1. What it is, what it does, what it affects, and who still buys it
The American Dream:
What it is, what it does, what it affects, and who still buys it

2. Quickwrite:
When you hear the term “American Dream,” what comes to mind? Don’t overthink it….just write whatever you associate with the phrase- you can make a list, draw a circle map, doodle pictures, or write a paragraph. You have 5 minutes….GO!
Now, let’s hear what the term means to some other Americans:
Defining the American Dream: NY Times
Do these definitions coincide with your own definition? What would you change or add?
Write/ list/ doodle for another 2 minutes on the topic…

3. Origins of the phrase, “The American Dream”
The Epic of America (1933) by James Truslow Adams
Adams attempted to address the historic development and philosophic vision of America.
Defined as "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone,
with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European
upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of
it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man
and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and
be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or
position."
"James Truslow Adams Papers, " James Truslow Adams Papers, N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2015.

4. Let’s talk about Crèvecœur Historic support of Truslow’s ideas-
Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecœur aka John Hector St. John (1735 – 1813)
a French-American writer, immigrated to New France in North America in 1755.
served in the French and Indian War as a surveyor in the French Colonial Militia, rising to the rank of lieutenant.
Following the British defeat of the French Army in 1759, he moved to New York State, then the Province of New York, where he took out citizenship and adopted the English-American name of John Hector St. John
He started writing about life in the American colonies and the emergence of an American society.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 13 Aug

5. Crèvecœur’s Writings
“What attachment can a poor European emigrant have for a country where
he had nothing? [...][America is the] country...now that...gives him land,
bread, protection, and consequence. [...] What then is the American, this new
man? He is either an European, or the descendant of an European, hence that
strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point
out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was
Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have
now four wives of different nations. He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds.”
What is Crèvecœur saying about the Americans of the eighteenth century?
How is “the Dream” present here?
"Letter III." Letter III. Web. 13 Aug <

6. To further American ideas...
The Declaration of Independence (1776)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Keeping the American colonists in mind…
What was their American Dream?
Did they fulfill it?
What price did they pay in fighting for their dream?
Over time has their dream remained the same in America, or has it changed?
How so?
We will be studying our founding fathers and their
Writings during this six weeks.
"John Trumbull: Thomas Jefferson" ( ) In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2006)

7. Affects and Effects of the American Dream
So what has the establishment of the American Dream done? Internationally? Nationally?
Who has been affected by this concept?
What has been the effect of this idea?
These are just a few of the questions we will strive to answer throughout the year.

8. Does anyone still believe in “the Dream”?
Let’s talk about relevance…
Pursuit of Happyness
America in 4 Minutes (spoken word)
In your journals, answer the following four questions:
What do you think about the American Dream?
Is this a concept relevant to your generation? Why or why not?
Why do you think previous generations wanted to believe in the American Dream?
What, if any, part does it play in today’s world?
Video is 3:30 min long; we have an AMERICAN DREAM EXIT TICKET handout