Unit 3: Dreams & Barriers: Researching Opportunity in America

how life goals reveal identity, hope, and personal aspiration.

how redlining and housing segregation shaped opportunity for many American families.

how the American Dream has been experienced differently across communities and time periods.

how housing, education, and economic factors shape opportunity today.

Analyze how mid-century housing policies, redlining, and segregation shaped the dreams and opportunities available to different families.

Evaluate how Hansberry's characters use their dreams to confront historical and social barriers in A Raisin in the Sun.

Synthesize evidence from literary, primary, and informational sources to build a well-supported claim about fairness and opportunity.

Write a structured argumentative essay with a clear claim, evidence from multiple sources, counterclaim, and reasoning.

How did redlining, housing segregation, and economic policy shape the opportunities available to different families in mid-century America?

How does A Raisin in the Sun use its characters' dreams and conflicts to explore the promises and limits of the American Dream?

How have housing, education, and economic circumstances changed since mid-century—and where do disparities in opportunity persist?

How can research and evidence-based argument help us understand and address complex questions about fairness and access?

Investigation 1: How do our dreams shape who we are, and how do historical circumstances shape what becomes possible?

Investigation 2: How can understanding the experiences of others help us think critically about fairness and opportunity?