For the final unit of 10th grade, students examined futuristic narratives and explored the persuasive nature of the dystopian genre. While reading Andy Weir's The Martian, students experimented in Chemistry with labs on soil composition, survival kits, and a variety of chemical reactions and examined a host of dystopian short stories that warned the world of the dangers that would come "If This Goes On."

​

Through analyzing poetry and short films and investigating the looming dangers that accompany technological dependency, global warming, media addiction, and genetic modification, students researched their own topics and created powerful dystopian short stories to illustrate the dangers of leaving these issues unaddressed.

​

Lastly, students created "positive propaganda pieces" to accompany their dystopian short stories and had the opportunity to create miniature survival kits in the desert, as we concluded our year with a memorable trip to the oases and elephant rocks of Joshua Tree National Park.

​