Friday, September 28, 2012

Dream of a Nation



THE BOOK
With over 400 pages of material that makes complex issues graspable, Dream of a Nation is a tool that will inform and engage. Download whole chapters or individual essays below:
  1. A People-Centered and Accountable Government
    1. Toward a Living Democracy
    2. Redefining Security for Strong Communities and a Safer World
    3. Getting Money Out of Politics: Putting the Public First
    4. Citizens Strengthening Democracy
    5. Innovation in Government
    6. Bridging the Political Divide
  2. Citizen Stewardship
    1. Unified in Stewardship
    2. Staying Within Our Limits
    3. Living Lighter
    4. Citizens Shaping Their World
    5. Helping Others: Finding the Will and the Way
    6. The Power of Young People to Change the World
  3. Creating a Stable and Equitable Econonmy
    1. Lighting the Way to a New Economy
    2. Building a “We” Economy
    3. Moving the Green Jobs Movement Forward
    4. Make It in America
    5. Real World Models for Creating Stability
    6. Switching Taxes to Get America Working
  4. A News Media That Informs and Empowers
    1. Media: A Tool for Strengthening Democracy
    2. Making Coverage Count
    3. Focusing on Solutions
    4. Citizen Empowerment Through Journalism
  5. Aiming for the Best in Education
    1. Seeing Education in a New Light
    2. Fair School Funding and Equal Opportunities
    3. Educating for a Sustainable Future
    4. A School and Community Strategy for the 21st Century
    5. Making Education Work for All Students
  6. Re-Powering America
    1. 100 Percent Carbon-Free Electricity Within 10 Years
    2. Building a Conservation Nation
    3. A U-Turn on Transportation
    4. A Green Energy Future Without Expanding Nuclear
    5. A Blueprint for a Clean-Energy Economy
  7. Improving Health and Avoiding Alarming Trends
    1. Key Steps for a Healthy Nation
    2. Strengthening the Food & Health Connection
    3. Avoiding the Dangers of Toxic Exposure
    4. Tackling the Profit Problem in Healthcare
  8. Ending Poverty and Building Common Wealth
    1. Ending Poverty in America
    2. Ending Homelessness: A Dream with a Plan
    3. 0.7% of Wealth: A Small Price to End Global Extreme Poverty
    4. Building Prosperity from the Ground Up
  9. Re-Imagining Business
    1. The Next Frontier of Business
    2. Supplying the Demand for a Livable Planet
    3. The Rise of the Conscientious Consumer
  10. Strengthening Communities
    1. Transforming Urban Injustice into Beauty and Empowerment
    2. Creating Food Security, Improving Health, Creating Community
    3. The Next Generation of Family Farming
    4. Supporting a Green Future in Native American Communities
    5. Envisioning an Inclusive World
    6. Immigrants in America: Common Values, Common Dreams
    7. Reforming Prisons, Saving Billions, Creating Opportunity
  11. Waging Peace
    1. War and Ending It
    2. Reallocating Military Spending, Taking Care of Soldiers and Increasing National Security
    3. Creating a World Without Nuclear Weapons
    4. Establishing a US Department of Peace
  12. A Nation That Shines
    1. Dreaming the Future Can Create the Future
    2. Everyone a Changemaker
    3. Realizing our Roots and the Power of Interconnectedness
    4. Painting Hope in the World

LESSON MODULES

Lesson Module I – Becoming an Issue Expert and Teaching Classmates

In Lesson Module I, students get their first taste of the issues and solutions included in Dream of a Nationby exploring the book with their classmates. A classroom environment is created where students take responsibility for their own learning. Activities include the following:

Lesson Module II – Exploring Interconnectedness

In Lesson Module II, students learn how critical issues are interconnected and how little solutions add up to solve big problems. By creating hierarchies, discovering opposing viewpoints, and engaging in debate, students realize the interconnection between issues and solutions. Activities include the following:

Lesson Module III – Real-World Inquiry

In Lesson Module III, students take the torch on a specific issue and solution. Students begin this module by proposing a solution to an issue in their local community or elsewhere. Next, they engage guided research of the solution and issues it tackles, then present and implement their solution. Once a plan is made, students continue on to Lesson Module IV. Activities include the following:

Lesson Module IV – Moving Towards Action

In Lesson Module IV, students continue to implement their solution, make changes, and reflect on the solution’s effectiveness through personal solution journals. Students also profile local visionaries, as well as explore ways to promote awareness around their issue. Activities include the following: