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Created byLinda Garrett
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The Mayday Protocol: Prototyping Non-Digital Resistance Systems

College/UniversityEnglish21 days
"The Mayday Protocol" is an interdisciplinary project for college-level English that challenges students to synthesize literary analysis of Margaret Atwood’s "The Handmaid’s Tale" with design thinking and covert semiotics. By examining the novel's depiction of linguistic control and surveillance, students prototype a non-digital communication system that leverages environmental affordances to enable resistance in high-risk contexts. This experience culminates in a technical defense where students justify their system's effectiveness and grapple with the ethical implications of design in environments where user error can lead to state-sanctioned violence.
SemioticsThe Handmaid's TaleCovert CommunicationUX DesignLinguistic ControlEthical DesignSurveillance
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we design a prototype a covert, non-digital communication system that subverts governmental control and enables collective resistance in high-surveillance contexts?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • How does Margaret Atwood’s depiction of Gilead illustrate the relationship between linguistic (speaking/writing/ thinking) control and the erosion of individual agency?
  • To what extent can 'found objects' and environmental signifiers be re-encoded to serve as a secure UX for marginalized populations?
  • In what ways do the constraints of a high-surveillance environment dictate the 'affordances' of a non-digital communication system?
  • What are the ethical responsibilities of a designer when building systems where 'user error' could result in state-sanctioned violence?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Analyze the mechanisms of linguistic control in Margaret Atwood’s 'The Handmaid’s Tale' to determine how the restriction of language impacts individual and collective agency.
  • Prototype a non-digital user experience (UX) that leverages environmental affordances and physical constraints of high-surveillance spaces.
  • Evaluate the ethical dilemmas and security risks inherent in designing systems where communication errors carry high-stakes consequences for marginalized users.
  • Synthesize literary analysis and design thinking to produce a technical rationale justifying the system’s effectiveness against state-level surveillance.

AP English Literature and Composition

AP LIT FIG-1.B
Primary
Explain the function of a character’s relationship to their environment. (In this context, how Offred and others navigate the semiotic landscape of Gilead).Reason: The project requires students to analyze how characters in the novel navigate environmental constraints, which informs their own design of a resistance system.
AP LIT STR-1.A
Primary
Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.Reason: Students analyze how Atwood structures the world-building of Gilead through linguistic absence and presence to inform their own prototype.

AP English Language and Composition

AP LANG RHS-1.A
Primary
Identify and describe the components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, purpose, audience, writer, and context.Reason: Designing a covert communication system is a rhetorical act that requires a deep understanding of audience (resistance) and exigence (surveillance).

Common Core State Standards (College and Career Readiness)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4
Secondary
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.Reason: The project hinges on the ability to interpret and then manipulate the 'meaning' of physical objects as if they were technical or figurative language.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1
Supporting
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.Reason: Students must provide a written technical rationale that argues for the efficacy and ethical safety of their prototyped system.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Silent Seminar Protocol

Students enter a classroom where all digital devices are confiscated and verbal/written English is strictly prohibited by a 'Guardian' figure. Using a curated tray of mundane physical objects (buttons, spices, colored threads), students must negotiate a secret meeting point on a campus map without being 'caught' communicating. This immersion forces an immediate, visceral understanding of the semiotic desperation faced by the Handmaids.

The Forbidden Literacy Lab

Inspired by the forbidden Scrabble games in the novel, students are presented with a series of 'redacted' historical artifacts from real-world resistance movements (e.g., the White Rose or Underground Railroad). They are challenged to 'translate' a modern political manifesto into a purely tactile or olfactory language that could pass as an everyday household chore. This bridges literary analysis with the practical UX of survivalist communication.

The Steganographic Reveal

The instructor reveals a 'ghost message' hidden in plain sight within the syllabus or classroom decor that has been there since day one, undetected. Students must then reverse-engineer the 'UX of the Invisible,' designing a communication system that uses 'steganography'—the art of hiding messages in something that is not secret—to coordinate a fictional campus-wide protest. This shifts the focus from digital encryption to the physical semiotics of the mundane.

