Sample Unit of Study

English 11 Honors

Essential Questions:

What is the American Dream?
How has what constitutes the American Dream changed over time?
Once attained, is it difficult to keep the American Dream?
What would you do to achieve/maintain the American Dream? Is it achievable for everyone?
Are there populations for whom the American Dream is elusive? What makes the American Dream elusive?

This unit focuses on various facets surrounding the American Dream, and students will explore the above questions through a range of texts from multiple genres.
The anchor text for this unit is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and students will select a complementary book club book.
The unit will explore how to synthesize sources with a focus on independent research as well as rhetorical analysis.
At the end of this unit, students will engage in a Socratic seminar about these questions and write an in-class timed comparative analysis essay pertaining to one of the essential questions for the unit.
As an extension of the unit’s essential questions, students will explore a Book Club choice memoir that explores the author’s perspective on the American Dream. They will then transition to a focus on narrative journalism and creative nonfiction techniques, culminating in a personal profile piece.