Dystopian Literature

This online course, designed for high school students, delves into the world of dystopian literature, focusing on the classics and modern works that have shaped and continue to shape the genre. Over the course of a semester, students will read five full novels including "1984", "Fahrenheit 451", "The Giver", "World War Z", and "Ready Player One", along with several short stories and related texts. The course fosters discussion and learning through weekly live webinars (with recordings for missed sessions), multimedia materials, web 2.0 tools, and regular writing assignments.

Weekly topics range from defining dystopian literature and exploring utopia vs. dystopia, to analyzing contemporary authors' views of the future and examining the characteristics of a dystopian hero. Additionally, students will delve into themes like government and social hierarchy, symbols in dystopian literature, and the philosophical debate between freedom and equality.