Modernism, American Dream & The Great Gatsby Unit – Honors American Lit.

UPDATED 4/7/2020

Great Gatsby Independent Study Agenda CHART – STUDENTS’ COPY

Warm up / Pre-read Reading Worksheets / Questions Discussion Board Posts Due
Handouts
1. Before the unit begins, PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 4/3
students will do 1920s
research project

DAY 1
2. Complete American PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 4/13
Dream Opinionnaire
3. PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 4/13

4. Find and note Benjamin PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 4/13

Franklin’s 13 virtues
DAY 2
Essential Questions:
• Is the rags-to-riches concept of hard work and individualism good for society as a whole?
• How is true success defined?
• What is the Alger formula for success?
5. PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 4/14

6. View Horatio Alger Rereading America Ragged Dick 4/15

background video 9th edition from questions
Complete questions Ragged Dick (from
chapter 26 & 27) by
Horatio Alger
DAY 3-4
Essential Questions:
• Can one truly be considered a success if they stepped on and destroyed others in the process of attaining their own dreams?
• Do we have a responsibility to society when we possess great wealth or should we have a “I got mine you get yours” mentality?
7. PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 4/116

8. Review Golden 4/16

Rule handout
9. Watch Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie’s “Wealth” PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 4/20
background video essay “Wealth” Questions
Answer questions
Modernism, American Dream & The Great Gatsby Unit – Honors American Lit. UPDATED 4/7/2020
Warm up / Pre-read Reading Worksheets / Questions Discussion Board Posts Due
Handouts
DAY 5-6
10. Complete Chapters 1 & 2 4/22
vocabulary
11. Review Literary Terms: Read & Summarize Chapter 1 Chapter 1 4/23
 POV, chapter 1 summary sheet questions
 Symbolism (color,
name, objects,
people),
 anaphora,
 hyperbole,
 allusion,
 oxymoron,
 characterization

DAY 7
12. Read & Summarize Chapter 2 Chapter 2 4/27
chapter 2 summary sheet questions

Chapter 3-4 4/28

Vocabulary
DAY 8
13. Read & Summarize Chapter 3 Chapter 3 4/30
chapter 3 summary sheet questions

DAY 9
13. Read & Summarize Chapter 4 Chapter 4 5/4
chapter 4 summary sheet questions

DAY 10 – What’s in a name?

14. PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 5/5

Explain: Everything in the novel has meaning. Some of the symbols are subtle, while others are blatant.
The way that Fitzgerald named his characters in the novel is an example of the aforementioned blatant symbolism.
Nearly every name in the novel, ranging from the main characters to characters who appear only once, was chosen with extreme care.

At this point, you know enough about the characters to be able to identify characteristic traits that are reflected in their names. You will need a dictionary for
this so that you can dissect pieces of their names
Modernism, American Dream & The Great Gatsby Unit – Honors American Lit. UPDATED 4/7/2020
Warm up / Pre-read Reading Worksheets / Questions Discussion Board Posts Due
Handouts
15. Complete the 5/5
NAME SYMBOLISM
chart
DAY 11-12
Chapter 5 Lit Term: Foil Chapter 5-6 5/7
Vocabulary
16. Read & Summarize Chapter 5 Chapter 5 5/8
chapter 5 summary sheet questions

EXAM DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED – YOU SHOULD BE STUDYING

DAY 13
17. Review symbolism / Complete Colors 5/11
color symbolism Symbolism
H/O #9 & #10
chart
DAY 14-15
18. Read & Summarize Chapter 6 Chapter 6 5/13
chapter 6 summary sheet questions

19. Chapter 7-8 5/14

Vocabulary
DAY 16
20 Lit Terms:
1.Metonymy: using something closely related to an object or thing to represent the whole (Ex: The White House = the President or others who work there /
The suits on Wall Street walked off with most of our savings." Suits = Wall St. brokers)

2.Synecdoche- a literary device in which a part of something represents the whole, or it may use a whole to represent a part. It may also call a thing by the
name of the material it is made of, or it may refer to a thing in a container or packaging by the name of that container or packing.
a. For example, calling a car "wheels" is a synecdoche because a part of the car, its "wheels," stands for the whole car.
Part to Represent Whole
For example:
b. The word "bread" can be used to represent food in general or money (e.g. he is the breadwinner; music is my bread and butter).
c. The word "sails" is often used to refer to a whole ship.
d. The phrase "hired hands" can be used to refer to workmen.
e. The word "head" refers to cattle.
f. The word "wheels" refers to a vehicle.
Modernism, American Dream & The Great Gatsby Unit – Honors American Lit. UPDATED 4/7/2020
Whole to Represent a Part
For example:
g. At the Olympics, you will hear that the United States won a gold medal in an event. That actually means a team from the United States, not the
country as a whole.
h. If "the world" is not treating you well, that would not be the entire world but just a part of it that you've encountered.
i. The word "society" is often used to refer to high society or the social elite.
j. The word "police" can be used to represent only one or a few police officers.

Warm up / Pre-read Reading Worksheets / Questions Discussion Board Posts Due

Handouts
21 Read & Summarize Chapter 7 Chapter 7 5/18
chapter 7 summary sheet questions

EXAM DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED – YOU SHOULD BE STUDYING

DAY 17-18
22. Read & Summarize Chapter 8 Chapter 8 5/20
chapter 8 summary sheet questions

23. Chapter 9 5/21

Vocabulary
DAY 19
24. Read & Summarize Chapter 9 Chapter 9 5/25
chapter 9 summary sheet questions

DAY 20
26 H/O #16 – Land of 5/26
the Free…
27. PROMPTS TO BE ANNOUNCED 5/26

EXAM DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED – YOU SHOULD BE STUDYING