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EDU 580A Lesson Plan: “The Great Gatsby”

English Language Arts Lesson Integrating Technology


Lesson Author: Paige Potter
STANDARDS
A. ELA Common Core Standards
● Reading Standards for Literature grade 9-10
○ Craft and Structure
■ Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative
impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the
language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or
informal tone).
● Reading Standards for Informational Text grade 9-10
○ Key ideas and Details
■ Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
○ Craft and Structure
■ Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the
cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g.,
how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
○ Range of Reading Level and Complexity
■ By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the
grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed
at the high end of the range.
● Writing Standards grade 9-10
○ Production and Distribution of Writing
■ Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s
capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly
and dynamically.
● Speaking and Listening Standards grade 9-10
○ Comprehension and Collaboration
■ Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades
9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively
■ Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate
others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions.
● Language Standards grade 9-10
○ Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
■ Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing
flexibly from a range of strategies.
● Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or
text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the
meaning of a word or phrase
■ Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
● a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in
context and analyze their role in the text.
● b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar
denotations.
B. ISTE Educator Standards
● Learner- Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with
others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to
improve student learning.
○ 1a- Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical
approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness.
● Citizen- Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly
participate in the digital world.
○ 3a- Create experiences for learners to make positive, socially responsible
contributions and exhibit empathetic behavior online that build
relationships and community.
○ 3b- Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical
examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media
fluency.
○ 3c- Mentor students in safe, legal and ethical practices with digital tools
and the protection of intellectual rights and property.
○ 3d- Model and promote management of personal data and digital identity
and protect student data privacy.
● Collaborator- Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and
students to improve practice, discover and share resources and ideas, and solve
problems.
○ 4c- Use collaborative tools to expand students' authentic, real-world
learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and
students, locally and globally.
● Designer- Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments
that recognize and accommodate learner variability.
○ 5a- Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences
that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and
needs.
○ 5b- Design authentic learning activities that align with content area
standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep
learning.
○ 5c- Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative
digital learning environments that engage and support learning.
● Facilitator- Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student
achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students.
○ 6a- Foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals
and outcomes in both independent and group settings.
○ 6b- Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital
platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.
○ 6d- Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate
ideas, knowledge or connections.
● Analyst- Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support
students in achieving their learning goals.
○ 7a- Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and
reflect on their learning using technology.
○ 7b- Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and
summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide timely
feedback to students and inform instruction.
○ 7c- Use assessment data to guide progress and communicate with students,
parents and education stakeholders to build student self-direction.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The focus of this lesson is preparing ninth grade students to read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The
Great Gatsby. Station work will assist students to make connections with the characters and the
1920’s era in which the book is written.
Station one objectives
a. Students will compare teenagers from the Roaring 20’s to current day teenagers.
Specifically focusing on the generation gap between adults and teenagers.
b. Tech component- Using a shared Google doc to complete station work.

Station two objectives


a. Research to familiarize themselves with the history of the 1920’s era.
b. Tech component- Using online articles from Newsela.com and record answers on a
shared Google Doc.
Station three objectives
a. Use the hyperlink from an online article to transport yourself back in time to the flapper
era. Try to communicate with other flappers by studying and learning their
lingo/vocabulary.
b. Tech component- Using an online article from smithsonianmag.com and studying the
lingo on Quizlet.
Station four objectives
a. Students will complete an author study.
b. Tech component- Using articles from Newsela.com record answers on a shared Google
Doc.
INTRODUCE LEARNING ACTIVITY
A. The length of this lesson will take two-forty minute class periods. Students will complete
two stations the first day and two the second day. To motivate and engage students, I will
begin by having them complete a pre-writing activity. They will answer the following
questions on a shared Google Document: Do you think teenagers are often misunderstood
by parents today? Is there a generation gap that exists between parents and their children?
This prepares students for the station work. I will divide students into four groups and
assign them to their stations. Students will spend about ten to fifteen minutes at each
station before rotating.
B. Students will complete the pre-writing activity in a common document. This will allow
me and students to read and comment on other students thoughts and ideas.

