Jennifer Johnson

November 25, 2006

Engl. 112B W 4-6:45

 

Unit Plan:  The American Dream

 

         The American Dream implies having a successful and satisfying life through financial security and material comfort (�american dream�).  The Great Gatsby has a strong focus on goals and dreams.  Dreams can become obsessions that cause us to turn on people, betray them, or overlook them.  Goals can make us so single-minded that we forget about others and the values that were important to us.  Thus dreams or goals can corrupt and change us for the worse.  On the other hand, dreams or goals can be inspirations that push us forward and help us hang on.  They can give us that extra bit of perseverance we need to keep at a task or the comfort we need when our life seems too chaotic to ever accomplish anything (Mitchell 143). 

         I suggest a curriculum built on the canonical literature The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and young adult literature exploring dreams and goals in America.  The aim of the curriculum is to present young adult books that can help students better understand the parallel between the American Dream in the 1920�s and the American Dream today.  I chose this novel because it was one of my favorite novels in the canon that I read in high school.  I loved the descriptive writings of Fitzgerald such as his use of colors and similes and metaphors.  The book is also fast paced and easy to follow.

         I chose The Great Gatsby by F.  Scott Fitzgerald as my centerpiece canonical work because of Fitzgerald�s great portrayal of the American Dream.  In his novel, Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby as having achieved the American Dream:  �I suppose he�d had the name ready for a long time, even then.  His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people�his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.  The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself�So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end�  (Fitzgerald 104).  Jay Gatsby portrays himself as achieving the American dream so that he can impress Daisy.  

         Fitzgerald�s novel ends with the denial of the American Dream because of the notion of �winning at all costs� (Herz 38). Fitzgerald�s The Great Gatsby can be complemented to young adult novels such as Robin McKinley�s Hero and

the Crown, Judy Blume�s Tiger Eyes, Bruce Brooks� The Moves Make the Man, Cynthia Voigt�s Izzy Willy-Nilly, Madeleine L�Engle�s A Ring of Endless Light, and  Katherine Paterson�s Jacob Have I Loved (Mitchell 144).  All six of these young adult novels portray dreams or goals.  

Launching the Unit

Before reading and discussing the novel The Great Gatsby with the students,

the  following activities as pre-reading.  

1.  Play the song �The American Dream� from the musical Miss Saigon, or make a handout of the lyrics (�the american dream�).  Have students listen to the lyrics and then write an entry in their journal on whether or not they can relate to the songs portrayal of the American  dream.  

�The American Dream�

from Miss  Saigon

Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.  & Alain Boublil

What�s that I smell in the air?

The American Dream

Sweet as a new millionaire

The American Dream

Pre-packed ready to wear

The American Dream

Fat like a chocolate �clair

as you suck out the cream

Luck-by the tail

How can you fail?

And best of all, it�s for sale

The American Dream

Greasy chinks make life so sleazy

In the states I�ll build a club that�s 

four starred

Men like me there have things easy

They have a lawyer and a body-guard

to the johns there

I�ll sell blondes there

That they can charge on a card

What�s that I smell in the air?

The American Dream

Sweet as a suite in Bel-Air

The American Dream

Girls can buy t*ts by the pair

The American Dream

Bald people think they�ll grow hair

The American Dream

Call girls are lining the square

The American Dream

Bums there have money to spare

The American Dream

Cars that have bars take you there

The American Dream

On stage each night: Fred Astaire

The American Dream

Schlitz down the drain!

Pop the champagne!

It�s time we all entertain

My American Dream!

Bus boys can buy the hotel

The American Dream

Wall Street is ready to sell

The American Dream

Come make a life from thin air

The American Dream

Come and get more than your share

The American Dream

There I will be crowned Miss Chinatown

All yours for ten percent down

The American Dream

2.  Give a lecture on the biography and other works by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

3.  During the course of the novel, have a readers� theater of some chosen scenes.  Good scenes include: (�the great gatsby�)

The dinner party

Gatsby and Daisy�s meeting before Gatsby went off to war

The meeting between Gatsby and Daisy at Gatsby�s mansion

The hotel scene

4.  Have students start a journal and write their own dreams and goals. Also in the journal, have students keep a running commentary of character development as well as vocabulary terms (�the great gatsby: unit syllabus). Terms can include:

feigned

levity

colossal

supercilious

fractiousness

wan

languidly

infinitesimal

complacency

extemporizing

ether

prodigality

vacuous

florid

corpulent

obstetrical

implored

vinous

asunder

jaunty

punctilious

somnambulatory

molars

benediction

reproach

laudable

meretricious

elude

receded

ceaselessly

Quizzes will be given on vocabulary (�vocabulary classic texts vocabulary�)

 

Extending the Unit

Have students read, either individually or in small groups, the following young adult novels.  Each of the following novels involves a character realizing their own goals and/or dreams.  The aim of using these young adult texts is to have students realize the goals and dreams of others. The books will first be presented as a Book Pass Activity; providing copies of the books and having students spend a couple of minutes with a book before passing it on to the next person (Donelson, 201).  By doing this, students can make a more informed decision about what book they would like to read.   Reading the young adult novels can be done either inside or outside of class.  Some projects that can be done after reading the young adult novels include:

1.  Give a presentation or write an essay on the protagonists dream or goal. What are some of the obstacles?  Does the protagonist have to give up  anything to achieve their goal? (Mitchell 146).  Does the protagonist achieve their goal? 

