-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Name: Kimberly Carroll
Date: October 18, 2011
Subject: English 11R
Topic: The Great Gatsby
Grade Level: 11th grade
Aim: How does Fitzgerald use flashback, symbolism, and foreshadowing in chapter 8 of The
Great Gatsby?
Do Now: Copy the definitions of the following literary devices.
Flashback: a conversation, an episode, or an event that happened before the beginning
of a story.
Symbolism: a symbol is a person, place, or object that represents something beyond
itself.
Foreshadowing: a writer’s use of hints and clues to indicate events that will occur later
in a narrative.
NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARD (S):
ELA Standard 1
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
ELA Standard 2
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
ELA Standard 3
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
ELA Standard 4
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
CLASSROOM CONTEXT:
Prior to this lesson the students have been working on their reading and listening
comprehension skills. The class will continue to work on their reading and
listening comprehension skills by completing several reading comprehension
activities. The students have been reading the novel, The Great Gatsby for the last
few weeks as well.
LESSON OBJECTIVE (S):
Student will be able to…
Define and understand important literary terminology.
Improve their listening and reading comprehension skills by participating
in a Directed Reading-Comprehension activity.
Discuss what they comprehended from the listening and reading exercises
with peers and teachers.
Prove understanding of reading through the use of their writing skills.
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MATERIALS:
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The Great Gatsby novel
Worksheet for questions and writing exercise
Highlighters
Study Guide - The Great Gatsby
PROCEDURE:
1. Motivation:
1. Have students copy the definitions of symbolism, foreshadowing, and flashback
into their notebooks.
2. Ask students: If you were Gatsby, would you still love Daisy? Why or why not? Is
it ever easy to stop loving someone?
3. Class will answer the first three study guide questions from last night’s reading.
2. Development:
1. Class will finish reading chapter 8 together.
2. Students will respond to the following Directed Reading Questions:
a. What foreshadows Gatsby’s death? Nick has nightmares and wakes
just before dawn with a feeling he must warn Gatsby about
something—“and morning would be too late.”
b. Nick urges Gatsby to go away, but he refuses. Explain. Gatsby was
still clutching one last hope that Daisy would choose to be with
him after all.
c. Why does Fitzgerald include Gatsby’s flashback about Daisy? It
unravels a bit more of the mystery about Gatsby, this time giving
the reader the real story of his feelings for Daisy.
d. To what “grail” does Gatsby refer? Legendary heroes sought the
Holy Grail at all costs. Daisy was Gatsby’s grail.
e. What is the symbolic significance of autumn at the chapter’s end?
Why is there a “sharp difference” in the weather? The falling leaves
and the draining of the pool signal an end and parallel the end of
Gatsby’s life. On a larger scale, Gatsby’s deal symbolizes the death
of the American Dream.
f. What does Nick mean when he says to Gatsby, “you’re worth the
whole damn bunch together? Although Nick disapproves of
Gatsby’s business dealings, and thinks he’s a fool for trying to
recapture the past, he nonetheless admires his honesty and
steadfast devotion to a goal—Gatsby is still uncorrupted in that
way while all of the other characters are spiritually and morally
bereft.
g. What does Nick realize about Jordan? Jordan is more concerned
about herself than anything else. She is selfish and irresponsible,
and he does not care if he ever sees her again.
h. George Wilson typifies the ordinary man. What else does
Fitzgerald’s portrayal of him suggest? Wilson lives in a world of
delusion. He doesn’t realize, even at the end, that Tom was
Myrtle’s lover all along. He mistakes Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes for
God. With Tom’s encouragement, he kills the wrong man and then
himself, and is “reduced” to the label “deranged by grief.” Wilson
is seen as Tom Buchanan’s scapegoat, just as the middle class is
seen as the scapegoat of the rich.
3.
Conclusion:
Writing Activity: Reread the following paragraph beginning “No telephone message
arrived…” How did Nick believe Gatsby was feeling during the minutes preceding his
death? Do you agree or disagree with Nick’s estimation?
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
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Visually present the material on overheads in the front of the classroom
for students to follow along.
Modify worksheets/handouts to meet each individual students needs.
Highlight important information in the story to help students find the
information quickly and easily.
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT
Informal Assessment:
An informal assessment will be fulfilled while the students are completing their
comprehension questions and constructing their written response. The teacher
will peruse the classroom and keep record of each student’s current stage of
comprehension. The teacher will also use the class discussion as a method of
assessing the student’s full understanding of the material that was presented.
Formal Assessment:
A formal assessment will be taken from the students’ completed written
assignment. The teacher will check for comprehension of the material that was
presented. They will also be given a unit exam on The Great Gatsby at the
conclusion of the novel.
FOLLOW UP
In the future students will be able to answer comprehension questions
independently using the skills and strategies that were used during today’s lesson.
For future assessments the students can be asked to complete a unit test on the
novel, The Great Gatsby. The teacher will review the answers to the writing
samples with the class in order to ensure that they have fully comprehended the
lesson.
IEP GOALS:
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Check that all homework assignments are recorded.
Remain on task for 30+ minutes.
Independently seek assistance from teachers and other support staff.
Use test-taking strategies to eliminate obviously wrong answers.
Use the strategy of underlining to highlight important information when reading
content area material.
Select the necessary materials to participate in the lesson and arrange them on the
desk.
Communicate and interact in a socially acceptable manner with peers, adults, and
teachers.
Will write a multi-paragraph essay (3-5 paragraphs) using the writing process
(pre-writing, rough draft, editing/revising, final copy).