The Great Gatsby Gazette

Subject Area(s):

• K-12: Language Arts

Grade Level(s):

• 12th Grade

Description:

This lesson may be used in collaboration with the English, History or Music teachers. After reading The Great Gatsby, students will work in groups to research the 1920's era, the setting of the story. They will produce a newspaper, writing articles about various aspects of that time period.

Goals & Objectives:

Instructional Goals 

• Students will conduct research and  organize information into a newspaper format.
• Students will corrctly cite sources of information.
• Students will present the newspaper to the class, either orally or using  Power Point.

Learning Objectives

• Students will research online and print resources, gather data and compile it into a newspaper article.
• Students will work in teams to produce a newspaper about The Great Gatsby, its author, and the time period in which it is set.
• Students will correctly cite their information sources.
• Students will present their newspaper to the class, either orally or by Power Point.

Motivational Goals

• Generate interest in classic literature.
• Generate interest in research.
• Promote satisfaction in students' ability to collaborate with others to produce a final product. 

Materials:

The Great Gatsby

Computers

White board

Project specifications worksheet

Collaboration rubric worksheet 

Supporting Files:

• Great_Gatsby_specs.rtf
  The Great Gatsby Project Specifications
• collrubric.html
  Collaboration Rubric

Standards:

National Information Literacy Standards (K-12)

Accesses information efficiently and effectively.

• Recognizes the need for information.
• Identifies a variety of potential sources of information.

Evaluates information critically and competently.

• Identifies inaccurate and misleading information.
• Selects information appropriate to the problem or question at hand.

Uses information accurately and creatively

• Organizes information for practical application.
• Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats

Appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.

• Develops creative products in a variety of formats.

Practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.

• Respects intellectual property rights.

Participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

• Shares knowledge and information with others.
• Respects others' ideas and backgrounds and acknowledges their contributions.
• Collaborates with others, both in person and through technologies, to design, develop, and evaluate information products and solutions.