American Dream PBL

Lesson Summary

            The primary objective for my PBL is for the students to work either alone or in groups to respond to and discuss the following driving question; “What is the American Dream and is it attainable for the average American like me and you?” After reading multiple works of fiction throughout the year that deal with different ideas of the American Dream (Great Gatsby, Invisible Man, etc.), the students will have likely formed some loose opinion on what the American Dream is in their eyes, and the effect this “fantasy” can have on their lives. Students will either work in groups of 2-3 to create a visual component (painting, sculpture, picture, etc.) that represents their idea of the American Dream. In addition to this, each student will be required to write a one page rationale on their piece of art, justifying the different decision made while creating it. By working on the artistic portion of the assignment in groups the students will be able to present and defend their ideas, while still collaborating and sharing ideas. On the same note, by having each student write their own rationale they are able to make the assignment more personal, and offer their own unique interpretation of the problem. Students will not be graded on their artistic ability, but rather on creativity, effort, and originality.

 Introduction: The teacher will introduce the problem after the students have finished reading a novel that deals with the idea of The American Dream. To introduce this problem to the students I would start by showing them the YouTube video Is the American Dream Real? This video, made by John Green, offers a short introduction to what the American Dream is, how it has evolved over time, and offers different viewpoints that either agree or disagree with the idea of the American Dream. By giving the students multiple differing opinions on the topic from the start of the lesson, they will likely be unsure of the true nature of the American Dream. Because of this, the students will have to look closer at personal experience/motives in order to answer the question. The video also establishes its reliability and authenticity by citing different studies and statistics that relate directly to the American Dream.

Culminating Activity: After the students have had some time to think about and form an opinion on what the American Dream is to them, they will work in groups they choose to create a visual component that represents their idea of the American Dream. This will allow the students to work together in small, contained groups of their peers in order to apply the knowledge they gained throughout the unit to create a tangible representation of this abstract idea. After completing the visual component of the assignment, the students will be required to write a minimum of 1 page that offers a rationale for the creative decisions made while making their piece of art. By having the students complete this part as individuals it gives every student the opportunity to assign a completely unique and individualized meaning to whatever they created. The visual component of the assignment will be graded on the creativity, effort, and originality of the students, not on artistic ability. I would also include a short survey at the end of the group work where the students could report the amount of effort their group members put in. This would guarantee the students aren’t getting points for work they don't do.