Tiffany Martins Ed Tech Mini-Lesson

Taking a Trip down Gatsbys Historical Lane

ISTE Standards:
1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students
conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with
students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and
resources to promote student learning and creativity
3. Model digital age work and learning
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and
peers using a variety of digital age media and formats
d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate,
analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning

Common Core Learning Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the
text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the
inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.8
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each
source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance
on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-
one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.2
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media
(e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve
problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any
discrepancies among the data.
Objectives:
The objectives of my lesson is that student will review The Great Gatsby and
develop an understanding of the plot and themes through a historical lens. To
achieve these goal student will begin the unit with a general online jeopardy game.
During this game they will have to refer back to their novels because their answers
will need to be supported by textual evidence. To lower the risk and anxiety
surrounding this assessment student will perform the task in groups of 3-5 students.
In this group student can gain a deeper understanding of text from their peers and
evaluate the text information based on the question and the various quotes they
and their peers may extract from the text. Within their groups they will can assign
the role of writer to record the information they receive that needs to be turned in
to receive participation credit for the day. Student will answers all sections with
particular attention to the historical category as it relates to their next activity.
From the Jeopardy game student will be able to improve their research skills,
their extrapolating skills and their argumentative skills concerning this task because
they will need to decide from the quotes collected which ones are the best for
answering the questions. Moreover, students will, from this brief overview and
multi- interactive activity, become comfort with exploring and interpreting The
Great Gatsby, which is needed in order for them to write their interpretive papers.
 From the next online interactive lesson, The Great Gatsby Scavenger Hunt,
students will gain more of an understanding of the historical context surrounding
the novel. The site requires students to investigate various websites for information
concerning the historical period and monumental events of the 1920 through the
context of The Great Gatsby. This website will allow students to apply their research
skills, exercised in the jeopardy game, to evaluate information and create a detailed
timeline and record of information concerning historical events and the literature
text they read. Student will be able to directly make the connection between The
Great Gatsby and the 1920s based on this research and the independent online
research to follow. Because once students complete the scavenger hunt and
communicate their findings to their classmate in their mini groups, they will be
begin work on constructing their class jeopardy game. The jeopardy game will be a
historical overview of The Great Gatsby where students will analyze historical
events and the novel more directly, while also identifying key events in historical as
they relate to the development of the novel plot. To avoid confusion and
overwhelming the students, I will assign them specific topics in history where they
will have to perform in depth research, thus pulling on their new knowledge from
the Jeopardy game and requiring them to investigate on the internet to build on
their knowledge.
This Jeopardy game will be compiled by me once students send their
completed categories, questions and answers to me. As the categories are chosen
the group that created it will act as mediators of the game and judge their
classmates answers. This will get students thinking critically and argumentatively
because they will need to defend their answers with textual evidence as well as
their general understanding of the text and web research they do in conjunction
with the game. Students following this activity will write extensively about the
historical topic of their choice and why they choose it. I will collect this to record
which topic students choose, and to gauge which students need help with their
topics depending on their reasoning. Once that is completed students will develop
their thesis and begin writing their papers. From this unit capstone I will be able to
assess students understanding of text, historical event, connecting and interpretive
skills set.

Lesson Plan Explanation

Introduction to Learning Activities

A. I will communicate the intentions/ goals of the lesson plan to students by

begin the classes with a discussion about the novel and asking them how
 they feel the text fits into the 1920s. By asking them this I can assess where
everyone stands in their understanding of history, and better develop groups.
I will also explain to students early on that The Great Gatsby is a product of
its era and that this unit will explore just how much that novel fits into the
framework of the 1920s. We will develop a timeline as a class [not detailed]
where I will jot down events and ideas students have of this event before
begin the jeopardy game. The jeopardy game will be explained as an
overview of the book, not to be graded, but just to see what students took
away from them text.
A1. I will also explain the importance of textual evidence to their answers and
research to developing
a critical answer. The goals of this unit are to hone in on their research,
interpretive, and
Analytical skills their several interactive activities, during the activities students will
enhance their other skills, but I will tell them that those are the skills that are being
targeted within the unit. Overall, I will communicate the objectives to students
directly, and through the unit. I will ask the student what they felt they gained as
task are completed and what my intentions are for the following task.
B. The motivator for the unit will be to interactive games I will be using. Moreover,
I begin the lesson
with clips from the recent film, the old film and other films from the 1920s just
to get them into the
era. Within the scavenger hunt they will listen to music from that era and I will
have them listen to
that music as a class. Additionally students will see picture of art deco
architecture and fonts that
were developed from that time period. I will begin each day of class with one or
two elements from
that period to get them in that mindset and transform the classroom into the
era little by little, so
they can have multiple resources to pull from.
Provide Information

