WebQuest

Dream World

A WebQuest for 11th-12th Grade Psychology Students

Designed by
J. Stucker
Brownsburg High School
Brownsburg, IN
jstucker@brownsburg.k12.in.us

Introduction

The world of dreams has intrigued people for centuries. People have consistently attempted to find the answers to the following questions:
         Why do people dream?
         Do all people dream?
         Why can't some people remember their dreams?
         Do dreams have symbolic meaning?

Various people have come up with their own theories for each of the questions above, but does anyone have all the answers? Sigmund Freud believed that dreams not only had meanings, but he stated that dreams were a "window" into a person's unconscious mind. Others have theorized that dreams are nothing more than sporadic neuron firings to which the cortex attempts to attach some meaning.

This webquest will be involved in trying to solidify your own opinions regarding one particular question from above:

Do Dreams really have symbolic meanings?

The Task

You will be involved in examining several resources concerning the topic of dreams. During this exercise, you should attempt to formulate your personal position concerning the central question, "Do Dreams Have Symbolic Meanings?" You should jot down notes concerning your position and the research you find so that you may defend your position during a classroom discussion.
As part of this discussion, we will discuss various theories concerning dreams. You should keep notes on each of the following, and be very familiar with each in order to critically analyze each during our discussion.

Theories to be discussed:

Sigmund Freud's Theory of Dreams
J. Alan Hobson and Robert McCarley's "Activation-Synthesis" Theory of Dreams
Dr. Francis Crick's Theory of Dreams

In addition to the central question of this WebQuest, there are other questions which you will need to analyze:

Why do dreams occur?
What occurs physiologically when we dream?
What purpose do dreams serve?
Can you explain why many people report dreaming of experiences which they have recently encountered?
Is there any way in which the content or meaning of dreams could be scientifically studied? (You may need to review our previous unit covering the scientific methods of research.)
Do dream symbols have universal meanings?
Do people dream in color?
How can someone better remember their dreams?

The Process

In order to accomplish our task you will need to do several things.

Before you begin visiting the resources listed below, you should take a moment and reflect on your current position concerning dream analysis. Do you currently have strong feelings about this topic? If so, try to reflect on your experiences which have led you to your current opinion. Have you researched this topic before? How "solid" is your position? During this research you should remember to keep an open mind to all of the information you find.
Now get out your notebook, and prepare to document your information! You need to take GOOD notes. You will be dependent upon them later.
To get a good feel for the topic, one of your first stops should be our textbook, Introduction to Psychology (4th Edit) by Rod Plotnik. Look at Module 7, Section G. There is some GREAT information! (Hint, Hint)
Check out the following internet sites.

Dream Questions and Answers

DREAM EMPORIUM
Dream & Dreaming Articles
Dreaming: Function and Meaning
Dream Sites on the Net
DreamLinks
Freud and Dreams
Forensic Psychiatry & Medicine: Brain Imaging

Dream Doctor Dream Dictionary

Dream Manual

After you have thoroughly examined the resources above, then you have the option to do the following alone or in a group of 2 or 3 people (No more than 3!!!) This portion of the project may be completed within the classroom, so be sure to copy down the questions below. Use your personal notes which you took from the above resources, and write your responses to the following questions.

Summarize...

A. Sigmund Freud's Theory of Dreams

B. J. Alan Hobson and Robert McCarley's "Activation-Synthesis" Theory of Dreams
C. Dr. Francis Crick's Theory of Dreams

Why do dreams occur?
What occurs physiologically when we dream?
What purpose do dreams serve?
Can you explain why many people report dreaming of experiences which they have recently encountered?
Is there any way in which the content or meaning of dreams could be scientifically studied? (You may need to review our previous unit covering the scientific methods of research.)
Do dream symbols have universal meanings?
Do people dream in color?
How can someone better remember their dreams?

The entire time you are working on this project, you should be preparing yourself for an intelligent class discussion concerning the entire realm of the dream world. This will be the final aspect of the project. Part of our discussion will evolve around the question "Do Dreams have Meaning?" You should solidify your opinion on that issue.

Evaluation

	Beginning 0-13	Developing 14-18	Accomplished 19-23	Exemplary 24-25
Personal Notes taken over Resources	Very few or illegible notes. No or little structure. Resources not noted.	Notes are legible. There is some structure. Some resources noted.	Good structured notes with documentation.	Outstanding notes. Very detailed, structured, and include resources.
Group Written Responses to Questions	Group rushed through with little discussion. Most questions are incomplete.	Some questions received little group time or discussion. Select answers are incomplete.	Most or all questions are complete and seem to have been discussed thoroughly.	Written answers are very complete and show great insight. Group time was wisely spent.
Class Discussion	Individual made very few if any contributions.	Some contributions made. Many contributions were opinions not backed up by research.	Contributions were made. Most were backed up by research.	Many contributions for the benefit of the class. Most were backed up by research.

Beginning

0-13

Developing

14-18

Accomplished

19-23

Exemplary

24-25

Score

Personal Notes taken over Resources

Very few or illegible notes. No or little structure. Resources not noted.

Notes are legible. There is some structure. Some resources noted.

Good structured notes with documentation.

Outstanding notes. Very detailed, structured, and include resources.

Group Written Responses to Questions

Group rushed through with little discussion. Most questions are incomplete.

Some questions received little group time or discussion. Select answers are incomplete.

Most or all questions are complete and seem to have been discussed thoroughly.

Written answers are very complete and show great insight. Group time was wisely spent.

Class Discussion

Individual made very few if any contributions.

Some contributions made. Many contributions were opinions not backed up by research.

Contributions were made. Most were backed up by research.

Many contributions for the benefit of the class. Most were backed up by research.

Conclusion

One of the goals of psychology is to scientifically explain human behavior. We have proven many things associated with the acts of sleep and dreams. However, to this date, we still do not have agreement on the value of dream analysis. This is a very challenging area in terms of doing scientific research. One concept for future investigation would be trying to discover a true scientific method to research the meaning of dreams.

Credits & References

Classroom Textbook being used:
Plotnik, Rod Introduction to Psychology (4th Edition), Brooks/Cole Publishing, 1996.

Check out:
Mr. Stucker's Psychology Classroom

Last updated on January 22, 2004 . Based on a template from The WebQuest Page