Table of Contents - Erica Johnson's Professional …...Almerico 3 Context of the Classroom and...

Table of Contents Context of the Classroom and School ............................................................................................. 3

Rationale ......................................................................................................................................... 5

Outline of Skills Covered: .............................................................................................................. 7

Academic Goals .............................................................................................................................. 8

Lists of Texts and Media............................................................................................................... 10

Common Core Standards .............................................................................................................. 11

Procedures for Daily Lessons ....................................................................................................... 14

Week 1: Exploring Dreams Over Time .................................................................................... 14

Week 2: The Great Gatsby ....................................................................................................... 18

Week 3: Make Your Dreams Achievable ................................................................................. 22

Week 4: Closing in on Your Academic Dreams ....................................................................... 25

Week 5: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone.......................................................................... 27

Accommodations .......................................................................................................................... 32

Point Distribution for Unit per Assignment .................................................................................. 34

Accumulated Point Distribution for Unit:..................................................................................... 34

Outline of Appendix for Daily Lessons ........................................................................................ 35

Appendix of Materials for Daily Lessons ..................................................................................... 36

Resources Used for This Thematic Unit Plan ............................................................................... 69

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Context of the Classroom and School

“If you can dream it, you can achieve it” will be taught at a private and religious affiliated

high school in Florida that sends 95% of its student population to a college or university after

graduation. The majority of students come from high socioeconomic status neighborhoods and

families. Students who are on scholarship must maintain a 3.5 GPA to keep their fully paid

tuition; therefore, these students strive to achieve the highest academic standard possible and

tend to be the school’s best achievers.

This school is very open to field trips, especially to community service related trips. Prior

to graduation, students must each complete 100 hours in community service. This unit will

include one field trip, which will be counted for service hours, to participate in volunteer work at

an international charity’s toy drive. All approved field trips are fully funded by the school and

only require parental permission for their children.

It is also common for the school to schedule spontaneous assemblies for the student body.

These assemblies frequently interfere with classes; therefore, there will be designated days

throughout this unit that will be able to be removed from the unit and are meant to compensate

for any possible assembly interference.

The students of this class have grown accustomed to completing bell work on a daily

basis. On the first day of the semester, the teacher instructed the students that whenever a

question or statement is written on the center board or if an image is displayed on the Smart

Board, they are to write a response or whatever comes to mind based on the context of the

prompt. These responses are written in their student journals and these journals are handed in

every other Friday to the instructor for grading. The bell work journals are graded bi-weekly for

completion, not for content, with the exception of several homework check up assignments that

students know will require a separate grade. If all bell work writing was completed the student

receives full credit that week. Each week’s bell work adds up to a test grade at the end of each

unit.

In this unit plan, a lot of the bell work is accompanied by the instructor observing or

preparing the classroom for the daily activity. On the days when not much preparation is to be

completed for daily activities, the teacher can choose to simply observe the students or to

complete the bell work activity with the class. Completing the activity with the class will allow

for better discussion on the days when the bell work is discussed.

The teachers within this school often work together to keep thematic units corresponding

throughout the school year. During this unit, the students will be taking American History and

the teacher of their American History class plans on focusing on America in the 1920s through

the 1950s. The teacher has agreed to allow me to discuss how The American Dream has changed

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over time periods throughout American history to enlighten students on the varying aspects of

life that were important to the American people over periods of time.

The students in this class and the teacher have an open line of communication via email.

The students were made aware on the first day of class that the teacher checks her email until 11

pm on Sunday-Thursday and by 8 pm on Friday and Saturday. This has allowed for the students

and the teacher to keep in touch for questions or problems related to class work or homework

that may arise during the time that the teacher and students are not in the classroom. This has

also been a useful resource for students who are absent from school. The teacher is able to send

the students assignments as soon as she is made aware that a student is absent from school. Any

and all assignments missed by students during this unit are expected to be completed by noon the

day after the student is absent whether they are at school or not. If the student is not at school

when he or she is expected to turn the assignment in, he or she is expected to send the

assignment to the teacher’s email. Students know that the teacher will be understanding about

extreme cases that are proven by doctor’s notes or emergency contact from a parent and these

students will be accommodated based on his or her situation.

This unit plan is for 11th

grade Honors English classes. The appendix for this unit will be

outlined before the materials are presented. The outline will be in the order that the materials are

arranged in within the appendix and it will follow in chronological order of the unit. Materials in

the appendix for day one will come first, followed by day two, and so on.

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Rationale

As eleventh grade students, these boys and girls will be preparing themselves to begin the

next step in their lives, college. With college preparation comes decisions about what to do with

their futures and how they are going to achieve these dreams, which is what this unit will be

about.

Students will be required to read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby during this unit.

Fitzgerald’s novel is a classic piece of American history that will not only introduce students to

the ideas of The American Dream in the 1920s and the downfall of that dream, it will also

provide students with a great deal of vocabulary words to help prepare them for the SAT and

ACT that they will be beginning to take this year.

While reading Fitzgerald’s novel, students will be required to annotate their books with

post-it notes and to create a character diagram. These requirements will force students to read for

content, not completion. Students will make notes on their sticky notes of important events,

define words that they may not have previously known the meaning of, introductions of essential

characters, etc. and these notes will be permitted for use in an in class essay that will assess the

students’ abilities to use critical thinking while reading a text and their ability to analyze that text

based on their notes and its content. The character diagram will also allow for an assessment of

student awareness of the significance of the relationships characters have throughout a novel.

Students will also focus on their dreams and goals for their future. It is important for

students at this age to set achievable goals for themselves and seeking out how to achieve these

goals and dreams will be another focus of this unit. Students will be completing an activity that

will show the students that their dreams are achievable and they will learn how they can reach

their dreams. Through research and creativity, students will be able to show themselves and their

instructor the way they will be able to begin to achieve their dreams.

I also hope to encourage my students to seek to help others achieve their dreams. This is

where the field trip of this unit will come in. I intend to teach this unit in November and students

will be taking a field trip to participate in the “Christmas Shoebox Outreach” of Tallahassee.

This is a foundation that was founded by Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief group, that

donates boxes of goods to children across the world who are in need of basic necessities and toys

at Christmas time.

The college preparation that will be included in this course will be focused on SAT and

ACT practice as well as an assignment that will prepare students for their college applications.

Students will complete a practice essay that will be similar to the admissions essays they will be

completing over the summer. These essays will be graded by the teacher using a rubric posted by

the New York Times that is similar to the rubric used by actual admissions officers. The purpose

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of this assignment is to give students the opportunity to write an essay that could possibly be

used in their applications, but that will receive feedback from a superior to guide them to a better

essay with fewer mistakes.

To end this unit, students will be directed to a website of essays that focus on a variety of

topics. These essays are written by both famous and every day people about their life experiences

and beliefs. The essay chosen to guide the activities for this portion focuses on stepping outside

of a comfortable realm, trying new things, and taking healthy risks. This section about comfort

zones will prepare students to participate in a public speaking activity that many students will

consider a challenge of their comfort levels. The collection of online essays will be used as a

resource for this assignment, forcing students to find an essay that relates to the topics of this

unit, but that also appeals to them in a manner that they will feel comfortable speaking about in

front of their peers and their instructor. While the students in this class have completed public

speaking assignments in Language Arts classes prior to this, this will be the first time they are

required to memorize the speech. The purpose of this memorization requirement and the

instruction that will go hand in hand with it is to prepare the students for public speaking

requirements that will eventually be required in their future university classrooms.

This unit will feature assignments that utilize skills such as reading and writing strategies,

literary analysis, vocabulary, grammar, listening, speaking, genre variety, the arts, and

technology integration. This unit will also follow the Common Core Standards for an 11th

grade

classroom.

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Outline of Skills Covered: 1. Reading Strategies – students will be required to read and annotate on their own a main

text as well as create a character diagram as they read the novel. Students will also read

aloud a news article from history during this unit. 2. Writing Strategies – students will participate in a variety of writing strategies

throughout this unit. An in class essay, a creative writing assignment, and a mock college

admissions essay will be written for major grades. Students will also complete bell work

assignments that require on the spot writing almost every day. 3. Literary Analysis – the in class essay will require students to analyze the main text read

during this unit by composing a full essay with supporting evidence from the novel. 4. Vocabulary – vocabulary in this unit will be focused on SAT vocabulary words that are

pulled from the main text being read. These words will be defined by the students who

will be assessed on their knowledge of how to use the words. 5. Grammar – students will complete practice versions of questions given on college

required standardized tests using a website that focuses on this material. 6. Listening – students will watch a television episode that they will later be required to

compare to a main text. Students will also complete daily discussion circles that will

require the students to listen to a peer and record the remarks being made during the

discussion by their peers as well as participate in the discussion by forming ideas off their

peer’s statements and using their main text for guidance. 7. Speaking – students will participate in both full class discussions and smaller group

discussions regarding the main text being read as well as other materials that will be

provided during this unit plan. Students will also complete a public speaking assignment

at the end of the unit. 8. Genre Variety- a fictional text and an informational text will be read during the course

of this unit. 9. The arts – students will analyze a piece of artwork, watch a television episode, and

watch a film. 10. Technology used – Smart Board, laptops, word processors, Glogster, ThisIBelieve.org,

various informational websites, and Outlook express will all be used during the course of

this unit to keep students involved in technology.

