through this project, you will critically analyze your own society as well as the idea of a utopian society comparing and contrasting certain criteria such as government form, roles of men and women in society, censorship, structure and infrastructure, natural resources, religion, population, etc. You will have time in class to discuss this with your fellow citizens. This project will continue until we finish this unit. (Probably on or before December 10th) Nightly homework will help you flesh-out more elements of your utopia. Your homework can take the form of answering handout questions, writing paragraphs, a list of rules that your “group” has agreed upon, or even writing a short-fiction piece about your society, or an online discussion with fellow citizens about your society. At the beginning of each class you will be required to present your group’s progress to the class and explain how you came to your decisions.

3. General Requirements of All Utopias For your utopia to be complete, you must have a slide for each of the following elements: Basic Elements: 1. Name Your Utopian Society 2. Declaration of Independence: Write a brief statement citing the reasons for your formation of an Utopian society. In other words, what specifically don't you like about our current society. You might refer to The Declaration of Independence for ideas. You should also invite some friends to join you: include a persuasive letter on why your utopia is the best one in which to live. This portion of the assignment should consist of a two to three paragraphs. (See hand-out) 3. Utopian Motto & Seal Create a slogan or motto that inhabitants of your utopia would adhere to, and crest a utopian seal. 4. Utopian Animal: What animal would symbolically represent your utopia. Explain your choice. 5. Island markers & map: The map of utopia must have a functioning hyperlink to each of your slides. 6. List of Rules: Develop a list of 10 rules that all community m members would follow. Give a rationale for each rule. 7.Incorporate rules you invented from the utopia book report 8. Bibliography of resources used Specific Aspects: (see storyboard questions for questions and format) I. Members; Who will live on your island, chose the people and how they live. II. Citizens Page: Describe the citizens and their rights III. Children/Education Page: How will children be raised? What will schools look like? IV. Island Power: How will the government of this utopia be structured? V. Governing Body: How will your utopia make decisions? VI. Work What kind of work do people do? VII. Leisure: What do they do for fun? VIII. Economics How do people get things they need? IX. Values: What ideas are important to the people on your island. Do they share any common values such as a love of liberty or privacy? X. Antisocial Behavior or Conflict Resolution: When people disagree or hurt each other, what are the consequences or solutions? Optional Pages (You must pick at least two of the following topics) • Plant & Animal Life • Gender Differences/Relationships • Military/War • Alcohol and Other Drugs • Religion • Scale of Island • Science and Technology • Arts • Media • Physical/Architecture • Health & Medicine • How the Elderly Are Taken Care of • Transportation • Fashion • Music/ Entertainment Extra-credit Options Add one slide with answers to any of the following: • Add additional description pages (e.g., arts, religion, technology) to your powerpoint. • Journal Entry: How will Utopia inhabitants spend their time during the week? Develop a hypothetical schedule that community members might following during a typical day. Write a journal entry for a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday describing daily life for one of your island inhabitants. Include work, family, worship, school, entertainments, etc. • Advertisement: Develop a written advertisement your community. This ad should be complete with pictures that are representative of life in your community.

4. III. Island Power/Politics Page: Governing Body: Our king was chosen because he proved himself to be the smartest and bravest in our annual jumping contest. Each year he must beat the competition again or he looses his seat. Our process mirrors our values of bunji-jumping as a way of life. Although we give the king a lot of power while he reigns, his power is not divinely granted. He is only “up” (a bungee-jumping reference) while he can demonstrate that he is the best. His power is kept in check because he knows that one day he will stop being king and he will still want to be respected when he is just a citizen again. This process serves to remind all of us of our island values. The King in his Palace (seat of Jump-Peace Island government) Back to the Island Map

5. V. Values: Bungee-jumping is not just our national pastime. It is also how we see the world. Think about what happens when you bunji jump: first you go flying off the edge, screaming with pleasure, praying your harness won’t break. Soon, you find yourself bouncing back and forth at the bottom of a long cord, high above the ground. Lastly, your friends help lower you softly to the ground so you can climb back up the hill to start all over again. What has our game taught us? Namely, that one minute you can be up and the next minute you can be down, so we all need to practice everyday being the best kind of people possible, helping others while we’re up so that when we’re down, people will help us out too. By the way, which image is better for your presentation? Back to the Island Map

6. Grading Rubric

7. Chose your island. Then, delete the other images from this page, resize your image and in the “pick an island” text box, type the name your island. Lastly, delete this instruction box. Pick an island image for your map

8. Slide Instructions Answer questions in each frame of the story board, and refer back to the standards worksheet, then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph with: 1. a topic sentence 2. examples of how the rule works 3.an explanatory sentence why you chose/like best this design for your island. N.B. You do not have permission to change anything in the slide layouts (font types, colors, backgrounds, image) except the size of the font until your first draft has been evaluated by the teacher. To play with any of these elements prematurely will result in a TEN POINT deduction for EACH INSTANCE on a slide!

