Search results
The Great Gatsby Unit Plan takes students from pre-reading through the final project with lesson plans addressing characterization, historical context, Modernism, symbolic elements, theme development, point of view, structural effects, and style. Even if you omit lessons, the unit plan provides a helpful structure for teaching The Great Gatsby.
Dec 13, 2023 · The decision of what grade to teach “The Great Gatsby” largely depends on the maturity and reading comprehension levels of the students. Typically, this novel is best suited for high school students, often taught in 11th or 12th-grade English classes.
Mar 1, 2022 · The Great Gatsby is typically taught in high school — most commonly 11th grade — the following standards “buckets” should be addressed. While this section focuses on the language contained within the Common Core Literacy Standards, the majority of states’ standards also address these topics.
Dec 13, 2023 · F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, “The Great Gatsby,” has been a staple in English classrooms for generations, captivating students with its timeless themes and vibrant characters. However, crafting engaging lesson plans around this literary classic can be a challenging endeavor, albeit a very rewarding one.
- My Past: from Hate to Great
- Teaching Gatsby: A Boat Against The Current
- My Approach
- Planning My Unit: Standards to Teach
- Essential Questions to Consider
- How to Assess
- How to Scaffold Gatsby
- Assigning Reading Homework
- Thanks For Reading, Old Sport!
I love teaching The Great Gatsby now, but in high school, I didn’t enjoy reading it. In fact, I despised it: the eggs, the parties, the wealth, and the carelessness…all of it. I remember thinking, “Why should I care? How is this relevant?”At some point, I think I just tuned out and went through the motions, collecting my As on papers without ever b...
That current is a mix of adolescent apathy and kids who don’t read, unlikeable characters, and the difficulty of making Fitzgerald’s language accessible to teens. When I’m working against the current, I remember my past hatred of the book, and I’m inspired to dream a little more about how I can engage my students. Over the past 5 years, I’ve reflec...
I’ve heard (well, mainly seen in ELA Facebook group comments) some fiery debates over teaching the novel vs. teaching the standards/skills. There is merit in both approaches, and certainly, the extremes of both sides should be avoided. So that’s why my approach is a happy medium. I believe that you can have your cake and eat it, too! You can teach ...
A classic like Gatsby can be overwhelming, because there’s so much you can do with it. I remember having no idea what to focus on as a brand new teacher. Over the years, I’ve been able to determine the primary standards I want to teach, and then plan backwards from there. When I am teaching The Great Gatsby,I focus on the following Common Core stan...
When unit planning, I always make sure I have a collection of essential questions that will drive teaching and learning. Without standards and these “big picture” questions, it’s easy to lose focus of your objectives. Here are my top 10 questions that drive my Gatsbyunit: 1. What is Nick’s complex attitude toward Gatsby? 2. What is Nick’s attitude ...
I utilize a variety of formal and informal assessments and checkpoints throughout my unit, including bell-ringers, quizzes, group work, an escape room, a blame chart, writing tasks, and more. My definition of “assessment” is open-ended, and I like to mix up my approach to support a variety of needs and learning preferences. The primary formal asses...
As you can see, all of the aforementioned standards describe analytical skills, not mere comprehension. But of course, students must be able to comprehend before they can analyze. I teach such a wide range of learners that I’ve realized I have to scaffold comprehension of Gatsbyin different ways.
When mapping out my Gatsbyunit, I typically assign reading homework every other night, with a few exceptions for extension activities or assessments. This gives us 2 days per chapter, which works out well. I do try to read (or listen to the audio) the first chapter aloud and find other pockets of time where students can get some reading done in cla...
I hope this post helped you to jump-start or tweak your Gatsby plans! With a beautiful, challenging classic like Gatsby, I think it’s incredibly important to re-read the text, annotate it, and spend some time really thinking about it before you start planning lessons. So while you’re waiting on my following blog posts about how I teach the novel, m...
Jul 24, 2018 · TIP: use bell ringers with graphics that represent the themes of the time period. You can find mine here. This is so important! Often times, my students found themselves lost in Fitzgerald’s complex language. Compare the intense drama that occurs in The Great Gatsby to reality television shows, music, ideas, or actual events that are ...
People also ask
What grade should I teach the Great Gatsby?
Should 11th grade students learn Great Gatsby?
What standards should the Great Gatsby be taught in high school?
Is the Great Gatsby a good book?
What is the Great Gatsby unit plan?
Why should students learn the Great Gatsby?
Sep 26, 2024 · Take Your Gatsby Unit to the Next Level. While this blog post provides a foundational overview of my close reading approach to teaching The Great Gatsby, my complete unit offers a wealth of additional resources and support. It includes meticulously crafted close reading passages, detailed lesson plans, engaging activities, and thought-provoking ...
