Embedded Files
Essential Question:
Essential Question:
Whose stories are told and privileged and how does this impact our understanding of what it means to be an American?
Whose stories are told and privileged and how does this impact our understanding of what it means to be an American?
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely read as a canonical text in most 11th grade American Literature courses. Often hailed as a beautifully written historical portrayal of 1920's America, the novel focuses on the lives of rich, white socialites in New York with obvious references to the Jazz Age/the Roaring Twenties, the Lost Generation, the revolution of the Automobile and Prohibition. But this novel can also be used as a jumping off point to explore themes of identity, privilege, civil rights, the excesses of capitalism, and the American Dream. The text set presented here offers one way to explore these themes.
Audience:
Audience:
This text set is intended for use in an 11th grade English Language Arts class to support the reading of the canon text, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Purpose:
Purpose:
The purpose of this text set is to help students answer the following questions as they read and examine the themes found in The Great Gatsby. They will explore various texts and discuss the privileging of certain stories over others and how that impacts our understanding of what it means to be an American, as well as the concept of the American Dream and whether it is truly accessible to all.
Essential Question:
Essential Question:
Whose stories are told and privileged and how does this impact our understanding of what it means to be an American?
Supporting Questions:
Supporting Questions:
What is “the American Dream” and why does it have such a prominent place in our nation’s self-identity?
Is the American Dream possible to achieve?
If so, who achieves it and who does not? Why?
About me
This website was created by Vanya Hollis, Teacher-Librarian at Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School.
Page updated
Report abuse