1. Welcome! Junior English! 5/16/2012 WHEN YOU ENTER THE ROOM COPY YOUR AGENDA AND OBJECTIVES AND BEGIN YOUR SSR SSR Agenda/ Objectives Warm-up: Ted Talk: Dan Gilbert; “Why are We Happy?” Socratic Seminar: Planning, then participation. The American Dream. Exit Note Objectives: I will... -Develop life-long reading skills. -Reflect on the role of The American Dream in our own lives. -Cite passages from informational texts to support my opinion. - Analyze informational texts and respond to ideas we find interesting HW: American Dream Essay due Today.

2. Warm-up How is the American dream changing? What factors in our world are bringing about these changes? What do you think? Write for FULL six minutes. The Dream: IF WE WORK HARD ENOUGH, THE WORLD WILL BE OUR OYSTER AND WE WILL BE HAPPY.

3. What is happiness? How do we measure it? The American dream revolves around our never ending search for happiness and satisfaction. The dream says that if you work hard enough, you can have anything you want; therefore, if you have everything you want, you will be happy. But what is happiness and how do we measure happiness? How do we view happiness and where does it embed itself into our lives. We are about to read a tragedy, so lets think of happiness as the end goal never reached in the drama. We are going to watch this Ted Talk on happiness. While you watch: 1.Title a separate piece of paper: Preparing for the Socratic Seminar. 2.List 3 things that Dan Gilbert says that resonates with you. 3.Take five minutes to explain how you define real happiness. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html

4. Planning for the Socratic Seminar 1. Take out a Separate sheet of paper. Put your name and period on it. Title it “American Dream: Socratic Seminar” 2. I am going to hand back the articles from Thursday. Review them and write and record in your RLN: 1. One passage that you find interesting. 2. One question you have. 3. One thing you may want to bring up with the class and why you want to bring that idea up. 3. Now, lets list some norms we need to remember when we participate in a conversation? 1. With the person next to you, think back to a successful or not successful conversation you have had in the past? Each individual should record a list of 3-5 things that made the conversation effective or ineffective. 2. Everyone must share one thing that made the conversation successful or not successful. We will circulate around the room. Come up and write your idea on the document camera when it is your partners turn. 3. What are we missing? What is important? 4. Lets break into groups of three (Count off 1,2,3; 1,2,3) 5. I am going to send a group list around; please write your name under the appropriate group number, so I know what group you are in.

5. Socratic Seminar Group Questions On the same sheet of paper with your brainstorming ideas on it, please record the appropriate question for your group number. IF WE WORK HARD ENOUGH, THE WORLD WILL BE OUR OYSTER AND WE WILL BE HAPPY. Group three: In the past, how have we defined the American Dream? How has it changed? How do we define the American Dream now? Does it still exist? What are the implications of this idea? Group one: Why do we hang on to the idea of the American Dream? Do you think everyone can live the American Dream? What happens when the life we have mapped out for ourselves does not quite go as planned? Group two: Why does the American Dream work for some, but not for others? How could we begin to change this idea so that is works for all members of the community? Do you think we need to change this idea, or do you not and why?

6. Socratic Seminar: Here’s how it works! 1.Group three will be the first dialogue circle. 2.Group one will be the second dialogue circle. 3.Group two will be the third dialogue circle. 4.When it is their turn, the group will assemble into a circle (these students are the students that will be participating in the dialogue). 5.Students whose groups are not currently speaking must record 3 ideas that the inner circle group discusses. 6.All students in the dialogue circle group must speak at least once. 7.Each group will have 8 minutes to talk. 8.At the end of the time, we will switch groups; the upcoming groups will consider what has been said prior to their discussion while simultaneously address their groups discussion questions. 9.This process repeats until all groups have spoken.

7. Exit note: In your own opinion, can everyone really make it if they work hard and put in the time? What do you foresee as barriers to “making it” in your own life? Write for 5 minutes.