Dreams Make the World Go 'Round Lesson: Full Group (discussion by teacher with student participation) 1.   Introduce the students to Ann and Liv and the Expedition. Explain that Ann and Liv are motivated by their dream of being the first all-women's team to trek across Antarctica. a. Ann and Liv are polar explorers. b. They worked together to become the first all-women's team to trek across Antarctica (using map of Antarctica, outline Ann and Liv's route across Antarctica). c. They traveled 1,700 miles (2720 kilometers) in approximately 100 days. It was not an easy journey - they pulled sleds weighing 250 pounds (113-kg), winds were in excess of 100 mph, temperatures of -30 Fahrenheit, etc. d. But for them, it's more than just a trip across Antarctica. It's a dream come true. Both women have dreamt of being Arctic explorers since they were little girls. Both were inspired by books they read when they were your age (in elementary school). The dreams they had then have stayed with them throughout their lives, and now, in their 40s, they are about to make this particular dream come true. 2.   Explain that Ann and Liv are motivated by their dreams, as are most people. a. Dreams are important. They provide us a vision for our future and help us make decisions about how we want to live our lives. They give us hope, and they inspire us. For upper-grade students: a. Ask students other ways in which dreams are important in their own lives. b. Ask them how dreams impact the world in which we live in today. 3.   Dreams come in many different shapes and sizes, just like each of us. a. Many famous people have dreams: Ann and Liv dreamt of being the first all-women's team to trek across Antarctica. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamt of a country that wasn't divided by race. Michael Jordan dreamt of being the very best basketball player he could be. N' Sync dreams of being a world-famous rock band. Ask students for other examples of famous people who have dreams (these can be written on the board). b. But dreams aren't just for the famous. Everyone has dreams, no matter how old or young, no matter how rich or poor. Dreams include: What we'd like to be when we grow up. How we'd like to improve the world. Where we'd like to go to school. Who we'd like to have as friends. What kind of car we'd like to drive. Where we'd like to live. c. Even kids can follow their dreams. Use examples of local kids living their dreams. If you'd like, supplement with the following examples: Aubyn - An 11-year-old from North Carolina who learned that foster kids often carry their belongings in garbage bags because they have no luggage, Aubyn dreamt of giving every foster kid in her community a suitcase. She achieved her dream but didn't stop there. She founded a national organization called Suitcases for Kids (www.suitcasesforkids.org) that has given away more than 100,000 suitcases. Pettus - Pettus grew up with a love for reading and wanted to share his love with others. When in junior high, he founded an organization called Read & Lead (www.readandlead.org), a national program that pairs high school students as "book buddies" with elementary school students. Thanks to Pettus and his dream, 20,000 high school students are now helping young children learn to enjoy books. Megan - Megan, age 11, dreamt of being a wrestler, something girls in her community didn't do. But she persevered and joined a local wrestling club. She worked hard and won several local tournaments. This past year, she achieved a new dream: she won the California State Championship for girls her age. Evgeny Plushenko - Evgeny of Russia was only 15 when he burst onto the world figure skating scene, winning the bronze at his forst World Championship in 1998. Evgeny has been working toward his dream of being a world-class figure skater all his life. His mom helped him develop his trademark flexibility by stretching his legs against the couch every day while he was growing up. Whie it wasn't always easy, his commitment to his dream is now paying off. 4.   Ask students the following question. Record their answers on the board. What dreams make your world go 'round'		As young girls, Ann and Liv were encouraged to explore and to dream big dreams. Grade Levels: K-6 (with additional activities for upper-grade students) Time: 2-3 class periods Materials: * Globe * Map of Antarctica * If I Could Do Anything, I Would ... handout Objectives: Students will: * Explain Ann and Liv's dream. * Outline Ann and Liv's route across Antarctica. * Understand why dreams are important. * Articulate a dream of their own.
Individual Exercise
1.   Have students complete the handout "If I could do anything, I would...". Give them 5-10 minutes and ask them to write as quickly as they can. Have them try to come up with at least 10 things. Explain to them that they have an unlimited supply of money and talent - that nothing they dream is out of the question. Encourage them to think about things they'd like to become (explorers, doctors, authors, etc.), as well as ways they'd like to improve the world (make sure all kids have food to eat, discover a cure for cancer, build a homeless shelter, etc.). You may even want to encourage them to dream about qualities they'd like to possess (compassion, kindness, bravery, etc.)
Small Group Exercise
1.   If time permits, you may want to do a sharing circle. Have students break into small groups and share their lists with one another. Have them go around in a circle, each student sharing one dream. Remind students that it is not a competition and that one person's ideas aren't better than another's. Encourage students to add new things to their own lists if they hear something from one of their classmates that inspires them.
Additional Exercises:
1.   Ask students to write a poem about one of the things on their list or draw a picture related to it. 2.   Journal: Ask students to write a journal entry describing one of their dreams or something they really want to do. 3.   Conversation Starter: Have students ask family members or other adults about their dreams.
Resources:
*   Write Where You Are: How to Use Writing to Make Sense of Your Life by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg (Free Spirit Publishing Inc., 1999). This books helps young people articulate their hopes and dreams through writing. *   How We Made the World a Better Place: Kids and Teens Write on How They Changed Their Corner of the World (Fairview Press, 1998). Personal stories about how kids and teens made a difference. *   Visit www.prudential.com for motivational stories about young people who are making a difference in their communities.
Assessment:
Teachers will assess:
*   Students' ability to identify Antarctica on a globe or map and, if appropriate, outline Ann and Liv's route across Antarctica. *   Students' understanding of dreams and why they're important. *   Students' ability to articulate their own dream(s).