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Morgan Johnson
Reading Lesson Plan

I. School Context: 10
th
grade, general, Suburban School

II. Broad Lifelong Goal/s or Rationale: Students will better understand close reading and how
social class can affect people.

III. Specific Objectives: Students will watch, take notes, and discuss a video about the 1920s.
Students will read the novel The Great Gatsby and work by themselves and in small groups to
discuss their character bookmarks.
Students will complete a graphic organizer about a character and that characters social class.
Students will create a magazine cover featuring a character from the novel which includes pictures
and article titles pertaining to that character.

IV. Common Core Standards:
CCSS RL1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS RL3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., where a story is set,
how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

V. Assessment or Outcomes:
Formative:
Prereading activity with video clip: 10 points, based on participation
Character Bookmarks: 5 points, collected each time
Sharing each time with group mates: 5 points, collected each time

Summative: Graphic organizer for novel: 30 points
Created magazine cover featuring a character: 50 points
Total: 100 points

VI. Materials: The Great Gatsby, video clips (The Great Gatsby and Titanic), graphic organizer
handouts, character bookmarks, pens or pencils

V. Methods/Procedures:

1. Pre-reading: Students will watch two clips from the 1974 movie version of The Great Gatsby.
They will watch one scene from a lavish Gatsby party and another scene with Myrtle. This will
showcase the different social classes in the novel. The movie clips can be found with these
URLs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK9RxfibScA and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgZ-MV0YbMU.

While the students are watching the two clips, they will take notes on what they see and hear
that is different from today. They will take note of how they dress, dance, talk, etc. They will
also be asked to listen to the music used and note if it is different from music today.

After the clips are finished and the students have finished their notes, the whole class will
discuss what they found. The class will discuss the 1920s and what the differences were that
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they saw in the clips. This will give them background of the setting for the novel and also help
them create a more accurate picture while reading.

2. Reading Process: Students will read the novel in thirds. To guide their reading, they will
complete character cards or bookmarks after each section of the book.

After reading the first third, they will fill out the character first impression bookmarks. They will
then discuss these in small groups. The class will then discuss together.

After reading the second third, they will fill out the character profile bookmarks. They will then
discuss these in the same small groups.

After reading the last section, they will fill out the character analysis bookmarks. They will then
discuss these in the same small groups. The class will then discuss together.

The class will discuss their overall impressions of the characters and how they changed after
the novel is completely read. This will be a whole class discussion and the teacher will ask for
volunteers to share their thoughts.

3. Literary Concept Minilesson
1. Concept Definition
Character Traits: Those differences in a characters personality that an author uses to
separate one characters way of thinking or behaving from anothers.
The author shows these traits in action. Our job as readers is to draw a conclusion
about the character's traits (to infer them) from what the character says, thinks, and
does.
We might infer a character trait from something a character does only once, or we might
draw our conclusions from a series of things the character says and does.
Social classDifferences in wealth, power, education, manners, language,
habits, and values that reveal ones status or position within a society.

2. Modeling: Graphic Organizer Activity 1
The teacher will first model the graphic organizer. The graphic organizer asks the
students to select one main character and tell about their place in society. The
teacher will show two clips from the movie Titanic. The clips can be found on
YouTube using the URLs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oklPl95DC8c and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erAQ9LkftwA. The first clip shows a party in
first class and the second shows a third class party. Before showing the clip, the
teacher will tell the students to watch for how the characters of different social
classes differ. During the clip, students will fill out the graphic organizer. The
students will then get into small groups (from the bookmark activity) and discuss
their answers. The class will then get back together and discuss more as a
whole class.

3. Guided Practice: Graphic Organizer Activity 2
The teacher explains that the students will then fill out another graphic organizer,
this time for the novel they have finished reading, The Great Gatsby. Students
will individually fill out the graphic organizer for one of the main characters in the
novel. The students will then get into their small groups the next time they are
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supposed to meet and discuss the character that each student chose and their
place in society. One member from each group will share their graphic organizer
with the whole class.

4. Application: The students will create a magazine cover featuring one of the characters from The
Great Gatsby and contains appropriate color, font, and dominance. The students will also include at
least 3 article headings and subheadings pertaining to the character and at least 2 graphics. On the
back of the cover, students will write a paragraph explaining why they chose those graphics and
article headings for that character.

5. Metacognitive Reflection: Students will journal:
1. How did the characters social class affect you as a reader?
2. If the characters had all been the same, how would the story be different?
3. Name two other novels or movies that have characters with different social standings.

VI. Adaptations for Special Needs: Students who have learning disabilities may work with a
partner that the teacher assigns for the individual tasks in the assignments.

VII. Possible Problems & Solutions: If students are having trouble filling out the graphic organizer,
the teacher will call the class back together and do it on the board with the whole class.

VIII. Appendix:
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Visually Representing Minilesson Added to Reading Lesson Plan
Methods/Procedures:

1. Definition:
Color: The colors should be carefully selected to invoke mood.
Font:The font selection should contribute to the design through its style, size,
color, and placement.
Dominance: One or more elements are emphasized through the use of size
arrangement or color.

2. Teacher Modeling of an Example: The teacher points out and explains the
effect of color, font, and dominance on one magazine cover from the 1920s.
http://www.vogue.co.uk/magazine/archive/issue/1922/February

3. Guided Practice: The students divide into small groups to discuss how the
graphic concepts are used on a different magazine cover assigned to each group.
Students share their findings with the whole class.
http://www.vogue.co.uk/magazine/archive/

4. Application to the Assignment: The students will create a magazine cover
featuring one of the characters from The Great Gatsby and contains appropriate
color, font, and dominance. The students will also include at least 3 article
headings and subheadings pertaining to the character and at least 2 graphics.
On the back of the cover, students will write a paragraph explaining why they
chose those graphics and article headings for that character.

5. Metacognitive Reflection: Students will journal:
1. In what ways do the use of color, font, and dominance affect a viewer of
magazine?
2. What other types of graphics connect to the characters?
3. What are some other media that use color, font, and dominance?


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Name:
The Great Gatsby Character Graphic Organizer
Directions: Select one main character from the text and then fill in the bubbles with the information about
that character.

Main Character Name
1. Describe the characters appearance the
first time he/she is introduced.
2. Record how that character is related to
other characters.
3. Note the characters social class and
lifestyle. (Describe their manners, wealth,
and language.) Include quotes.
4. Describe other characters opinions about that
character.
5. Describe what types of action
the character is involved in.
Include quotes.
6. Explain how the characters
social position affects the plot.
7. Describe what happens to the
character at the end of the novel.