Course+Calendar


 * = Day in Sequence ||= Activity ||= Text Used ||
 * = Day 1 ||< Start out by asking the students what they think the definition of the American Dream is. Once students have responded to that prompt, we’ll do a share out and students can discuss the discrepancies between their individual perceptions of the American Dream but can still see how they are all classified as an “American Dream”. Follow up with the NPR broadcast about the American Dream. ||< Texture 1: NPR radio broadcast entitled "American Dream for Middle Class: Just A Dream?" ||
 * = Day 2 ||< Students will have read the first quarter of //The Great Gatsby// by the beginning of the class. We will then watch John Green’s vlog about the first chapter of //The Great Gatsby// as a class. If needed, we will pause during the video or re-watch the video. Afterwards, we will have small group discussions about the video and share out our ideas as a whole. We will hand out article about Feminism in the 1920s to be read and annotated for class next time. ||< Context 2: vlog by John Green discussing the first chapter of //The Great Gatsby//. ||
 * = Day 3 ||< Students will have read and annotated [|Gotham's Daughters: Feminism in the 1920s], in preparation for the Socratic Seminar. Three students have been assigned the role of Socratic Seminar facilitators to lead the discussion and keep their peers actively engaged in the critical analysis of the text. ||< Context 4: Article entitled "Gotham's Daughters: Feminism in the 1920s" by Maureen Honey. ||
 * = Day 4 ||< In this class, students begin class by listening to the Beyonce’s song, “If I Were A Boy” and follow along by reading the lyrics. They will spend a few minutes deconstructing the word choice using the feminist lens from the 1920’s . They will juxtapose the feminist qualities in the modern day song and those demonstrated when reading Gatsby. Students will write an in-class analysis detailing the differences in the feminist lens and how it is affected by the time period in which it takes place. Students will be given a brief synopsis of “A Raisin In The Sun” to read for homework to prepare them for the next day’s lesson. ||< Texture 4: Song "If I Were A Boy" performed by Beyonce. ||
 * = Day 5 ||< Student’s will have read the synopsis of “A Raisin In The Sun” for today’s class. They will watch a specific clip from the movie highlighting personal sacrifice. Students will then engage in a discussion about the role that personal sacrifice plays in the achievement of the American Dream. ||< Context 3: A brief clip from the 1968 film version of "A Raisin in the Sun". ||
 * = Day 6 ||< Students will read the poem “Marrying the Ugly Millionaire” by Sophie Hannah in class. Student’s will relate the discussion they had yesterday about personal sacrifice to this poem as well as the feminist lens and how they work together. Handout the article “Feminism and New Historicism” by Azade Seyhan for students to read for homework. (Students have finished half of The Great Gatsby at this point). ||< Texture 3: The poem "Marrying the Ugly Millionaire" by Sophie Hannah. ||
 * = Day 7 ||< For homework, students will have read and annotated the article “Feminism and New Historicism” by Azade Seyhan. They will come to class prepared for a Socratic seminar to better understand both theories. Their previous knowledge of Feminism should be the easier part of the discussion, while most of the hard thinking will be done with the New Historic lens. Students should leave the discussions with working, easy-to-apply definitions of both theories. Students will have also chosen their topic for their essay discussing the American Dream and a controversial topic in today’s society. They will be drafting at this point. ||< Texture 6: Article entitled "Feminism and New Historicism" by Azade Seyhan. ||
 * = Day 8 ||< Students will work with a picture and analyze it using both lenses they have been taught. They will analyze the picture using the Feminist lens and detail everything an individual looking at it from that perspective would notice or find important to talk about. The students will also do the same for the New Historic lens. What in the picture sticks out in terms of the time period? Lastly students will be expected to take their findings and explain how the elements of each lens combine to form the setting of the Roaring Twenties. ||< Context 1: Photo of a couple from the Roaring Twenties. ||
 * = Day 9 ||< Students will have finished reading three quarters of //The Great Gatsby//. Students will take their new found knowledge of setting and draw a map of the setting of //The Great Gatsby//. They will draw the map in groups of two or three students, collaborating to create their perception of the setting. Once students have completed their sketches, they will reflect on the map being handed out to them and how it is different and/or similar to their own sketches. Student’s will reflect on why their perceptions were different than one another, what lens/discourse they were viewing the novel under that resulted in that representation of the setting in that manner ** . ** ||< Context 5: Drawn map of the setting of //The Great Gatsby// ||
 * = Day 10 ||< Students will read the article about the history of New York City in the 1920s and compare the characteristics in the article to the representation in //The Great Gatsby//. They will be looking for any misrepresentations or positive representations that Fitzgerald used. Students will be turning in their final essays today. ||< Context 6: Brief article that details what life was like in New York City in the 1920s. ||
 * = Day 11 ||< Students will read a "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes and discuss how the setting in the 1920s both contributed to the confidence and insecurity about the American Dream. ||< Texture 2: Poem "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes. ||
 * = Day 12 ||< Students will begin to create their documentaries based on their essays. They will take the controversial topic they covered in their essay and began to translate their argument into a multimodal presentation. We will spend time in the library so students may begin their work. ||< Project work ||
 * = Day 13 ||< Students will have finished reading //The Great Gatsby// for today’s class. We will listen to “Where I Come From” performed by Montgomery Gentry. After the first listen, students will analyze how the speaker’s point of view in the song represents a much different American Dream than those dreams seen in //The Great Gatsby//. After a few minutes of writing, students will listen to the song again. They will then split into small and discuss what they thought. They will share out to the whole class after several minutes of discussion. We will then discuss the ending of //The Great Gatsby// and how any American Dreams were achieved or not achieved. Students will continue working on their projects for homework. ||< Texture 6: Song "Where I Come From" performed by Montgomery Gentry. ||
 * = Day 14 ||< Students will have one last opportunity to finalize their projects in class before they present tomorrow. We will spend time in the library making sure students have focused on tone, audience, and the delivery and presentation of their argument. ||< Project work ||
 * = Day 15 ||< Students will present their documentaries in class. ||< Presentation Day ||