In a sermon titled A Model of Christian Charity, Winthrop set forth the idea that America was special (an idea that morphed into what is called "American Exceptionalism") because of its unique relationship to God and other nations. He changed the goal of the colony from a commercial venture to a Puritan society. John Winthrop, an ancestor of both George Bush and John Kerry, was the four-time governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Ronald Reagan's farewell speech ( audio and video).Casting Crowns' "American Dream" ( video).Print out copy of lesson, using color ink for paintings.Create an original piece of music, art, or literature that reflects the American Dream.Evaluate the utopic/dystopic nature of the American Dream.Interpret the treatment of the American Dream in music, literature, and art.Discuss the vision of the American Dream and how it has changed over time.Explain roots of the idea of the American Dream.In what ways is the American dream both utopic and dystopic?Īfter completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:.How has the American Dream changed over time?.How has the vision of the American Dream been made manifest in literature, music, and art?.
Using the "City on a Hill" allusion from John Winthrop's famous sermon as a starting point, this lesson gives students a paradigm - The American Dream - through which to view their study of American literature, in the classroom and in their own reading as well. Often, the novels and stories are taught without historical context or simply in chronological order with no overarching thread to tie them together thematically. American Literature is a traditional course of study in eleventh grade English/Language Arts classes across the nation.
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