Utopia Research Project

Project Instructions and Rubric

How to Cite Websites in MLA:

• Citations need to be in alphabetical order
• Always include as much information as possible
• Make sure you have a hanging indent
• Owl Purdue - how to cite websites

C.R.A.P. Test Slide - Copy this slide and insert it at the end of your Overview PowerPoint. You must have a C.R.A.P. Test slide for EVERY resource you use.

Resources for your Creative Component:

• Office365 Templates for Brochure

• Example of Children's Book PowerPoint

Group Sign-Ups:

• 3rd Period Sign Up
• 4th Period Sign Up
• 7th Period Sign Up

Brief Description of Utopias:

Brook Farm (1841-1847)
Founded by former Unitarian minister George Ripley and his wife Sophia Ripley at the Ellis Farm in West Roxbury, Massachusetts and was inspired in part by the ideals of Transcendentalism, a religious and cultural philosophy based in New England. It promised its participants a portion of the profits from the farm in exchange for performing an equal share of the work. Brook Farmers believed that by sharing the workload, ample time would be available for leisure activities and intellectual pursuits.

Arden, Delaware (1900-present)
Sculptor Frank Stephens and architect Will Price founded Arden as a place of intellectual and artistic freedom. This is a utopia that’s “still going”. Arden is a village and art colony and based on voluntary contributions of workers. The founding ideals followed the communist philosophies of Peter Kropotkin, and Stephens and Price wanted the village to be void of a central government.

Fruitlands (1843-1844)
Amos Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane founded a short-lived farming utopia where the residents ate no animal substances (they were STRICTLY vegan), drank only water, bathed in unheated water, and did not use artificial light. Additionally, property was held communally, and no animal labor was used. Like Brook Farm, it also followed the ideals of Transcendentalism and was located in Massachusetts.

Octagon City (1856-1857)
Octagon City was another failed agricultural Utopian community with a principle of a vegetarian life. Located in Kansas, it was created by the Vegetarian Kansas Emigration Company, headed by prominent vegetarian Henry Clubb. The original intent was to build a vegetarian commune on the south side of the Neosho River for vegetarians only, but investor interest in a non-vegetarian moral community was much higher and so the decision was made to build Octagon City on the north side of the river to make the entire project sustainable. Members of the city took an oath to educate their children and uphold a moral lifestyle.

Hopedale Community (1842-1868)
Abolitionist Adin Ballou founded Hopedale in Worcester County, Massachusetts. Ballou promoted pacifism and socialism, and called his philosophy “practical Christianity.” One of the biggest differences between Hopedale and other utopian experiments is that Ballou never advocated for complete isolation. Even though members lived in the community, they could come and go as they pleased. The community also made advances in gender equality, though women were still largely relegated to domestic roles.

Arcosanti (1970-present)
Architect Paolo Soleri founded Arcosanti in Arizona and meant to balance architecture and ecology. Soleri wanted to demonstrate how urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the earth. Residents call Arcosanti a Utopian eco-city and it still has between 50 and 100 residents. The community is still incomplete, though. It can house 5000 citizens, but it never moved beyond a prototype phase in sustainable living.

North American Phalanx (1841-1856)
Settlers built North American Phalanx in Colts Neck Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Based on the philosophy of Charles Fourier, this settlement promoted ideals of communal living rather than private homes. The community had a number of disputes over women’s rights and suffered losses from two fires.

Drop City (1965-1977)
Drop City was a counterculture artists' community that formed in southern Colorado in 1965. The four original founders, Gene Bernofsky, JoAnn Bernofsky, Richard Kallweit, and Clark Richertm were art students and filmmakers from the University of Kansas and University of Colorado, and bought a tract of land in southeastern Colorado. Their intention was to create a live-in work of Drop Art. Drop City became known as the first rural "hippie commune".