March 19, 2021

Hello parents and guardians,

Your son/daughter will be working on a Project Based Learning unit over the next seven
weeks while in English class. In this unit, students will make connections from what they have
read in dystopian novels and apply that to the real world by creating a fictional dystopia of their
very own. This project is both a fun and creative assignment that students look forward to every
year. Upon completing their dystopia, students will conduct group presentations to the student
body during a presentation fair.

Teamwork and group cohesiveness will both play crucial roles in the successful completion of
this project. Students will be split into teams of three to four. Your student’s final grade is based
upon completing various assignments, all with varying point values that, when calculated
together, equal out to 1000 points. Requirements include the creation of a website (300 pts), an
infographic (140), a descriptive narrative (140pts), a research analysis (140pts), a newspaper
article (140pts), and creating their own TED talk video (140pts). These unit requirements will
stretch and expand the boundaries of your students' technological and creative skills that will be
useful in their academic and professional careers. A written copy of the project’s requirements
will be handed out on the unit’s first day. This copy of unit requirements will contain detailed
instruction(s), timelines of due dates, and resources to facilitate the creation of their dystopian
society.

This project’s cost will remain relatively low as the majority of the project is conducted online
using free and accessible tools/sources, such as but not limited to WordPress, google drive, and
the internet. Students are encouraged to use resources that they already have access to, such as
cell-phones and the school library, for help with this project. At this time, the only financial costs
will be for their final presentation set up (a tri-fold display board). Students will be given ideas
and resources on where to obtain this if they decided to use it to present their final project at the
presentation fair.

Students will be allotted time in class weekly to work with their group members, but students
should also schedule time outside of the class to ensure success with all assignments. Students
can use alternate avenues of communication, such as Zoom, to interact if the need arises. While
time requirements vary from group to group, students should anticipate working roughly two
hours a week outside of school for a successful and meaningful project.

If you or your student have any questions about the upcoming project, please do not hesitate to
reach out to your child’s teacher!

We are so excited to step into this world of discovery with you!

Sincerely,

Ms. Campbell Ms. Stoneburner Mr. Taylor

cmc269@txstate.edu egs59@txstate.edu jat98@txstate.edu