Albert Einstein – Imagination
“The person with dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.”
Albert Einstein
Big Idea
Some students are dreamers who live comfortably thinking about a world not yet created. Then there are the ‘down to earth’ students who find comfort in facts. Often, these two groups clash during group projects when there’s a need for a clear vision of an end goal but then also a clear, step-by-step plan to get it done.
Claim
According to Einstein, dreamers have power. They see a world not yet here and are able to shape reality towards that vision that only they can see. This is a power that goes beyond the power of knowing facts.
Counterclaim
But there’s also great power that comes from knowing facts. If you know facts, you’re able to control and communicate much easier with people. Knowing facts gives you a power of certainty and an ability to forge shared understanding.
Essential
Question
Do you need knowledge or imagination to have influence in the world?
Student Video
A Raisin in the Sun – Imagination
In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, various family members compete for the fulfillment of their dreams. But for each, there is the vision, and then there are the uncertain “facts.” The ...
Wright Brothers – Imagination
The Wright Brothers invention of the Airplane provides a great opportunity for students to explore the theme of imagination. Albert Einstein’s quote, “The person with dreams is more powerful than ...
Where the Wild Things Are – Imagination
Students and readers of all ages cherish the classic tale by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are, in which a young boy, Max, is sent to bed without his dinner. He embarks on an imaginative journ ...
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven – Imagination
In Sherman Alexie’s short story collection, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist fight in Heaven, “Imagining the Reservation” describes how dreams can feed, heal, and transform Native Americans’ ...
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