This unit will be a two and a half to three week unit the 3-4 days will be spent
on the jeopardy game and scavenger hunt and our class walk through history
segments where I will be showing them an artifact or clip from a 1920s/ 1920s
eques film. The 5th, weekend, and 6th day will be from them do research online and
returning to the novel with a historical lens for their jeopardy categories. The 7th
and 8th day will be used for students to construct their jeopardy games and send
their completed copy to me. The 9th and 10th day will be presentations and class
participation in the game followed by a brief writing activity: essay proposals to be
collected. That weekend will be used to gather more information: scholarly articles,
historically relevant information whatever they feel they need to support their
argument. The 11th and 12th day will be used for conference with students to go
over their paper topics and assess the information theyve gathered. The rest of the
week will be dedicated to Students working on their essays for homework with some
class time to be allocated. in the following days in class I will continue to introduce
historical elements and interpret excerpt from the novel, this time I will be gearing
my choices to students that need more help with their topics. The paper will be
handed in the Monday or Tuesday depending on the anxiety level of the class. The
purpose of the lesson is to help students write argumentative essays, work
collaboratively to promote the importance of historical context to literature.
The 11th grade English class will engage in a brief discussion about The Great
Gatsby: any questions they have, what they noticed about the novels ending and
how they believe it fits into the 1920s. The discussion will go on for 5 minutes,
before introducing the jeopardy game. I will do a class jeopardy game-- found on my
website-- student will need to be split into groups of 3-5, where they will work on
the computers as a group to answer the jeopardy questions. The first category will
be selected by me and students will work collaboratively to write down their
answer, a corresponding quote and respond back to me with an answer jeopardy
style incorporating their quote. The first category will be characters for 100. The
students will turn to their computers and record their answers on a sheet of paper
(to be handed in at the end). The first question will be Gatsby is in love with this
person, the answer will be who is Daisy followed by a supporting quote when
Daisy was not yet twenty, Gatsby met her while he was stationed in Louisville and
the two of them fell in love...he says Gatsby never fell out of love with Daisy and
bought his giant mansion in West Egg to be across the bay from her (Chap. 4) is an
example of an answer I am looking for or close to it. The first group to answer
correctly will determine the next category. This game will go on for at least 15mins-
20mins. After the game, the students will return to their computers [individually]
where they will visit the scavenger hunt link. The students will answer each
question of the scavenger hunt on a separate sheet of paper to be handed in at the
end of class. I will circulate around the room answering questions and asking
students guiding questions about the historical context of Gatsby to get them
thinking about the themes of the novel i.e. comparing womens liberation to F.
Scotts Fitzgeralds decision to create mute female character, or challenging that
opinion asking are these females truly mute characters considering that Daisy is the
central focus of Gatsbys goal?
The students will work on the scavenger hunt until the end of the period. For
those that finish earlier, they will be asked to write a 1 page reflection on the
activity and what it reveals about the historical context surrounding The Great
Gatsby. Those that do not finish will hand in their sheets of paper to be graded for
participation and continue the Scavenger Hunt the next class which they will need
to complete. Those that finished early will be split into groups to work on their
assigned categories for the class Historical Jeopardy Game. At the end of the 3rd
day, students despite being finished with the Scavenger Hunt should be given the
paper assignment, detailing the expectations for the paper. However once the
students are given their categories on the 4th day: Women, War, Wealth, Class,
Morals they will begin their research. Their questions and answer will reflect the
information they gained from the Scavenger hunt and their brief review of the
novel, thus a sample question for the War category could be what is a resource
created for Soldiers after the war for college, which enabled Gatsby to be an
Oxford Man Answer: GI Bill. The students will pull information from general
research conducted on their computers for their assigned category, the book and
Scavenger Hunt. This will take the whole class period and some of the nest days.
The students questions should be reminded that their historical questions be easy
enough for their classmates to look up an answer in a timely manner. Because the
other students will play along answer this questions by doing browser searches and
quick research for the answers. Once the categories are completed I will compile
them into one big game. The same rules apply the first team to answer with the
correct answer will choose the following category. However, this time individual
groups will judge the answers they receive from their categories, choose who goes
next and challenge their classmates answers. I will make sure each category gets
hit. Once the Jeopardy game is completed students will turn their focus to their
paper assignment.
The paper assignment is to pick a historical event they feel is the most
influential and explain why they choose it and what they learned from the third
computer based activities. This should help students because their final unit paper
will be: Which historical event is the most influential to the Plot of The Great
Gatsby? And how has this historical event[s] shaped the novel? Cite textual
evidence and outside resources or in depth character and plot analysis on what they
feel the meaning of The Great Gatsbys [thematic essay] and cite textual evidence.
Whichever paper students decide to do will be due the following week or week and
a half and must be 5-6 pages in length. The things to be grading are the scavenger
hunt answers [participation grade], jeopardy answers [participation grade],
Students topic choices [in class work], and completed jeopardy categories (emailed)
[homework and participation].