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Academic Goals - Students will be able to increase their writing skills through various bell work

assignments that will require reflection on a designated topic

- Students will learn vocabulary that will broaden their daily language skills as well as

prepare them for college required standardized testing

- Students will learn how to turn their dreams into goals through research

- Students will read both fiction and nonfiction, view clips from films and television

shows, and analyze various forms of art related to the theme of this unit

- Students will learn to annotate a text as they read to help them retain information for

essays, quizzes, tests, and discussion as well as prepare their critical reading skills for the

SAT and ACT

- Students will learn to make a character diagram and will be required to list traits and

major events that occur throughout the plot of The Great Gatsby

- Students will develop conversational skills and listening skills through the use of

Harkness discussion circles where students will discuss a piece of literature while their

peers take notes on their discussion points

- Students will learn the importance of helping others achieve goals and dreams through a

community service field trip

- Students will learn to evaluate an informational text from a historic newspaper for its

content by reading and discussing the context of the information

- Students will learn to compose an excellent college admissions essay through teacher

instruction, essay writing, and conferencing

- Students will learn to creatively display their dreams and goals and how these will be

achieved by creating an poster using an online poster tool

- Students will learn the importance of close reading as it relates to writing as they conduct

an in class essay about the main novel of this unit

- Students will learn to write a proper in class literary analysis essay guided by writing

prompts and through the feedback of a rubric

- Students will learn to participate actively in full class discussions through teacher guided

questions and by forming new ideas for conversation from the ideas of their classmates

- Students will compare a television episode about the American Dream that is set in the

1960s to the events regarding the American Dream that occur in Fitzgerald’s novel, The

Great Gatsby

- Students will learn and practice the skills necessary to be successful in critical reading,

grammar, and vocabulary on college required standardized tests

- Students will learn to step out of their comfort zones by participating in a public speaking

activity that will be guided by a website that features a collection of personal essays

- Students will learn about the importance of preparing for public speaking assignments

through discussion and a YouTube video example of a public speech that was not

properly prepared for

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- Students will show their knowledge of a personal essay of their choice through their own

creative form of public speaking

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Lists of Texts and Media - The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

- “The American Dream – History of a Cliché” by: Anthony Brandt New York Times

- Grant Wood’s American Gothic reinvented

- American Dreams “Pilot” Season 1Episode 1 from Netflix

- The Great Gatsby Film from 2013 or 1974

- Glogster.com

- Microsoft Outlook – email

- Major Tests.com – standardized test preparation website

- ThisIBelieve.org

- YouTube video: “Public Speaker Fail”

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Common Core Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of

what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining

where the text leaves matters uncertain.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to

develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is

ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used

in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word

choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is

particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure

specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a

comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its

aesthetic impact.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-

twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts

from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of

what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining

where the text leaves matters uncertain.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their

development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to

provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in

a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and

refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines

faction in Federalist No. 10).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in

which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the

power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive

topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/11-12/1/





http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/11-12/1/




http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/1/

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1a Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the

significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims,

and create an or

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied

syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships

between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and

counterclaims.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1d Establish and maintain a formal style and objective

tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are

writing.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows

from and supports the argument presented.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey

complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,

organization, and analysis of content.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or

events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,

organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and

update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new

arguments or information.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to

answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden

the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating

understanding of the subject under investigation.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support

analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative

discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12

topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and

persuasively.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/1/a/

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/1/c/

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/1/d/

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/1/e/







http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/11-12/1/

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1a Come to discussions prepared, having read and

researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to

evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful,

well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence,

conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning,

alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development,

substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal

tasks.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a

command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language

functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to

comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4c Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g.,

dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word

or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard

usage.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-

specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college

and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when

considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/11-12/1/a/



http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/L/11-12/1/


http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/L/11-12/4/c/


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Procedures for Daily Lessons The following will outline a step by step procedure for how each day’s lesson should be carried

out by the instructor and students. Certain days will be designated for flexibility of the instructor

should a roadblock occur such as a school assembly, fire drill, hurricane day, etc. these days will

be specified in the following procedure outline. Also, any materials and/or resources that will be

used in the daily instruction will be provided in the appendix of this document.

Week 1: Exploring Dreams Over Time

Day 1:

Time Students will Teacher will

15

minutes

Anticipatory Set & Bellwork: Write about your

dreams. Tell me what you see yourself doing 3

years from now, five years from now, and ten

years from now. Be specific. For example, if

you want to own a house, where do you want it

to be?

First, be sure to indicate to students that

today’s bell work WILL be handed in;

therefore, it should be written on a paper

separate from their journals. Keep the

students on task as they complete the bell

work and write his or her response to the

prompt as they would have at the age of

the students. The teacher will then collect

today’s bell work and will save this

assignment for the final project that will

be discussed in a later week.

10

minutes

Be permitted to share their responses if they’d

like.

Ask for student volunteers to talk about

their dreams. If students do not wish to

share, the teacher will share his or her

response to the prompt.

3-5

minutes

Listen and observe the instructor Explain to the students that their

responses will be used for a later

assignment. Also, prompt the students to

take notes on the lecture about to occur.

20

minutes

Take notes, listen, and observe the instructor Begin the discussion of dreams as they

evolved across the decades.

Materials:

- Pen and paper

- White board with dry erase markers

- Smart board with computer hookup

- Computer with access to Microsoft Powerpoint

- Lecture notes for the teacher (see appendix)

- Slideshow for students to view (see appendix)

Day 2:

Time Students Will Teacher Will

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10

minutes

Write their interpretation of the image for

today’s bell work as it relates to the lecture that

was delivered the previous day.

Display on the Smart Board or an

overhead projector a reinvented image of

Grant Wood’s American Gothic painting.

15

minutes

Participate in discussion Facilitate discussion amongst the students

who are expected to actively participate in

a discussion analyzing the painting that

was shown. Students should show

knowledge and memory from the previous

day’s lesson about the evolution of the

American Dream.

10

minutes

Listen to the instructor Explain to the students the Harkness

discussions that they will be participating

in when they begin reading their main text

for this unit. When they begin reading

their novels, they will be expected to refer

to specific quotations and page numbers

from the novel.

15

minutes

Mock Harkness: students will arrange the

desks into two circles, one on the inside and

one on the outside with the desks on the

outside circle being directly behind the desks

in the inside circle. Students will then choose

to sit in the center circle or the outside circle.

Students in the middle circle will participate in

a mock discussion, for practice of this method,

about what they believe the American Dream

is today. Students sitting on the outside circle

will take notes on the discussion points made

by the student sitting in front of him or her, to

be handed in to the instructor at the end of

class.

Observe the Harkness discussion and

assist the students as they may have

questions about the process of this form of

discussion. At the end of the discussion,

the teacher will explain that the notes

taken by the outside circle will be used as

a grade for both the note taker and a

speaker when the real discussions begin.

When the real discussions take place, the

teacher will make marks next to students’

names as they speak for participation

points and will use the notes from the

outside circle to ensure the students were

paying attention as well as to remind him

or her of the points made during the

discussion. These notes will add up to a

full bell work grade.

Materials:

- Student journals

- Pen and paper

- Overhead projector or Smart Board

- The reinvented image of Grant Wood’s American Gothic (see appendix)

- For the teacher: a piece of paper to practice writing the students into the Harkness circles

for making participation marks

Day 3:


5 minutes Bellwork: Imagine that you live in the 1960s.

What does your American Dream look like?

This creative writing prompt will allow

the teacher to assess the students’ memory

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of the lecture from day one. While

students write, the teacher will set up the

Smart Board to show the television

episode.

45

minutes

Watch the “Pilot” episode of American

Dreams.

Explain briefly to the students that they

will be watching a television episode

about the American Dream in the 1960s.

He or she should also explain to the

students that watching this and retaining

memories will be important for a future

assignment that will involve comparing

elements of the episode to a piece of

literature they will be reading later.

Materials:

- Student journals and pen

- Smart Board with a DVD player hookup

- Netflix copy of American Dreams episode 1 season 1

Day 4:


5 minutes Bellwork: What is Meg Pryor’s dream, at the

beginning of the episode, and does she achieve

it?

Observe students will they answer the bell

work question. Answer: to appear on

American Bandstand; yes

15

minutes

Watch the remainder of the “Pilot” episode of

American Dreams

Play the show and observe students to

keep them on task during the viewing of

the show.

25

minutes

Discuss the television episode as it relates to

The American Dream.

