Name_________________________________________________________________ Class________ American Dream Rubric

American Dream Project

What is the American Dream? Is it the same for all Americans? Is it a myth? Is it simply a quest for a better life? How has the American
Dream changed over time? Some see their dreams wither and die while others see their dreams fulfilled. Why?
Your job is to research the dreams of others. You will need to focus on one group who immigrated to the United States. You can
choose your ancestral group or from a list of specific immigrant groups. You will then create and publish your interpretation of the
"American Dream." In your group, you will need to do the following:

Choose a research role (photographer, poet, comedian, reporter).

Use primary source documents and memoirs to research the dreams of those who lived in the past.

Identify, evaluate, and publish your interpretation of the immigrant groups "American Dream" according to your research role
and the evidence you found.

Remember to include: the reasons immigration(pull factors)/ emigration(push factors), the struggles they endured on their way,
the immigration process, and the experiences(culture, work, education, acceptance) once in the Unites States.

Research role ideas:

Photographer

Design a photo essay that shows the development of your ethnic groups American Dream. Each photo
should include a short description and connection to t the American Dream. At least 10 photographs
should be included.
Poet
Create a poet's notebook that shows the American Dream. Your notebook includes 3 original poems and 3
published poems that explore similar themes.
Comedian
Write a stand up comic script or create a series of political cartoon or comic strip that expresses your
interpretation of your groups American Dream.
Reporter
Write a feature article (similar to the ones we have looked at in class) that reports the results of your
research on the American Dream for your assigned group. Your article describes the events that have
shaped the American Dream through different time periods.
adapted from http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/american-dream/students/index.html
This project is due on Thursday, December 8, 2016.
Use space below for brainstorming:

Plan
Outcome Target

Not Yet

Meets Standards

Exceeds Standards

Makes appropriate
plans and follows
them in a timely
manner with
attention to
deadlines.

See below
on ways to
improve

Student uses a planning tool (e.g. planner) to

document assignments and project deadlines,
set smaller goals and, if necessary, modify
plans to meet these deadlines. During work
sessions, student organizes class time to
carry out responsibilities and requires no
teacher redirection.

Student uses a planning tool (e.g. planner)

to document assignments and project
deadlines, set smaller goals and, if
necessary, modify plans to meet these
deadlines. During work sessions, student
organizes class time to carry out
responsibilities.

Ways to improve this outcome:____ Complete all parts of the task,, ____ review the task to format your response, _____ next time
hand in your assignment on time, _______ spend more time revising your draft before moving on to your final published copy, ___
be on task during class requiring no teacher redirection , ____ other:

Discern
Outcome Target

Not Yet

Selects textual evidence

that supports analysis
and inferences

See below
on ways to
improve

Meets Standards

Exceeds Standards

Student selects text

evidence that connects to
and supports her ideas.

Student cites multiple pieces of textual evidence that

clearly connect to her ideas and support analysis of the
text.

Ways to improve this outcome: :___ use the strongest evidence such as quotes from interviews, ___ use primary source
evidence that supports your ideas,____ thoroughly discuss your evidence in more than one sentence, ___ other:

Conclude
Outcome Target

Not Yet

Meets Standards

Exceeds Standards

Forms accurate
conclusions or
claims based on
evidence.

See below
on ways to
improve

Student provides an accurate response

related to the task or question. The response
includes logical text-based inferences,
analysis and clear explanations of for
students reasoning

Student provides an insightful response

related to the task or question. The response
includes insightful text-based inferences,
analysis and clear explanations for students
reasoning.

Ways to improve this outcome: _____ your project should mention the reasons for emigration/immigration, _____ your project
should mention the process of immigration for that group, ____ your project should mention the experiences of the immigrant group
once they are in the Unites States, ____your project evaluates if that group was able to achieve the American Dream then/today,
____other:

Communicate
Learning
Target

Not Yet

Meets Standards

Exceeds Standards

Uses language
to
communicate
with clarity

See below on
ways to
improve

Student has chosen words

carefully to clearly communicate
ideas.

Student communicates an abundance of information or text

clearly by choosing words deliberately and eliminating
repetitive words or phrases.

Ways to improve this outcome:_____ new vocabulary from the unit/topic is shown in writing, ______ word choice is varied, gor
example when explaining evidence, you do not repeat this shows
_____ other: