THE MATRIX PROJECT 2010

Project description:

Students will choose either the red or blue path. The red path involves joining “The Brotherhood” and working to find evidence of a rising totalitarian government in the USA. The blue path involves joining the “Ministry of Truth” and working to find evidence of perfect freedom in the USA.

Students will list topics and issues which groups ought to research and then work in small groups to research them. The teacher will also make recommendations, including websites the students must use in researching project.

Day 1 FRI MAY 14:

Choose your side. Brief discussion of how similar the two sides of the projects are. Review the techniques of control used by the 1984 government (on hand-out). Refer to Ms. M’s class list of topics and issues to research, including “What are the dangers of the abuse of power (what can happen)? How can people protect against these problems?” Each student will start to narrow her own focus in this project. Receive project description.

Homework: Complete a timed writing - Prompt will focus on the Matrix project, and will require students to think through the project and where their interest liesANDExplore by reading the whole site exploring outward to at least 5 of its links; for Mon., print at least1 article that interests you.

Day 2 MON MAY 17:

Through discussion of studentsfororwell.org and related topics, hopefully, we will start to form groups and choose a focus for each group.

Homework: Explore by skimming all of “Is it 1984 yet?” Parts 1 & 2 & footnotes. You can check out the Cybercadre homepage later. (Get it by googling “Is it 1984 yet?” – this will give you several other sites you can use later.

Day 3—4 TUES & WED MAY 18 & 19:

Possible: Review types of propaganda, possibly with related news articles or mailings to identify techniques being used. Watching commercials is also a possible activity.

Possible: Watch all or part of a video documentary about the 2000 election. Notice how it itself uses some techniques of propaganda while it discusses serious questions about the election results.

Homework: As necessary, return to to review the “Common techniques” and “Logical Fallacies.” If your focus is war, skim the essay (listed in 4 parts under the heading “World War I.”)

Useful Articles—get them by Googling the titles: 1.“What you see vs. what they see.” Time, April 7 2003. 2. “Propaganda and Spinning the News.” New York Times Upfront Online: The News Magazine for Teens, 2003.

Day 5—8 THURS MAY 20 to WED MAY 26:

Finish assigning groups. Practice information-gathering in teacher-led mini-lessons. Hopefully, find relevant articles for your topic. Learn more, for example, about “The Rights of U.S. Citizens.”

Homework: Start researching your topic.

Days 9—13 THURS MAY 27 to THURS JUNE 3:

Independent research time. Working with group in class to create file and book.

Days 14—17 FRI 4 to WED JUNE 9:

QuickMeet on Friday. Presentations begin.

Other useful websites you should check out:

  • – celebrating the rise of BB in the USA today
  • – Works to educate people about their rights and developments in cases pertaining to these rights. Check out the “About this site” link (on the right side of the home page) to find out how to negotiate the page & find what you need. Access dozens of links through “Topics” at the top left.
  • – Collects full text of articles, pictures, reports and web pages that have been censored or removed after posting. Ignore his Twitter link; do check out the Wiki page explaining this site.
  • -- Various information; especially useful for links to current news articles about American rights
  • – Excellent site maintained by the people who put out the annual book of censored stories and related essays about censorship issues. You can access the top 25 censored stories dating back for many years, as well as various articles and commentaries.
  • – Choose a topic and scroll down past the excerpt to dozens of links
  • -- Skim “Introduction” and “Task” and then check out the 3 links for info about the distribution of wealth in America

Your Job:

1) Research Materials

Blue: Create a file of at least 10 articles that define Americans’ rights OR that give information about the state of those rights OR which can serve as examples that those rights are intact.

Red: Create a file of at least 10 articles that give information about your technique(s) of control OR which can serve as examples of your technique(s) of control.

ALL: Materials must be from 2000 to 2010 as much as possible.

ALL: For each article, every student must include typed cover page:

 Identify the source of the article (proper bibliographic information)

 Identify how/where you found it

  • You may use “Ms. M’s files” as a source, but you should go beyond what she provides for at least some of your articles.
  • You may list “internet” with exact address; you must also record how you found the site, so keep a little journal of how you link from place to place.

 Summarize the article AND explain how it relates to the point you are trying to prove. (If it is long, focus on the information which connects to your project.)

 Include a copy of the whole article OR if it is very long, just print the relevant pages.

2) The Book

Create several pages for a book in which you prove that:

Blue: Our freedoms are still intact. How? First, list and define the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights & the Amendments to the Constitution. Then, find evidence that Americans still enjoy all of the freedoms guaranteed to them in these documents.

Red: Our freedoms are not intact How? Find evidence that, although Americans may not realize it, the government is using 1984-style techniques of control to manipulate us.

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Record email and phone numbers of groupmates here: