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Students will benefit by reading and using all of these materials and thinking about what is important in their lives. T

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Is the American Dream an Illusion? Unit created and adapted by Nick Rudek Prefatory Statement This unit is all about materialism, greed, fame, and the American Dream gone wrong. The students will read The Great Gatsby, and be placed in literature circles with other students from the class. We will also focus our attention on the ‘20s and all the jazz that went along with that era. The purpose of this unit is to show the effects of greed and materialism during a previous era, and to also draw our own conclusions about modern America. This unit will not only focus on The Great Gatsby, but also poems related to greed, movie clips, newspapers, ads, commercials and modern technology. Students will benefit by reading and using all of these materials and thinking about what is important in their lives. This unit will cover many issues like socio-economic status, historical references to the 1920’s, as well as popular culture in our modern America, as well as the ‘20s. The concept of wealth has many different meanings for differing cultures, and we will exam the differences and similarities between our American way of life, and the way of life for other countries. The students will write newspaper articles summarizing the ‘20s; they will also be doing a research assignment on the American way of life during the ‘20s, in comparison with the life of characters from The Great Gatsby. The students will benefit by doing these assignments because they will learn not only historical and factual information, but they will also develop their own beliefs of what it means to live the American dream. Daily activities will include chapter summaries and group discussions about the book. In order to keep track of student participation, each member of the group will be designated a specific role that asks them to complete that role on a worksheet. Class Specification This unit is designed for grades 11 and 12. The unit tackles the issue of materialism, and all of your students may come from differing classes, this shouldn’t be a reason not to teach this novel. Significant Assumptions- For this unit, I am assuming that: Students will have prior knowledge of the 1920’s Students will have an understanding of what the American Dream is Students will have prior experience working with blogs and technology Most students will enjoy reading the novel Students will be able to reflect on their own lives when thinking about materialism Students are able to think critically about the novel. Desired Outcomes/Standards/ Objectives to be Met-Students will think critically about the world around them and the affects our actions have on its existence. -Students will gain an understanding of themselves as people. Identify how race, culture, gender, and disability may influence beliefs, actions, and world view. When reading a novel, how to character analysis play a part in understanding the novel? Was the Roaring 20’s a time of positive influence on American culture or a time of mischievous? Is the American Dream an attitude or simply just a term? By the end of the unit, students will have learned that The American Dream is corrupted when wealth and position are considered the keys to attaining it. Money can’t buy happiness or friendship. People must have a strong moral foundation (sense of values) in order to create a healthy society. Interpret different levels of meaning in fiction Present a clear analysis of an idea supported by well-developed arguments Reflect on their own experience and gain perspective on the values and lifestyles of others Write reflective, focused reader-response entries in their journals Interpret characterization through enactment and/or dramatic readings Write and present research on historical information pertaining to Gatsby and the ‘20s in combination with modern civilization. The American cultural values related to the concept of success The role that class struggle plays in American society and American literature How success is defined and not defined for each student Possible Whole-Class Activities: Socratic discussion, dramatic readings, group work, journal writing, research on the Jazz Age, class newspaper on the Great Gatsby. Fish bowl activities. Possible Small-Group Activities: Literature circles and novel discussion, video presentations. Possible Individual Activities: Students will write character logs for characters within the book. They will also keep a journal throughout the reading of the novel and have individual newspaper assignments.

Ongoing Activities: Students will use a writing journal throughout the unit to talk about each chapter. This is not limited to only talking about characters, but also including thoughts about the novel: likes, dislikes, etc… The students will also be in literature circles. These literature circles are used after the writing activities. Students will have individual roles within the lit circles, and be required to know certain details to explain to their fellow group members. The students will also be working on a final project, which could range from creating a movie trailer, a commercial advertisement, a scene reenactment or various other possibilities. Or, they will have the option of creating a newscast, or some type of presentation for the class. Along with these projects, students will also be creating persuasive essays for a class newspaper. The project and the writing activity will be used as a unit exam. (See handouts below)

Student Resources: Access to internet, access to the novel The Great Gatsby, access to computer lab, access to poster boards, markers, video camera. Journals for writing. Unit Launch/Anticipatory set/ Set Induction: (See unit outline) Organization of the Unit: (See unit outline)

The Dream Is Gone: America and Greed Sunday

Thursday Friday Introduction to class of Introduce greed Introduce the American Work the 1920’s through through music video. Dream through songs, and





Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

intro activity, movie clips and compare/contrast ‘20s to modern time. Presentations of the American Dream assignment.

Use the American Dream concept.

youtube videos. Introduce project of the American Dream.

Presentations of the American Dream assignment.

Introduce the novel Explore characters in Share poems. the Great Gatsby by ch.1 & 2. Discuss ch. 2. F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Saturday

day for American Work Day for Dream presentations. American Dream presentations.



Read ch. 2 Discuss research Students should be Cinquain poem assignments. divided into literature (webquest) circles. Read ch.1 Discuss ch. 3. “The Devil and Tom Explore jazz in the Facts/rumours Walker” Lit circle discussion. Financial marketing ‘20s activity. -Question for the day: Financial marketing simulation continued What is really expensive, simulation. Read chapter 3. Compare West/East and what would you do to HW – ch. 5 Egg have it? HW- ch. 4. & Journal assignment Simulation reflection. Discuss symbolism in Listen to MPR News Personal Bliss Symbolism in ch. 4. magazines. podcast “The American Lit circle discussion Work Day and 5 “The truth was that Dream Gone Wrong” Reread Cather Magazine activity Jay Gatsby, of West Listen to “Glory Days” Lit circle questions Catch up on readings HW- ch. 6 Egg, Long Island, and “The River” by the HW- Ch.7 for Monday Final porject sprang from his Boss. Platonic conception Lit group activity of himself. “ Show clips from “The Talk about Plato and Road”, his perfect world. HW – Willa Cather’s “A Wagner Matinee.” Lit circles Review chapter 8 Review chapter 9. Read chapter Assign chapter 9 Begin final work on WORK DAY WORK DAY 8 projects. Work Day Work Day Work Day Work Day Work Day



PRESENT









PRESENT

PRESENT

PRESENT

PRESENT Go over the American Dream again, and how attitudes may have changed.

Week 1: Unit Launch/Anticipatory set/ Set Induction: To introduce the novel, you should ask students if they have any "inside jokes" with their friends. What are they? What makes them "inside jokes"? Who's on the outside? Why? What do "inside jokes" do for/to people on the inside and people on the outside? If no one brings it up, you might suggest that "inside jokes" are ways of defining groups, that is, asserting one's membership in a group. They work sometimes in the ways that uniforms do for sports teams or armies - making clear distinctions between those who are members and those who are not. Then, ask if there are other things the students and their friends do to assert their membership in a group: handshakes, styles of dress, places to hang-out, music, etc. (Obviously, the answer will be "yes," but be conscious of different groups. It is probably helpful to ask students to limit examples to their own perceived group, rather than others. Ideally, the discussion will take a lighthearted, communally self-deprecating tone!) To help get students in the correct mindset, it would be a good idea to show a clip from “Mean Girls” to help demonstrate the idea of cliques. Next, ask students to take out a sheet of paper and divide the paper into 3 columns. The headings for each column are as follows: Things teachers do, things teachers wear, and things teachers say. Ask students what separates the student and the teacher. Have the students work in groups when answering the questions. After completing the activity, have each group write their results on the board and compare each group’s findings. Explain to your class the power/status divide that often exists in the classroom between teacher and student. Explain that this power/status struggle also exists between Nick and Daisy, and Tom, and Jordan in the novel. Thus, students get an immediate sense of Nick's position. This activity could take 20 minutes or less, depending on the level of class participation and how much time you want to spend answering questions and so forth. If you have remaining time, it would be a good idea to introduce the ‘20s. If you have internet access, and are able to access YouTube, find a trailer for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”. First, show the clip, asking students just to watch it the first time through. Then, show the clips again, asking students to pay attention to the people; how are they dressed? What are they doing? Ask students to write down any observations they have about the clip. After showing the clip a second time, ask students to get into the same groups they were in for the previous task, this time, ask students to share their observations with each other, and also to think about what they already know about the ‘20s. This should take the rest of the hour. In closing, ask the students to think about how the ‘20s compares to our current society. Tell the students to come in with a list of similarities and differences for the next class period. Day 2 of introduction: Explain to students why you had them write about cliques and watch movie clips. Explain that the assumptions we make about people or groups are not always accurate or fair. Bring up the activity they did at the beginning of class the previous day, explain to students that you are a teacher but you are also more than just a teacher, explain to them that their assumptions may not always be entirely accurate. Then lead into discussing the theme of the unit, which is greed, wealth and materialism. Next, hand out lyrics of Lady GaGa’s song “The Fame” and if you are able to, find a copy of the song and play it for the class, asking the students to follow the lyrics. After playing this video, ask the class to share their thoughts on being rich and famous. Write their thoughts on the board and save the information (Will be used at the end of the unit) after doing this, explain to students that their assumptions may not be accurate. Remind them again of the previous day’s activity where they stereotyped you as a teacher. Next, ask students to take out their comparison sheets of the ‘20s and modern America. Ask the students to share their observations with the students around them, or in groups. Bring the class back together and ask students to share with the rest of the class what they learned or already knew about the ‘20s and how it compares to modern society. Ask the students what they liked about the ‘20s, what they didn’t like and ask the same about our modern society. After some responses ask the class if they think that the “American Dream” is any different now than it was in the ‘20s. Ask them if being rich and famous is any different now, than it was in the ‘20s. Ask students to share with a partner, writing down their responses on a sheet of paper. Make sure the students do not put their name on the piece of paper, because they will be handing them in and being redistributed and read out-loud in class. Students are reluctant to express their own opinions sometimes, this way, students are sharing anonymously. This should take up the remainder of the period. DAY 3 of introduction: Begin the class by listening to the song “America” by Neil Diamond. Distribute copies of the lyrics. Discuss the song “America” focusing upon the stereotypical American Dream. What is it? What did the first immigrants want? What does the American Dream promise? The “dream” is mentioned several times within this song. Students should be guided to see the references to the American Dream within this song. Point out the lines such as “Free, only want to be free,” and “My country ‘tis of thee Sweet land of liberty.” This would be an appropriate time to review with students some of the historical reasons for immigrants to flock to America. Next, divide students into groups of 3-5. Ask each group to design a poster/blog/movie of their own American Dream. Asking them to describe what they believe the American Dream is and their thoughts on it. Be sure to tell students to bring in materials like magazine, and things like that if they chose to create a poster. Tell students to bring in their computers if you cannot get lab time. Use the remaining class time to answer questions and let students work in their groups. Give them the option of working with partners or working alone. Remind them that they will all be graded the same, even if they choose to do it alone. DAY 4 & 5: These days are dedicated to creating an American Dream poster or some type of presentation. Week 2: Monday: Start poster/presentation. Tuesday: Continue with poster/project presentations Wednesday: Introduce the novel the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Anticipatory set: Post some of these quotes on the board or on an overhead: The Great Gatsby is a novel that challenges the American dream… If only I can become rich enough, popular enough, accomplished enough, then I will find happiness… • We use each other, burning through friendships and marriages and work relationships--and tossing people aside when we’re done with them. • Once we get what we want we are left unsatisfied, wanting even more. We are consumers and materialists, and that is all. • We want to be entertained. We want to be drunk. We want to be mindless. We are virtually soulless. • We “drive” through our lives recklessly, guided by our own base desires and whims rather than by morality and concern for others. • We have very poor vision of what is most valuable in life: quality human relationships and personal honor. We see only with our senses and not with our hearts. • We see women as objects of pleasure to be won, bought, sold, decorated, and enjoyed. • We believe that who we appear to be is more important than who we actually are. Ask students to think about these phrases and if they hold true to our modern times. Have them get into their literature circles and discuss these questions. First within the small group, then bring it to the larger class discussion. In Chapter 1, we meet the main characters. In groups, students are to read Chapter One and write brief profiles of the characters: What are they like? What are their roles in the novel? Thursday: The beginning of class will be devoted to exploring the characters introduced in chapter 1 of the novel. Ask students to share their thoughts and observations after reading. 2. Characterization continued, chapter 2: 3. Provide students with a copy of the passage that begins “So Tom Buchanan and his girl . . .” and ends with “Meanwhile Tom brought out a bottle of whisky from a locked bureau door” 4. As you read the passage aloud, ask students to pay attention to any detail that causes them to form an opinion, either good or bad, of Tom and Myrtle. After reading, have students share within their groups what they highlighted and why, noting how details create specific impressions. Remind your students to use their characterization handout. Students should write a statement that describes how they think Fitzgerald wants them to feel about the characters and why. 5. next, explain characterization, and have students write a cinquain poem (a 5-line unrhymed poem) about a real person, whether it be a celebrity, a brother/sister, or someone they know. Remind students to be respectful and to avoid writing something negative about someone they dislike. A cinquain is written with the following pattern: noun adjective, adjective ing-verb, ing-verb, ing-verb four word statement synonym or equivalent of line 1 Example: The Necklace priceless, elegant borrowing, wearing, losing I must borrow money materialism Procedures 1. Pick a character 2. Brainstorm a list of adjectives. 3. Brainstorm a list of present participles. 4. Brainstorm a list of synonyms. 5. Choose the best ones. 6. Organize appropriately. 6. Read chapter 2. Friday: Ask students to share their cinquain poem within their literature circles. After this, have students share their poems with the class. If no one is willing to share, then move on, but collect their poems and make a poster of them, displaying them in the classroom. In their literature circles, students should discuss their thoughts on the ash piles and Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes. Ask them to think about how Fitzgerald uses language in this chapter. Is he effective? Why/why not? The research assignments that will be handed out are all geared toward the time period of the 1920’s; have the beginning of book read before the start of the project. Explain the project in detail. Reading Day to finish chapter 3. Possible project ideas: Some compose newspapers with all the different sections based on info and characters in the novel, and relate those characters to people of today. Students make a video showing symbolism throughout the book, while either making an advertisement for some type of global change dealing with materialism, or an adapted scene from the novel, incorporating some type of greed aspect and how it could be changed. Creating a presentation through prezi or some type of online media creator that shows greed and corruption in the ‘20s and our modern America. They can write a multigenre research paper about greed and materialism while using aspects from the novel. Possibly a class Socratic seminar after having presentations of final projects. Week 3, Monday: Go to NEA’s Jazz in the Schools Web site, www.neajazzintheschools.org. Enter the Web site and click on the “Listen” heading. Here you will find samples of legendary jazz recordings. Play King Oliver’s “Chimes Blues,” which includes Louis Armstrong’s first recorded solo. Move on to Armstrong’s “Sugar Foot Stomp” and “West End Blues.” Then, listen to some modern songs. Have student’s journal their thoughts. Ask what is different, what is the same. Have students read the handout on jazz in the 1920’s. Assign chapter 3. Tuesday: The teacher writes Nick’s closing line of Chapter 3 on the board. Can we trust Nick? Why or why not? Class discussion. Students are to work in their literature circles to make two lists. List A should consist of facts that they know about Gatsby; list B should consist of rumors about Gatsby (all from Chapter 3). When finished, students can compare their lists between groups. Students should keep their lists. Discuss chapter three. What is the world of West Egg like in comparison with the world of East Egg? Do the people who live in West Egg seem more real? Are these characters living the American dream? Why or why not? Why is the host of the party conspicuously absent? Look at the scene in the library. Have students read that scene out loud. Why does Owl Eyes comment on the books being “real?” Are Nick and Jordan Baker going to become involved? Wednesday: (Comparison) Hand out copies of “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. Ask students to think about how Tom Walker became a victim of greed. Ask the students to keep in mind something that would cost millions to have, and what they would do to have it. After students read the short story, explain that making pacts with the devil is a common occurrence in both literature and film. Show a clip from the movie The Box. In this clip a family that is struggling financially is given the opportunity to become wealthy. A stranger appears at their door with a box that contains a button. They are informed that if they push the button they will receive a briefcase with one million dollars. Although their financial problems will be solved, a person that they do not know will be killed. The film clip shows them being given the chance to make this “pact with the devil,” their decision making process, and their ultimate decision to push the button. After watching the clip, students are asked to think back to the material possessions that they cannot afford and what they could be able to afford with the million dollars. Some items might be selfish such as cars, jewelry, clothing, travel, etc.; but they might also use the money to pay for college, help others, or get insurance. Students will journal what they would do in this position and have to describe their decision making process. Students will discuss their entries. Students will now answer three questions in their journal: (1) How is the decision making process different/similar in the movie and the story, (2) what other similarities and differences are present between the story and the movie, and (3) what would Tom Walker do in this situation? Students will discuss their responses. Assign chapter 4. Thursday: (Comparison Cont.) Start class by asking students to get into their literature circles, and discuss the 3 questions they were supposed to answer in regards to the story and the movie. Ask groups to share their responses. Introduce the financial marketing simulation Study financial downfalls chapter 4 and 5 Friday: Financial simulation WEEK 4, Monday: Reflect on simulation activity Talk about symbolism in chapter 4 and 5 Magazine activity where students consider colors in magazines, how they appeal to consumers. Any colors that represent America (red white blue) Assign students chapter 6. Tuesday: Discuss Plato and his perfect world Read sections from The Republic Review chapter 6 Wednesday: Listen to the MPRNews “The American dream gone wrong” podcast. AMERICAN DREAM PODCAST After listening to the podcast, have students get into their lit circles to revisit the American Dream. Ask students to listen to two songs by Bruce Springsteen “Glory Days” and “The River.” Provide lyrics for the students. Focusing attention on the American Dream gone wrong. Which dreams are realistic and which are unrealistic? What happens when a dream is not realized? What determines whether or not a dream is fulfilled? How does a person cope with dreams that are not achieved? Students should first analyze the ideas in each of the songs, and then refer to their own experiences to answer these questions. To help grasp the idea of an American Dream gone wrong, show a clip from “The Road” or use celebrity examples like Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Schene, Vanilla Ice and M.C. Hammer. Explain to students that these people had it all, and then lost it all. Assign Willa Cather’s short story “A Wagner Matinee.” Assign students to select a song to match their individual American Dream. Thursday: Most people can name at least one thing they enjoy that’s a source of personal “bliss”—something they’d rather see, do, own, or listen to than anything else in the world. Sometimes circumstances in life force people to give up that beloved source of pleasure. In lit circles, students should discuss their “bliss”. Still in lit circles, have students reread Cather’s aloud in their groups. Have them answer these questions at the end of certain paragraphs: 1. After the second paragraph—who is the narrator of the story? What have we learned about the narrator to this point? 2. After the fourth paragraph—how is Georgiana’s story told? At the time Georgiana married how old was she? How old was her husband? What do you think society thought of an older woman marrying a younger man? What was their life like on the Nebraska frontier? Do you think that Georgiana knew what her life would be like when she married Howard Carpenter? 3. After the sixth paragraph—the narrator says: She would sit beside me by the hour, darning and counting while I struggled with the “Joyous Farmer,” but she seldom talked to me about music, and I understood why. She was a pious woman; she had the consolations of religion and, to her at least, her martyrdom was not wholly sordid.” What does Cather mean here? How do you interpret this? (Clark seems to think that Georgiana’s religion was a comfort to her. He considers her a martyr. Connection to Joyous Farmer.) What is Georgiana’s attitude toward music? Two pieces of music have been mentioned or alluded to in this paragraph, Joyous Farmer and Euryanthe. Play a few excerpts from these operas. 4. Ask students: what does hearing this music communicate to you about Aunt Georgiana’s character/personality? As you listen to the music, jot down notes about the music and the emotions associated with the music. Does the music paint a picture in your mind of any particular action or even? Ask students to think about what does this story tell us about the American dream Friday: Work Day. This day will be dedicated to catching up on the readings and starting work on their final project through the web quest site. Monday: In lit circles, groups are to read chapter 7 and discuss awkward moments in the chapter. 2. Writing prompt: “What are your impressions of Gatsby? Do you believe the account of his past? Why/Why not? Given Daisy's story, what do you think will happen next in the novel?” 3. Assign chapter 8 4. Collect American Dream Song summary Tuesday: The story of Gatsby’s past and his involvement with Daisy is retold. Why? What new information does this yield? Are you surprised by Gatsby’s death? At some point during the period I might form small discussion groups and ask students to think about why Fitzgerald kills off the title character? When the whole class reconvenes I might ask what happened to Gatsby’s dream. Assign chapter 9. Wednesday: Review chapter 9 Begin work on final projects. The next week and a half is dedicated to working on the final projects. These days should be spent in the lab and in the classroom. The following week (week 7) should be used for presentations and to wrap up the theme of the American Dream gone wrong. Make sure to have students reflect on the unit on the last day. At the beginning of the unit, students filled out an anticipation guide. Revisit that same guide and have students discuss their answers within their literature circles. This will conclude the American Dream Gone Wrong unit. Teacher Time! Introduction: In school today, many people distinguish themselves by what they wear, what they say, what they do, and how they think. Think about your friends. Is this true of them? Do you and your friends dress similarly? Do you and your friends have “inside jokes” that someone would have to be part of your “group” to get? You probably do. Now, we know there’s much more to you than these things, but to an outsider, it probably seems like there are certain ways to dress and act to be a part of your group. Today, you’ll get a chance to brainstorm on what TEACHERS – as a group - do to distinguish THEMSELVES! Remember, people are more complex than they sometimes seem, so we should be careful of stereotyping, but let’s think about the things TEACHERS often do. Instructions: Below, list as many characteristics of the things you think TEACHERS generally wear, say, and do to distinguish themselves!

