Lesson Plan

The Gospel of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie: A Close Reading

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Andrew Carnegie's "The Gospel of Wealth" provides high schoolers an opportunity to engage more complex text. After a close reading of the essay and an analysis of Carnegie's argument that the rich are superior because they earn money, individuals must decide if they believe Carnegie provides sufficient evidence to support his opinions.

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Offer writers the option of addressing a letter to Carnegie in which they respond to the points in his argument with their own evidence-supported stance
Classroom Considerations
  • The activity presumes class members are familiar with the concept of close reading
Pros
  • The 20-page packet includes Carnegie's essay, text dependent questions, activities, a vocabulary list with definitions, and essay prompts
Cons
  • More scaffolding would be needed if this activity marks the first time readers have encountered dense text of this sort