Facilitate discussion among the classroom

about the television episode based on the

need for prompting. Example, “why do

you think Jack is so opposed to Helen not

having any more children?”

5 minutes Listen to the instructor Explain that tomorrow they will begin to

read the novel that will be associated with

this unit.

Materials:


- Smart Board with DVD player hookup

- Netflix copy of American Dreams episode 1 season 1

Day 5:


10 Free write in their journals and record On the board: The teacher will write the reading

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minutes the reading schedule for The Great

Gatsby into their planners.

outline for the novel for students to write down

into their planners. (see appendix) The teacher

will then begin to prepare the school set of F.

Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to be

distributed to the students. Each book should

have a number written on the fore edge that will

be recorded next to the student’s name that

checks that book out of the classroom.

10

minutes

Be handed their copy of the book for the

unit. Students will be permitted to take

the book out of the classroom and home

with them, but if the student loses the

book, the student must adhere to the

rules stated on the waiver they signed at

the beginning of the school year. See

appendix

Pass out books to the students and record the

numbers written on the books next to the

students’ names on her class list.

10

minutes

Follow along with the teacher and take

notes.

Explain to the students that as they read along in

the novel, they are expected to make a diagram

of all of the characters in the novel. In this

diagram, students are expected to include the

most information they can find as they read the

novel. The teacher will begin to read The Great

Gatsby aloud and will show an example by

beginning the students’ diagrams with Nick

Carraway’s character.

20

minutes

Follow along with the teacher and take

notes.

Explain to the students how to annotate as they

read The Great Gatsby. The purpose of the

annotations will be for the students’ benefit

when they eventually must write an in class

essay about the novel. These annotations should

be done on post-it notes and should point out

important points throughout the novel as well as

words the students may find throughout reading

that they may be unfamiliar with. The teacher

will demonstrate annotating while she reads

aloud the first three pages of The Great Gatsby.

The example post it notes will be displayed on

an overhead projector as the teacher writes her

notes and places the note into the proper

location in her copy of The Great Gatsby.

Materials:

- Student journals and pens

- Classroom set of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with numbers written on the fore

edge

- Pen

- Book Liability form (see appendix)

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- For the teacher: a list of all student names to write the number of the book each student

will check out next to his or her name

- For the teacher: Expectations for the character diagrams (See Appendix)

- For the teacher: post it notes

Homework:

Students will be required to read chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby over the weekend. Students

are expected to annotate their books as they read and are expected to continue their character

diagrams.

Week 2: The Great Gatsby

Day 6:


8 minutes Bellwork: Summarize the events that

occurred in what you read over the

weekend in The Great Gatsby.

Observe the students as they complete bell

work.

20 minutes Move the desks into two circles and

choose whether or not they wish to be in

group one or group two for today’s

Harkness discussion. Group one will

discuss first using their annotations from

Chapters 1-3. Group 2 will take notes on

their designated peer’s discussion points.

Observe the students as they discuss the

material. He or she will also keep track of

the discussion and the amount each student

is speaking. The teacher will be able to use

this as a tool to create groups for future

Harknesses to encourage students, who do

not speak or who are overshadowed by more

vocal peers, to discuss more.

20 minutes Switch groups for the Harkness. Now,

group one will be taking notes on the

discussion and group two will be

discussing the material using their

annotated novels.

Do the same as was done for the previous

group.

2 minutes Arrange the desks back to the way they

were originally and turn their notes from

the Harkness in to the teacher.

Monitor students as they reset the desks and

remind them they are expected to continue

reading, annotating, and making notes of

characters for homework even though they

will be continuing to discuss chapters 1-3 on

the following day.

Materials:

- Student journals and pens

- Each student must have their copies of The Great Gatsby

- Pen and paper for students to record peer’s discussion points

- For the teacher: a paper and pen to record the student participation points.

- For the teacher: Harkness assessment expectations (see appendix)

Day 7:

Almerico ▪ 19


15 minutes Bellwork: Use their dictionaries to look

up the definitions of the vocabulary words

provided. The words that are not

completed by the students are expected to

be completed for homework.

Display on the Smart Board the list of SAT

vocabulary words that will be in The Great

Gatsby and will observe the students as they

look up the definitions.

15 minutes Arrange the desks into two separate

circles for the continued Harkness

discussion about Chapters 1-3 of The

Great Gatsby. Groups one and two will

remain the same as the previous day, but

today group 2 will discuss first with group

1 taking notes.

Observe the students as they participate in

the discussion and make marks by the

students’ names to observe the trend of

conversation.

15 minutes Group 1 will discuss chapters 1-3 and

members of group 2 will record his or her

peer’s discussion points.

Observe the students as they participate in

the discussion and make marks by the

students’ names to observe the trend of

conversation.

5 minutes Arrange the desks back into the way they

were originally. Any leftover time will be

given to students to read this evening’s

chapter or to complete their vocabulary

assignment. Students will also turn in

their notes from the Harkness.

Observe the students as they arrange the

desks back and collect the Harkness notes.

Also, the teacher will remind his or her

students that they are expected to continue

reading and annotating and creating their

character diagrams.

Materials:


- Dictionaries for each student in the class


- Smart Board with access to a word processor

- SAT word list from The Great Gatsby (see appendix)


Day 8:


10 minutes Bellwork: Use their dictionaries to look

up the definitions of the second set of

vocabulary words provided. The words

that are not completed by the students are

expected to be completed for homework.

Display on the Smart Board the second list

of SAT vocabulary words that will be in The

Great Gatsby and will observe the students

as they look up the definitions.

20 minutes Arrange the desks into two circles for the

Harkness discussion of Chapter 4.

Students will then separate into the

teacher assigned groups one and two.

Group one will begin the discussion with

group two taking notes.

Designate groups one and two based on his

or her observations of previous notes. Today

will be a trial to attempt to get the less

talkative students to discuss first. Group 1

will be speaking first and will include the

quieter students. Assigning these students to

speak first will ensure they don’t have

assistance with ideas from listening to the

Almerico ▪ 20

more vocal group’s discussion. Also, keep

track of discussion as it occurs during the

Harkness.

20 minutes Switch groups one and two. Group two

will now discuss Chapter 4 with group

one taking notes.

Keep track of the discussion as it occurs

during the Harkness. Also, because both

groups are only discussing one chapter from

the novel, try to steer the second group away

from re-discussing the same topics as the

first group.

As the bell

rings

Hand in their notes from the Harkness

discussion.

Collect notes and remind students to

continue reading.

Materials:


- Dictionaries for each student in the class


- Smart Board with access to a word processor

- Second SAT word list from The Great Gatsby (see appendix)

- For the teacher: A list of students to be in group 1 or group 2 based on previous

discussion


Plan B:

If designating the quieter students into a group all to themselves resulted in severe lack of

discussion, begin assigning the groups by placing an equal number of vocal students to quiet

students.

Day 9:


10 minutes Complete a pop quiz about the content of

the novel so far. Students are allowed to

use their annotated books for the quiz. At

the end of the 10 minutes the quizzes will

be passed to the front of the room for the

teacher to collect.

Distribute the quiz and observe the students

to prevent cheating. The teacher will collect

the quizzes when the students have passed

them forward.

5 minutes Listen to the teacher Ask the students to pull their character

diagrams out of their folders or to retrieve

them from their lockers so that she may see

them for a completion grade. Students who

appear at a glance to have completed a good

amount of the diagram will receive five

bonus points toward their Harkness scores.

3 minutes Keep their diagrams on their desks Walk around the room and make notes on

her list of students for who receives the

Almerico ▪ 21

bonus points and who does not.

15 minutes Arrange the desks for the Harkness.

Groups one and two, who have been

appointed by the teacher, will separate

with group two speaking first in the

Harkness discussion and group one taking

notes first.

Assign students to groups one or two using

either the method of the previous day or

Plan B from Day 8. The teacher will then

observe the students and record the number

of times each student speaks, on whatever

has been used thus far for these recordings.

15 minutes Group one will now discuss Chapter 5 of

The Great Gatsby and group two will

record the discussion points.

The teacher will observe the students and

record the number of times each student

speaks, on whatever has been used thus far

for these recordings.

2 minutes Return the desks to their original locations

and turn in their notes from the Harkness.

Collect the Harkness notes and tell the

students to review their vocabulary words

and definitions for a possible quiz the

following day.

Materials:

- Pens and paper

- Each student must have their annotated copies of The Great Gatsby

- Spontaneous Quiz (see appendix)

- For the teacher: A list of students to be in group 1 or group 2


Day 10:


Walking in

the door

Drop their journals into the box that the

teacher has designated as the “Journal

Deposit Box” and walk to their desks.

Check off students’ names as they turn in

their journals. Students who do not turn in

journals at the beginning of class will lose 5

points from that week’s grade.

8 minutes Write a sentence for each of the

vocabulary words that is written on the

board.

Write three vocabulary words on the board

from the list of SAT words that are located

in The Great Gatsby. The teacher will then

explain that the students are expected to use

each word correctly in a sentence and the

sentence is expected to be properly

structured and punctuated.