Provide Practice:
Students will be given a jeopardy game beforehand, about 2 days prior to the
Gatsby Jeopardy Game. The game will not be graded, but used to get students
comfortable with Jeopardy and for me to see early on who is struggling with the
game. The Jeopardy game will be based on 90s cartoons. Because most of my
students will not have an extensive memory of 90s cartoons, so they will have to do
this research online to find the answers. The question will be What is the title of the
show that depicts a young boy in a laboratory with an annoying sister named Dee
Dee? give me the answer and tell me two things about the show. By participating
in this game students will practice their research skills, using supportive evidence
and evaluation of information because there are tons of cartoons about little boys in
laboratories, but only one that fits; just as there are tons of examples of Gatsbys
love for Daisy, but based on textual evidence one can best used to justify their
answer.
The next, low grade, practice students will be given is a mini Scavenger Hunt where
they will answer the questions:
Tell me the difference and similarities between the Bronx or Manhattan today and
the 1980s or 1970s.
Tell me the difference between the city and the suburbs in the 1950s?
Tell me the differences between rich and poor in the 1800s?
Students will answer these questions by actively doing research online and reading
articles I provide on the topic. These questions will get them thinking historically
and critically about the time period and their impact on people and society, which is
what they will have to do for The Great Gatsby Scavenger Hunt. I can go around
when students are doing this activity and see who is having difficulty and develop
ways to get them up to speed.

Provide Knowledge of Results

a. Students will answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper to be
handed in for both activities and I will explain to them that it is not graded,
but is to help me see who needs help before we can begin our unit. The
verbal feedback for students that receive the wrong answer to the 90s
cartoon questions will be why did they think it was Danny Phantom rather
than Dexter Laboratory based on their response I can tell whether it was an
issue in research or evaluation of the question and so on. This could be a
good way to help students with researching through keywords and phrases
they could look up, thus refraining their research skills. I will encourage them
and point out keywords that could help them answer the following questions.
The same verbal method of response will be used for the Scavenger Hunt.
b. For the written feedback I will hand them back their answer sheets with
comments on what to look out for when answering specific questions, and
calling their attention to specific parts of the articles I provided for the
scavenger hunt. I will still be encouraging, but for the students I feel are
struggling, I will set up times for them to have a conference with me where
we can go over the games and articles one-on-one or I could put the students
I feel are struggling in one group when we begin the unit and help that group
more closely through the unit. If the challenges are not significant, I can
implement the More Knowledge Other and have students assist their
classmates with specific parts of the unit.

Review of Activity:
 Students in their reflection piece of the scavenger hunt and answer sheet for
jeopardy will express their understanding and take away from the activities.
Moreover, I will provide them with a score sheet or ask them to do a fist to five
about the unit at the end, once papers are collected and go around the classroom.
We will discuss what they liked and disliked about the unit. The important points of
the unit will be captured in their written works produced in the unit, but for those
that dont achieve that I would like to know where they felt the unit was lacking, and
why they were not able to make that connection between text and historical events.

Method: Assessment
1. The answer sheets for jeopardy are to be collected for participation grade and
to see how groups were able to complete the assignment and interact with
the review game.
2. The Scavenger Hunt answer sheets are to be collected to see where
individual students stand with doing this form of research. Although this will
be collected for a participation grade, I can assess students comprehension
and difficulty they may have with the assignment.
3. The class Jeopardy game is to be collected as in class work and the research
they bring to their groups as homework and participation grade. I can
evaluate how well the group worked together, the sources they used and
critical thinking skills as it relates to the text.
4. The reflection piece for the Scavenger Hunt: making direct connection
between history and the novel
5. The presentation of their category and judgment of their classmate answer
reveals to me their understanding of the text and their ability to judge and
make connections between text and history. In addition to their
argumentative skills.
The paper will illustrate their interpretative, research and integrating skills as it will
be graded on the bases of their ability to incorporate their extensive research to
construct a plausible argument and critical understand the themes of The Great
Gatsby historically.