Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Big Idea:
Dreams and
Nightmares
Cindy Chenh, Mariana
Escobar, Jessica
Williams, Tezerash
Eibensteiner
Formative:
Students will fill out a form at the end of class circling ether symbol or metaphor indicating which they used in their artwork.
Students will also include written responses to questions asking what the symbol/metaphor literally is, what it means.
Summative:
In the form that students will fill out at the end of class, they will also include how the student has illustrated the dream/nightmares effect on
their health and what that effect is.
Definitions (Part 1)
Dreams Nightmares
Health: The overall condition of body or mind and the presence or absence of illness
or injury (Insel, p. 2)
Why do we dream? How are dreams and nightmares important to our health?
TedEd - Amy Adkins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W85Dwxx218&feature=youtu.be
Reasons We Dream
1) To fulfill our wishes. Dreams contain symbolic meaning that relate to fulfillment (Freud).
3) To forget. The brain gets rid of unnecessary neural connections (memories) that could otherwise turn
into parasitic (intrusive) thoughts that disrupt wakeful thinking.
4) Keep our brains working. Continual Activation Theory: consolidate neural connections to create long-
term memories leading to thoughts & feelings
5) Heal. Stress neurotransmitters are less active in sleep, making it easier for the brain to healthily
process traumatic events with greater clarity.
6) Solve Problems. Committee of Sleep & the Benzene molecule; mind creates limitless scenarios to
address problems and formulate solutions you may not consider while awake (because you have
decreased inhibitions during sleep).
Definitions (Part 2)
Dreams contain symbolic meaning (Freud).
https://youtu.be/wRs4Y3Kzdt0
Dream: 2:46-7:50 Reality:
Dream Interpretation: Trains
by Craig Hamilton-Parker, Sept. 16, 2014 via dreamsleep.net
"This dream may show that you want to control your life and take it in a set direction,"
like how a train travels on a set direction of tracks. Nemo cannot control his
sleepwalking yet still gets into trouble for it. Conclusion: The train is a symbol of
Nemo's desire to control his sleepwalking.
"Alternatively, it may show that you are frustrated by the routines of your life," such as
Nemo's routine of sleepwalking each night to eat pie. Trains relate to routines because
they travel on a routine schedule through a routine route of tracks.
Additional interpretations:
The loudness of the train could symbolize the mother's loud yelling, which affects
Nemo's emotional health with fear and his physical health by quickening his heart
rate, causing a fight-or-flight response (where Nemo runs away to his room).
Biologically, *research has found that people who eat sugary foods late in the
day/night report more frequent bizarre or unpleasant dreams than people who
dont.
*Nielsen, Tore & Powell, A. Russel. (2015). Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: food and diet as instigators of bizarre
and disturbing dreams. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 6. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4330685/
Activity
Materials:
1) Make an artwork about an important dream or nightmare you
scissors, liquid glue/glue stick, white
have had.
paper, pencils, crayons, watercolor and
tempera paints, brushes, watercolor and 2) Visually describe the dream/nightmare's effects on your health
acrylic markers, colored pencils, pens,
(emotional, physical, etc.).
erasers, cloud clay, rulers, glueable
bobbles, water cups, paper towels, 3) Include at least one symbol or visual metaphor. (Make sure you'll
cotton balls, glitter glue, hole puncher,
be able to identify it as either a symbol or metaphor and explain it.)
yarn, colored construction paper