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Lesson 1 (from Chapter One and Chapter Two)

Objective

Chapter One and Chapter Two

When Benjamin Franklin arrived in Philadelphia, he was careful to craft his persona. Franklin typified the American belief that no matter where you came from, you could make yourself into whatever you wanted. The objective of this lesson is to examine the significance of upward mobility in the United States.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Who was Benjamin Franklin? Who did he want to work through? Who were the backbones of the community? What kind of persona did Franklin want to craft? Why was this significant? Why would Walter Isaacson want to focus on the building of Franklin's persona? What was upward mobility? What was another term for upward mobility? Why was the American dream significant for immigrants in the 1700s? Do you think the pursuit of the American dream is still alive today? Why or why not?

2) Independent Work: Critical Response: Students...

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