9. Declaration Instructions Declare Your Independence Your utopia must now agree on a government and write up your rule code. That rule code can be a set of “commandments,” a constitution, a code of conduct, or whatever form of rules you deem appropriate. How does your preamble begin? Do you command your citizens or do you implore them? Make sure that you include the why’s and how’s of your laws. Check the list below to make sure you have included everything. When people declare their independence from a government they don’t like, they usually include three elements: • A preamble describing human nature as they see it. (e.g., Are we basically kind, trustworthy.. selfish?) • A list of complaints against the current government • A call to independence and an invitation for like-minded people to join them in their new country Look at the Declaration of Independence for your model, but you might also want to consider some of the following points: Can you make a list of problems with our society that you’d like to fix? If you still can’t think of anything, use this list to help you write your declaration. Could you describe how your island would be different and better than America currently is in any of the following ways? 1. You might explain how your island would improve the quality of life for the members 2. Would men and women be treated differently or have different responsibilities on your island? 3. “We wish to promote love and unity. The conditions of a happy home are the ingredients of a harmonious community.” 4. You might want your society to be more respectful or loving than our current one. 5. You might decide that on your island everyone gets a voice in making decisions 6. What problems would you like to abolish on your island (i.e. no selfishness, or no stealing) 7. Would you like to make leaders act differently or be chosen for different reasons? 8. Would life be simpler or happier on your island? Explain why. 9. Would your island be more sharing or giving? Would people learn to live in a new way on your island?

10. I. Members Page: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. How will you decide who gets to live on your island? Answer the following questions: How many people would you like to have on your island? Chose the kind of people you would like to invite and how they live. What are the qualifications for membership? Would it be open to all, or would you select its members? If you’d select members, how and why would you do so? What would be the criteria for membership? Does your Utopia allow outsiders? If yes, what are the requirements for their entry? If no, how do you refuse them entry to Utopia? Is there a required training course? Who will live on your island?

11. II. Citizens Page: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. Describe the citizens and their rights. Answer the questions below: What would be the rights of the citizens of your utopia? What would be the duties of the members? Would there be social stratification (e.g., owners and renters, different roles for males and females) in your utopia? If there would be social stratification, what roles would different classes of individuals play? Why? What will the most important (prestigious) jobs be in your society? What does your perfect citizen look like? Describe what they do and how they act. After whom should every citizen model themselves? If someone does not strive to meet this expectation, what will you do with them?

12. III. Children/Education Page: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. How will children be raised? What will schools look like? Answer the questions below: Would the number of children per parent be limited in your utopia? If so, to how many children? Why? Would children live with their parents? If not, what would be their living arrangements? Do children live with their parents or together in special houses just for all the kids? What rights would children have? Would restrictions be placed on children’s activities? If so, what kinds of restrictions? How would children be educated? Who would be the educators? What rights would children have in deciding what they learned? Would the traditional higher education system (college) be retained, modified, or discarded? If modified, how? If discarded, how would your utopia conduct higher education? Optional: Draw a chart or diagram depicting what your education  system will be like.  Don't forget to include details about when kids go to school and for how long and what types of things will be taught at each level.

13. IV. Island Power Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. How will the government of this utopia be structured? What type of government are you? Answer the questions below: Will you have a democracy, a anarchy, a monarchy, or a dictatorship (or any of the terms from our list, e.g. Dictatorship/ Monarchy/ Republic/ Democracy..) ? How will your utopia make decisions? Would it be based on political authority, (with some giving orders and others obeying them in a vertical, hierarchical structure, as at present)? Or would it be based on voluntary cooperation in a horizontal, noncoercive structure? What would your decision-making process(es) be? Would you have a constitution, other written agreement(s), or verbal agreements? How would officials or coordinators be selected? How would you deal with abuse of authority by officials or coordinators?

14. V. Island Governing Body: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. Who will lead the government of this utopia ? How much power will they have? Refer to your notes on the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights to help you make the following decisions: Who/what groups will be in charge of your island? How much power does the person/people in charge have? What rights do the people have? What are the responsibilities of the leader's)? What are the responsibilities and privileges of the members? How would legal disagreements be settled? What are the qualifications for leadership? What problems might occur because of your type of government? For instance, if you have a king with absolute power ruling your island and the people hate him, what might they do? How will your leader address these problems? (example: If you have a king and he makes an unpopular law, will the people ask him to change it? Rebel? Will he silence objections?)

15. VI. Work: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. How do people get things they need? Answer the questions below to decide: What kind of work (if any) do people do? Would access to community goods and services be based solely on need or want, and not connected to work? If so, given present social conditioning, how would you prevent parasitism? How would work be compensated (paid)? Would everyone receive equal compensation for hours worked? Would those who do dangerous or unpleasant work receive extra compensation or work fewer hours than those doing pleasant work? How would people determine what jobs they do? How many hours per day would your utopians work?

16. VII. Leisure: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. How do people on your island enjoy themselves? Answer the questions below to decide: What do they do for fun? Would you set aside time for play and creative pursuits? How important would such time be in comparison with work time? What kinds of recreation or leisure activities would be available   to your community members?  How would they participate in these?

17. VIII. Economics: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph.  Does your Utopia have an economy? Answer the questions below to decide: • What kind of money would you use (if any) and how would it be distributed to the community members? If not, would there be a means of exchange? If so, what? Would your utopia be based on private property? Common ownership? Or a combination of the two? A. If the latter, what would that combination be?    How would wealth be distributed? Would the standard of living in your utopia be poverty level (voluntary simplicity), middle class, or high on the hog? • What would the community grow, produce or manufacture in order to provide work for its members? • What is your product? • Do you import/export? • Do you have any tariffs? • Do you allow tourism? • If outsiders are in your Utopia for trading/ tourism how do you force them to follow the rules?   Optional:   Draw a picture of the money your community will use.  Drawa chart or diagram depicting how people will receive money  and how it will be used.  If you are not using money in your community, explain how people will receive goods and   services. Describe  the different types of recreation that will be offered in your community.  Include information on how they will be used by the people of the community (following a schedule, first come, first served, etc.)

18. IX. Values: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. What ideas are important to the people on your island? Answer the questions below: What would be the fundamental values of your utopia? What would be its goals? Do they share any common values such as a love of liberty or privacy? Would individuals choose their own goals and values, or would their goals and values be those of your utopian ideology (shared)?

19. X. Antisocial Behavior or Conflict Resolution: Write your answers to each of the following questions. Then organize your answers into a cohesive paragraph. If your citizens are in constant fear for their lives, it is not Utopia. However, if there is mass chaos and people fear for their safety, it also not Utopia. (You may instead name your island a Dystopia. ) How do you gauge your Utopian justice? How do you enforce it? What do you do with rule-breakers? When people disagree or hurt each other, what are the consequences or solutions? Write your answers below: How should good people behave? To what extent should one help friends and hurt enemies? How do you enforce laws? How would your utopia deal with those who harm others? ( Force them to undergo psychiatric treatment? Shun them? Banish them? Imprison them? Kill them?) Would your utopia have a formalized system for dealing with criminal behavior? If not, would it be dealt with by the community as a whole? Would punishment be meted out by victim(s), their families, and friends? How would your utopia deal with self-destructive behaviors? . How would it deal with conflicts between individuals? Would there be a means of private mediation (finding an agreement between the two people involved)? Would your utopia ban guns? Would your utopia ban other types of weapons? If so, what types?

20. Optional Pages: Plant & Animal Life (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) Would your utopia be vegetarian, omnivorous, or would food choice be an individual matter? Would agriculture utilize pesticides and chemical fertilizers, or would agriculture be organic? Would animals be raised and slaughtered for food? If so, what kinds of animals? Would this production be under the present factory system? If not, what system would replace it? Would free-range production of food animals be allowed? If so, of what animals? Would hunting be allowed in your utopia? If so, of what animals? Would animals be used in laboratory testing? If so, what would be the limits to this testing? Would animals be kept as pets? If so, what animals? Would any animals be banned as pets? If so, what animals? a. Why?

21. Optional Pages: Gender Differences/Relationships (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) Would men and women live together in your utopia, or do you envision a sexually separatist utopia? If so, why? And how would you achieve it? Would the roles of women and men vary in your utopia? If so, how? Would the nuclear family (mom, dad, and children live together in one house) be retained? If not, what would replace it? Would marriage be retained? If so, who would conduct the ceremonies? Would married people have any rights or obligations beyond those of single people or those in alternative relationships? Would “alternative” relationships be prohibited, discouraged, tolerated, or encouraged? If only some forms of relationships would be discouraged, tolerated, or encouraged, which ones would they be, and why? What would be the attitude toward youth and their relationships?

