Graphic Organizer
The Great Gatsby
Character Cube
Purpose:
Graphic Organizers help students to visually and/or tangibly see a concept or idea
represented. If students can see a concept represented, rather than simply listening to a
lecture about it, they are more able to see relationships to other ideas and make
connections to prior knowledge. Additionally, having students fill out graphic organizers
gives them the vocabulary necessary to describe a certain concept. In the case of the
graphic organizer for The Great Gatsby, it allows students to develop descriptive
vocabulary as they think about the characters in the novel.
Directions:
1. Decide what concepts or ideas are most important for students to understand. Analyze
vocabulary in the text and list important words.
a. Strident, languid, jaunty, supercilious, irreverent, apathetic, complacent,
impetuous, elusive, provincial.
b. In this case, students need not be limited to these vocabulary words, but
should be able to come up with more on their own.
2. Organize the ideas subordinate to one main, all-inclusive concept or idea.
3. Add (or have the students add) vocabulary words you believe the students already
understand.
4. When presenting this organizer to the class, there are several different options.
Students can simply fill out the sheet as presented. Or they can make a cube and have
one character described on each side of the cube. They could also make a cube or
other polygon for each character and make a “character mobile” to be displayed in the
classroom.
5. Additionally, when presenting this to students, request that any assertions about
characters be supported by the text. Ask “how do we know that” after each assertion.
Consider having students write page numbers.
Assessment:
This assignment is one that could be continued throughout the book as the students learn
more and more about each of the characters. Thus, the development of the characters is
traced as is the students’ understandings of the characters. Additionally, students could
show their understanding of the characters in doing writing assignments as though they
were a specific character, dressing up like the character, or making some other sort of
visual representation of the characters.
Amanda Bishop, 2006
Cordial
Wealthy
Motivated
Disciplined
Daisy Buchanan
Jay Gatsby
Obsessive
Dishonest
Lawbreaker
Manipulative
impetuous
Naïve
Beautiful
Voice like money
Passionate
Charming
Witty
Sophisticated
Myrtle Wilson
Good Looks
Dishonest
Golddigger
Selfish
Greedy
Strident
The Great Gatsby
Character Cube
Teacher Copy
Amanda Bishop, 2006
Chauvinist
Abusive
Supercilious
Irreverent
Moral ambiguity
Nick Carraway
Honest?
Can Confide
Pleasant
Moral?
Tolerant
Provinicial?
Fuzzy on Details
Complacent
Jordan Baker
Tom Buchanan
Is there
anything good
about Tom?
Truly loves
Daisy?
Selfish
Fickle
shallow
Elusive
Dishonest
Apathetic
Pretty
Good Golfer
Languid?
Jaunty
Selfish
Dishonest
Self-centered
Apathetic
Jay Gatsby
Daisy Buchanan
Myrtle Wilson
Nick Carraway
The Great Gatsby
Character Cube
Tom Buchanan
Amanda Bishop, 2006
Jordan Baker