Summary
This is an introductory lesson to Ayn Rand’s, Anthem. In order for students to fully understand her novella, students will need to analyze the question: “What’s more important: Freedom or Equality?” Through group collaboration and analysis, students will answer this question by creating their own societies: Capitalist or Collectivist. Students will need to research using databases and other societies to get ideas. The end result will be a presentation of each group’s “perfect” societies. Groups will present using any tools they choose and are evaluated by their peers.
TIPC Ratings
Approaching: Students have the ability to choose which databases are the most reliable when researching historical societies. While the teacher is providing a few examples of databases that would be helpful, students are primarily in control of what they use. In groups, students use questions that they develop to guide their research. Examples of questions: What is important in our society? Freedom or Equality? What does education look like in my society? What does income look like in my society? These questions lead students to create their society which is presented to the rest of the class.
Students are working together in small groups in order to create their own society. Groups identify jobs/tasks and each student is assigned to a job in which they research a different aspect of what their society needs to include. Groups used Google Docs to collaborate and share information with each other and their teacher.
Students need to work together in their groups in order to predict problems and answer questions that may develop in their “new societies.” They will use what they learn through their research to discuss with each other about how they intend to control or eliminate those issues. They will need to be able to justify their decision-making and problem-solving practices when it comes time for them to begin presenting. After each group presented, the rest of the class was given the opportunity to ask the group more questions about their society. All students were given a peer evaluation form to fill out during the presentations which became a part of the students’ grade. This information collected became feedback for the groups on their presentation skills and information that was shared.
From the beginning of the lesson to the end, students are faced with making decisions on how to create and solve the problems of a society. The students are creating their societies after researching and analyzing older societies. The analysis of the older societies will help inspire the students to come to new solutions on how to fix certain problems. While there are some limitations to their presentations, students are in control of how they present and what tool they use to deliver their information. In this experience, students are creating their new society and trying to convince the rest of the class (and the teacher) to join their “perfect” society.
