A Grade 8 English team recently completed their first iteration of a redesigned dystopian fiction unit, one that moved beyond traditional literary analysis to help students recognize the dystopian elements already present in their own digital lives. What has emerged is a powerful example of a curriculum that asks students not just to read about power, control, and ethical choice, but to investigate these forces in their own communities and take action.

At the American International School of Guangzhou, two 8th-grade Language and Literature teachers redesigned a unit rooted in a core text using community engagement and storytelling strategies to connect students, staff members, and the entire school community.