Have students rejoin their groups to reflect on More’s Utopia and the Bill of Rights.Compare and contrast the kind of society that the American forefathers created with that of which More was suggesting. Discuss the amendments proposed by the First Congress of the United States on September 25, 1789. Introduce the Bill of Rights to students.Allow time for students to discuss their responses in small groups. Have them take a position on the topic and determine if and why they agree or disagree with More’s ideals. Have students work in small groups to identify specific characteristics related to an element of the society described in the book. Distribute the Elements of Society and handout.Have a follow-up discussion with students about More’s “ideal society.” Ask students: What are the main themes of More’s Utopia? What would the implications be for society if this were achieved? What roles did individuals play in the society described by More? How does the society balance the role of the individual with that of the government?.Students will learn about the main ideas and societal elements expressed in More’s Utopia. If the book is not accessible to your students, reference the Quotes: Sir Thomas More’s Utopia or the Utopia Chapter Summaries videos. Give students an overview of Utopia by Thomas More.Explore excerpts from Utopia’s Original Text. One of its main themes is the idea that all private property should be abolished and that all goods and materials should be held collectively by the people and distributed equally. The book tries to define an ideal republic.

Provide students with background about Thomas More’s book, Utopia.He expresses great admiration for the way of life in the utopia he describes. More describes the society in an anthropological way, as if he visited the country.

More’s utopia is a fictional account of an idealized society with a just government, a happy and prosperous population, and a peaceful attitude. Ask students to share what they know about the term “utopia.” 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.

Introduce the idea of a “utopia” or an idealized society.

Ask students to discuss Lennon’s vision of a perfect world (no heaven or hell, no countries, no religion, no possessions, etc.).

Engage students in a discussion about the lyrics.

Play the song again providing students with the Lyrics: “Imagine” and have them follow along.

Play the song “Imagine” by John Lennon and just have students listen for fun.

Provide preferential seating for presentations and space for movement during monologues. Modify handouts, text, and utilize assistive technologies as needed. Students should be familiar with the Bill of Rights. Teachers should be familiar with Thomas More’s Utopia and the Bill of Rights.

Creative Monologue with Khaleshia Thorpe-Price.

Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students. Recommended Student MaterialsĮditable Documents : Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.ĮLA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.B Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

Utopia thomas more lesson