Gershwin's opera, Porgy and Bess, has been described as a true "American opera." The collision of cultures that brought on its conception and production has been a topic of controversy since its 1935 premiere. In this  unit, students in high school music classes will delve into the music behind Catfish Row, the world of TinPan Alley, and difficult issues surrounding race, class, appropriation of culture, and the American Dream.