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Lesson Plan
2
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Curated OER

American Dream and The Great Gatsby

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Is the American Dream alive and well or has it dried up and died? As part of a study of The Great Gatsby, class members search for articles on the state of the American Dream, analyze the arguments presented in those articles, and then...
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Lesson Plan
1
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MENSA Education & Research Foundation

Utopia/Dystopia: The American Dream

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
America was founded by dreamers, and the American dream still resonates in our country today. Track the American dream from its Puritan beginnings to its optimistic descendants with a instructional activity that focuses on speeches by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Can Achieve the "American Dream"

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Exploring the idea of working to achieve the American Dream, the class reads an excerpt from How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents by Julia Alvarez. Following, the class analyzes the excerpt and discusses the theme of the reading using...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Dream

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss the American dream and explain what the American Dream consists of. In this American Dream lesson, students listen to music about America for the reasons people love America.  Students create a list of wants and needs to...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

American Dream: Reality, Promise or Illusion?

For Students 10th - 11th Standards
Dream or nightmare? Class members craft a synthesis essay with textual to determine to what extent the United States has fulfilled the ideas embodied in the America Dream.
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

The Gift of Gatsby

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
A reading of “Gatsby’s Green Light Beckons a New Set of Strivers,” a New York Times article by Sara Rimer, triggers a discussion of the American Dream and what it means to strive for something. Following the discussion, class members...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

That's the Spirit

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...
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Lesson Plan
University of Southern California

Coming to America After the War

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War II. To...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

A Raisin in the Sun: Whose "American Dream"?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun factor into a discussion of the American dream? High schoolers define the American dream and recognize the historical setting of the play. Additionally, they identify forms of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Voice of Dreams

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore, analyze and study novel reflections on the American dream that the United States has held the promise of unlimited possibilities. They describe the concept of the American dream, listen to and record real stories of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Literature - The American Dream: Past, Present, and Future

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to the ideas of the American Dream at the turn of the century. They present their ideas on the American Dream at the turn of the century through a person characterized in Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Searching For The American Dream

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore the meaning of the American dream and how it has been explained in various forms. After reading various immigrant accounts, 9th graders use poetry and writing to explain how different cultures view the American...
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Interactive
PBS

Latino Americans Share Their Experiences

For Students 6th - 9th Standards
Three Latino Americans are the focus of an interactive that spotlights their accomplishments. Scholars get to know Lin-Manuel Miranda, Judy Reyes, and José Hernández through short informative text and videos. Participants read, take...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Defining the American Dream

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students define the American Dream and apply their knowledge of American history to evaluate the main idea of H.W. Brands' book, "The Age of Gold."
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

American Utopia: The Architecture and History of the Suburb

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Let's build a dream house! By examining promotional materials and photographs of early suburban developments, scholars consider what led to the development of this particular American dream. The resource includes case studies of three...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Dream

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students define the American dream. In this primary research lesson, students search the Library of Congress digital collections for primary sources regarding the ideal of the American dream.  Students create presentation to share...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In Pursuit of the American Dream

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students compare and contrast assimilation and acculturation. They explain the idea of "The Melting Pot" as it relates to what it means to be American. They write an 8 page response paper on a selected author.
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Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

The Power to Persevere

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Joris Debeij's film, Making It in America, takes a look at Alma Velasco, a Salvadoran immigrant who was granted political asylum in the United States. The lesson gives a face to immigrants and their struggles to embrace the American Dream.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is "The American Dream"?

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students read the story Marriage is a Private Affair and analyze the 'American Dream.' In this American Dream lesson, students free write about the American Dream. Students read the story and discuss the themes. Students write a letter...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create an American Dreams Talk Show!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create an imaginary American Dreams talk show using some of the program characters. The purpose of the activity is to help students develop develop an understanding of, characterize.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Dream Poetry

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars analyze how poetry can reveal themes of 'The American Dream.' In this poetry themes lesson, students discuss the elements of poetry and define imagery. Young scholars read 'Lost Sister' by Cathy Song and complete a related...
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Lesson Plan
Maryland Department of Education

A Raisin in the Sun and Dreams Deferred

For Teachers 10th Standards
To conclude a study of A Raisin in the Sun and to prepare for a visit to the Lewis Museum, class members analyze Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem." Learners then draw connections to characters in the play and to their own experiences by...
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Lesson Plan
TCI

Dreams Progress

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Has society progressed to the dream Martin Luther King Jr. expressed in his famous address during the civil rights movement? Learners work with a partner to analyze one excerpt from King's "I Have A Dream" speech and find a current image...
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Educating About Immigration The DREAM Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Group members role play state legislators, supporters of and opponents to the The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). After listening to the arguments put forth for and against the immigration legislation,...

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