One theme explored in The Sun is Also a Star is The Precarity of the American Dream. How does the American Dream remain just out of reach for the generation that immigrated to the United States (Daniel’s and Natasha’s parents)? How does this impact the relationships between the parents and their children in the book? Do Daniel and Natasha ultimately achieve the American Dream?

Teaching Suggestion: It might be helpful to divide the class in half and have one group track how the American Dream remains out of reach for Daniel’s parents while the other group tracks the same for Natasha’s parents. After accumulating evidence, each group can share their insights with the other.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with attentional and executive function differences might utilize a graphic organizer to document these examples. For students who struggle with writing or developing ideas, it may be helpful to provide a brief list of related key scenes in advance to consider from the novel.