This unit was used in English III-American Literature. This is an overview of the whole unit. If you are interested in more detailed information, I have the student calendar, the teacher's notes, a list of possible individual and group projects, etc. available in electronic form.
Since Mary Trewatha and I created all of the materials, I would be happy to share them upon request--email me at Jean.Gomer@k12.sd.us.
English III-The Great Gatsby
Unit/Topic--The 1920’s
Time Frame--3 weeks, 15 class days.
Goal--To help students see the connection between the times and the literature of the 1920’s in the United States.
Specific skills or objectives to be covered:
Students will:
1. Use prior knowledge and experience to interpret, respond to, and
construct meaning from The Great Gatsby.
2. Select appropriate writing process strategies in order to use information
from a variety of sources to clarify, synthesize, and construct meaning.
3. Evaluate literal and figurative meaning of oral and visual communication.
4. Select the appropriate methods of oral communication to best express ideas
and convey information.
Key Terminology:
Automobiles
Business Boom
Expatriates
Jazz Age
Movies
Prohibition
Quota System (KKK, Red Scare)
Sports Heroes
Technology Statement: In English III at DHS, the use of technology as a tool is assumed. All outside assignments are to be word processed using the formatting specified in the Deubrook Area High School Report Format. Students are also expected to routinely use the Internet and other on-line sources as a part of their personal research. Because they have had instruction in the use of Microsoft Office as part of their Computer Literacy class (10th grade), the use of Power Point as a presentation tool is a part of their repertoire, just as posterboard and markers are.
Technology & Resources specific to this unit:
Internet
People over 80
Standard research sources
Assessment Statement: Assessment is a critical part of any instructional unit, and formative assessment must occur on an on-going basis. Each form of assessment should be directly linkable to the specific skills and objectives around which the unit is designed. A variety of assessment tools should address the various learning styles and intelligences of the students. Because we do not teach in an ideal world where students learn for the sheer joy of learning and grades are not required by the administrative office as a means of reporting to parents, some form of summative evaluation is also a part of the way we currently do business. To meet all of these needs, this unit includes the following forms of assessment:
Formal: The Speakeasy Pass--a checklist which includes various items
Individual Projects
Character Book
Video Sheet
Group Presentations-done with a rubric
Final exam--pencil and paper
Informal: Some of these may appear on the speakeasy pass.
Checkpoints on long-term projects
Participation in discussion
Vocabulary activities
Thought questions
Group processes observed during work time
Expansion ideas for topic:
History--connect to the general history of the time
Rights of blacks and women
Math/Business--compare/contrast the rise and fall of the stock market
with today’s market
Science--Technology (Inventions of the time)
Chemistry of moonshining
Family and Consumer Science--changes in fashion and hairstyles
Physical Education--the Charleston
Health--effects of prohibition on general health
