[Students who migrated to the USA from Mexico or any other country when they were kids are the learner audience. However, this lesson series can be adapted for other types of learners. Each lesson will take up to 30 minutes. The topic of lesson #1 is social stratification and the American dream. The students will learn about these two concepts. The goals of lesson #2 are to learn how to create charts and graphs in a PowerPoint after collecting data through interviews and compare/ contrast results with National Survey 2005 NY Times. Lesson #3’s topic is about race as ascribed characteristics and its influence on social mobility. Students will integrate and evaluate information they collected and present their own ideas in discussions. Lesson #4’s topic is how gender can affect people’s ability to climb the economic ladder. During lesson #5 students will present their findings in class and reflect on their experience learning about the topic of the American dream and whether it is achievable or not.]

Learner Audience / Primary Users

[Learners need to develop proficiency in conversational English, as well as their technology skills. They need to be taught some basic computer literacy skills and be provided time at the learning center to complete their homework. They will create a PPT/ Prezi presentation. They will practice speaking English while interviewing people. Children of immigrants know firsthand that hard work doesn’t always guarantee moving up the economic ladder. They might be able to share stories about people they know who achieved their American dreams or struggle to achieve it.]

Educational Use

Curriculum / Instruction

College & Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) Alignment

Level: Adult Education
Grade Level: [D]
Subject: [English Language Arts / Literacy]
Domain or Strand: [Listening/Speaking Strand]

Standard Description: [Standards: CCR Anchor 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. CCR Anchor 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.]

Language

[English]

Material Type

Instructional Material
[Video lectures, Data, Homework and Assignments.]

Learning Goals

The purpose of this lesson unit is for learners to be able to:

[1. Build on others’ ideas and express own ideas about the American dream, social stratification and the theories explaining why stratification exists in our society 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in different media about social stratification and the American dream]

Keywords

Designers for Learning
Adult Education
[social stratification, the American dream, ascribed characteristics, gender, race, social class, mobility, a graph, a pie chart]

Time Required for Lesson

[up to 30 minutes for each lesson in this unit]

Prior Knowledge

[Learners need to know some basic computer skills and be able to type in English. They will need to know how to open a link to a YouTube video/ other online videos or a website on a computer or a smartphone. Learners must know what a bar graph and a pie chart are. They must have a basic understanding how to approach a situation when they need to conduct an interview with people they may and may not know.]

Required Resources

[Technology resources (a computer to create a PPT and watch online videos and read the information on websites or a smartphone to watch videos, surf the net). Internet access. A handout with key vocabulary and examples of charts and graphs, homework assignment interview guidelines with examples of phrases (e.g. polite requests) helpful as interview starters]

Download: Key Vocabulary The American Dream & Stratification

Download: Homework Assignment Interview Guidelines

Lesson Author & License

Lesson Author: [Nadezda Pimenova]

License: [ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license]

Part 2: Lesson

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson unit, the learner should be able to:

[Create several PPT slides with pie charts/ bar graphs presenting the data collected after interviewing (as a group) up to 30 people about the American dream
Present their findings and compare/ contrast them with existing data (National Survey 2005 NY Times “Class Matters”)
Critically evaluate the information presented in different media about social stratification and achieving the American dream]

Lesson Topics

Key topics covered in this lesson include:

[The American Dream
Social Stratification
Ascribed Characteristics (gender, race, social class)]

Context Summary

[The lesson unit has both Language Arts and social studies components. In this Grade level, students should be able to critically evaluate information and voice their opinion about the issues of social class, mobility and stratification.]

Relevance to Practice

[This type of learners are children of immigrant workers. They came to the US to achieve their American dream. There are many successful stories of immigrants coming to the USA and becoming rich and famous (e.g. Arnold Schwarzenegger, famous actor and former governor of California, Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo, Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, Lupita Nyong'o, an international filmmaker and actress, Salma Hayek, an actress, director and producer). However, the social class system in America with 1% of very rich and 99% of not so rich people can be unfair to people in the middle, working and lower class and limit their upward social mobility. Children of immigrant workers have traveled a lot and seen many people and places so they can relate to this topic of social stratification. They have met people who struggle to achieve the American dream.]

Key Terms and Concepts

[ascribed characteristics (class, gender, race)

bar graph

blue collar jobs/ white collar jobs

feminization of poverty

income

meritocracy

land of opportunity

minority

pie chart

prestige

rags to riches

racial gaps

social mobility

standard of living

survey

social stratification

welfare]

Instructional Strategies and Activities

Lesson # 1

Warm-Up

Time: 2 minutes

[Put the pictures of, e.g. Arnold Schwarzenegger, famous actor and former governor of California, Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo, Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, Lupita Nyong'o, an international filmmaker and actress, Salma Hayek, an actress, director and producer, or any other famous people who immigrated to the US and became famous and rich. Ask students if they know them.]

