Synthesizing the American Dream

Synthesizing the American Dream

Purpose: To synthesize previous notions of the American Dream. To generate working definitions of The American Dream by function, classification, example, and negation.

Directions: You will defend, challenge, or qualify the statement:

America still provides access to the American Dream, to the “tired, the poor, and the huddled masses.”

Your essay assignment is to select 3 sources from Springboard, Unit 1 and use them to write an argumentative essay about this statement. You will need to include quotes from the sources and compare the authors’ ideas to your own position. Your position is the main idea of your essay; the sources and your observations will be included to compare, contrast and support your argument.

Essay instructions: First, decide what your position on the issue is. Do you agree or disagree that America still provides access to the American Dream as stated above? Why?

Next, review the list of sources from Springboard, Unit One. You will select passages from 3 of the works on this list to include in your essay:

Sources from Unit 1 The American Dream:

Type of Source / Name / Author / Page Number
Poem / Ellis Island / Joseph Bruchac / 9
Poem / Europe and America / David Ignatow / 10
Essay / The Trial of Martha Carrier / Cotton Mather / 18
Essay / Moral Perfection / B. Franklin / 21
Essay / Sayings of Poor Richard / B. Franklin / 23
Essay / “Self Reliance” / Emerson / 25
Essay / Walden / Thoreau / 27
Poem / “America, the Beautiful” / Bates / 31
Poem / “America” / McKay / 33
Poem / “Shine, Perishing Republic” / Jeffers / 34
Poem / “I Hear America Singing” / Whitman / 36
Poem / “I, Too, Sing America” / Hughes / 37
Poem / “Indian Singing in Twentieth-Century America” / Tremblay / 38
Poem / “Next to of course god America I” / Cummings / 40
Essay / They Live the Dream / Rather / 41
Article / Lifelong Dreamer-Vietnam Boat Person / McLaughlin / 46
Quotes / Money Quotes / Various / 52
Poem / “Money” / Gioia / 53
Drama / A Raisin in the Sun / Hansberry / 54
Short Story / “Mammon and the Archer” / Henry / 56
Song Lyrics / “Harlan Man” / Earle / 62
Song Lyrics / “The Mountain” / Earle / 63
Poem / “Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper” / Espada / 66
Poem / “Working” Roberto Acuna / Terkel / 69
Nonfiction / From Nickel and Dimed / Ehrenreich / 73
Surveys / Various / English III class / 78
Speech / Keynote Address 2004 / Obama / 84
Essay / The Right to Fail / Zinsser / 87

From the list of sources, choose 3 selections that match each of the following criteria:

Selection 1: Choose a selection that AGREES with your position on the “America still provides…” statement.

Source 1: Title:______

Author: ______Springboard Page Numbers:______

·  What did the author write that agrees with your position on the statement? (Provide Text evidence.)

______

______

Selection 2: Choose a second selection that AGREES with your position.

Source 2: Title: ______

Author: ______Springboard Page Numbers:______

·  How does this Author agree with your position? (Provide Text evidence.)

______

______

Selection 3: Choose a third selection that DISAGREES with your position.

Source: Title: ______

Author: ______Springboard Page Numbers:______

·  How does the Author disagree with your position? (Provide Text evidence.)

______

______

Before you write this essay, identify the following components of your essay.
You will use these notes to help you draft your essay.

Ø  The Hook –

·  Define your own position on the issue

Ø  The Claim -

·  What point are you trying to make about the issue? This is your central theses.

Ø  The Concession/Refutations –

·  How does Selection 3 disagree with your viewpoint? Why do you still maintain your position?

Ø  The Support –

·  How do Selections 1 and 2 agree with your viewpoint and help you prove your point?

Ø  The Conclusion- (Restate introduction and make a “Call to Action”)

·  A strong conclusion doesn’t just summarize your thesis; it highlights how your position can influence the reader’s thinking about the issue and encourage them to adopt your position and/or act on it.

Finally, when you have your 3 selections and text evidence, write your Argumentative Essay to prove why your position on the American Dream is valid (See Page 77 for the key elements of The Structure of an Argument.)

Now that you have completed your Prewriting, use this packet to write a

five paragraph essay responding to the statement: Does America still

provide access to, “…the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses”?