20 minutes Arrange the desks for the Harkness.

Groups one and two, who have been

appointed by the teacher, will separate

with group one speaking first in the

Harkness discussion about Chapter 6 and

group two taking notes first.

Assign students to groups one or two using

whichever method worked best for student

placements. The teacher will then observe

the students and record the number of times

each student speaks, on whatever has been

used so far for these records.

20 minutes Group two will now discuss Chapter 6 of

The Great Gatsby and group one will

record the discussion points.

The teacher will observe the students and

record the number of times each student

speaks, on whatever has been used so far for

these recordings.

2 minutes Listen to the teacher, reset the desks, and Remind the students that they will be

Almerico ▪ 22

hand in their Harkness notes. completing their reading of The Great

Gatsby over the weekend and are still

expected to be annotating and completing

the character chart that will be due Monday

at the start of class.

- Pens and paper

- Student journals – to be handed in


- Smart Board with word processor connection to display the quiz words for each class or a

dry erase board.

- SAT vocabulary words from days 7 and 8 chosen for the quiz



- A box large enough to hold all student journals to be used as a deposit for the journals at

the beginning of class

Week 3: Make Your Dreams Achievable

Day 11


10 minutes Bell work: Now that you’ve completed

The Great Gatsby, talk about the

similarities and differences that you

noticed in the American Dream that is

portrayed in the novel and that was in the

television episode we watched.

Return the student’s journals and keep

students on task as they complete their bell

work writing prompt.

20 minutes The final Harkness will be given a prompt

at the beginning of the discussion,

students will be required to discuss the

content read over the weekend but they

will also be discussing and relating The

Great Gatsby to the American Dream.

Explain how The Great Gatsby portrays

the demise of the American Dream.

Group 1 will discuss first with group 2

taking notes

Prompt the students with their guidelines for

today’s Harkness and will record the

number of times each student participates in

the discussion.

20 minutes Group 2 will discuss the content of the

chapters read over the weekend and will

discuss the similarities and differences in

the American Dream in the novel and the

television show while group 1 records the

conversation points of the peer sitting in

front of them.

Prompt the students for their discussion and

will record the number of times each student

participates in the discussion.

As the bell

rings

Turn in their final harkness notes and

completed Great Gatsby Character

Collect the final harkness notes and

character diagrams.

Almerico ▪ 23

Diagrams

Materials:

- White board for bellwork prompt

- Student journals

- Pen and paper



- For the teacher: a paper and pen to record the student participation points

Day 12


10 Minutes Once students have settled in, the class

will read Anthony Brandt’s “The

American Dream-History of a Cliché”

aloud. Students will volunteer to read

every two paragraphs.

Before the students have entered the room, a

copy of the newspaper article should be

placed on every desk. The teacher will then

follow along with the students as they read

the piece aloud.

20 minutes Discuss the content of Brandt’s article to

conclude the section of this unit about the

American Dream.

Facilitate the discussion of the article when

it is necessary.

20 minutes Listen and take notes and receive their

instructions for the Dream Unit

Begin to lecture about the dreams of his or

her students and how they are achievable

along with the project that will be related to

this section of the class. Also, remind

students that an in class essay will be

conducted, in tomorrow’s class, about The

Great Gatsby. It will be an open-novel essay

so students will be permitted to use their

annotated texts.

Materials:

- A copy of Anthony Brandt’s “The American Dream – History of a Cliché” (see

appendix)

- Pen and paper

- Talking points for the achievable dream unit (see appendix)

- Dream Unit Instructions for Students (see appendix)

- Example of teacher’s poster from previous year with instructions (see appendix)

Day 13


5 minutes Get settled in their seats and receive their

essay prompts for the in class essay

Pass out the in class essays and hand out

extra class copies of the novel to students

who forgot their books.

Almerico ▪ 24

45 minutes Complete their in class essays with the

assistance of their annotated novels

Monitor the classroom while students write

their essays to be sure no one is cheating

Time that

remains

Pass in their essays and return their copies

of The Great Gatsby

Collect the essays and books.

Materials:

- Copies of The Great Gatsby

- Essay prompts for classes (see appendix)

- For the teacher: Rubric for essays (see appendix)

Day 14


5 minutes Receive their original dream back from

the first day of the unit.

Prior to today’s class the teacher should

have written down and read each student’s

dream from the bellwork. He or she needs to

write down the original dreams so the

teacher can see where each student expands

their dream from the original. Also, prior to

handing back these papers, the teacher

should have left some form of feedback to

inspire each student to expand their dreams

further and turn them into goals.

10 – 15

minutes

Listen and ask questions Allow the students to have a work day to

begin their project. This project will be due

one week from Friday. The floor will be

open for questions that students may have

about the expectations of this assignment.

For the

remainder of

the class

period

Work individually on completing the

research for their Dream Projects

Keep the students on task and begin to write

the rubric for grading the poster and essay

portion of this assignment.

Materials:

- Pen and paper

- Original bell work about the students’ dreams

- Pen and paper

- Laptops with open access to the Internet for students to use for research

- Rubric for grading the poster project (see appendix)

Day 15:


5 minutes Bell work: Write what you think is

important to include in a college

application essay.

Observe the students while they complete

the bell work assignment. While students

are writing, the teacher will hand out the

Almerico ▪ 25

newspaper article that will be read in class

today.

10 minutes Listen and read along with the teacher. Read aloud “10 Tips for Writing the College

Application Essay” while the students

follow along.

15 minutes Listen and take notes and participate in

discussion.

Elaborate on the article that was just read

aloud and facilitate discussion in the

classroom for students to ask questions to

learn more about the importance of writing

the perfect admissions essay.

20 minutes Begin to work on their practice

admissions essay.

Give the students the assignment to write a

practice college admission essay. This will

help to prepare the students as they are

about to fill out their own college

applications. There will be two admissions

essay topics for students to choose from.

Students will be expected to bring in at least

an outline of their ideas for class tomorrow.

Pass out field trip permission forms.

Materials:

- Pen and paper

- Student journals

- USNews Education Article: “10 Tips for Writing the College Application Essay” by

Jeremy Hyman & Lynn Jacobs (see appendix)

- College Application Essay Prompts (see appendix)

- Field Trip permission forms (see appendix)

Week 4: Closing in on Your Academic Dreams

Day 16 FLEXIBLE DAY:


10 minutes Bellwork: Talk about a time when you

helped someone achieve their goal or

fulfill a dream. If you can’t think of a time

like this, give an example of how you can

help someone achieve their goal.

Observe the students while they complete

their bell work.

30 minutes Conference with the teacher on their

essay.

Conference with students and provide

advice for the directions they are going with

their essays so far.

10 minutes Listen to the teacher Discuss the field trip they will be attending

tomorrow.

Materials:

- Pen and paper

- Student journals

Almerico ▪ 26

Day 17:


50

minutes

Attend a field trip to Operation Christmas

Child to wrap shoe boxes for less

fortunate children

Supervise and attend a field trip to

Operation Christmas Child to wrap shoe

boxes for less fortunate children

Day 18:


10

minutes

Bell work: Write about your experience

on yesterday’s field trip. What did you do,

did you enjoy your time helping, do you

feel that you assisted in making a child’s

dream come true?

Observe the students as they complete their

bell work to ensure they remain on task.

15

minutes

Listen to the teacher’s lecture and take

notes

Review rules for SAT taking to assist

students on the upcoming test over the

weekend. The focus will be on the grammar

portion of the test.

25

minutes

Complete SAT practice problems Guide students on their computers to the

SAT practice website majortests.com where

they will practice their SAT grammar work

Materials:

- Student journals

- For the teacher: lecture notes for SAT instruction (see appendix)

- Computers or computer lab

- Access to majortests.com


Time Students Will Teacher will

10

minutes

Bell work: How far along are you in your

dream projects? Explain what you have

done so far.

Hand in college application essays

Collect college admissions essays and

observe students while they complete their

bell work.

40

minutes

Work on their dream projects while

watching the 2013 film The Great Gatsby

or the 1974 film

Begin to grade the college admissions

essays and play the film.

Materials:

- Student journals

- Pen and paper

- Student’s completed college admissions essays

- Television or Smart board with DVD or VHS player

Almerico ▪ 27

- Laptops with internet connection for students to work on projects

- The Great Gatsby film either from 2013 or 1974

- Rubric for grading essays from

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/studentactivity/20090423b.pdf (see appendix)



10

minutes

Bell work: Tell me about what you

discovered when researching how to

fulfill your dreams.

Observe students will they complete their

bell work.

40

minutes

Continue to work in class on their dream

projects that will be due at midnight

tonight to the teacher’s email inbox while

watching the film.

Play the film and monitor the students as

they work on their projects and continue to

grade the essays.

As the

bell

rings

Turn in their journals for the teacher to

grade for completion

Collect the students’ journals to be graded

for bell work completion. Teacher will

remind students that their projects must be

submitted to his or her email on time by

11:59 this evening.

