I have to admit…I am biased toward teaching any dystopian unit.
I find any opportunity I can to have students evaluate how a society becomes a dystopia and whether they can break free from one. This analysis builds a bridge of understanding to real-world dystopian examples–past and present.
As a result, I typically have students engage in a summative mock trial where they convince a jury of their peers whether America is a modern-day dystopia. Although America gives its citizens plenty of dystopian evidence to dissect, this essential question can guide students to be critical of any place.
No matter how you decide to end your unit, I have five compelling dystopian literature examples students can analyze for any dystopian unit!
Resources to introduce your dystopian unit
What is it?
✨ A four-part digital escape room geared towards 8th & 9th grade students who read below level
How would I incorporate it?
✨ The story is a post-pandemic, found-text adventure
✨ After introducing students to a dystopia, have them play Terminus and identify dystopian characteristics as they play
Why would I use this as a resource?
✨ Helps promote executive function
✨ Kids LOVE it (seriously, my students were sad when they finished)
✨ Skills-aligned & no prep for you
Dystopias: definitions & characteristics sheet
What is it?
✨ A list of dystopian-related definitions & characteristics
How would I incorporate it?
✨ Character analysis for a dystopian protagonist
✨ Identify dystopian society traits & type of dystopian control present in short texts & novel(s)
Why would I use this as a resource?
✨ Scaffolds dystopian learning so it is more accessible when reading it in literature
TED Ed - "How to recognize a dystopia"
What is it?
✨ A video that breaks down the meaning and history of dystopias
How would I incorporate it?
✨ As an opportunity to practice note-taking
✨ Ask students to make text-to-world connections to potential modern-day dystopias
Why would I use this as a resource?
✨ Provides students with real-life dystopian moments throughout history
✨ Helps students understand that dystopias are not just fictional accounts
Using VIDEOS as dystopian literature examples
Pixar SparkShorts’
“Smash and Grab”
Zeynep Tufecki’s TED Talk
“We’re building a dystopia just to make people click on ads”
What is it?
✨ A non-verbal Pixar Short where two robots break free from their chains
How would I incorporate it?
✨ Have students use the dystopian resource above as a checklist to note off what characteristics of society & the protagonist are present
Where would I incorporate it?
✨ This would be the first short text in my dystopian unit to introduce them to the FEEL of a dystopia
Why would I use this resource?
✨ Tangible, short, and simple way to introduce dystopian characteristics
What is it?
✨ A 22-minute long TED Talk on how AI’s, social media, and advertisement schemes are creating a dystopian society
How would I incorporate it?
✨ I would only incorporate this for higher grade levels
✨ There is a lot to digest here for our students
Where would I incorporate it?
✨ At the end to pair with my summative that asks them to make modern-day dystopian connections
Why would I use this resource?
✨ Relevant to today with conversations sparking AI’s, marketing strategies, etc.
Using SONGS as dystopian literature examples
H.E.R. “I Can’t Breathe”
What is it?
✨ A 2021 music video highlighting the senseless and brutal murders of Black folks due to police brutality
How would I incorporate it?
✨ Depending on the age of your students, I would use the music video as a visual resource for dystopian characteristics
✨ Pair with a credible article on police brutality against BIPOC communities
Where would I incorporate it?
✨ At the end as a resource to explore modern-day dystopias
Why would I use this resource?
✨ A tool to have important conversations regarding police brutality
What is it?
✨ A music video about the state of the world in/around 2010
How would I incorporate it?
✨ Compare the changes that are visibly shown in this music video and “I Can’t Breathe”
Where would I incorporate it?
✨ At the end as a resource to explore modern-day dystopias
Why would I use this resource?
✨ A tool to explore being critical about our society (note: I always tell my students you can [and should] be critical of things that matter to you, including where you live and how it is run)
The Black Eyed Peas “Where is the love?”
Using a SHORT STORY as a dystopian literature example
What is it?
✨ An allegorical, dystopian short story where aliens arrive & readers examine the humans’ responses
How would I incorporate it?
✨ Use it to teach students: allegory, plot identification, literary devices, etc. along with dystopian traits
Where would I incorporate it?
✨ Prior to novel reading but after some scaffolded media literacy analysis of dystopias
Why would I use this resource?
✨ Representation matters
✨ Talking about immigration rights matters
Final thoughts
Whether you are teaching 1984, The Giver, Fahrenheit 451, or The Hunger Games, these dystopian literature examples will spice up ANY dystopian unit you plan.
Your students will experience…
✨ an increase in engagement
✨ a deepening of their dystopian understanding
✨ stronger text-to-world connections
You can also pair any dystopian unit with the real-life utopian research project. This resource is intended to pair with The Giver.
Lastly, if you have the time, pair your dystopian unit with independent reading. Here are 12 dystopian novel recommendations along with these tips for leading dystopian literature circles!
As always, please share your successes, struggles, & suggestions with me. I am all ears!
Happy teaching 💛