PROVIDE INFORMATION
A. We will be picking up from where we left off last class where students were introduced to
the 1920’s/prohibition era. Today we will begin with a pre-writing assignment. Students
will access the the google document I have shared, and take five to eight minutes to
answer the questions. Upon completion I will select one of the responses to read aloud
and ask students the following questions: How many of you feel the same way? Have any
of you had similar experiences? To relate it to The Great Gatsby I would ask students,
Do you believe you are the only generation to experience this? How do you think the
characters in The Great Gatsby would answer this? Next, students will be split up into
four groups and they will be assigned to their stations. In station one students will read
the highlighted areas of the Newsela article, “When Flappers Ruled: How Dance Helped
Women’s Liberation”, and The Smithsonian article, “The History of the Flapper, Part 1:
A Call for Freedom”. Then students will do a compare and contrast with their answers
from the pre-writing assignment. Students will record their thoughts on a common
google doc. In station two, students will read through two newsela articles, “Progressive
Era: The Roaring Twenties” and “The Prohibition era in the U.S.” Students will read
through to further their understanding on the social context of The Great Gatsby prior to
reading it. They can take notes if they choose to, but they are not required. In station
three, students will look through The Flapper Dictionary link to review the lingo Flappers
used in the 1920’s. Then Students will use quizlet to study a set of nineteen words from
the dictionary. Once they have gone through the flash card set they can study the words
using the other activities provided by quizlet: study, scatter, and test. In station four
students will complete an author study using the newsela article, “Authors: F. Scott
Fitzgerald to understand his life before and after he wrote The Great Gatsby. To conclude
this lesson at the end of the second day, I will have students complete a 3,2,1 exit ticket
via google forum. Students will write three things they learned, two things that surprised
them, and one question they still want answered.
B. Students will be utilizing the following technology component to assist them in
completing each station: Google docs, Online articles, Quizlet, and Google forum.

RESOURCES
Students are instructed to use technology based resources. Students will use a laptop or desktop
to complete pre-writing activity and station work. Students will record all their answers on a
Google Doc shared with the entire class and myself. Students will use online articles in the
station work from Newsela subscription, The Smithsonian, and the Flapper Dictionary (hyperlink
on the Smithsonian article). Students will utilize a Quizlet study set to learn the nineteen twenties
“flapper lingo.” To conclude the lesson after both days the students will complete a google forum
with quiz questions one day, and another google forum with a 3,2,1 exit ticket.

Links:
Newsela- https://newsela.com
The Smithsonian- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-flapper-part-
1-a-call-for-freedom-11957978/
Flapper Dictionary- http://bookflaps.blogspot.com/2011/04/flappers-dictionary.html
Quizlet- https://quizlet.com/384799524/great-gatsby-lesson-plan-1920s-lingo-flash-cards/
Google Forum-

PRACTICE
A. This is not a graded assignment, rather a pre reading assignment to get them thinking
about the social context of the novel, as well as learn more about the author of The Great
Gatsby. The quizzes are a source for personal assessment on the material they have been
exposed to.
B. I am not introducing any new technology to the students in this lesson. All the technology
I am using has been used in prior educational experiences.

KNOWLEDGE OF RESULTS
A. If students do not understand the reading material, I am able to reduce the reading lexile
level.
B. Students have already worked extensively with these components throughout their career.
If someone needs assistance or there are technology malfunctions I will be walking
around the room to assist students.
REVIEW
a. Once students have completed the station work, they will be able to make connections
with the social context in which the novel was written. More specifically, students will
relate themselves to characters in the novel, and recognize the generation gap between
parents and teenagers. This knowledge they learn prior to reading the novel should
further students understanding of the plot line and life as a flapper in the nineteen-
twenties. To review or recap the lesson after each day students will complete an exit
ticket. After day one, students will answer quiz questions on a google forum. After day
two of the lesson, students will complete a 3,2,1 exit ticket: tell me three things you
learned, two things that surprised you, and one question you still want answered. To
determine success or not success I would look over the exit tickets.
b. Tech component- Students complete exit tickets by filling out a Google Forum.

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
This lesson entails multiple methods of assessment on ninth grade students. They were assessed
prior to reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby in order to further their
understanding on the history of the nineteen twenties and social context from this era.
Technology was used in this assessment to enhance students learning experience in the
classroom.
Inquiry based learning- Students responses to the activities will support or not support my goal
of the activity. Based on the results I will be able to make any changes necessary to improve my
lesson.
Work Samples- After the lesson, I will be able to refer back to the shared google document
where students recorded their pre-writing activity and answers to station work to assess what
students took away from each station. The google forum exit tickets will produce statistics that I
can refer back to show parents, students, or administration if needed.
Quizzes- Students will complete the exit ticket quiz and quizlet quiz as a form of self-assessment
rather than a grade.

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