2.  After reading The Great Gatsby and one of the young adult novels, have students write an essay comparing the portrayal of the American dream from both novels.

3.  After reading The Great Gatsby and one of the young adult novels, thereby gathering different views on the American Dream, have students write a short essay, make a video, or give some other presentation on what the American Dream means to them. 

4.  Write poetry that expresses the dreams or goals of the protagonist.

5.  Also, any other project ideas that the student can think of.  Young Adult Literature Selections Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley:  �Aerin struggles in her efforts to realize her own heritage.  She seeks to show her country that her mother�s bloodline was not the inferior one that they perceived it to be.  Aerin�s goal is to prove herself to her country and confront gender limitations by slaying dragons herself� (Mitchell 144).

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume:  �Davey�s major goal is to get over her father�s death, her own guilt about his death and to regain some measure of family security after her mother�s emotional breakdown  (Mitchell 144).  

The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks:  �Jerome wants to be good in basketball and have a secure and economically sound family life.  He dreams that racism will one day disappear, and people will respond to him as a person independent of the color of his skin� (Mitchell 144).

Izzy Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt: �Izzy loses a leg in a car accident, and her dream is to be accepted by others her age and not be considered a freak because of her injury� (Mitchell 144).  

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L�Engle: �Vicky has several dreams and  goals: She desires more quality time with her grandfather before he dies, wants  to be appreciated for her own qualities, would like to figure out how to know if  a relationship is a good one, and intends to learn more from the dolphins  (Mitchell 144).  

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson:  �Louise dreams of a life not dominated by the needs of her twin sister.  She decides to get off the island she was raised on and wants to be appreciated for who she is� (Mitchell 144). 

 

Concluding Activities

At the end of the unit, students should have a better insight into the many different aspects and opinions of the American Dream.   As a closing project, have the students create a Literary Newspaper.  Divide students into pairs and have them locate primary source documents from the following areas: news, sports, advertisements, lifestyle, entertainment, editorials, obituaries, and business. The articles the students choose should emulate the lifestyle in the 1920�s or detail The Great Gatsby (�creating a literary newspaper�).  Have students turn in a separate works cited page.  

 

After reading the novel, play �The American Dream� song again.  Have students reread what they wrote in their journal after listening to the song the first time.  Now, have the students compare the two versions of the American dream, those from the song and those from the novel.  

 

After reading the novel, have a �Roaring  �20�s� party.  Before attending the party, have students research the fashion of the 1920�s and dress appropriately.  Have students bring food for the party.  Also, play songs and emulate the dances of the period.  

 

After reading the novel, have students create a  �Yearbook Snapshot.�  Students will choose four characters from the novel and imagine what they were like in high school.  Having the students keep in mind what the character is like, have them compile a yearbook of characters  (including providing a picture of what they think the character looks like), they should compile as much information as possible, including: nickname; activities, clubs, or sports they are involved in; a quotation from the character; their favorites such as food or colors; and plans after high school.  Feel free to have students come up with more categories to include in their yearbook.  Also have the students create a cover page for their yearbook (Mitchell 157-158). 

 

Works Cited

�american dream.� Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 25 Nov. 2006. 

Reference.com _http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/American_Dream_

         (http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/American_Dream) 

�creating a literary newspaper.� The Learning Page. Library of Congress 

         2002. 25  Nov. 2006. _http://memory.loc/gov/learn/lessons/01/mayhem/part3.html_

(http://memory.loc/gov/learn/lessons/01/mayhem/part3.html) 

Donelson, Kenneth and Alleen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today�s Young

         Adults.  Cont. Dr. Mary Warner.  Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2006. 

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby.  New York: Simon & Schuster, 1925.

Herz, Sarah and Donald R. Gallo. From Hinton to Hamlet Building Bridges between 

         Young Adult Literature and the Classics. Westport, CT:  Greenwood Press, 1996. 

         38-41.

�vocabulary classic texts vocabulary.� Vocabulary University 2006. 25 

         Nov. 2006. _http://www.vocabulary.com/VUgreatG.html_

         (http://www.vocabulary.com/VUgreatG.html) 

Mitchell, Diana. �Exploring the American Dream: The Great Gatsby and Six Young

Adult Novels.� Adolescent Literature as a Complement to the Classics Vol. 1. Ed. Joan F. Kaywell. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc., 1993. 143-161.

�the american dream� Medley of Poems/Songs on American Dream. 25 Nov. 2006. 

         _http://www.teachnlearn.org/pmedley.html_

         (http://www.teachnlearn.org/pmedley.html) 

�the great gatsby.� Discoveryschool.com. Discovery  Education 2006. 25 Nov. 2006. 

_http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-greatgatsby/index

.html_

(http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-greatgatsby/index.html) 

�the great gatsby: unit syllabus� 25 Nov. 2006. 

_http://www.arbizu/org%7Evalerie/Teachers/Gatsby/GatsbySyllabus.htm_

(http://www.arbizu/org~valerie/Teachers/Gatsby/GatsbySyllabus.htm)