Materials:

- Student journals

- Student journals drop box

- Pen and paper

- Television or smartboard with dvd or vhs player

- Laptops with internet connection for students to work on projects

- The Great Gatsby film either from 2013 or 1974

- Rubric for grading essays from

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/studentactivity/20090423b.pdf (see appendix)

Rules for project submissions:

Students must submit their projects by 11:59 to the teacher’s email address in order to receive

full credit for the assignment. Any assignments submitted by 1 am will receive a 5 point

deduction automatically and any assignments submitted for up to two days after the dead line

will have 20 points deducted immediately. Full submission includes the link to the student’s

Glogster poster and a file in a word processor of the student’s essay with its works cited page.

Week 5: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

Day 21:

Time Students Will Teacher Will

10 minutes Bellwork: Draw a circle on the next page

in your student notebook. Within the

Observe students as they complete their

bellwork and pass out the reading for

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/studentactivity/20090423b.pdf


Almerico ▪ 28

circle, write things that are in your

comfort zone.

today.

15 minutes Discuss as a class what their ideas are of

their comfort zones.

Lead the discussion about the students’

comfort zones trying to keep it

controlled and focused on the ideas of

dreams, teacher may use guideline

questions if necessary.

15 minutes Read aloud the essay written by Brian

Grazer.

Monitor students as they read

10 minutes Return to their journals and write

examples on the outside of the circle

drawn from bell work things that are

outside their comfort zone

Observe students as they complete this

assignment. While students are

working, the teacher will email the

students the link to the website they

will be using for their homework.

Materials:

- Student journals

- Pens and paper

- Printed copies for each student of Brian Grazer’s essay from ThisIBelieve.org

“Disrupting My Comfort Zone” (see appendix)

- For the teacher: Discussion guide for classroom comfort zone discussion (see appendixi)

- Outlook Express

- Access to http://thisibelieve.org

Modifications:

The essay that is being read in class today has a recorded version read by its author, Brian

Grazer, on ThisIBelieve.org. If the teacher whishes, he or she can modify the read aloud activity

to a read and listen along activity so students are able to read the essay while also listening to its

writer’s voice.

Homework:

ThisIBelive.org is a website that features a collection of essays from both famous people and

every day people about events in their lives that lead to their beliefs or other elements that relate

to what the writer believes in. Under the “explore” icon on the main page, there is an option to

see the themes that the essays are arranged into. Students are to select an essay from one of the

following themes: carpe diem, change, courage, creativity, discrimination, fear, hope, legacy,

purpose, self-determination, setbacks, or work. The students must relate the essay of his or her

choice to the ideas we have been discussing throughout this unit regarding dreams, goals, and

achieving these. The student is required to either print out the essay or bring a copy of the essay

on his or her laptop or electronic notebook, to class tomorrow.

Day 22:

http://thisibelieve.org/

Almerico ▪ 29


10 minutes Bellwork: Write about the essay you

chose from last night’s homework.

Explain how it relates to dreams and

goals being achieved. Also, if it relates to

yesterday’s discussion about our comfort

zones, talk about this as well.

Observe students will they complete

their bellwork.

10 minutes Listen and take notes Explain the assignment that will result

from their choice of essay.

30 minutes Conference with the teacher one-on-one

about the essays they chose. Students who

are not conferencing will be permitted to

begin working on their assignment for this

class.

Record the title and author of the essay

chosen by each student. Also, this is the

opportunity for the teacher to make note

of the students who completed the

homework assignment to be added with

the scores from the Harkness notes. If

the teacher believes the essay chosen

does not fit the assignment or if the

student presents a valid reason for

choosing a different essay, the student

may choose another essay by 8 am the

following morning and the link to the

new essay is to be emailed to the

teacher.

Materials:

- Student journals

- Students’ articles from the homework

- Teacher grade book or form of recording students’ essay titles & completion

- Directions for students’ assignment with ThisIBelieve.org (see appendix)

- Rubric for grading the assignment (see appendix)

Day 23:


10 minutes Bell work: How do you plan on

memorizing your presentation? Talk

about possible methods for memorization

that you think will help to prepare you for

your presentation on Friday.

Observe students as they complete their

bellwork.

15 minutes Listen and take notes Discuss the importance of preparing in

advance to present a public speaking

presentation. When discussing the

importance of preparing for public

speaking, the teacher should touch on

public speaking in the college

classrooms that the students will be

entering in a little over a year. Part of

this discussion will include the video

Almerico ▪ 30

listed in materials.

25 minutes Work on their public speaking

assignments.

Monitor the students as they work and

be open for questions at his or her desk.

Materials:

- Student journals

- Pen and paper

- Students will need their materials for working on their assignments on their own

- Smart board with computer and internet hookup

- Access to YouTube

- “Public Speaker Fail” (video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYDj_gqrQAA (see

also Appendix)

Day 24:


10 minutes Bell work: If you were going to write an

essay to post on ThisIBelieve.org what

would it be about?

Observe the students as they complete

their bell work assignment and set up

the smart board and computer to display

ThisIBelieve.org

15 minutes Listen and take note Discuss how students can submit essays

to ThisIBelieve.org on their own time.

Students who submit one classroom

appropriate essay to the website will

receive a 25 point quiz grade for extra

credit.

20 minutes Work on their own to complete their

public speaking assignment that is due for

presentation tomorrow.

Observe the students and prepare the

collection box for their journals.

5 minutes Listen and turn in their journals Explain that because the presentations

are tomorrow, students will turn in their

journals today, a day early, to allow

more time for presenting the following

day.

Materials:

- Student journals

- Student journals drop box

- Pen and paper

- Smart board with computer hookup and internet connection

- Access to ThisIBelieve.org

Day 25:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYDj_gqrQAA

Almerico ▪ 31

3 minutes Settle into their seats with nothing on

their desks but their speaking

outline/script and note card for their

presentations.

Quickly settle the students down as they

enter the classroom and instruct them to

keep their desks cleared except for their

speaking outline/script and their note

card.

47 minutes Present the instructor with their

outline/script before individually

presenting their assignment. After the

student completed his or her presentation,

he or she will turn in his or her note card

and return to his or her seat.

Collect the outline/script from each

student before the student presents. As

the student is presenting, the teacher

will make notes on the rubric for that

individual student to assist in scoring

the presentation later. The teacher will

then collect the note card at the end of

the student’s speech. Students will be

allowed to volunteer for the speaking

order, but if no volunteers arise when

first asked for, the teacher may call on

students in a manner that he or she

seems fit for his or her classroom.

As the bell

rings

Collect their bell work journals prior to

leaving to prepare for next week’s classes.

Prior to today’s class, the teacher will

have graded the students’ bell work

journals for completion and stacked

them in alphabetical order in the drop

box to allow for students to acquire

their journals in a more organized

fashion.

Materials:

- Students must have their outline/script and their note cards for their speeches

- For the teacher: the rubric found in the appendix from day 22

- For the teacher: a pen

- For the teacher: a seat in the room that he or she may have full view of the presentation

but enough privacy to take notes away from the non presenting students’ eyes

Notes/Modifications:

If students do not volunteer quickly enough to present their assignments, the teacher may choose

to call students in order of alphabetical order, at random, seat order, etc. Also, if there is not

enough time to complete the speeches in today’s class, the speeches may be continued on the

first day of class the following week.

If the teacher conducting this unit prefers, he or she may print a specific rubric that he or she may

take notes on as the students are executing their presentations. This will allow for the teacher to

write more notes to remind him or her of the presentation that was given for later grading away

from the classroom. The teacher may then choose to write a separate rubric to be handed back to

the students with notes he or she seems fit to be seen by his or her students along with the scores

received by the students.

Almerico ▪ 32

Accommodations Most students who are in this class do not need accommodations for the assignments in

this unit plan. As mentioned in the Context of Classroom, students are all required to submit

homework by noon the day after their absence via email in order to receive credit for the class

and/or assignment missed. Exceptions to this rule will be made for students who are hospitalized

during the time of absence or who have suffered a death in the family and must attend a funeral.

These exceptions only are given until the student is soonest able to complete the assignments.

The day following the funeral at noon will require submission and the day after a student is

released from the hospital submission is required, unless once released from the hospital there is

still an extenuating circumstance that is approved by the teacher in which case other

arrangements will be made.

Should a student in the classroom have a speech impediment, this student may complete

the speech assignment one-on-one with the teacher if the student prefers it. Also, students who

are physically impaired will be permitted to sit at the front of the classroom to carry out his or

her public speaking assignment, if their physical condition does not allow them to stand.

Any students in the class who do not have access to computers at home or who do not

have access to internet at home will be given time before school, during lunch, during study hall

and after school to use the school computers to complete their Dream Assignment.

If a student is not given permission by their parent or guardian to attend the field trip, he

or she will and attend classes as he or she normally would. During the period that he or she

would be in the English classroom, the student will remain under the supervision of another

teacher and will be required to write a research essay during the class period about another local

charity that is helping others achieve their goals.