22. Optional Pages: Military/War (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) What do you do with rebels? How do prevent the masses from wanting to rebel? If your government is a democracy, how do you prevent angry citizens from rebelling when they lose the vote? If it is a monarchy, how do you prevent rebellion? If it is a dictatorship, how do you prevent a coup? More importantly, how do you prevent the desire for your citizens to overthrow the government? Would your utopia abolish war? Until war is abolished around the world, would your utopia have some kind of self-defense force? If so, would it be a conventional army with a rank system and chain of command? If not as a conventional army, how would your self-defense force be organized? As a militia? If so, who would be its members? How would weapons be controlled? And by whom? Would any types of weapons be banned? If so, which ones? Why?

23. Optional Pages: Alcohol and Other Drugs (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) Would alcohol be allowed in your utopia? If so, what if any restrictions would be placed on its use? Would tobacco be allowed? If so, what if any restrictions would be placed on its use? Would marijuana be allowed? If so, what if any restrictions would be placed on its use? Would other drugs be allowed? If so, which ones? What if any restrictions would be placed on their use?

24. Optional Pages: Religion (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) Does your Utopia allow religion? If yes, all religions or just the one you select? If no, what are the consequences for breaking the code? Would there be a division between religion and other social and political institutions in your utopia? If so, why? If not, why not? Would your utopia have a single religion? If so, what would it be? Why? Would your utopia have no religion? Why? Would your utopia have many religions? If so, would you place any restrictions on the types of religion? Why? How would you deal with religious strife? How would you deal with cults and gurus? Would your utopia have rituals and celebrations? If so, what would they be? Would there be religious ceremonies concerning birth, death, marriage, rites of passage, etc.? Would religion be integrated into daily life? If so, how? Would there be a religious hierarchy? If so, how would religious leaders be selected? What would be the relationship of religion to science?

25. Optional Pages: Scale of Island (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) How many people per square mile would you like to have live on the island? Would you like people to live close to each other? Would you like people to live really far from each other? Would you like each person to be given their own land or have to work to earn it? Or would you like everyone share the land and take care of it together?

26. Optional Pages: Science and Technology (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) Would your utopia encourage scientific research? If yes, would it be in all fields? If not in all fields, in which fields would research be encouraged and in which would it be discouraged? Why? Would technological development be encouraged in all areas? If not, which technologies would be encouraged and which discouraged? Why? Would your utopia abandon any technologies? If so, which ones? Why? What would be the energy sources to drive your utopia? Why would you use these particular energy sources? Would any energy sources be banned? If so, which ones? Why? What if any role would the new reproductive technologies have? Who, if anyone, would have access to these technologies? Would genetic manipulation be permitted in order to choose the sex of offspring? Would genetic manipulation be permitted in order to choose other characteristics(height, hair color, intelligence)? If so, which characteristics? And why? Would cloning be permitted in your utopia? If so, who would be allowed to do it? And for what purposes? Would your utopia allow life-extension techniques? If so, would you attempt to extend life indefinitely? If so, why? If not, why not? If life extension techniques were available, who would have access to them? Would your utopia explore outer space or confine itself to the Earth? How would your utopia deal with the residues of present society, such as nuclear and toxic waste?

27. Optional Pages: Arts (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) What would be the role of the arts in your utopia? Would your utopia distinguish between art and life? If so, how? Would your utopia encourage participation in the arts? If so, who would be encouraged? And how? Would you distinguish between “mere entertainment” and “serious art”? If so, what would be the purpose of each? How would you distinguish between them? And who would make the distinction? Would you make a distinction between amateur and professional artists? If so, why? What would be the effect of this distinction? Would professional artists (musicians, dancers, et al.) pursue their creative efforts full time, with the rest of the community supporting them? If so, who would determine who would receive public support? Would there be any censorship of art in your utopia? If so, what would be censored? And who would do the censoring?

28. Optional Pages: Media (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) What types of media would exist in your utopia? Who would control the media? Who would own the media? Would there be any censorship of the media? If so, what would be censored? Why? And who would do the censoring? Would participation in the media be open to all? If not, why not? If so, how would this be achieved? Would intellectual property be recognized in your utopia? If so, how?