THINGS TEACHERS WEAR THINGS TEACHERS SAY

THINGS THAT TEACHERS DO

Anticipation Guide for The Great Gatsby Before Reading After Reading ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Money can help us make people fall in love with us. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Adultery is always wrong. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 True love is a myth. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Moving between different classes of people is not difficult. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 It is part of the American Dream to acquire wealth and social status. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 We can achieve our ideals of perfection. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Men and women have equal power in their sexual relationships with partners. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 People will love you if they think you are wealthy. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Everybody talks badly or falsely about other people behind their backs. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 strongly disagree somewhat disagree somewhat agree strongly agree The American Dream Project Directions – Chose a partner that you feel comfortable working with as well as someone that you can rely on. You are responsible for signing your names on the “Partner List” posted on the board before the end of class. With your partner you will create Project on “What is the American Dream?” Your project should be organized in the following outline; You & your partner’s definition of the American Dream. Answer the question “Is the American Dream a real term or attitude?” A representation of the American Dream in the 1920s. A representation of the American Dream today. Comparison between the 1920s and today in regards to the American Dream. Work Cited page. Requirements – Hand in a printed copy of your answers. Presentation should be shared equally between speakers. Properly cited resources used. (If you need a copy of the MLA Handout from the 1920s Group Research Project please let me know. Grading Rubric for Presentation CATEGORY Effectiveness

Sequencing of Information

Originality

Spelling and Grammar Use of Graphics

Organization

4

3

2

1

Project includes all material Project includes most Project is missing more needed to gain a material needed to gain a than two key elements. It comfortable understanding comfortable understanding would make an incomplete of the topic. It is a highly of the material but is study guide. effective study guide. lacking one or two key elements. It is an adequate study guide. Information is organized in Most information is Some information is a clear, logical way. It is organized in a clear, logical logically sequenced. An easy to anticipate the type way. One card or item of occasional card or item of of material that might be on information seems out of information seems out of the next card. place. place. Presentation shows Presentation shows some Presentation shows an considerable originality andoriginality and attempt at originality and inventiveness. The content inventiveness. The content inventiveness and ideas are presented in a and ideas are presented in unique and interesting way.an interesting way. Presentation has no Presentation has 1-2 Presentation has 1-2 misspellings or misspellings, but no grammatical errors but no grammatical errors. grammatical errors. misspellings. All graphics are attractive A few graphics are not All graphics are attractive (size and colors) and attractive but all support thebut a few do not seem to support the theme/content theme/content of the support the theme/content of the presentation. presentation. of the presentation. All parts of the task are . All parts of the task are Project does not support completed fully and completed partially and the theme/content of the support the theme/content support the theme/content presentation. of the presentation. of the presentation.

Points

Project is lacking several key elements and has inaccuracies that make it a poor study guide.

There is no clear plan for the organization of information.



Presentation is a rehash of other people's ideas and/or graphics and shows very little attempt at original thought. Presentation has more than 2 grammatical and/or spelling errors. Several graphics are unattractive AND detract from the content of the presentation. Missing several parts of the task. Project chosen do not support the theme/content of the presentation.

Total points earned _________ out of 24. Student Presentation Evaluation Group Members Names: ________________________________________ Date: ____________ Topic: _______________________________________________ How well prepared were the presenters? Did the PowerPoint demonstrate key concepts/terms about this topic? Comment on how lively, creative, interesting this presentation was. What suggestions do you have for future presenters?

Setting Maps Name: __________________ Period: ____________ Directions – On the following sheet you will find the setting map that you are required to fill out as we are reading The Great Gatsby. Your settings should always include; PAGE NUMBERS and a detailed description stating what you feel is important about the specific setting. It is important to have your setting map in class every day, we may read about a particular setting together in class that you may want to write about. This will be due on the day of the unit test in class! Below is the rubric that I will be using to grade your setting map.

Organization

Page Number Description

3 Points

2 Points

1 Point

Total Points

All sections of the There are 2 – 3 sections Almost half of the setting map have been of the setting maps that sections in the setting filled out. have been left blank. map have been left blank. There is a page number There are 2 – 3 page Almost half of the page given for every setting. numbers that are numbers are incorrect incorrect or missing. or missing. All descriptions are 2-3 of the settings have Almost half of the detailed and accurate. minor descriptions, descriptions have been missing key left blank. information.

Total Points ____ out of 9. Setting/Symbol Page NumberKey Points Description of Setting/Symbol Buchanan’s House East Egg Gatsby’s House Hotel in New York Jordan’s Aunt’s Apartment Long Island Sound Nick’s House Railroad Tracks and Motor road T.J. Eckleberg Billboard Tom & Myrtle’s apartment Valley of Ashes West Egg Wilson’s Garage Decadent Tendencies– Key Quotations Decadence and Materialism

Obsession with Material Objects – Key Quotations

Linked to the idea of the failing American Dream is the notion that decadence and materialism become the great vices of the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald’s descriptions of the characters and settings, for example, are laden with allusions to the decadent excess and importance of materialism at this time. This aspect of the novel reflects its time: a growing capacity amongst Americans to own objects and develop wealth

Decadence and Materialism - Key Quotations Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

