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Lesson Plan

American Dream and The Great Gatsby

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This American Dream and The Great Gatsby lesson plan also includes:

Is the American Dream alive and well or has it dried up and died? As part of a study of The Great Gatsby, class members search for articles on the state of the American Dream, analyze the arguments presented in those articles, and then craft their own persuasive argument on the current state of the American Dream.

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CCSS: Designed
Concepts
textual evidence, evidence, the great gatsby, f. scott fitzgerald, the american dream, argumentative writing, persuasive arguments
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Additional Tags
american dream, Informational Text, textual evidence, the great gatsby, claim, analyzing arguments, english language arts
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Instructional Ideas
  • Launch the lesson with Langston Hughes' "What Happens to a Dream Differed?"
Classroom Considerations
  • The lesson presumes class members are familiar with Toulmin Argumentation (claim, grounds, warrant, qualifiers, and counterclaims)
  • More current articles may be found in the Included Materials

 

 

 

Pros
  • The packet includes links to the readings, worksheets, an essay rubric, and step-by-step directions for the activity
  • The pre-writing activity models for writers how to craft a persuasive argument
Cons
  • The articles are dated; however, they do present clear claims, warrants, and qualifiers
Common Core
RI.11-12.1