The document discusses an English course that focuses on how American writers shaped myths and realities, how storytellers dealt with changing American identity, and how present realities compare to myths. As an assignment, students researched how people from different backgrounds view America and its ideals by conducting interviews which they shared on Google Earth, allowing for visual, multimodal, and publicly accessible results. Going forward, students will help standardize the interview process and template for the Google Earth project, and explore creating literary tours analyzing works like Death of a Salesman.

1. English 363: American Myths and Realities— A Google Earth Survey of Attitudes and Ideals Debbie Cohen Joy Cooper Scott Glass

2. Background information The course focuses on three essential questions: How did early American writers and thinkers shape future stories/myths/realities ? 2. How have American storytellers dealt with changing identity, growth, and dynamism ? 3. How do present day American realities compare to American mythology ?

3. THE ASSIGNMENT As a warm-up to the project, students viewed videos of Americans discussing their own take on the American Dream. Then, students conducted research to find out how people from a range of backgrounds regard America and the American experiment. PBS: The American Dream

4. DIFFICULTIES

5. Why Google Earth?

6. Google Earth is… Visual Multimodal Shared Public

7. Value Added Inquiry-based research Authentic engagement Better thesis statements Students saw utility of data Easy collaboration Public, shared results

8. FUTURE STEPS Kids need to generate the interview protocol and create a template for posting information on Google Earth in order to achieve a more uniform final product. Plans for kids to create an end of year tour using course literature – How does Miller view America? Explore Google Lit Trips – look for ways to integrate more deeply into the curriculum