The great gatsby and the american dream web quest pdf

The “Great Gatsby” & the “American Dream” Web Quest

Name: Nichole Valerio Grade

Level: 11-12 grade

Subject: English Language Arts Topic: The Great Gatsby

Education Standards Addressed: Writing Standard 1: b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. Reading: Informational Text Standard 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.

Overview & Purpose: Students analyze the claim, grounds, warrants, qualifiers and counterclaims in three articles about the American Dream. Students then analyze the argument in those articles. Finally, students write their own argument essay about the current state of the American Dream. *Activities alone can be complete in a class time or less. The whole Web Quest would be part of the larger unit and take more time.

Finding a manuscript in the backseat of a cab you happened to hail one rainy day on your way to West Egg village. You wonder if this could be the next great American novel, because it’s an account of the American Dream. Right from the first page you are thrown into this elite world of scandal and privilege…the manuscript is a real page turner you decide. However, before you can make a good claim that warrants if this manuscript is worth giving to your publishing friends in New York, you decide to read more to discover if it’s worth your time…and theirs’.

Learning Objective

Activity #1 Description

https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/gatsby.html (this site may not

be working)

http://www.novelguide.com/thegreatgatsby/index.html

Read the following analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and answer the

following questions.

a. Based on the following analysis what do you expect from the novel “The Great Gatsby?”

http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=4300#70987

https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/gatsby.html

https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/gatsby.html



____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Based on the information, what do you think the plot and setting of “The Great Gatsby” will include?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Self-Assessment for Activity #1 (5) = Exceptional (4) = Exceeds Requirements

(3) = Meets Requirements

(2) = Gets By

(1) = Needs More Work

Read article

Answered all questions

Communicated written ideas effectively

You are starting to gain a better understanding of what this manuscript is about. Though you wonder about the setting of this manuscript? So you decide to physically visit all the areas that the manuscript mentions. However, you are unsure of where a few places are so you turn to Google Earth to help you map your journey.

Learning Objective


http://www.google.com/earth/i

ndex.html

Based on the descriptions given in Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby,” explore New York and the

surrounding areas using Google Earth. Create a virtual map based on the settings in the book. Add “Placemarks” for the all the “Areas Required.” Record a virtual tour of where you detect the

following areas would be on your virtual map using the novel as a resource.

*This virtual map is your best estimate of where these locations would be placed on the clues from the novel.

Required Areas on Virtual Map

a. East Egg (pgs. 4 - 5) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _________________________________________________ b. Buchanan's house (pgs. 6 - 7) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _________________________________________ c. West Egg (pgs. 4 - 5) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _________________________________________________ d. Gatsby's house (pg. 5) Explain why you choose that Placemark? ________________________________________________ e. Nick's house (pg. 5) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _________________________________________________ f. Long Island Sound (pg. 5) Explain why you choose that Placemark? ____________________________________________ g. Valley of Ashes (pg. 23) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _______________________________________________ h. T.J. Eckleberg billboard (pg. 23) Explain why you choose that Placemark? ________________________________________ i. Railroad tracks and motor road (pg. 23) Explain why you choose that Placemark? __________________________________ j. Wilson's garage/house (pgs. 24 -25) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _____________________________________ k. New York (pg. 4, 23) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _________________________________________________ l. Jordan's aunt's apartment (pg. 19) Explain why you choose that Placemark? ______________________________________ m. Tom and Myrtle's apartment (pgs. 28 -29) Explain why you choose that Placemark? _________________________________



(2) = Gets By


Completed assignment using Google Earth

Listed all the required areas with “Placemarks” & answered questions explaining with evidence why you choose that location for each area required.

Record virtual tour and sent final product to instructor

After mapping all the places in this manuscript you ask the cab driver to turn up the radio because you are listening to a song that sounds a lot like the manuscript you are reading and wonder could this be a coincidence?

http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

Learning Objective


http://www.youtube.com/watch

?v=RiajdDYYMaA

Listen to "Daisy's Lullaby," a rap tribute to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel "The Great Gatsby" and

answer the following questions in a short paragraph.

a. Describe who the audience of the rap song “Daisy’s Lullaby” is intended for?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



(2) = Gets By


Listened to all of “Daisy’s Lullaby”

All questions answered for this sections

Listed strengths and limitations of this rap tribute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiajdDYYMaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiajdDYYMaA

Learning Objective

Activity #4-5 Description

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/

20080220wednesday.html

Learn about the contemporary popularity of the 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, “The Great Gatsby,” among urban high school students by reading the article, “Gatsby’s Green Light Beckons a New Set

of Strivers.”

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/quiz/GatsbyGreen

LightQuiz.html

Take a quiz to see how well you understood the article "Gatsby's Green Light Beckons a New Set of Strivers." For each question, choose the best answer. Good luck!

a. Answer the questions in the quiz. Print off results.

b. Based on the information you have collected what exactly does the green light at Daisy’s house that Gatsby gazes at represents to him?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Self-Assessment for Activity #4-5 (5) = Exceptional (4) = Exceeds Requirements


(2) = Gets By


Read article

Completed quiz and printed results

Wrote analysis of what the “green light” symbolizes

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20080220wednesday.html



http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/quiz/GatsbyGreenLightQuiz.html



While in the cab, you pull out the New York Times and read an article about the American Dream. You decide that there are some similarities between the two stories and are interested in knowing if a larger audience would be interested in reading this type of book that you are finding so interesting.

Learning Objective


http://www.nytimes.com/1996/

06/23/style/testing-the-resonance-of-the-american-

dream.html

Read the New York Times article “Testing the Resonance of the American Dream" by Lena Williams

a. Why do you think the author wrote that the “The American dream has changed with each generation?”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



(2) = Gets By


Read article

Wrote a short personal narrative

Explained the current state of the American dream using correct punctuation.

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/23/style/testing-the-resonance-of-the-american-dream.html





Learning Objective


http://www.city-

journal.org/article02.php?aid=1524

The Truth behind F. Scott Fitzgerald Valley of Ashes

http://www.youtube.com/watch

?v=0VhYMdnAsyM

Watch the YouTube video “The Great Gatsby: Living the Dream in the Valley of Ashes”

a. Did your impression of the “American Dream” change from one webpage/video to the next?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



(2) = Gets By


Read article

Watched YouTube video

Wrote synthesize of “Living the Dream in the Valley of Ashes.”

http://www.city-journal.org/article02.php?aid=1524



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VhYMdnAsyM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VhYMdnAsyM

Learning Objective


http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/

20090511monday.html

Read the New York Times article "What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession" by Katherine Q.

Seelye

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2009/05/07/us/119484003112

0/defining-the-american-dream.html

Watch the video “Defining the American Dream”

a. List three elements why the author suggests the idea of the “American Dream” has changed or been adapted due to the recession? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



(2) = Gets By


Read article

Watched YouTube video

Defined your own “American Dream”

Learning Objective


http://www.values.com/your-

billboards

Considering the current economic conditions and other factors in our country, create your own “Values

Billboard,” keeping in mind the state of the American Dream. Don't forget to back up YOUR VALUE. Create a headline and use images that you created yourself.

a. Create your own billboard keeping in mind how other preserved the billboard in the novel in the “Valley of Ashes” and what that meant to

Gatsby’s and the other characters American Dream. Print off your billboard and turn in for points.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20090511monday.html





http://www.nytimes.com/video/2009/05/07/us/1194840031120/defining-the-american-dream.html




http://www.values.com/your-billboards

http://www.values.com/your-billboards

b. Explain why you choose the image, “the value,” and the saying you did for your billboard. Justify you reasoning and make the argument as to why your “value” you choose represents a part of your American Dream

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



(2) = Gets By


Created your own ‘value billboard”

Turned value billboard in for points

Wrote a claim justifying how your “value billboard” represented a part of your American Dream

After completing all your research on if this manuscript that you stumbled upon would be a best-seller. You decide your friends in New York would be interested in publishing this novel. However, you have to find out more about the author first.

Learning Objective


http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/bi

ography.html

A brief history of the lift of F. Scott Fitzgerald

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/ch

ronology.html

Chronology of the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography.html

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography.html

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/chronology.html

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/chronology.html

http://quizstar.4teachers.org/

Create an online quiz

a. Create a mini quiz for another student to take using the facts and personal history of F. Scott Fitzgerald from these two articles. The mini

quiz must have at least 10 questions and be posted to Quizstar. Pair up with another student in the class. Take that students quiz and print results. He/she will take your quiz and print results.



(2) = Gets By


Read “A brief history”

Read “Chronology of the life…”

Create a mini quiz on “quizstar” paired up with a student and took each other quizzes. Printed results.

Learning Objective


http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/archival/1933010

1AmericanDream.pdf

Read the New York Times article "America Faces 1993's Realities" by James Truslow Adams

a. According to the author, what are the realities that America Faces in 1993? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

http://quizstar.4teachers.org/

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/archival/19330101AmericanDream.pdf






(2) = Gets By


Read article

Locate article thesis statement and main ideas

Wrote a summary describing how the main ideas supported or did not support the article thesis statement

Learning Objective


http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/

gatsby/characters.html

Read through the list of character from the novel “The Great Gatsby.” Choose only one character that

interests you and follow up on some additional research about this character using the novel and the internet as resources.

a. What kind of characters do you expect to encounter in the novel “The Great Gatsby?” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Learning Objective


www.myfakewall.com

Assigned a character from the novel, The Great Gatsby, and you will need to create a “fake Facebook” page

for that character. The page will serve as a direct representation of how that character is portrayed throughout the novel. All of your information must fall within the setting: New York, 1920’s. The pictures, quotes, activities, historical information of the characters must all fall in place with the novel. Print your

Facebook page and hand it in.

a. Print and turn in your “fake Facebook” page.

