This narrative unit on idealism was developed as an illustration of minority group efforts to reform the social structure of American democracy, the implications being that American life was in many respects lacking. The general teaching objectives are: 1) to stimulate student consideration of what would be their ideal society; 2) to foster a feeling that human institutions can be improved and effectively changed; 3) to value individual and group efforts to improve society; 4) to appreciate a goal which holds out for something better than a life based on material things; and, 5) to understand why people drop out of society and what problems they face. The narratives are divided into two sections: the first briefly describes conditions as they existed before a response was made to the condition; the second section deals with the form which the response took. Except for a narrative on peace, all the others have historical roots in the nineteenth century and include selections on utopian socialism, penal reform, and abolitionism. The methods shown in these narrative studies should invite comparison with present idealisms, which, for the most part, are a continuation of earlier ones. The readability range in all five narratives runs from a reading grade level of seven plus to eleven plus. Discussion questions to encourage inquiry, a vocabulary list, and a test are included. (Author/SBE)