Introduction

Time: 2-3 minutes

[Brainstorming: Ask student what they think the American dream is. Is it possible to achieve it?]

Presentation / Modeling / Demonstration

Time: 8 minutes

[Go over vocabulary words that will be used in the video clip. E.g. upward/ downward social mobility, social class, strata, stratification, prestige, income, benefits, investment (you might need to use images to support your explanation of some of the vocabulary). Show students one clip from the video [5.20-8.14] Exploring Society Social Stratification which explains social stratification and social mobility.]

Guided Practice

Time: 6-7 minutes

[Split students in small groups and ask them to discuss what they learned about social stratification and what factors can determine someone’s moving up or down the economic ladder. Monitor their discussions by moving around the room. Be ready to provide some assistance if needed.]

Evaluation

Time: 5-6 minutes

[In groups, ask students to write down the key points they discussed on a big piece of paper/ a poster. ]

Application

Time: 4-5 minutes

[Explain a homework assignment to students. Each student will go and interview 3 to 5 people they may or may not know. It will be ideal if as a group they they will interview about 30 people. The goal of the interview is to collect data about people’s opinions whether the American dream is achievable. They will ask questions, including but not limited to the following ones: Is it possible to start out poor, work hard and become rich? Compared with your parents when they were the age you are now, is your standard of living now much worse, somewhat worse, about the same, somewhat better, much better? When your children are the same age you are now, will their standard of living be much worse, somewhat worse, about the same, somewhat better, much better? Will you reach the American dream in your lifetime? How does an American family of four need to make to be considered to be rich? How much education does a person need to get ahead in life? Give students a homework assignment with examples of phrases (e.g. polite requests) helpful as interview starters. Tell students when they interview people, they will need to record their race and gender and also their education level. Tell students that The Times conducted a nationwide survey in 2005 using the same questions.]

Download: Homework Assignment Interview Guidelines

Lesson # 2

Warm-Up

Time: ~ 2 minutes

[Show the YouTube video First-Generation Americans Talk About The American Dream.]

Introduction

Time: 2-3 minutes

[Ask students what they have learned after they conducted interviews. Was there something that people said that surprised them?]

Presentation / Modeling / Demonstration

Time: 3-4 minutes

[Open a PowerPoint presentation. On the title page, write your first/ last name and the name of presentation, e.g. The American Dream. Create a new slide. Ask one of the students to report how many people answered yes and no to the question Is it possible to start out poor, work hard and become rich? Open a pie chart. Type the question into the excel sheet. Plug in the numbers for yes and no. The program will generate a pie chart. Choose a bar graph mode. Now the same data will be shown as a bar graph.]

Guided Practice

Time: 15 minutes

[Ask students to start making their own PPT presentations. Monitor their progress by moving around the room. Be ready to provide some assistance if needed or correct something if it is wrong.]

Evaluation

Time: 2-3 minutes

[Ask students to email you their PowerPoint slides (or copy their PowerPoint slides into the teacher’s flashdrive.]

Application

Time: 5-7 minutes

[Give students a link to the survey. They will need to compare/ contrast results to one or two questions with The Times nationwide survey in 2005. Their homework will be to finish comparing results for all the questions. If students do not have internet access at home, give them printed copies of the results.]

Lesson # 3

Warm-Up

Time: ~ 3-4 minutes

[Ask students what they remember/ know about social stratification and social classes. Which class do their parents belong to? Do they think race can determine people’s ability to move up the economic ladder? ]

Introduction

Time: ~ 6 minutes

[Show the clip from the Stanford presentation The American Dream starting at 30.27 and finishing at 35.41.]

Presentation / Modeling / Demonstration

Time: 3-4 minutes

[Go over the key terms and ideas presented in the video clip (ascribed characteristics, racial gaps, minority groups, racial inequality, social mobility, unemployment rate).]

Guided Practice

Time: 7-8 minutes

[Ask students to look at their data collected through the interviews. How did people from different racial groups answer, for example, questions Will you reach the American dream in your lifetime? and How much education does a person need to get ahead in life? Tell them to discuss these differences in small groups. Monitor their progress by moving around the room. Be ready to provide some assistance if needed or correct something if it is wrong.]

Evaluation

Time: 2-3 minutes

[Ask one student from each small group summarize key ideas of their discussion.]

Application

Time: 2-3 minutes

[Tell students to do a small research about their state/community at home. They will need to access the website that shows unemployment rates for different racial groups by state and compare the rates of unemployment for Whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics.

They will also need to check the website that shows graduation rates by state and compare how percentages are different for different racial groups of students.]

Lesson # 4

Warm-Up

Time: ~ 2-3 minutes

[Ask students if they think gender can determine people’s ability to move up or down the economic ladder.]

Introduction

Time: ~ 6 minutes

[Show the clip from the Stanford presentation The American Dream from 35.42 to 40.24.]

Presentation / Modeling / Demonstration

Time: 4-5 minutes

[Go over the key terms and ideas presented in the video clip (ascribed characteristics, feminization of poverty, gender gap, discrimination, joined household, female/ male headed households).]

Guided Practice

Time: 7-8 minutes

[Ask students to look at their data collected through the interviews. How did women and men answer questions, for example, Compared with your parents when they were the age you are now, is your standard of living now much worse, somewhat worse, about the same, somewhat better, much better? When your children are the same age you are now, will their standard of living be much worse, somewhat worse, about the same, somewhat better, much better? Tell them to discuss these differences in small groups. Monitor their progress by moving around the room. Be ready to provide some assistance if needed or correct something if it is wrong.]

Evaluation

Time: 2-3 minutes

[Ask one student from each small group summarize key ideas of their discussion.]

Application

Time: 2-3 minutes

[Tell students they will present what they learned about social stratification, ascribed characteristics and the American dream next class. Each of them will have 3 minutes to present. They will use a PPT presentation with 3 slides total. The audience will ask questions to presenters.]

Lesson # 5

Time: up to 30 minutes (depends on a number of students in class)

[Students will present what they have learned about the American dream, social stratification and ascribed characteristics and reflect on their learning experience.]

Part 3: Supplementary Resources & References

Supplementary Resources

[TedxTalks.(2013, October 16). Awakening the American dream: Kevin Maggiacomo at TEDxOrangeCoast. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eL3GXXJJoM

SF Fed EconEd. (2012, December 5). Economic Mobility in the United States. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDIXxOHKmwk

RLRich22. (2013, August 19). Zakaria: Social Mobility in U.S. Declines. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-fSgDZHvvw ]

References

[Aidelbaum, Mitchell (Author). (2007). Jerry Yang.jpg. [Image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jerry_Yang.jpg

Biard, Georges (Author). (2012). Salma Hayek 2, 2012.jpg. [Image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salma_Hayek_2,_2012.jpg

Biard, Georges (Author). (2003). Arnold Schwarzenegger 2003.jpg. [Image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arnold_Schwarzenegger_2003.jpg

BuzzFeedYellow. (2015, November 30). First-Generation Americans Talk About The American Dream. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D69Il5tTAIU

Economic Policy Institute. (2016). [Interactive graphic]. State unemployment rates, by race/ethnicity and overall, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.epi.org/publication/state-unemployment-rates-by-race-and-ethnicity-at-the-end-of-2015-show-a-plodding-recovery/

Education Week. (2016). [Interactive graphic]. Map: Graduation Rates by State, Student Group. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/dc/2015/map-graduation-rates-by-state-student-group.html

Gdcgraphics (Author). (2013). Lupita Nyong'o, by Gordon Correll. [Image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lupita_Nyong%27o,_by_Gordon_Correll_(cropped).jpg

Mettler, Andy (Author). (2008). Indra Nooyi.jpg. [Image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indra_Nooyi.jpg#file

Rcragun (Author). (2009). Changes in percentages of professionals by gender.png. [Image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Changes_in_percentages_of_professionals_by_gender.png

Shingledecker, Nola. (2015, September 22) Exploring Society Social Stratification. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TzB2lSS4G0

Schutz (Author). (2007). Piecharts.svg. [Image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piecharts.svg

Roy, Nandini. (2012). The American Dream. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://web.stanford.edu/dept/lc/efs/2012/summer/ALCLecture3.html

The New York Times. (2005). [Interactive graphic]. Class Matters. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_04.html]

Attribution Statements

[Original content contributed by Nadezda Pimenova to PROJECT:

Homework Assignment Interview Guidelines and Key Vocabulary

Copyrighted Text, Audio, or Visual Content:

Graphic Data:

Linking to an article on The New York Times, Education Week website and Economic Policy Institute website is free of charge and does not require permission.

Video sources whose Terms of Use allow sharing:

Awakening the American dream: Kevin Maggiacomo at TEDxOrangeCoast

Exploring Society Social Stratification

First-Generation Americans Talk About The American Dream

The American Dream

Zakaria: Social Mobility in U.S. Declines

Video sources whose Terms of Use allow embedding:

Economic Mobility in the United States

Creative Commons (CC) Licensed Content:

Salma Hayek's image is under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Arnold Schwarzenegger's image is under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Changes in percentages of professionals by gender image is under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

Lupita Nyong'o's image is under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

Jerry Yang's image licensed is under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Indra Nooyi's image is under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Piecharts image is under the Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 Generic license.]

This course content is offered by Designers for Learning under a CC Attribution license.
Content in this course can be considered under this license unless otherwise noted. Page

(Design Guide effective March 29, 2016)

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