The American Dream

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In the American Dream Unit, you have worked to define the concept of the American Dream and to interpret the author's message on the American Dream in The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men. Now, you will research an aspect of the American Dream in today's society (home ownership, education, wealth and poverty, inequality, immigration, the environment, etc.) and write an article for a collaborative Class of 2027 American Dream magazine.  Use these links to find reliable news outlets for research, examples of articles for formatting, and resources to help you cite your sources.  

Assignment Documents & Information

Essential Questions: 

Is the American Dream a myth, or reality? 

Can anyone achieve the American Dream through hard work? 

What is the health of the American Dream today?

Articles & Interviews to Extend Your Thinking

• "The Great Gatsby" Then & Now

Bob McKinnon, host of the podcast Attribution, speaks with Maureen Corrigan, book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air and the Nicky and Jamie Grant Distinguished Professor of the Practice in Literary Criticism at Georgetown University. Corrigan’s book “So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came To Be and Why It Endures” is the focus of their conversation. They also speak about what “The Great Gatsby,” which was set on the prosperous Long Island of 1922, can still teach us about class in America today. 

• The American Dream Is Harder To Find In Some Neighborhoods

Does the neighborhood you grow up in determine how far you move up the economic ladder? A new online data tool finds a strong correlation between where people are raised and their chances of achieving the American dream.

• Middle-Class Immigrant Family Says Greed Is Eclipsing The American Dream

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with business owners Manolo Betancur and Zhenia Martinez. They own Las Delicias Bakery in Charlotte, N.C.

• 'Bowling Alone' Author Tackles The American Dream
  
  

American political scientist Robert Putnam says we've lost sight of America as the land of opportunity. NPR's Scott Simon talks with him about his new book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis.

Literature Connections--Books Available in the School Library

Article Format Examples

Writing & Citation Help