We had a sub today
Background – We just finished reading the first part of chapter two of The Great Gatsby. Today the students are going to read the rest of the second chapter. They should all have copies of the book under their desks. There are extra copies in the front of the room.
In this section of Chapter Two we will focus on continued characterization of the main characters. Please take a moment to read through the sequence of this lesson plan before the class starts! I have left you seven large pieces of paper with names at the top for each period. Please hang these on the white board with the magnets on my desk before each class starts.
1. Have the students read out loud from page 32 (28 in some books) to the end of the chapter, starting in the middle of the page where it reads: “We drove down Fifth Avenue, so warm and soft, almost pastoral on the summer Sunday . . .” Go around the room and have students read a couple of paragraphs each until finished.
2. Before beginning to read, give each student The Characterization Chart for Chapter Two, which is attached to this plan, and have them fill it out during the reading and when they have finished the reading. They should do this individually. They may need to look back through at what they’ve just read. Individual students who finish early can quietly read and work on other homework.
3. When there is about twenty minutes left (2:32 and 3:32), have the students rotate from one piece of chart paper hanging on the white boards to the next and write one clue and trait for each character from their paper. Give them about 10 minutes to do this.
4. Then review with them the information on the charts and discuss the results: Which characters have similar traits or values? Which have different traits or values? Which character is most fully characterized (described)? Why? Who is least characterized? Why? What do we learn about the narrator, Nik? How is this important? What inferences can they make about Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the different social classes in this scene? What details support their inferences? These questions are on the back of the characterization charts, so students should fill in the information from the class discussion on them.
5. Tell the student that I will collect their Characterization Charts from them when I get back, so they need to hang on to them. Collect the large chart papers from each class. (If for some reason you don’t make it all the way to the end of this lesson, please tell me how far you did get!)
6. Remind students of the due dates on the board and have them put books away before they leave class.
Homework Collected: None
Homework Given: Test on Gatsby chapters 1-3 on Monday, November 23rd, This I Believe Essay due on December 11, 2009 (first draft due on November 24th), Occasional Paper due by December 7th
Handouts given out: Characterization Chart
To Read: Chapter Two, The Great Gatsby
