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.

This is aPrewriting Packet for your Final Exam. Complete this packet BEFORE you take your Final Exam. Bring your completed packet to class the day of your exam.

I. 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 toinclude quotes from the sources and compare the authors’ ideas to your own position. Your position isthe 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?

Next, review the list of sources from Springboard, Unit One. You will selectpassages from 3 of them 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 DISAGREES with your positionon the “America still provides…” statement.

Source 1: Title:______

Author: ______Springboard Page Numbers:______

  • What did the author write thatDISAGREES with your position on the statement? (Provide Text evidence.)

______

Selection 2:Choose a second selection that IN SOME WAYS AGREESwith 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 AGREES with your position.(Provide Text evidence.)

Source:Title: ______

Author: ______Springboard Page Numbers:______

  • How does the Author AGREE with your position?

______

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.)

Before youwrite your Final Exam essay, complete the following Paragraphs as instructed. You will use these paragraphsto write an essay as part of your English III Fall Semester Final Exam:

Paragraph 1 The Hook –

  • Define your own position on the issue

Paragraph 2 The Claim -

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

Paragraph 3 The Concession/Refutations –

  • How does Selection1 disagree with your viewpoint? Why do you still maintain yourposition?

Paragraph 4 The Support –

  • How does Selection 3 agree with your viewpoint and help you prove your point?

Paragraph 5 The Conclusion: restate intro Call to Action –

  • A strong conclusion that doesn’t just summarize your thesis, but 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.

Now that you have completed your Prewriting, bring this COMPLETED Packet to your Fall Exam and use it to write a five paragraph essay responding to the statement: Does America still provide access to, “…the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses”? Your essay will be worth 50% of your final exam! Just Do It!