Cultural Values and the American Dream



Cultural Values and the American Dream

J. Maskell / M. Galusha

What are the values upon which America was founded?

What are the values by which modern American’s live?

Values can be defined as anything of relative worth, merit, or importance. In Frost’s “Mending Wall” the neighbor values a traditional belief passed on by his father: “Good fences make good neighbors.” The speaker, however, seems to value the ability to reassess his situation, redefine himself and question tradition which may have lost its relevance. In “Walden” Thoreau explains how he values the simplification of life, a value that may differ considerably from that of many modern

Americans. In “The Declaration of Independence” our founding fathers outlined the values that they believed were fundamental to democracy. These were noble values that still inspire us today, but there are limits to how far these values extend.

Consider your own values. What are some concepts you live by? What are some items you feel you can’t live without? Which family traditions have you held onto? Which have you begun to question or disregard?

For this first major assignment, you will work as an individual and alongside some of your classmates to examine the concept of values and how they relate to the American Dream, the notion that freedom, opportunity and success are available to every American. This assignment will be completed in four parts. Over the next several days you will:

• Gather examples of your own personal values

• Collaborate on a poster that represents those values

• Use a variety of texts to collaborate on a found poem

• Write a personal essay detailing how your personal values relate to the American Dream

Part 1 – Gathering Examples (Homework)

Gather 10-15 images that represent your personal values. These could be pictures, words, shapes, colors, anything that embodies what is important to you. Clip them from magazines and newspapers, print them from websites, or create them yourself if you have the means to do so. These images will become part of a poster you put together with a few other classmates, so be sure they are large enough for that purpose. Your collaboration will help you gain a better understanding of the cultural values by which modern Americans live.

Part 2 – Collaborative Found Poem (In class) 15 points

Using works such as Walden, and The Declaration of Independence, as well as articles about the American Dream, create a collaborative found poem of 16 lines. While each member of your group should be responsible for one quatrain, the poem should have a sense of unity and completion. The subject of your found poem should clearly be relative to either or both of the essential questions. You are encouraged to present your final product in a professional and aesthetically thoughtful manner since it will be part of the poster you create in Part 3.

Part 3 – Collaborative Poster (In Class) 15 points

Share your images with your group, and discuss your reasoning behind each one. Together, develop categories into which you could organize your collection of images. Consider the big picture; ask yourselves what values are being represented by each image. A car and a house, for example, may not seem very similar, but each can be viewed as an indication of wealth, success and social status.

Use your categorized images to design a poster which graphically represents your group’s interpretation of modern American values. Be creative with your design; I am looking for much more than a collage here. Consider the extent to which each category is filled. A category with twenty examples should not be given the same treatment as a category with only three.

Upon completion, your group will give a brief, informal presentation explaining your final product to the rest of the class.

Part 4 – Personal Essay (In class/at home) 50 points

From your readings and discussions, you should have an understanding of the values upon which America was founded, as well as the values by which modern Americans live. Craft a two page essay in which you explain your understanding of each, and how they relate to your own personal set of values. You must use quoted evidence from at least one nonfiction source. This could be an article we read together, or an article you find on your own. Proper MLA formatting and citation is required. I will go over this in class before the final copy is due.

Additional Notes:

• All due dates will be clarified in class.

• Essays are to be typed, double spaced and in 12 point Times New Roman unless otherwise stated.

• The written communication and collaboration rubrics will be used to assess this project. These rubrics are in your student handbook.

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from :

Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. The literary equivalent of a collage, found poetry is often made from newspaper articles, street signs, graffiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems.

A pure found poem consists exclusively of outside texts: the words of the poem remain as they were found, with few additions or omissions. Decisions of form, such as where to break a line, are left to the poet.

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