If a student is physically disabled and it will interfere with the Harkness discussions for

The Great Gatsby, the teacher should find a way to accommodate this student. For example, if

the student is in a wheel chair, instead of a desk closing up the circle, the student in the

wheelchair will fill the gap in the inner circle and will use a lap desk to write his or her notes of

the discussion carried on by whichever circle he or she is not in. This will allow the student to

still have access to the inner circle for discussion.

Students who are visually impaired and hearing impaired are seated at the front of the

classroom where they are in better proximity to the teacher and the Smart Board.

Any student with an attention disorder or a behavior disorder must be specially

monitored, especially during the Harkness discussions. It is expected that knowing these

discussions are graded based on performance and attention will be enough to keep these students

on task. But, should an issue arise and a student continues to disrespect the discussion progress,

Almerico ▪ 33

the teacher will remove the student from discussion and require the student to write two original

sentences, using the SAT vocabulary words, until class is complete.

Point Distribution for Unit per Assignment Assessment Category Number of points for

assessment

Bell work Journals Day 1 – Day 9 Test 25

Harkness Discussion Day 6 Participation 10

Harkness Notes Day 6 Test 4





Spontaneous Quiz Day 9 Quiz 25

Character Diagram Check Day 9 Extra Credit + 5



SAT Vocabulary Quiz Day 10 Quiz 25





The Great Gatsby Character Diagram Day 11 Project 100

The Great Gatsby In Class Essay Day 13 Test 100

Bell work Journals Day 11 - 20 Test 25

Admissions Essay Day 19 Quiz 25

Dream Project Poster/Essay Day 20 Project 100

ThisIBelieve.org Homework Completion Test 1

Bell work Journals Day 21 - 24 Test 25

Public Speaking Assignment Project 100

ThisIBelieve.org Essay Publishing Extra Credit + 25

Accumulated Point Distribution for Unit: Assignments Category Points

Bellwork + Harkness Notes Test 200

In Class Essay

Harkness Discussions Participation 60

Spontaneous Quiz Quiz 75

SAT Vocabulary Quiz

College Admissions Essay

The Great Gatsby Character Diagram Project 300

Dream Project Poster/Essay

Public Speaking Assignment

Character Diagram Check Extra Credit + 30

ThisIBelieve.org Essay Submission

Unit Total Points: 635 points

Possible Extra Credit Points: 30 points

Outline of Appendix for Daily Lessons A. Lecture Notes for Day 1 B. PowerPoint Slides for Day 1 C. Bell Work for Day 2 D. American Dreams “Pilot” Television Episode for Day 3 E. Book Checkout Liability form for Day 5 F. Cover Image of The Great Gatsby for Day 5 G. Reading Outline Plan for Class for Day 5 H. Teacher’s Expectations for the Character Diagram for Day 5 I. Harkness Assessment Expectations for Days 6 – 11 J. Vocabulary List for Day 7 K. Vocabulary List for Day 8 L. Spontaneous Quiz Answers for Day 9 M. Spontaneous Quiz for Day 9 N. “The American Dream – History of a Cliché” by Anthony Brandt for Day 12 O. Talking Points for Day 12 P. Dream Project Guidelines for Day 12 Q. Dream Poster Example for Day 12 R. The Great Gatsby In Class Essay Prompts for Day 13 S. In Class essay rubric for Day 13 T. Dream Project Scoring Rubric for Day 14 U. “10 Tips for Writing the College Application Essay” for Day 15 V. College Application Essay Prompts for Day 15 W. Operation Christmas Child Field Trip Permission Slip for Day 15 X. Lecture Notes for Day 18 Y. Rubric for College Admissions Essay from the New York Times for Day 19 Z. Screen Shot of “Disrupting My Comfort Zone” by Brian Grazer for Day 20 AA. Full Text of “Disrupting My Comfort Zone” by Brian Grazer for Day 20

BB. Discussion Points for Instructor on Day 21

CC. Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone Assignment for Day 22

DD. Rubric for Public Speaking Assignment for Day 22

EE. “Public Speaker Fail” YouTube video for Day 23

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Appendix of Materials for Daily Lessons

Appendix A: Lecture Notes for Day 1

Slide 1: During the 1920s the “American Dream” changes greatly. At first, it is the dream of

Americans to be affluent and to host lavish parties with many guests, lots of music, and booze

which was illegal at that time. When the Great Depression strikes, the dream is shifted to

something more along the lines of the male being able to provide their family with a comfortable

and healthy life.

Slide 2: In the 1930s the Great Depression greatly reduced the standard of living for Americans.

Instead of indulging in wealth and nice things, families were scraping by with the bare

necessities. In 1931 was when the term “American Dream” was coined by writer James Truslow

Adams who penned a novel called The Epic of America where he wrote that the American

Dream was: “that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone,

with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the

European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary

and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social

order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which

they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of fortuitous

circumstances of birth or position.” Here, Adams is putting down the European practice of social

stature based on birth, marriage, and position. Adams points out that the Dream is to work hard

and to the best of a man or woman’s abilities to achieve their own successes.

Slide 3: The 1940s were fueled by ideas of equality. Therefore, the American Dream revolved

around equality in the 1940s. At this time in American history, it didn’t matter if you were a

man, woman or an immigrant, at this time, not even the color of the person’s skin was a concern,

the goal was to achieve financial security after the war and at the end of the Great Depression.

Slide 4: The dream of the 1950s looks very similar to what many students may picture as the

American Dream in history. It is fueled by ideas of home ownership and having the “cookie

cutter” family. This was the time of the end of World War II where the baby boomer generation

is from.

Slide 5: During the 1960s, the American Dream was torn between two different groups. The

hippies wanted the war in Vietnam to end and for everything to revolve around peace and love.

Whereas, families who did not partake in the hippie movement wanted the children to be happy

while the men were achieving prosperity and at the tops of their careers.

Slide 6: While family life was still very important during this time, women were more inclined to

leave the house and pursue careers beginning in the 1970s. This is when the major movements in

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the civil rights and women’s rights movements took place and goals were achieved by the

movements.

Slide 7: 1980-Present the American Dream has become a variety of different things. The

mentality to provide a better future for the children is still a mindset of most families, but fame

and fortune have now entered the picture. Becoming a Rockstar became an aspiration of many

children, teens, and youth throughout the country and parents began to work more as gender

equality spreads throughout the workforce.

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Appendix B: PowerPoint Slides for Day 1

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Appendix C: Bell work for Day 2:

Comments to facilitate discussion:

- Original farm setting - American dream when the original painting was created could

have been to own a farm and prosper off your own land.

- Changes: woman’s cell phone, business purse, coffee, cleavage; man with a beeper and a

cell phone, plays golf, cigar; the house with a car and satellite

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Appendix D: American Dreams Season 1 Episode 1 for Day 3

Netflix has DVD copies of American Dreams that can be rented.

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Appendix E:

Book Checkout Liability Form

As a student of Ms. Almerico’s class, I, ______________________, understand that should I

lose the classroom copy of one of the novels that I will be checking out during this school year, I

will be required to do all of the following:

1. Pay to replace the text that I have lost

2. Purchase my own copy of the text immediately in order to keep up with homework for

this class

I understand that my teacher will not provide any additional time to complete my assignments if

I should lose the book.

__________________________ ______________________

Student’s Signature Date

__________________________ ______________________

Teacher’s Signature Date

The above form must be signed and dated by both the student and the teacher and returned to the

teacher before the books are handed out in class in order for the student to receive a copy of the

required text.

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Appendix F: Cover Image of Novel for Day 5:

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Appendix G: Reading Outline Plan for Class for Day 5

Days are arranged by first day of reading. While it is the fifth day of the unit, it is Day 1 for

reading The Great Gatsby; this is how the outline will be written on the board. This format may

be changed to show the exact dates that students will be reading.

Day 1 (Friday) Chapters 1-3

Day 2 (Monday) Chapter 4

Day 3 (Tuesday) Chapter 4

Day 4 (Wednesday) Chapter 5

Day 6 (Thursday) Chapter 6

Day 7 (Friday) Chapters 7-9

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Appendix H: Teacher’s expectations for the Character Diagram for Day 5

Up to 100 points -The student clearly read the novel and outlined the character traits and major

events as they read along for each character. There is substantial evidence that the student did not

use online guides for the assignment. Student lists physical traits, relationships to other

characters in the novel, and events that involve the character throughout the novel.

Up to 89 points - The student clearly read the novel and outlined the character traits and events

as they read along for each character. The student includes physical traits, several major

relationships that the character is associated with in the novel, and several events involving the

character are recorded.

Up to 79 points- The student clearly read the novel but does not include all characters that are

listed in the novel. For the characters listed the student has listed several physical traits and links

the character to at least one other character in the novel.

Up to 69 points -The student read the novel but does not include all characters that appear

throughout the novel. The student has provided minimal information for each character.

