The Study Guide has several parts:
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You might find it helpful to look at the Discussion Questions before you read each chapter. We’ve included pictures and a very short explanation of some of the people and events to which Obama refers, as well as links to further information you can return to later.
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Introspection and Research Questionsare provided to help you think about how the text relates to you and your life. As Obama notes in the Introduction, “much of this book is based on contemporaneous journals” (p. xvii). You might want to just think about these questions as you read, or you might want to write responses in your own journal. Collecting your thoughts in writing will prove helpful when you work on your own memoir, or a class project. The Research Questions may inspire you to look more deeply into a particular historical moment, a cultural practice, or a social system.
Useful Links to Further Research provide an introduction to issues and events relevant to the Research Questions. You can use these to get started, but be sure to visit the Resources section for more extensive materials.
Use the Maps to see whereObama was during the different stages of his life.
As you’ll learn when you read the “Kenya” section, the Obama family is quite large; the Family Tree will help you to understand who the different people are, and their relation to Obama.
The Resources section, compiled by Ann Matsuuchi, Alexandra Rojas and Steve Ovadia (Library), is organized by themes; it includes links to a variety of materials that can be used for further study and research.
The Timeline is organized according to the structure of the book. It highlights important events in Obama’s life and connects those events to what was happening in the world around him. It’s clearly impossible to include everything, so we’ve selected details, of both major and minor importance, in an effort to provide a glimpse of what was going on in Indonesia, Kenya, and the United States at particular times in Obama’s life. Each reference on the Timeline might call your attention to another avenue of study, or stimulate your curiosity to learn more. You might find something on the Timeline that you think needs to be changed, clarified, or added. We invite you to submit your suggestions on the Timeline Edits Blog.
The For Teachers section consists of materials that have been contributed by faculty and staff. Currently, we have posted short descriptions of ideas that might be useful in different disciplines; we will add materials and assignments throughout the year.
We know from Obama, from the history of the civil rights movement and from other struggles towards freedom and justice, that change happens only when people work together. The Get Involved section consists of three parts, each of which will provide different ways for you to interact with Dreams from My Father, with students, faculty and staff at LaGuardia, and perhaps most importantly with your community.
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Listen to Comments from Readers, and if you'd like to add your comments about the book, contact Terry Parker (Media Services - terry@lagcc.cuny.edu) or Charles Perkins (cperkins@lagcc.cuny.edu).
- Contribute to our blogs:
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Throughout Dreams from My Father, Obama refers to works of art – movies, books, poems, plays, music, dance – that influenced him or affected his life in some way. In our Arts Blog, we invite you to post suggestions and comments about books and poems that you are reading, music you are listening to, movies, plays and dance events that you might be seeing, etc.
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In our Timeline Edits Blog, we ask you to help us develop our timeline by adding information that you think is relevant to understanding Dreams from My Father.
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Use the Community Action Blog to tell us what you are doing in your community to work for change.
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The Events page will keep you informed about special programs relevant to Dreams from My Father that are being held at the College and elsewhere.