- What is the "American Dream," and is it realistic?
Challenge:
- Find out if teenagers, including those in Pascack Valley High School, still believe in the American Dream.
- If so, discover if they believe that they need to work hard to achieve it.
Guiding Questions:
- Is freedom really free, or do people have to work toward their goals?
- Do students plan on attending college to further their education?
- What do students today want to accomplish in their life time? Do they want wealth, fame, greatness, or something else?
- Why did some slightly older generations, namely those that are from about three or four generations ago, move to America?
- How do the opinions of teenagers today compare to those of older individuals regarding the American Dream?
Guiding Activities:
- Student survey ..(Complete by using the guiding questions.)
- Internet research ..(Find statistics related to the percentage of teenagers attending college.)
- Interview relatives ..(Question older individuals who moved to America to compare their views to the views of teenagers.)
Guiding Resources:
Interview: When moving to America, what were you expecting when you arrived?
- I was only seven, but I remember hearing the streets were paved with gold. Obviously they weren't, but the concrete shimmered in the sun, so then I still believed thatthey were.
Were your expectations of America right?
- No, when I was older, I realized they weren't.
Did you think the people in America and the people in Italy had different priorities to succeed?
- Yes, the people in Italy worked only to survive, whereas in America, people worked for wealth.
Has your idea of the American Dream changed since you moved here?
- No, not really. It is the land of the free, and you can be whatever you want to be.
In your opinion, is freedom really free in America?
- Yes, we are the land of the free. In other countries, you are killed and tortured if you try to be equal.
Survey: Is freedom really free, or do people have to work toward their goals?
- Yes, freedom is free: 20%
- No, people must work for their goals: 80%
What do individual students of this day and age want to accomplish in their lifetime?
- Wealth: 40%
- Fame: 10%
- Greatness: 30%
- Family and/or a comfortable lifestyle: 20%
How do the opinions of teenagers today compare to those of older individuals regarding the American Dream?
- Teenagers do not worry about what the American Dream is anymore: 60% ..(The main reason is that they are still young and thus have their parents to rely on.)
- Teenagers still care about working hard and accomplishing their goals: 40%
..(However, most also said that they have less time to enjoy their achievements because of their workload.)
The American Dream originated with immigrants who believed that once they arrived in America, they would be able to achieve equality and opportunities to better themselves. They expected the streets to be paved with gold and to be able to survive more easily. People who immigrated to the United States believed that freedom would really be free here. However, today, American teenagers do not believe in the American Dream. Granted, they do seek success and prosperity; however, teenagers feel that this is what they expected of them. Although wealth is still desired today, is no longer a dream, but what adolescents feel they must achieve. Additionally, this idea has been magnified ten-fold. Possessing merely enough wealth to live and survive is not longer what is wanted; now, people hunger for more and more wealth. Still, teenagers do not seem to worry about their future at this moment. Although they anticipate working hard in the future, they do not concern themselves about wealth now since they are still able to rely on their parents. Thus, the American dream is no longer a dream but the reality that teenagers await as they toil their way through their lives.
Publishing:
- iMovie presentation
- "Live" introduction and conclusion
Essential Question:
- What is the "American Dream," and is it realistic?Challenge:
- Find out if teenagers, including those in Pascack Valley High School, still believe in the American Dream.- If so, discover if they believe that they need to work hard to achieve it.
Guiding Questions:
- Is freedom really free, or do people have to work toward their goals?- Do students plan on attending college to further their education?
- What do students today want to accomplish in their life time? Do they want wealth, fame, greatness, or something else?
- Why did some slightly older generations, namely those that are from about three or four generations ago, move to America?
- How do the opinions of teenagers today compare to those of older individuals regarding the American Dream?
Guiding Activities:
- Student survey..(Complete by using the guiding questions.)
- Internet research
..(Find statistics related to the percentage of teenagers attending college.)
- Interview relatives
..(Question older individuals who moved to America to compare their views to the views of teenagers.)
Guiding Resources:
Interview:When moving to America, what were you expecting when you arrived?
- I was only seven, but I remember hearing the streets were paved with gold. Obviously they weren't, but the concrete shimmered in the sun, so then I still believed that they were.
Were your expectations of America right?
- No, when I was older, I realized they weren't.
Did you think the people in America and the people in Italy had different priorities to succeed?
- Yes, the people in Italy worked only to survive, whereas in America, people worked for wealth.
Has your idea of the American Dream changed since you moved here?
- No, not really. It is the land of the free, and you can be whatever you want to be.
In your opinion, is freedom really free in America?
- Yes, we are the land of the free. In other countries, you are killed and tortured if you try to be equal.
Survey:
Is freedom really free, or do people have to work toward their goals?
- Yes, freedom is free: 20%
- No, people must work for their goals: 80%
What do individual students of this day and age want to accomplish in their lifetime?
- Wealth: 40%
- Fame: 10%
- Greatness: 30%
- Family and/or a comfortable lifestyle: 20%
How do the opinions of teenagers today compare to those of older individuals regarding the American Dream?
- Teenagers do not worry about what the American Dream is anymore: 60%
..(The main reason is that they are still young and thus have their parents to rely on.)
- Teenagers still care about working hard and accomplishing their goals: 40%
..(However, most also said that they have less time to enjoy their achievements because of their workload.)
Websites:
- What is the "American Dream"?
- College statistics from 2008
Solution:
The American Dream originated with immigrants who believed that once they arrived in America, they would be able to achieve equality and opportunities to better themselves. They expected the streets to be paved with gold and to be able to survive more easily. People who immigrated to the United States believed that freedom would really be free here. However, today, American teenagers do not believe in the American Dream. Granted, they do seek success and prosperity; however, teenagers feel that this is what they expected of them. Although wealth is still desired today, is no longer a dream, but what adolescents feel they must achieve. Additionally, this idea has been magnified ten-fold. Possessing merely enough wealth to live and survive is not longer what is wanted; now, people hunger for more and more wealth. Still, teenagers do not seem to worry about their future at this moment. Although they anticipate working hard in the future, they do not concern themselves about wealth now since they are still able to rely on their parents. Thus, the American dream is no longer a dream but the reality that teenagers await as they toil their way through their lives.Publishing:
- iMovie presentation- "Live" introduction and conclusion