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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Joynson from Midlothian VA is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Joynson is requesting

Accessing the American Dream in Literature

My students need a class set of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller to assist in their study of the American Dream.

  • $297 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

My Students

By the time students reach high school, some have hardened themselves against reading because they cannot identify with the content. By helping the students to better connect with novels, I am hoping this could be the year to change their opinions on reading, both in the classroom & outside of it.

Death of a Salesman gives different meanings to the American Dream & shows what can happen when the dream is false or unfulfilled.

This dream was in serious trouble for Willy Loman in the play because of his fervent pursuit of success, wealth, & status. He, like many teens today, believed in the myth that success was based on popularity, personality, & personal attractiveness. As high school juniors, my students are beginning to think about their lives after leaving the confines of high school. They are starting to visualize their own American Dreams &, like Willy Loman, have a need to leave something of value behind after they have graduated. This means looking beyond the fixation on the superficial qualities of attractiveness & likability, & realizing that in order to truly obtain the American Dream, the key to success is hard work without complaint. In reading a more accessible play, students can work at finding their own true identity, both as individuals & as part of society.

My Project

In order to help track comprehension & literary devices in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, which will be paired with the classic The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I will have the students complete either double entry journals or dialectical journals comparing the two works. Nightly reading/discussion journals will also used, where the students complete stems pertaining to the characters and/or plot events, make predictions, & make connections with the text (text to text, text to self, & text to world), all of which will help them to actively engage with their reading. Students will also create poetry & other shorter writings that relate to the theme(s) in the texts. As Death of a Salesman is a play, which is meant to be seen & not read silently, the students will also have the opportunity to work on their speaking & acting skills as they read the play aloud, while following the stage directions.

Donations to this project will benefit the students because the play will allow them to explore opportunities beyond their means.

Also, by pairing a more traditional novel with a more accessible text, the students are able to begin comprehending the changes & non-changes in American society.

Mrs. Joynson
Grades 9-12

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Death of a Salesman (Penguin Plays) • Amazon $8.75 25 $218.75

Materials cost

$218.75

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.28

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$252.03

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$44.48

Total project goal

$296.51

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $296.51

1 Donor

-$296.51

Donations toward project cost

-$252.03

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$44.48

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Joynson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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