The 'Nolite Te Bastardes' Forensic Challenge

Students are assigned a 'predecessor' (a fictional former student) and given a single 'artifact of resistance' left behind—a scratched desk, a modified book spine, or a specific arrangement of stones. Their task is to 'answer' this message using a non-permanent, non-traceable medium like shadows, light, or scent, ensuring the message is only 'readable' at a specific time of day. This emphasizes the novel's themes of ancestral connection and the struggle to leave a legacy when one's identity is erased.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

The Subtext of Survival: Narrating the Unspoken

Students will examine the 'hidden texts' within Atwood's narrative—specifically the 'Nolite te bastardes carborundorum' inscription and the forbidden Scrabble games. They will analyze how these moments of illicit communication alter the narrator's perspective and shift the power dynamics of the scenes. This activity focuses on 'steganographic narration'—how meaning is buried beneath the surface of mandated social interactions.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select three key scenes from the novel where 'illicit' or 'covert' communication occurs (e.g., the doctor's office, the Scrabble game, the encounter at the Wall).
2. Analyze the diction and syntax used in these scenes: How does the language shift when the narrator is engaging in 'authorized' speech versus 'unauthorized' thought or action?
3. Evaluate how these moments of communication function as 'inciting incidents' that structure Offred's path from isolation to collective awareness (Mayday).

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Perspective Shift Log' that analyzes three key scenes where covert communication occurs, explaining how the narrative syntax and Offred’s perspective change as a result of these interactions.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with AP LIT NAR-4.C (Identify and describe details, diction, or syntax in a text that reveal a narrator’s or speaker’s perspective) and AP LIT STR-1.A (Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning).
Activity 2

The Steganographic Prototype: UX of the Invisible

Applying Atwood’s world-building logic, students will design a prototype for a non-digital communication system that exists within the 'blank spaces' of a high-surveillance environment. The system must use 'found objects' or environmental 'affordances' (e.g., the way a window is left open, the arrangement of items on a grocery shelf, or the color of a thread in a garment) to convey complex messages. This is an exercise in creating 'tactile metaphors' that function as a resistance language.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select a 'mundane environment' on campus or in a hypothetical high-surveillance zone modeled after the constraints in Gilead.
2. Identify three physical variables in that environment that can be manipulated (e.g., the orientation of books, the placement of stones, or the use of specific scents).
3. Develop a 'syntax' for these variables that reflects the 'aesthetic impact' of Atwood’s writing—ensure the messages are hidden in the mundane (e.g., 'A specific knot in a shawl = The eyes are watching').
4. Conduct a 'Blind Test' where another student group attempts to 'read' a message using only your prototype and syntax key, simulating the high-stakes deciphering Offred must perform.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Covert Semiotic Prototype' consisting of the physical objects used for the system and a 'Tactile Syntax Key' that explains how these objects function as a structured narrative system for resistance.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with AP LIT FIG-1.B (Explain the function of a character’s relationship to their environment) and AP LIT STR-1.A (Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning).
Activity 3

Deciphering the Gilead Ledger: Environmental Semiotics

In this foundational activity, students will analyze how Margaret Atwood uses environmental signifiers to communicate power and subversion in Gilead. Rather than looking at dialogue, students focus on the 'visual and tactile language' of the novel—the red of the habits, the wings on the headpieces, the hooks on the wall, and the lilies in the garden. They will decode how these mundane objects act as a semiotic system that reinforces state control or provides small windows for resistance, and how Offred’s interaction with these objects defines her character.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Conduct a close reading of the first five chapters of 'The Handmaid's Tale', specifically highlighting descriptions of physical objects, clothing, and architectural features that define the 'setting'.
2. Categorize these objects into two columns: 'State Control' (how the government uses the object to restrict) and 'Subversive Potential' (how a resistance member might repurpose the object).
3. Write a 300-word analysis on how Offred’s specific observations of these objects reveal her internal resistance and her evolving relationship with her physical environment.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Gileadean Semiotic Map'—a visual taxonomy that categorizes at least 10 environmental objects from the novel, detailing their 'official' state meaning versus their 'subversive' potential, accompanied by a character analysis.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with AP LIT FIG-1.B (Explain the function of a character’s relationship to their environment) and AP LIT CHR-1.A (Identify and describe what different aspects of a character reveal about that character).
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Mayday UX: Covert Semiotics & Resistance Design Rubric

Category 1

Literary Analysis & Semiotic Foundation

Focuses on the student’s capacity to interpret and manipulate the visual and tactile language of Gilead as a foundational step for design.
Criterion 1

Semiotic Analysis of Environmental Signifiers (AP LIT FIG-1.B)

Assessment of the student's ability to decode the 'official' versus 'subversive' meanings of environmental objects as established in Atwood’s Gilead and their own prototypes.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides a sophisticated and highly nuanced taxonomy of environmental objects; identifies subtle, multi-layered subversive meanings that demonstrate a deep grasp of semiotic theory and the novel's power dynamics.

Proficient
3 Points

Accurately categorizes environmental objects with clear distinctions between state-mandated meanings and subversive potentials; demonstrates a solid understanding of how objects communicate power.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies basic environmental signifiers but the distinction between state control and subversion is sometimes inconsistent or lacks depth in analysis.

Beginning
1 Points

Identifies a few objects but fails to articulate a clear semiotic relationship or misses the subversive potential entirely.

Criterion 2

Literary Insight & Perspective Shift (AP LIT STR-1.A, CHR-1.A)

Evaluation of the student's ability to analyze how shifts in communication (authorized vs. unauthorized) reflect changes in the narrator’s perspective and the novel’s overall structural meaning.

Exemplary
4 Points

Offers a profound analysis of narrative syntax and perspective; clearly illustrates how 'steganographic narration' creates a psychological shift and structural turning points in the text.

Proficient
3 Points

Effectively explains how unauthorized communication affects the narrator's perspective and describes the impact on the scene's power dynamics.

Developing
2 Points

Describes changes in perspective but provides limited analysis of how diction and syntax specifically drive those changes or affect the overall structure.

Beginning
1 Points

Provides superficial observations of character dialogue without connecting it to narrative structure or shifts in perspective.

Category 2

System Design & Prototype Execution

Evaluates the practical application of literary themes into a functional, non-digital communication system.
Criterion 1

Innovation in Covert UX Design (UX/Design Thinking)

Assessment of the ingenuity and 'invisible' nature of the non-digital communication prototype, specifically its use of environmental affordances.

Exemplary
4 Points

Prototype is exceptionally innovative, utilizing mundane environmental variables in a way that is virtually undetectable yet highly functional; 'Tactile Syntax Key' is sophisticated and elegant.

Proficient
3 Points

Prototype effectively uses found objects to convey complex messages; the system is logical and demonstrates a clear understanding of the 'UX of the Invisible.'

Developing
2 Points

Prototype utilizes environmental objects but the 'syntax' is either too obvious for a surveillance state or too convoluted to be functional for a user.

Beginning
1 Points

Prototype relies on digital concepts or obvious symbols that would be easily intercepted; lacks a clear syntax or environmental integration.

Criterion 2

Rhetorical Efficacy & Audience Awareness (AP LANG RHS-1.A)

Evaluation of the system’s effectiveness based on the rhetorical situation: exigence (surveillance), audience (resistance), and purpose (secure communication).

Exemplary
4 Points

The system demonstrates a master-level understanding of the rhetorical situation; the 'Blind Test' reveals a highly efficient and secure communication flow with zero 'user error.'

Proficient
3 Points

The system appropriately addresses the needs of a resistance audience while mitigating the risks of state surveillance; the 'Blind Test' is successful.

Developing
2 Points

The system identifies the audience and purpose but fails to fully account for the 'exigence' of high surveillance, leading to potential security vulnerabilities.

Beginning
1 Points

The system fails to differentiate between authorized and unauthorized audiences; rhetorical purpose is unclear or ineffective for survival.

Category 3

Synthesis & Ethical Defense

Focuses on the synthesis of analytical findings and practical design into a cohesive, ethical defense of the work.
Criterion 1

Technical Argumentation & Ethical Reflection (CCSS.W.1)

Evaluation of the student’s ability to defend their design choices through a technical rationale that balances efficacy with the ethical risks of state-sanctioned violence.

Exemplary
4 Points

Rationale provides a compelling, evidence-based argument that masterfully synthesizes design thinking and ethical considerations; identifies and mitigates complex security risks.

Proficient
3 Points

Provides a clear technical rationale with valid reasoning and sufficient evidence from both the prototype and the novel to justify the system’s effectiveness.

Developing
2 Points

Rationale explains the system but lacks deep ethical reflection or fails to provide strong evidence for why the system would survive state-level surveillance.

Beginning
1 Points

Rationale is incomplete, lacks a coherent argument, or ignores the ethical implications of 'user error' in a high-stakes environment.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

In 'The Handmaid’s Tale,' Offred finds power in the 'blank spaces' of her narrative. How did your analysis of her internal resistance specifically influence the way you chose to hide messages within your own prototype's 'mundane objects'?

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Question 2

Based on your 'Blind Test' results, how confident are you that your prototype could withstand state-level surveillance without leading to the immediate capture of the user?

Scale
Required
Question 3

One of our essential questions addressed the designer's ethical responsibility when 'user error' results in state violence. Discuss a specific feature of your system that you modified or simplified specifically to reduce the risk of a fatal misunderstanding.

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Required
Question 4

Which aspect of shifting from digital/verbal communication to 'covert semiotics' proved to be the most difficult challenge for your group to overcome?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Decoupling meaning from written/spoken language
Recognizing the 'affordances' of everyday physical objects
Balancing aesthetic mundanity with functional clarity
Anticipating the 'gaze' of the surveillance state during the design process
Question 5

How has the process of prototyping a 'UX of the Invisible' changed your understanding of the relationship between linguistic control and individual agency in both literature and the real world?

Text
Required