Read the following extracts from Plato’s “Republic”, and the definition of the Theory of Forms. How do these ideas relate to Gatsby, and how do they relate to the novel’s premises in general? "And he who, having a sense of beautiful things has no sense of absolute beauty, or who, if another lead him to a knowledge of that beauty is unable to follow--of such an one I ask, Is he awake or in a dream only? Reflect: is not the dreamer, sleeping or waking, one who likens dissimilar things, who puts the copy in the place of the real object? I should certainly say that such a one was dreaming. But take the case of the other, who recognises the existence of absolute beauty and is able to distinguish the idea from the objects which participate in the idea, neither putting the objects in the place of the idea nor the idea in the place of the objects-- is he a dreamer, or is he awake? He is wide awake." The Republic, book V "AND now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened:--Behold! human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets. I see. And do you see, I said, men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues and figures of animals made of wood and stone and various materials, which appear over the wall? Some of them are talking, others silent. You have shown me a strange image, and they are strange prisoners. Like ourselves, I replied; and they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave? True, he said; how could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads? And of the objects which are being carried in like manner they would only see the shadows? Yes, he said. And if they were able to converse with one another, would they not suppose that they were naming what was actually before them? Very true. And suppose further that the prison had an echo which came from the other side, would they not be sure to fancy when one of the passers-by spoke that the voice which they heard came from the passing shadow? No question, he replied. To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images. That is certain. And now look again, and see what will naturally follow it' the prisoners are released and disabused of their error. At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows; and then conceive someone saying to him, that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision, -what will be his reply? And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, -will he not be perplexed? Will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him? Far truer. And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take and take in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him? True. And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he's forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated? When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities. Not all in a moment, he said. He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven; and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day? Certainly. Last of he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as he is. Certainly. He will then proceed to argue that this is he who gives the season and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world, and in a certain way the cause of all things which he and his fellows have been accustomed to behold? Clearly, he said, he would first see the sun and then reason about him. And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the den and his fellow-prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them? Certainly, he would. And if they were in the habit of conferring honours among themselves on those who were quickest to observe the passing shadows and to remark which of them went before, and which followed after, and which were together; and who were therefore best able to draw conclusions as to the future, do you think that he would care for such honours and glories, or envy the possessors of them? Would he not say with Homer, Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner? Yes, he said, I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner. Imagine once more, I said, such an one coming suddenly out of the sun to be replaced in his old situation; would he not be certain to have his eyes full of darkness? To be sure, he said." The Republic, Book VII Plato postulated a world of ideal Forms, which he admitted were impossible to know. Nevertheless he formulated a very specific description of that world, which did not match his metaphysical principles. Corresponding to the world of Forms is our world, that of the mimes, a corruption of the real one. This world was created by the Good according to the patterns of the Forms. Man's proper service to the Good is cooperation in the implementation of the ideal in the world of shadows; that is, in miming the Good. To this end Plato wrote Republic detailing the proper imitation of the Good, despite his admission that Justice, Beauty, Courage, Temperance, etc., cannot be known. Apparently they can be known to some degree through the copies with great difficulty and to varying degrees by persons of varying ability. The republic is a greater imitation of Justice: Our aim in founding the state was not the disproportional happiness of any one class, but the greatest happiness of the whole; we thought that in a state which is ordered with a view to the good of the whole we should be most likely to find justice. SONG LYRICS lady GAGA – THE FAME I can't help myself I'm addicted to a life of material It's some kind of joke I'm obsessively opposed to the typical All we care about is runway models Cadillacs and liquor bottles Give me something I wanna be Retro glamor Hollywood, yes, we live for the Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune Fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame We live for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame Isn't it a shame, shame, baby? A shame, shame In it for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame I can see myself in the movies With my picture in the city lights Photograph, oh my mind and whatever else You'd like to shoot you decide All we care about is pornographic girls On film and body plastic Give me something I wanna see Television and hot blonds in odd positions Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune Fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame We live for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame Isn't it a shame, shame, baby? A shame, shame In it for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame Don't ask me how or why But I'm gonna make it happen this time My teenage dream tonight Yeah, I'm gonna make it happen this time Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous Fame, doin' it for the fame 'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune Fame THE BOSS – THE RIVER I come from down in the valley where mister when you're young They bring you up to do like your daddy done Me and mary we met in high school when she was just seventeen Wed ride out of that valley down to where the fields were green Wed go down to the river And into the river wed dive Oh down to the river wed ride Then I got mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote And for my nineteen birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle No flowers no wedding dress That night we went down to the river And into the river wed dive On down to the river we did ride I got a job working construction for the johnstown company But lately there aint been much work on account of the economy Now all them things that seemed so important Well mister they vanished right into the air Now I just act like I don't remember, mary acts like she don't care But I remember us riding in my brothers car Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir At night on them banks I'd lie awake And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take Now those memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse Is a dream a lie if it don't come true Or is it something worse that sends me Down to the river though I know the river is dry Down to the river, my baby and i Oh down to the river we ride THE BOSS – GLORY DAYS I had a friend was a big baseball player Back in high school He could throw that speedball by you Make you look like a fool boy Saw him the other night at this roadside bar I was walking in, he was walking out We went back inside sat down had a few drinks But all he kept talking about was Chorus: Glory days well they'll pass you by Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye Glory days, glory days Well there's a girl that lives up the block Back in school she could turn all the boy's heads Sometimes on a friday i'll stop by And have a few drinks after she put her kids to bed Her and her husband bobby well they split up I guess it's two years gone by now We just sit around talking about the old times, She says when she feels like crying She starts laughing thinking about Chorus My old man worked 20 years on the line And they let him go Now everywhere he goes out looking for work They just tell him that he's too old I was 9 nine years old and he was working at the Metuchen ford plant assembly line Now he just sits on a stool down at the legion hall But i can tell what's on his mind Glory days yeah goin back Glory days aw he ain't never had Glory days, glory days Now i think i'm going down to the well tonight And i'm going to drink till i get my fill And i hope when i get old i don't sit around thinking about it But i probably will Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture A little of the glory of, well time slips away And leaves you with nothing mister but Boring stories of glory days Chorus (repeat twice) NEIL DIAMOND - AMERICA Far We've been travelling far Without a home But not without a star Free Only want to be free We huddle close Hang on to a dream On the boats and on the planes They're coming to America Never looking back again They're coming to America Home, don't it seem so far away Oh, we're travelling light today In the eye of the storm In the eye of the storm Home, to a new and a shiny place Make our bed, and we'll say our grace Freedom's light burning warm Freedom's light burning warm Everywhere around the world They're coming to America Every time that flag's unfurled They're coming to America Got a dream to take them there They're coming to America Got a dream they've come to share They're coming to America They're coming to America They're coming to America They're coming to America They're coming to America Today, today, today, today, today My country 'tis of thee (Today) Sweet land of liberty (today) Of thee I sing (today) Of thee I sing (today)

Reading Journals For the next five weeks we will be reading a variety of “texts”—a novel, several poems, and a some film—that explore the concept of the American dream. Each week you will be asked to write and submit a journal entry (minimum of 500 words) that has to do with the particular text that we are discussing in class. You may want to select a passage or a line within a text and respond to it. Your discussion should include questions, analysis, reflection, and evaluation. Please keep in mind that your journal entry must have something to do with the author’s treatment of the American dream, how that sentiment or belief is represented in today’s society, and, hopefully, how it relates to you. Do not summarize what you read, rather explain how your vision of the American dream has expanded or contracted. Remember to include quotations and examples from the texts to support your ideas. Since this is a personal, reflective journal, the tone of your writing can be informal and conversational. The best way to convey your feelings and experiences is through a first-person narrative. Make sure you fully explore and develop your ideas as this is what I will be weighting in grading these entries. Please type your entries and conform to standard format (12-pt., Times New Roman font, double-space). Your name, class period, and the date should be across the top of your paper. I will try to allow for you to have some computer lab time on Thursdays so that you may type your entries then. However, I cannot guarantee that this will always be the case, so please plan ahead. Entries are due at the beginning of class every Friday. Finally, please be aware that I am required to share any thoughts or suggestions of violence, suicide, substance abuse, family abuse, or other harmful behavior with the school counselors. Your entries will be graded as follows: 1) Punctuality – 10 pts. Students who turn their journals in on time will be rewarded! Every day that a journal is late, five points will be deducted. 2) Content/Ideas – 10 pts. Try to be creative and original. 3) Well-developed ideas – 15 pts. Your entries must show evidence of reflective thought and the ability to relate the concept of the American dream in the text to contemporary society and/or your life experience. 4) Organization – 15 pts. You need to have a thesis sentence in your introduction and topic sentences with supporting evidence for all of your paragraphs. Your paper should seamlessly flow from one idea to the next in a logical, linear fashion. TOTAL: 50 points

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

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The Modern Period, in the decades after World War I, was a notable era of symbolism in literature. F. Scott Fitzgerald, T. S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, e. e. cummings, and Hart Crane used symbolism in their poems and novels. As you read The Great Gatsby you will become aware of the fact that Fitzgerald uses colors as symbols. Directions: Working with a partner, use the back of this paper to list five things or concepts that you associate with each of the following colors: white, green, yellow, blue, gray, and red. Knowing that this unit is about the American dream, how do you think Fitzgerald might use these colors in The Great Gatsby? CHARACTER GRID OF _________________________ Commentary