Up to 59 points- The student obviously used a resource such as SparkNotes, CliffNotes, etc.

when completing this assignment.

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Appendix I: Harkness Assessment Expectations for Days 6 - 11

The Harknesses will be used for participation/class work points. They will be assessed on the

following guidelines:

A student who participates at least 3-4 times per discussion and who provides at least 2 concrete

sources from the text to support their argument (page numbers and quotations) will receive full

credit for that day of discussion.

A student who participates 1-2 times per discussion and gives at least one concrete source form

the text to support their argument will receive ¾ credit for that day of discussion.

A student who participates 1-2 times per discussion but does not provide any reference to quotes

or page numbers will receive ½ credit for that day of discussion.

A student who does not participate in the discussion will receive 0 credit for that day of

discussion.

The distribution of points will add up as follows:

7 days of discussion with each day’s discussion being worth 10 points each.

Full credit: 10 points

¾ credit: 7.5 points

½ credit: 5 points

No credit: 0 points

Each day, students will also take notes on their peer’s discussions. These notes will be handed in

for a grade as well. Each day’s notes will add up to a bell work grade for the unit.

To receive full credit for the notes the student must have taken clear notes of their peer’s

participation. If their peer did not participate in discussion that day, the student will write “no

participation” on the sheet and turn it in. The sheet must also have both the note taking student’s

and the speaking student’s names written on it.

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Appendix J: Vocabulary List for Day 7:

Fervent

Cynical

Desolate

Transcendent

Oculist

Sumptuous

Haughtily

Apathetically

Incessant

Innumerable

Shrill

Disdain

Ambiguously

Strident

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Appendix K: Vocabulary List for Day 8:

Ineffable

Dilatory

Contingency

Inviolate

Confer

Colossal

Vitality

Pungent

Garnished

Prodigality

Eddies

Vehemently

Credulity

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Appendix L: Spontaneous Quiz Answers Day 9:

1. Gatsby did not go to Oxford

2. Florid, corpulent and middle-aged (any of answers similar to these will be accepted)

3. Oxford

4. Jay

5. To pursue the bond business

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Appendix M: Spontaneous Quiz for Day 9

Name: ___________________________________

SPONTANEOUS QUIZ!

Answer the following questions to the best of your ability. You may use your annotated texts.

1. What rumors about Gatsby did the two girls and Jordan Not discuss?

2. How did Nick Carraway originally envision Gatsby’s appearance?

3. Where did Gatsby go to school?

4. What is Gatsby’s first name?

5. What was Nick Carraway’s reason for moving to Long Island?

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Appendix N: “The American Dream – History of a Cliché” by Anthony Brandt for Day 12

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Appendix O: Talking points for Day 12

“A dream is a goal without legs.” – Diana Robinson

Each student turned in a description of his or her dreams for their future on the first day of this

unit, this will be important for the project that will be discussed.

In order to turn your dreams into goals that are achievable you have to:

1. Specify exactly what you are hoping for, this will give you the ability to move forward to

the next step

2. Provide the details through research, find a way to obtain this goal

3. Make it so clear that you can see it and feel it – draw it out, use pictures, words, videos to

show yourself that it is THERE it can be achieved! (one day, of course)

4. Know what you will feel like when you achieve it – this will inspire you to do what is

necessary to start your path towards reaching your dream

Goals are more specific than dreams. For example, if a student’s goal was that they want to

attend college, this is a dream. It is not a goal because it is not specific enough. To turn this into a

goal the student should say what college they wish to attend, where the school is located, what

they wish to study, where they will live when they get there, and what scholarships they need to

apply for in order to afford it.

How many students have achieved goals that they have set for themselves?

- Achieving your goals allows you to experience the rewarding feeling of being

accomplished.

Now that we have discussed the importance of turning your dreams into goals, we can begin to

discuss your projects. (Instructions are on the next appendix)

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Appendix P: Dream Project Guidelines for Day 12

On the first day of this unit, you wrote down what your dream was. With this project, you are

going to take the steps needed to do everything but actually go and achieve that goal. You are

going to research your dream and get into the specifics of it. With these specifics you are going

to complete the research that revolves around them. An semi-example will be attached so that

you can see what I mean by this.

Requirements:

2-3 pages of a creative writing essay that tells the story of your future self either achieving the

goals or the person that you are once the goal has been achieved and how it affected your life.

A Glogster poster that shows me the research you have completed for achieving your goal.

A works cited page in MLA format

Your assignments will be graded on two different scales. First, the essay will, of course, be

graded for mechanics and content as well as word usage and vocabulary. Second, the poster will

be graded both on the creativity that is put into it as well as on the extent to which you took your

dream. I want you to be free with this assignment. Start with the dream that you wrote down on

the first day of this unit and turn it into something bigger.

Example: For my dream I wrote that I want to be a teacher.

My poster is on the next page and is an example of last year’s assignment when we were creating

posters on Microsoft Publisher. This year, you will be using the internet poster creating website

called Glogster.

To use Glogster you must create your own username and password. To submit the Glogster

poster, you must email the link to me by 11:59 pm the night this assignment is due.

You may use the example that I have provided as a guideline for several ideas for your own

Glogster poster. But, you are NOT to create the poster in any software other than Glogster.

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Appendix Q: Dream Poster Example for Day 12

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Appendix R: The Great Gatsby In Class Essay for Day 13

The following are prompts for this essay, you are to choose one. You are required to use at least

one quoted and cited example from The Great Gatsby in each of your body paragraphs.

1. Analyze Fitzgerald's conception of the American Dream. Does he view it as totally dead,

or is it possible to revive it?

2. In what ways are Wilson and Gatsby similar? Dissimilar? Who is Nick more sympathetic

to?

3. Is Tom most responsible for Gatsby's death? Daisy? Myrtle? Gatsby himself? Give

reasons why or why not each character is implicated in the murder.

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Appendix S: In Class Essay Rubric for Day 13

Very Good 25 points each

Good 20 points each

Moderate 10 points each

Poor <10 points each

Content of the essay: Students

should show an obvious

knowledge and ability to

analyze the novel in their

writing.

Comments: Comments: Comments: Comments:

Evidence from the novel: Students should use examples

directly from the text, showing

page numbers and using proper

MLA citation for the quoted

material. The material should

support the points being made

by the student


Mechanics: Students should use

proper English mechanics

throughout their essays with

few errors in spelling, word use,

and punctuation.


Format: Students must format

the essay in proper essay form

with an introduction paragraph,

thesis statement, body

paragraphs and a concluding

paragraph.


Comments:

Grade: __________/100

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Appendix T: Dream Project Scoring Rubric for Day 14

Poster:

50 Points: The student clearly followed the instructions given by the teacher. He or she used

their creative abilities to demonstrate, in an aesthetically pleasing manor, the information they

need to achieve their dream that has now been turned into a more realistic goal. The student went

above and beyond to show that they have truly considered using this assignment to guide their

journey to achieve their goal.

40 points: The student shows several examples of how they turned their dream into achievable

goals in a relatively aesthetically pleasing manor. The student also expanded their dream further

than their original dream, but the student did not complete the research necessary to show that

they will be able to use this poster as a guide to achieve their dreams.

30 points: The student shows at least two examples of how the turned their dream into an

achievable goal in a way that may be visibly appealing, but is not as organized as is should be for

the grade level this is being executed in. The student also didn’t provide enough research to

prove that they truly put the effort into the assigned tasks.

20 points: The student shows one example that may appear to be how they turned their dream

into an achievable goal but it is not as detailed as expected. The poster board is dilapidated and

not organized or put together well and the student clearly did not conduct the research that was

expected for this assignment.

0-10 points: The student does not show how they turned their original dream into an achievable

goal. There is no poster or the poster is illegible and has no flow to provide evidence of an effort

to show the teacher that the assignment was taken seriously.

Essay:

35 points: The student’s essay is mechanically correct and uses proper language for the style in

which it is written. The creative story flows and follows the path that the poster leads. The story

heightens the insight that is given by the poster by painting a picture of what the student truly

sees for himself or herself in his or her future based on the dream he or she has as an 11th

grade

student. The essay meets the required length.

25 points: The essay has several obvious mechanical errors throughout the pages. Words are

misused sporadically and the story doesn’t flow in a way that is comprehensible with the

student’s poster. The essay is at least one full page and three quarters.

10 points: The essay is filled with mechanical and vocabulary errors. The story does not flow

and does not show any insight into the dream of the student and the future he or she envisions for

his or her self. The essay is less than a page and a half.

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0 points: The essay was not completed or was plagiarized.

Works Cited:

15 points: The bibliography follows MLA format and lists all of the resources used in the

project.

0 points: The bibliography does not follow MLA format and does not list all of the resources.

Student’s Score: _____________/100 points

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Appendix U: 10 Tips for Writing the College Application Essay for Day 15

Link to full article: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2010/09/15/10-

tips-for-writing-the-college-application-essay

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2010/09/15/10-tips-for-writing-the-college-application-essay


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Appendix V: College Application Essay Prompts for Day 15

1. Sharing intellectual interests is an important aspect of university life. Describe an

experience or idea that you find intellectually exciting, and explain why.