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/characters.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/characters.html

http://www.myfakewall.com/



(2) = Gets By


Read the character list

Explain why your choose your character

Write and print off your “fake Facebook” page

Learning Objective


http://www.washingtonpost.co

m/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/01

/AR2007010100958.html

Read the Washington Post article ‘Gatsby’: the greatest of them all by Jonathan Yardley

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2

012/03/things-to-worry-about.html

On August 8th of 1933, author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the following letter of advice to his 11-year-old

daughter, "Scottie," who was away at camp.

http://www.ecritureinfinie.org/

The article by Yardley described that at “Barely 50,000 words long-the novel “The Great Gatsby” is a

meditation on some of this country's most central ideas, themes, yearnings and preoccupations: the quest for a new life, the preoccupation with class, the hunger for riches and "the last and greatest of all human

dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in

history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder."

Keeping this in mind the article and the letter F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote to his daughter visit the following website to leave your mark, Explore the website and find where you are invited to write as if it would be your

last time. What will you say? Create a list of “things to worry about and things not to worry about” submit online and track the eight books.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/01/AR2007010100958.html




http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/things-to-worry-about.html



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Scott_Fitzgerald

http://www.ecritureinfinie.org/



(2) = Gets By


Read the article

Read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s letter to his daughter

Visited website and left your mark

After the cab driver drops you off you realize that this book “The Great Gatsby” is indeed worth publishing. You pull out your cell phone to give your friends a call, but realize that you are no longer hold the manuscript in your hands. “Oh no,” you gasp in panic, as you realize you forgot the manuscript in the back of the cab that just drove out of your sight. How will people get to read this great novel now, you think?

Answer Key

Based on the following analysis what do you expect from the novel “The Great Gatsby?”

Students answers can vary, but based on the textual information students should mention something about the American dream, the tone of the novel or the multiple symbolic objects in the novel

Based on the information, what do you think the plot and setting of “The Great Gatsby” will include?

Students answers can vary, but based on the information from the analysis students should mention something about the idea of movement—this includes from East Egg to New York, ect.

Student explains why they chose the “Placemarks” they did for each setting area required on the virtual map.

a. East Egg (pgs. 4 - 5) b. Buchanan's house (pgs. 6 - 7) c. West Egg (pgs. 4 - 5) d. Gatsby's house (pg. 5) e. Nick's house (pg. 5) f. Long Island Sound (pg. 5) g. Valley of Ashes (pg. 23) h. T.J. Eckleberg billboard (pg. 23) i. Railroad tracks and motor road (pg. 23) j. Wilson's garage/house (pgs. 24 -25) k. New York (pg. 4, 23) l. Jordan's aunt's apartment (pg. 19)

m. Tom and Myrtle's apartment (pgs. 28 -29)

Describe who the audience of the rap song “Daisy’s Lullaby” is intended for?

Students should mention that the rap song is intended for someone who has read the novel for a lot of the references to be understood.

Student take an online quiz

Student need to print results from the quiz and turn in for points

Based on the information you have collected what exactly does the green light at Daisy’s house that Gatsby gazes at represents to him?

The green light on Daisy’s house that Gatsby gazes wistfully at from his own house across the water represents the "unattainable dream." But the green light also represents the hazy future, the future that is forever elusive, as Nick claims in the last page of the novel.

Why do you think the author wrote that the “The American dream has changed with each generation?”

Students’ answers may vary, but generally they should fall within the answer that in the last paragraph of the article the author wrote that some people are no longer satisfied with the house and the car. They dream of a college, an education, and an income beyond that of what they were born into.

Did your impression of the “American Dream” change from one webpage/video to the next?

Students’ answers will vary, but in their impression they should write something about how the American dream is a symbol that represents the ideal in an ever changing world.

List three elements why the author suggests the idea of the “American Dream” has changed or been adapted due to the recession?

Students’ answers can vary

People want to hold onto that American dream when times are hard

The American dreams relates to freedom and opportunity, people believe they can start poor and become rich

The American dream is a dream of social order in which people can hope for equality

Create billboard

To receive points students must print out a copy of their billboard

Explain why you choose the image, “the value,” and the saying you did for your billboard. Justify you reasoning and make the argument as to why your “value” you choose represents a part of your American Dream

Students’ answer can vary

A value like honesty, dedication, e.g. and describe how the values they choose is a part of their American Dream. For example, “dedication is part of my American dream because I believe if you continue to try you can reach your goals”

Create mini quiz

To receive credit students need to print a copy of the mini quiz they created online & the results of the quiz they took when they paired up with another student

According to the author, what are the realities that America Faces in 1993?

Students’ answer can vary

For example, something a student could write about is how the reality that America faces is that dreams and the idea of a happy life was built on owning things like fancy cars, expensive devices or other gadgets. The fallacy was that you had to have these things in order to live a full life.

What kind of characters do you expect to encounter in the novel “The Great Gatsby?”

Students’ answer can vary, but students can talk about individual characters or they could talk about personality traits of the characters that they can expect to encounter in the novel.

Create a “fake Facebook” page from one character from the novel

To receive credit students needs to print a copy of their “fake Facebook” page and must be written in first person language as if they were the character they chose from the novel

Leave mark on website and print what “your final words would be”

Print off what your final words would be and submit online

Documents

The great gatsby and the american dream web quest pdf