ECONOMIC MARKETING SIMULATION The Devil and Tom Walker like Econmoci greed. The Devil: temptation The shortcut through the swamp: "shortcuts" to wealth The morass (swamp): where the "shortcuts" to wealth usually lead The rotted trees in the forest: the moral decay of society The tallness of the trees: the pride of the people Tom Walker: greed The Bible buried under mortgage papers: greed and moral decay Tom Walker's new house: ostentation and false appearances, "trying to keep up with the Joneses" Tom Walker as an evil broker: Loan officers who dupe people into bad loans, cars they can't afford, and consumer credit cards with unreasonable terms; predatory lending institutions; unscrupulous credit card marketers. Financial Principle #1: There are no Shortcuts to Wealth Teaching Financial Literacy begins with teaching there are no "shortcuts" to wealth. Tom Walker’s shortcut through the swamp ultimately leads to his meeting with the devil, which in turn leads to his ill-gotten riches. Shortcuts to wealth include lying, cheating, stealing, and many other illegal and unethical practices. Those who engage in such practices enjoy their money for a season without ever enjoying the true prosperity which comes from implementing sound financial practices: http://www.helium.com/items/1043401-how-much-should-you-invest-in-a-401k paying yourself first 10% of your income--a practice which would entirely eliminate the need for the modern day Tom Walkers we discuss—building a reserve fund covering 3-6 months of living expenses, educating yourself on money and investments, and getting post secondary training or a college education. Financial Principle #2: Understanding Interest Rates Teaching Financial Literacy must include at least a rudimentary knowledge of interest rates. The Devil and Tom Walker provides such an opportunity. Compare Tom’s interest rate, 4% monthly, to the interest rate on an average mortgage, 6.5% yearly. Many see the 4 and assume Tom’s is better. Point out the difference: monthly v. yearly. Tom’s monthly rate compounded over a year is actually over 60%, nearly 10 times what many pay on their house today. Talk about how wonderful it is that charging such exorbitant rates is illegal and unheard of in our advanced society (this is a trick). Then discuss Modern Day Tom Walker #1, payday loans. Financial Principle #3: PayDay Loans are Bad Drive on any street in any town in the United States and you’ll find as many PayDay loan businesses charging rates far in excess of Tom Walker’s as you’ll find intersections. You’ll also find students in your class whose families have taken out these loans, so tread lightly. These short-term loan centers charge a $15 fee on a two-week loan for each $100 borrowed, a 390% annual interest rate. If you borrowed $1,000 at 390% interest, broke your foot the next day, lost your job, and returned a year later to satisfy your creditors, you would owe more than $32,000. Pawnshops have known this secret for years as have loan sharks. Income tax services have also gotten in on the action, charging consumers $150 to get their $1,000 refund check two weeks sooner. I wish these were the worst offenders, but they’re not. That distinction belongs to Modern Day Tom Walker #2, the predatory mortgage lender. Financial Principle #4: Just Because the Person Smiles a lot, has a Good Sense of Humor, and Wears Nice Clothes doesn’t Mean He’s Doing What’s Best for You Teaching Financial Literacy should include watching out for salespeople. Tom Walker was “the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a friend in need; that is to say he always exacted good pay and good security.” Many “friends” in the mortgage business, during the recent real estate boom, pushed unscrupulous loans on unsuspecting customers. Some simple financial education can prevent these unscrupulous loans from being pushed on you and your students. Show students how to read a truth-in-lending statement and explain how lenders took advantage of borrowers by recommending option arms, negative amortization, and interest only loans. A brief history of mortgages lesson might prove beneficial. If you are familiar with how expensive and unwise investment products work, such as cash value life insurance, teach that as well.

Financial Education Principle #5: Avoid Credit Card Debt Teaching kids financial literacy starts with responsible spending. In comparison to payday loans and predatory lenders, credit card terms seem quite mild. Of course in comparison to getting your limbs ripped off by sharks, drowning seems mild too. Show students how a $1,000 credit card balance making minimum payments takes years and more than triple the initial dollar amount to pay off. Go over a credit card agreement with them and explain the terms. Of course, Tom Walker could not have made as much money, if the citizens of Boston weren’t such eager speculators.

Financial Principle #6: Ultimately, it’s up to you not to Get Ripped Off Teaching kids financial literacy continues with risk management. Irving records, “there had been a rage for speculating; the people had run mad with schemes for new settlements; for building cities in the wilderness; land jobbers went about with maps of grants; and Eldorados, lying nobody knew where, but which everybody was ready to purchase.” This story could have taken place this decade just as well as in Irving’s times. With some classes, explaining recent real estate trends makes the point, especially if they’ve been kicked out of their house. With all classes, a game of speculation makes a stronger point.

The Devil and Tom Walker Lesson Plan: Speculation Game Give each student a chart with five columns: current amount, amount risked, win/loss, gain/loss, amount left. Tell each student he or she has $10,000 with which to speculate. Put 6 green markers and 5 red markers in a bag. Instruct students they will be risking a certain amount before each marker pull. Have students write down the amount risked before each pull. Pull a marker. If it’s green, every student wins; if it’s red every student loses. Repeat 15-20 times. Adjust the number of markers (without telling students) until enough go bankrupt to prove your point. This Financial Literacy Lesson Plan is not only fun, it teaches a very important lesson on speculation and due diligence. Begin by assigning the groups and explaining the group project. 1. There have been many infamous bubbles and crashes which all share common features; these being, a bubble occurs when a commodity is priced way above its true value, eventually common sense rules and the bubble busts, usually followed by a crash, or steep decline in the market in which a given index drops by 20% or more. 2. The current financial crisis is no different. The recent market decline followed a sharp drop in the real-estate market and the mortgage crisis, especially in sub-prime mortgages. 3. Real-estate was relatively cheap in the late 1990’s following a slump in the beginning of that decade. At the same time, loans were becoming easier to obtain as mortgages mutated from local bank instruments to global investment devices backed by investor monies. That is, it used to be that a potential home buyer met with a local banker, established his or her credit worthiness, made a substantial down-payment and began making monthly payments on a mortgage with a reasonable rate. At the close of the 1990’s, however, home buyers with questionable credit could obtain loans with little or no cash down at high-rates from large, global financial institutions. These sub-prime mortgages were often broken up and turned into investment vehicles known as collateralized debt obligations or C.D.O’s. These types of investments are known as derivatives. Derivatives are investments whose entire worth is based on the value of another investment or asset. 4. Home prices soared through the early part of the twenty-first century, and the Federal Reserve cut interest rates causing the housing market bubble to expand further. Eventually home values dropped, however, and the negative movement in the real-estate sector exposed the risky mortgages, creating repercussions in the banking and security industries. 5. The credit market tightened and loans became harder to obtain. 6. The rate of foreclosures rose. 7. Have the students find definitions for the vocabulary terms using the references below, a dictionary, or their text. 8. Three historical stock market crashes will be reviewed in the next lesson plan-Stock Market Crashes: Three Crashes from Times Gone By

Stock Market Bubbles and Crashes What's a bubble and how does it burst? A comparison of these three stock market crashes from long ago with a recent financial crisis will reveal that the forces that make and destroy a bubble haven't changed that much. This article is the second in a series on financial market bubbles and crashes. Use the facts below to provide and introductory lesson plan on stock market bubbles and crashes.

The Crash of 1929 The Crash of 1929 was preceded by the optimistic and seemingly prosperous roaring twenties. The war was over and the stock market soared. It was believed the market was limitless leading to over speculation during the roaring 20s. The years leading up to Black Thursday (October 24, 1929) and Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929) were fueled by extreme optimism in the stock market, lower tax rates for the wealthy, and easy credit for the not so wealthy. Couple these forces with the influx of naïve investors over the same period and the eventual downward turn in the market spiraled out of control contributing to the ensuing Great Depression.

