1. The American Dream February 9/10

2. Do Now Re-write the following sentences into active voice: 1.All necessary repairs will be performed by a licensed company. 2.More than 7,000 cigarettes a year are consumed by a pack-a-day smoker. 3.The smell of fresh-cut grass had never before been known by most of these children.

3. Notes Table of Contents 1.The Author 2.The Setting 3.Migrant Workers 4.The American Dream

4. 1. About the Author: John Steinbeck His books are set in California and deal with problems of working people. Characters in his books are immigrants from Mexico or from other parts of the U.S. who went to CA looking for work or a better life (The American Dream). Born in Salinas, California 1902-1968

5. 2. Setting Salinas Valley, CA *Farmland

6. The setting in Of Mice and Men The novel is set in the farmland of the Salinas valley, where John Steinbeck was born. The ranch in the novel is near Soledad, which is south-east of Salinas on the Salinas river. The countryside described at the beginning of the novel, and the ranch itself is based on Steinbeck’s own experiences.

7. Soledad, California

8. California in the 1930s

9. Time period of Story: 1930’s THE GREAT DEPRESSION

10. Dust Bowl- Tons of topsoil were blown off barren fields and carried in storm clouds for hundreds of miles.

11. Many lost their farms because they could not produce any crops. People decided to abandon their farms and go in search of work.

12. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 deepest economic depression the nation had ever known. It lasted until 1939. Effects: business bankruptcies, bank closings, farm foreclosures, and massive unemployment.

14. Break Out On Your Paper: Given the setting for the story we are about to read: What type of tone do you think this story will have and why? Compare your prediction with those of your group members We will discuss your responses

15. 3. Migrant Farm Workers farm worker/Harvester= someone who gathers a crop farm worker/Harvester= someone who gathers a crop People, especially men, traveled the countryside harvesting crops. People, especially men, traveled the countryside harvesting crops. The main characters, George and Lennie, are migrant farm workers. The main characters, George and Lennie, are migrant farm workers.

16. Why Migrant Workers? Before technology created farm machinery, humans had to do a lot of the farm work by hand. Between the 1880s and the 1930s, thousands of men would travel the countryside in search of work. Such work included the harvesting of wheat and barley.

17. Migrant Workers These workers would earn $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and shelter. During the 1930s, the unemployment rate was high in the U.S., and with so many men searching for work, agencies were set up to send farm workers to where they were needed. In the novel, George and Lennie (the two main characters) were given work cards from Murray and Ready’s, which was one of the farm work agencies.

18. Why did people MIGRATE ?

19. Breakout 2 Min Discuss with your group some possible reasons people migrate? Does the situation of the migrant workers in during the 1930’s resemble our current problems with immigration.

20. Lost their jobs No Money Lost their farms ?

21. What’s a Bindlestiff? A hobo carrying a bedroll.

22. 4. The American Dream A Definition: The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.

23. Break Out On Your Paper: 1.What do you think of when you head the phrase “The American Dream”? 2.What’s your dream? What do you want for yourself and your family in America? 3.How do you define success?

24. Freedom Money/Wealth Education Home

25. However, for many the dream became a nightmare. No Jobs= No Money= No food

26. The American Dream From the 17 th Century onwards, immigrants have dreamed of a better life in America. Many people immigrated to America in search of a new life for themselves or their families. Many others immigrated to escape persecution or poverty in their homeland.

27. Immigrants dreamed of making their fortunes in America. For many this dream of riches became a nightmare. – there were horrors of slavery, – there were horrors of the American Civil War, – there was a growing number of slums that were just as bad as those in Europe, – there was also great corruption in the American political system which led to many shattered hopes.

28. The idea of an American Dream for many was broken when in 1929, the Wall Street crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression. This era affected the whole world during the 1930s, but even in the midst of hardship, some people’s dreams survived. Thousands of people made their way west towards California to escape from their farmlands in the Midwest that were failing due to drought. The characters of George and Lennie dreamt of having a “little house and a couple of acres” which was their own dream.

29. Is the American dream possible in the historical context of the novel?

30. Break Out Many people believe that one can achieve their goals by hard work and dedication; others believe that it depends on a combination of luck and who people know. What do you believe? Take a position and write a thesis statement supporting your view.

31. Reading Article: “American Dream: Is it slipping away?” Task: Read the section titled “The Dream” Answer the following: 1.What is the vague promise? 2.What purpose does the dream serve?

32. Reading Article: “American Dream: Is it slipping away?” Task: Read the section “The Data” Answer the following: 1.About how many respondents believe the dream still holds true? 2.Why might the more educated believe in the dream?

33. On Your Own Finish reading the article and answer the following in 5 sentences: Is the idea of the “American Dream” still sustainable? Explain your answer using the article to support your view.