29. Optional Pages: Physical/Architecture (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) What would be the architecture of your utopia? What would be the underlying philosophical or ecological reasons for the use of these materials and techniques? Would your utopia have high population density or low population density? A. Why? Would your utopia be urban, rural, or have elements of both? What would be the relationship between public space and private space? Would your utopia have private, self-contained dwellings (as at present: detached houses and self-contained apartments)? Would it have private, but non-self-contained individual living spaces (without kitchens and laundry facilities, and perhaps without private bathrooms or living rooms)? Would your utopia have private or communal dining facilities, or a combination of the two? If a combination, what would it be?           Optional: Draw a picture of what your dwellings will look like.  You should include an outside drawing as well as an aerial view of the inside.  Be sure to label everything in the dwelling.

30. Optional Pages: Health & Medicine (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) How would the community members receive medical care? Would your utopia utilize allopathic (western) medicine? Would it utilize alternative (holistic, herbal, natural, etc.) approaches? If so, which ones? Why these particular ones? What role would preventative medicine have? Would everyone have equal access to medical treatment? If not, who would have preferential treatment? Why? How would your utopia deal with mental illness? Would psychotherapeutic approaches be used? Would psychiatric drugs be used? Would “death with dignity” (voluntary euthanasia) be allowed in your utopia? Optional: Draw a chart or diagram depicting how your community members will receive health care.  Include information  on who provides the care, what kind of care people can  receive at which facilities, where people go for serious illnesses, prescriptions, etc.

31. Optional Pages: How the Elderly Are Taken Care of (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) What do you do when people get: old, sick, infirm, lazy, or rebellious? Their very presence in your Utopia cancels out your Utopia. You must figure out what to do with them. Will you put them to work? Will you expel them?

32. Optional Pages: Transportation (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) How will people travel around your island? Will you allow people to own their own forms of transportation or will they need to share?

33. Optional Pages: Fashion (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) Will people have choices in clothing or home design? Will people design new options for them? Who will do this?

34. Optional Pages: Music/ Entertainment (You must pick at least two additional slides from any of the following topics) Will there be music on your island? How will it be shared (sing-a-longs, CDs, radio, etc.) Will there be different artists, types of music available?

35. Extra-credit Options Extra-credit Options Add one slide with answers to any of the following: Add additional description pages (e.g., arts, religion, technology) to your PowerPoint. Journal Entry: How will Utopia inhabitants spend their time during the week? Develop a hypothetical schedule that community members might following during a typical day. Write a journal entry for a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday describing daily life for one of your island inhabitants. Include work, family, worship, school, entertainments, etc. Advertisement: Develop a written advertisement your community. This ad should be complete with pictures that are representative of life in your community.

36. Brainstorming the Big Picture 4-2-1 Four: List two advantages and two disadvantages of living in your utopia. Two: Compile what you have in common from your lists. What two words capture the most important aspects of your utopia? One: Determine one word or big idea that best represents the Utopia. Share with your group.

37. Bibliography Need help writing your bibliography? You have permission to go to this site only: http://www.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/alta/lmc/Default.htm#howtobibliography Island Images follow 10%<- rule, taken from the following sites: • http://www.solis-media.co.uk/relocated/3dimagery/images/largeimages/island.jpg • www.islandiavi.com/ AERIAL%20PHOTO.htm • www.seankreynolds.com/fortheeyes/ graphics/island.jpg • www.yacht-swap.com/postcard/ • jedi.ks.uiuc.edu/~johns/raytracer/ raygallery/island.jpg • http://www.emirates.org/gallery/images/island.jpg • www.riaz.de/

38. If you decide to work with other students, please divide the following roles among the number of people in your group. • Leader: The leader is responsible for the team members getting along and making progress in their  tasks.  You are also the liaison between your team and the teacher.  You will be responsible for planning the type of government your community will implement. • Developer: You will be responsible for mapping out the community, making sure to include natural resources found on your land like lakes and farmland.  You will draw out the design for the community. • Planner: You will research issues like education and medicine.   You wil be the team's expert on these issues. You will design the community's education system.  You will also design the health care system of the community. • Accountant: You will be the team expert on financial issues like what monetary system the community will use, how the money will be distributed, and how it will be generated throughout the community.  You will be responsible for designing the banking system, if you use one.  You will also be responsible for designing the money for the community. • Recreation Director:  It will be up to you to decide what kinds of leisure activities will be available in your community.  You will also be responsible for how they will be implemented.  You will design activities for the rest of the community members to enjoy and you will be responsible for seeing that they run smoothly.

39. Prior Essential Questions covered in unit: Can the People be Trusted to Govern? What conflicts were resolved and created by the Articles of Confederation?Why was the creation of a system of checks and balances such a powerful concept?Why was it necessary to include a Bill of Rights?How would our country be different if we could not appeal cases to the Supreme Court?How did Hamilton and Jefferson differ in their goals for our country?