2. Our University values a diverse student body. What contributions might you make to our

campus community outside of academic achievement?

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Appendix W: Operation Christmas Child Field Trip for Day 15

Over the course of the semester we will be studying a variety of themes. One of these

themes will be about dreams and fulfilling these dreams. While the majority of the focus will be

on fulfilling the students’ dreams, we also want to focus on helping others achieve their dreams.

Our class will be venturing to Tallahassee Heights United Methodist Church to

participate in the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child gift wrapping. Operation

Christmas Child is an organization that creates shoeboxes full of toys and necessities for children

who live in conditions that keep them and their families from having access to the bare

necessities. The boxes are wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper and sent all over the world to

children during the holiday season who receive the gifts, fulfilling their holiday dreams.

We will be going on this trip on Monday, December 10 and we will be away from

campus from 10 am - 1:15 pm. Students will participate in stuffing the shoe boxes with the

goodies and will be wrapping the boxes to prepare the gifts to be shipped.

Students will receive 3 hours of community service for participation in this event that will

count toward their 15 necessary hours for the school year.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Permission Slip for Operation Christmas Child

I, _______________________, give permission to my son or daughter,

_________________________, to attend the field trip to participate in Operation Christmas

Child.

______________________________

Parent’s Signature

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Appendix X: Lecture Notes for Day 18

1. Identifying Sentence errors: test takers will be given sentences with underlined parts.

These underlined parts of the sentence may be errors. The student must read the sentence

and identify what underlined part is an error. If there is not an error in the sentence, the

test taker will select No Error.

In this example, the subject is “YOU.” Because the subject is in second person, any

references to the subject throughout the sentence should also be in second person. This

makes option “C: one” the incorrect word in the sentence.

2. Sentence Correction: an example of a sentence will be provided with a section of the

sentence underlined. The underlined may be worded in a way that is incorrect, the

answers will contain a correct version of the underlined part of the sentence for students

to select.

In the example, a comma is separating the two independent clauses with no coordinating

conjunction. Because there is not a conjunction connecting the two clauses, they should

be separated by a semicolon.

3. Editing Context: These questions are similar to the first two, but the underlined parts are

in an excerpt from a student essay.

Website for student assignments: http://www.majortests.com/sat/grammar.php

http://www.majortests.com/sat/grammar.php

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Appendix Y: Rubric for College Admissions Essays from New York Times for Day 19

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Appendix Z: Screen Shot of Essay for Day 20:

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Appendix AA: Essay in Full Text for Day 20

“Disrupting My Comfort Zone” by Brian Grazer

I was 45 years old when I decided to learn how to surf.

Picture this: The north shore of Oahu—the toughest, most competitive surfing spot on the planet.

Fourteen-foot swells. Twenty tattooed locals. And me, 5-foot-8-inches of abject terror. What will

get me first, I wondered, the next big wave or the guy to my right with the tattoo on his chest that

reads “RIP”?

They say that life is tough enough. But I guess I like to make things difficult on myself, because

I do that all the time. Every day and on purpose. That’s because I believe in disrupting my

comfort zone.

When I started out in the entertainment business, I made a list of people I thought it would be

good to meet. Not people who could give me a job or a deal, but people who could shake me up,

teach me something, challenge my ideas about myself and the world. So I started calling up

experts in all kinds of fields: trial lawyers, neurosurgeons, CIA agents, embryologists,

firewalkers, police chiefs, hypnotists, forensic anthropologists, and even presidents.

Some of them—like Carlos Castaneda, Jonas Salk, and Fidel Castro—were world-famous. Of

course, I didn’t know any of these people and none of them knew me. So when I called these

people up to ask for a meeting, the response wasn’t always friendly. And even when they agreed

to give me some of their time, the results weren’t always what one might describe as pleasant.

Take, for example, Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb. You’ve heard of him?

However, he’d never heard of me. It took me a year of begging, cajoling, and more begging to

get to him to agree to meet with me. And then what happened? He ridiculed me and insulted me.

But that was okay. I was hoping to learn something from him—and I did, even if it was only that

I’m not that interesting to a physicist with no taste for our pop culture.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve produced more than 50 movies and 20 television series. I’m

successful and, in my business, pretty well known. I’m a guy who could retire to the golf course

tomorrow where the worst that could happen is that my Bloody Mary is watered-down.

So why do I continue to subject myself to this sort of thing? The answer is simple: Disrupting my

comfort zone, bombarding myself with challenging people and situations—this is the best way I

know to keep growing. And to paraphrase a biologist I once met, if you’re not growing, you’re

dying.

So maybe I’m not the best surfer on the north shore, but that’s okay. The discomfort, the

uncertainty, the physical and mental challenge that I get from this—all the things that too many

of us spend our time and energy trying to avoid—they are precisely the things that keep me in

the game.

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Appendix BB: Discussion Points for Instructor on Day 21:

When helping students discuss the parts of life that are in their comfort zone, the instructor

should remember to keep the conversation appropriate. Part of this discussion will also be

leading the students to reflect on things that are outside of their comfort zone that they may not

have thought about before today’s discussion.

1. When thinking about your comfort zones, most of you are probably thinking of things

like your extracurricular activities that you excel in, reading books that make you feel

comfortable, going home every day to see the people you share a home with. But what

are some other things that can be considered to be part of your comfort zone?

2. Some of you may feel extremely comfortable discussing your religious, political, or

ethical beliefs with others. But, to some, these are aspects that are very far outside of their

range of comfort. When thinking of your own comfort zone do you also consider the

level of comfort of the people you surround yourself with?

3. What are some things that could be considered inside your comfort zones as far as your

futures? Your academic futures and your post academic futures?

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Appendix CC: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone for Day 22

This week we began discussing all of your comfort zones and what is on the inside and

comfortable and what is on the outside and uncomfortable. For many, the uncomfortable was

public speaking. For this assignment, you will be conquering this fear by participating in a public

speaking activity.

The articles that you have chosen from ThisIBelieve.org will be your resources for this

assignment. You will have a good amount of free range with the direction you can go with the

speech, but it must be kept appropriate for our classroom.

You will speak to your classmates and myself about the article that you have chosen.

Some guidelines on what you can talk about are listed, but like I said, you are able to do as you

please for this assignment as long as it is in speaking form.

- Why did you choose this article, what really stuck out to you?

- What is the writer’s story, who is he/she?

- How does it relate to dreams, aspirations, and/or goals?

The form of public speaking is your choice. This can be a formal speech, a news cast, a rap

or song, or any other form you can think up that relates to public speaking. The time limit on this

assignment is 2-3 minutes but a leeway will be given to students who choose to go over the time

(up to 5 minutes).

You will hand in your speaking outline or script before you execute this assignment in front

of the class. You will be allowed one one-sided note card at the front of the classroom to assist

you while delivering your presentation. This note card will be turned into me at the end of your

presentation and should only be used as a guide, meaning, you should not read directly from your

note card.

You will be scored with a scale of excellent, good, and poor on the following criteria:

1. Structure of speaking being conducted (is the way you are speaking appropriate to the

form you chose?)

2. Voice (how is your tone, volume, clarity?)

3. Discussion of essay (did you discuss the essay enough to allow everyone to know what it

was about?)

4. Outline/Script (did you stick close to your script while delivering the presentation?)

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Appendix DD: Rubric for Public Speaking Assignment for Day 22

Very Good

Up to 25 points Good

Up to 20 points Poor

Up to 15 points

Structure: The student

appropriately

delivered his or her

presentation in an

appropriate manner.

Voice: The student

spoke loudly and

clearly with a tone

that was appropriate

to the form of public

speaking being

delivered. The student

also does not rely

heavily on the note

card they have during

the presentation.

Essay Discussion:

The student discusses

the essay that was

chosen during the

presentation enough

to enlighten the

audience about the

content of the essay.

Outline/Script:

Student presented an

outline or a script

prior to the

presentation that is

very similar to the

presentation that was

delivered. The student

also presents the note

card that is used

during the

presentation, if one is

used.

Comments:

Score: _________/100

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Appendix EE: “Public Speaker Fail” YouTube Video for Day 23

Hyperlink to the video: http://youtu.be/bYDj_gqrQAA

http://youtu.be/bYDj_gqrQAA

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Resources Used for This Thematic Unit Plan Adams, J.T. (2001) The Epic of America. Simon Publications. Print.

Brandt, A. (1981). “The American Dream – History of a Cliché.” New York Times, A23. JSTOR.

Retrieved from

https://login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/doc

view/121497331?accountid=4840

Brohl, K. (2001). “The 1950s: Pursuing the American Dream.” Web. Retrieved from

http://www.achrnews.com/articles/the-1950s-pursuing-the-american-dream

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Almerico ▪ 70

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Almerico ▪ 71

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