The South Sea Bubble Like America during the 1920’s, eighteenth-century England was a prosperous and optimistic nation with large segments of its population having the means and/or will to invest. Only a few companies offered stock at the time and investing was difficult but they were all strong, profitable corporations. Conditions were ripe for an accessible and potentially profitable investment. Enter the South Sea Company. In 1711 the debt of the British Empire was assumed by merchants who were to receive annual payments at a rate of about 6% interest. This money was to be raised through duties placed on imports. Orchestrated by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford the merchants were formed into the South Sea Company and given a monopoly on trade in the South Seas and South America. Harley believed Spain would offer significant trade allowances as part of the peace treaty that ended the War of Spanish Succession. This turned out to be untrue. The South Sea Company first issued stock in 1720 and continued to reissue stock to meet the overwhelming demand. Faith in Great Britain’s dominance in the South Seas and the belief that stock in English corporations could not falter led to speculation and the emergence of companies with questionable purposes and merit. . People invested wildly and stock prices climbed well beyond their actual value. The directors of the South Sea Company, knowing the true value of their shares, began to sell off their stock. Panic followed as investors realized they owned worthless paper and the market as a whole plunged.

The Tulip and Bulb Craze Holland is always associated with tulips, and for good reason. After the flower was brought to the Dutch via Turkey in 1593, they became a sought after addition to gardens. By the seventeenth-century Holland was prospering through trade and wealthy merchants demanded tulips for their estates. Bulb prices increased and the already popular flower became even more desirable when a harmless virus gave its petals unique color patterns. Prices rose higher and soon everyone was trading in bulbs. Garden centers of the day filled their inventories depleting the supply and pushing prices even higher. The prices were not accurate reflections of tulip value, however, and the bottom eventually fell out of the market causing widespread panic and an eventual depression JAZZ IN THE ‘20s In the 1920s, jazz spread rapidly all across America. The rise of jazz was part of a new, post–World War I optimism, a prevailing sense that something new was happening, that America was finally breaking from European culture and coming into its own. Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald called the new era the Jazz Age. Small bands of jazz musicians could be found virtually everywhere, but it was in Chicago that jazz developed most intensely in the third decade of the 20th century. The city already had a strong musical pedigree—the World’s Fair of 1893 had drawn musicians from across the country—and Chicago’s stockyards, stores, and factories, as well as its reputation as a rail and shipping hub, made the city a magnet for people seeking a new start. The Chicago Defender, the city’s African-American newspaper, regularly advised Southern blacks that there was a job for everyone in this city, which, the paper stressed, was free of the extremes of prejudice common in the South. If Chicago was not exactly the promised land, moving there was still widely considered a big step toward economic and personal freedom. Among the thousands who answered the call and joined the Great Migration north was a young trumpeter named Louis Armstrong, who followed his mentor, King Oliver, and his Creole Jazz Band to Chicago in 1922. Two years later, Armstrong went on to New York City to work with Fletcher Henderson’s big dance band, a sophisticated, well-trained group that played a style of music later to be dubbed swing. Armstrong’s reputation quickly spread among musicians, and he began appearing on numerous recordings, most famously as the leader of the Hot Five and the Hot Seven, his immensely influential small groups. The records he made with those bands between 1925 and 1928 retained the instrumentation and some of the characteristics of pure New Orleans jazz, but in fact Armstrong’s music was more meticulously arranged than most of what was heard in the Crescent City, and it displayed a much higher level of musicianship. Each recording seemed to introduce something new: “West End Blues,” from 1928, opened with an unaccompanied trumpet passage that dazzled musicians with its daring changes of tempo and brilliant flourishes of melody. In “Weather Bird,” from the same year, Armstrong and pianist Earl Hines dueled with each other in a spontaneous duet full of rhythmic and melodic innovations so advanced that other musicians would continue to borrow them for the next 20 years. Armstrong’s virtuosity on the trumpet was unparalleled. He was stronger, had a wider range, and was more articulate on his instrument than anyone else. His tone was brilliant, and the melodies he created were graceful, intense, and full of passion. The driving pulse of his songs made the oompah feel of two-beat jazz seem instantly out of date; his music demanded a newer, more flexible rhythm. After Armstrong, the instrumental solo became the centerpiece of jazz, and his singing—his cheerful rasp and his relaxed use of language—pointed the way toward a new, distinctly American vocal tradition. Armstrong immediately lent his influence to a host of local Chicago musicians—many of them children of immigrants from Russia, Poland, Ireland, and Italy—who crossed racial boundaries by playing side by side with black musicians. Among these Chicagoans were clarinetist Benny Goodman and drummer Gene Krupa, who played a uniquely Midwestern version of jazz, often called Chicago-style. Like Louis Armstrong’s, theirs was a soloist’s music, showcasing the virtuosity of a single improvising artist instead of the collective improvisation common to New Orleans jazz. In 1920, Congress passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited the bottling and consumption of alcohol, and for the next 13 years Prohibition would be the law of the land. But in Chicago, as elsewhere, many people ignored the law, and entrepreneurs and criminal gangs often joined forces to open nightclubs called speakeasies, where liquor, gambling, dancing, and jazz were the attractions, and where money was spent at a dizzying pace. In the end, Prohibition didn’t do much to curtail drinking and criminality in America—by many accounts it made things worse—but it turned out to be a boon for jazz musicians, who were suddenly more in demand than ever. Among the groups that developed and flourished during Prohibition, in the Midwest and elsewhere, were larger ensembles that featured as many as 10 musicians and that played both jazz and other forms of popular music in dance halls, speakeasies, and restaurants, bringing jazz to entirely new audiences. Two of the best-known large groups during this era were the bands of Jean Goldkette, who was born in France and raised in Chicago, and Paul Whiteman, a symphony and dance band violinist born in Denver. Audiences were especially charmed by the Whiteman Orchestra’s ability to blend European string-orchestra music, African-American jazz, novelty songs, and exotic tunes. Whiteman had great ambitions for his music and talked about “making a lady out of jazz.” He walked the line between high and low art, between classical and popular music, and when he premiered George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” in a New York concert hall in 1924, the message was clear: The world of jazz would one day have its place in American culture alongside the polite, segregated world of classical music. If bands like Paul Whiteman’s can be said to have opened the door to a wider audience, then Duke Ellington simply knocked the door down. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, D.C., in 1899 and began piano lessons as a young boy. He soon learned ragtime piano and began his professional career organizing bands to play for dances and social gatherings. In 1923 he moved to New York, where an African-American cultural revolution known as the Harlem Renaissance was under way. Ellington immersed himself in the musical life of the city, playing and studying alongside many of his heroes, including composer Will Marion Cook and pianists James P. Johnson and Willie “The Lion” Smith. Johnson and Smith played a style called stride: a complex, often rapid form of piano playing in which the left hand quickly moves between bass notes and chords while the right hand creates a series of variations on the melody. Drawing on these and numerous other influences, Ellington fashioned his own distinctive piano style, a rich blend that went beyond anything that had come before. In 1927, Ellington’s ten-piece outfit landed the important job of house band at Harlem’s Cotton Club, where he developed skills as a composer and arranger that would lay the foundation for his legendary swing orchestra a few years later. “The music,” Duke said, “must be molded to the men,” and, accordingly, the Cotton Club band’s handpicked members each had an immeasurable impact on the group sound In his compositions for the nightly floor shows, Ellington drew on every type of music available, from sentimental songs and classical melodies to the blues and West Indian folk dances. It was Duke’s special ability to create utterly new music from these traditional forms that set him apart from the other musicians of his time. The celebrated African-American writer Ralph Ellison, still a high school student in the 1920s, recalled the Cotton Club days: “It was as though Ellington had taken the traditional instruments of Negro American music and modified them, extended their range and enriched their tonal possibilities. ... It was not until the discovery of Ellington that we had any hint that jazz possessed possibilities of a range of expressiveness comparable to that of classical European music.” Indeed, over the next 40 years Ellington would reach audiences around the world, filling concert halls and ballrooms alike, playing music that was as popular among the masses as it was revered by great musicians. He had created a music that was, as Duke himself would say, “beyond category.” In late 1929 the Jazz Age literally ended with a crash. The collapse of the stock market and the years of widespread unemployment and poverty that followed seemed destined to erase the exuberant optimism of the previous decade. And yet jazz musicians continued to innovate new, forward-looking styles in the face of hard times. While fewer records were actually being made, the early years of the Depression saw significant improvements in recording technology and a noticeable expansion in the size of bands. These new, larger bands were usually made up of a brass section consisting of three to four trumpets and two to three trombones and a reed section consisting of up to four saxophones and clarinets. These wind instruments could play together in unison or in a call-and-response fashion and were driven by a rhythm section comprised of piano, bass, drums, and guitar. The dominant two-beat feel of most of the music from the 1920s was now giving way to an even four beats per bar. It was a looser, more flexible rhythm that suited a new style of dancing known as the jitterbug, which was becoming increasingly popular in dance halls such as New York City’s Roseland and Savoy ballrooms. The 1930s were grim for many Americans, but swing, as this lively new four-beat music came to be called, was not given to self-pity; it was a beacon of energy, industry, and hopefulness throughout those dark years. Not that swing bands were always concerned with speed and intensity; they could also play with a slow, languid, dreamlike quality. By the mid- to late 1930s, the beginning of the so-called Swing Era, jazz, in its varying forms, had firmly established itself as the pop music of America. Swing allowed bands to lend a jazz feeling to almost anything —new pop songs, older sentimental ballads, Broadway themes, marches, waltzes, even classical pieces. Some bands played sweet-sounding songs that appealed to an older generation; others, like Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, looked to their Southwestern roots, adding fiddles and mixing swing with country and square-dance music. Many young people, however, had become interested in the purely jazz-inspired qualities of swing, especially the solo-driven, improvisatory approach to the music. Like sports fans, they argued about the merits of particular bands, knew all the featured soloists, and stood in line for hours to see their favorite bands when they appeared in the popular stage shows at first-run movie theaters. (Benny Goodman broke all attendance records at the Paramount in New York’s Times Square in 1937.) © 2008 NEA Jazz in the Schools. Lesson Topic: American Dream Grade level: 11/12th Length of lesson: 1 to 2 class periods Stage 1 – Desired Results Content Standard(s): Understanding (s)/goals Essential Question(s): Students will understand: Which dreams are realistic and which are unrealistic? What happens when a dream is not realized? The American Dream may not be a What determines whether or not a dream is fulfilled? realistic concept How does a person cope with dreams that are not achieved? There is failure in the world Overcoming obstacles is not an easy task. Student objectives (outcomes): Students will be able to: All students will: define the stereotypical American Dream. Most students will: compare and contrast the American Dreams of different people. identify their own American Dream. Some students will: match songs to the student’s own American Dream as well as other people’s perspectives. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence Other Evidence: Performance Task(s): Literature circle discussion and class discussion Individual writing assignment Stage 3 – Learning Plan Learning Activities: Materials Needed: CD’s/tapes/records of selected songs; copies of the lyrics and sound system. A VCR and tape recorder are necessary for the presentations. Willa Cather’s short story “A Wagner Matinee”. MPRNews podcast Procedure: Introduction: 10 min Write the essential questions on the board. Have students write their responses on a sheet of paper. After students have a few minutes to get their ideas on paper, have them get into their literature circles to discuss their answers. Give them time to go through each question. When this is done, bring the class together and have each literature circle share some of their answers, and why they chose those answers. Then explain what you will be doing for the period. Body: 45 min. Hand out lyrics for “Glory Days” and “The River” by Bruce Springsteen. Tell the students that you will be listening to each song twice. The first time through, students should just listen to the song and write down anything that they feel or sticks out to them during the song. Then tell the students to follow along with the lyrics the second time through, paying attention to what is being said, and what significance it has to the American Dream. After listening to each song twice, allow time for students to write a response, and share that response in their literature circles. DAY 2: Continue with a reflection of the songs that you listened to during the previous day. Ask students again what they think the significance to the American dream is. Next, explain that the American Dream can go wrong. Play students the podcast from MPRNews, related to how wrong the American Dream can become. Have students jot down notes from the podcast and have them discuss the podcast in their literature circles, and bring the discussion to the whole class. Next, Play the students a clip from “The Road” or you can read an excerpt from the Cormack Mccarthy novel. If you do not wish to this, then find some articles on lottery losers, and celebrity failures like Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Schene, M.C. Hammer, and Micky Rourke. Explain that the American Dream falls hard for some people, and some people like Britney Spears, and Micky Rourke were able to bounce back. CLOSING: Ask students to come up with a song to explain their American Dream. Give them the weekend to complete this assignment. All they need to do is come up with a song, explain that song and how it relates to their American Dream. You can create a grading sheet if needed, but this assignment can be counted just for completion. Assign students Willa Cather’s short story “A Wagner Matinee”. Ask students to think about the American Dream and how music can play an influence in that Dream.

Lesson Topic: Characters in the Great Gatsby Grade level: 11/12th Length of lesson: 1 class periods Stage 1 – Desired Results Content Standard(s): Understanding (s)/goals Essential Question(s): Students will understand: How does Fitzgerald want us to feel about the characters introduced in these chapters? Perceptions may or may not always be accurate. Can we judge a book by its cover? To Assume makes an ass of you and me. Student objectives (outcomes): Students will be able to: All students will: Write character profiles of the characters in the novel, which they can add to as the unit progresses Most students will: Consider the importance of the main characters in the novel. Some students will: Apply cross curricular and cross cultural knowledge to the lifestyle and mindset of one of the characters in the novel and express their opinion. Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence Other Evidence: Performance Task(s): Characterization sheet to be handed in at the end of the unit. Stage 3 – Learning Plan Learning Activities: Materials Needed: Characterization sheet (Students can make their own sheet if they wish) Copies of the Great Gatsby Procedure: Introduction: 10 min Refer students to the first page of chapter 1. Discuss what the father means, and ask if he is correct or not. Have students write their opinions and then get into their literature circles for discussion. Body:30 min Explain that not every assumption we make is correct about the world. Have students go through chapter 1 and through chapter 2 in their literature circles. Writing down observations of the characters and if they think theses characterizations are true for each character. Have them write down this information on their characterization sheets. Closing: 10 min. Next, have students write a cinquain poem about a real or fictional person in their life. This could be a celebrity, brother or sister, or someone they know. Make sure to explain that inappropriate poems will not be tolerated and there are severe consiquences for such action. Explain the cinquain poem, and use the rest of the class to write them. This assignment will be due the following day, and students will share their poems in their literature circles.

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