The following is the accompanying lesson plan for The Great Gatsby Gazette
 

IM-PACT Lesson Planning Guide

Cover Page

Lesson Title:  The Great Gatsby Gazette
Creator : Rita Foran

Brief Description:  The Library Media Specialist (LMS) and English teacher will collaborate on this lesson.  The students are reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This research project will introduce the students to the era in which The Great Gatsby took place as well as to the author.  The project will be to construct a newspaper with articles about various aspects of this time period.  The newspaper must also include an editorial about Jay Gatsby’s pursuit of happiness.
Information Literacy Skill(s): 
    Definition:
               Identifying the requirements of the research task or assignment
        Determining the amount and type of information needed to complete the task or
        assignment.
    Planning:
        Formulating a search strategy
        Identifying potential information sources.
        Creating a general framework for organizing information found.
Exploration:
    Accessing information resources
    Exploring a range of information resources
Collection:
    Selecting most relevant information resources.
    Extracting information from selected resources
    Evaluating the accuracy, credibility, currency, and completeness of the 
            information.
Organization:
    Analyzing and comparing data for evaluating relevance
    Summarizing and synthesizing gathered information
    Organizing information for presentation
Presentation:
    Presenting results.
       
Information Literacy Standard(s): 
    Standard 1.1 – Recognizes the need for information.
    Standard 1.4 – Identifies a variety of potential sources of information.
    Standard 2.3 – Identifies inaccurate and misleading information.
    Standard 2.3 – Selects information appropriate to the problem or question at hand.
    Standard 3.1 – Organizes information for practical application.
    Standard 3.4 – Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats.
    Standard 5.3 – Develops creative products in a variety of formats.
    Standard 8.2 – Respects intellectual property rights.
    Standard 9.1 – Shares knowledge and information with others.
    Standard 9.2 – Respects others’ ideas and backgrounds and acknowledges their
            contributions.
    Standard 9.4 – Collaborates with others, both in person and through technologies, to
            design, develop, and evaluate information products and solutions.                               ,

Related Subject Area(s): History, Music

Collaborator(s):  Rita Foran (LMS) and English teacher


IM-PACT Lesson Planning Guide

Instructional Goals:

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

Learning Objectives: 

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

Motivational Goals:

• Generate interest in classic literature.
• Generate interest in research.
• Promote satisfaction in student’s ability to collaborate with others to produce a final product.

IM-PACT Lesson Planning Guide

Grade Level(s):  11th graders

Number of Students:  20

Relevant Characteristics: 

• Urban High School
• Coed class – approximately the same number of each sex
• Students have experience in library research, including evaluating online sources.
• Students need experience in writing citations.
• Variety of learning styles.

Motivational Profile (Incoming Motivation Levels):
Attention:                                                                    High
Comments:  Presenting a research project in a newspaper format is unique, so student interest should be fairly high.

Relevance:             Low         
 Comments:  Students have little knowledge of the 1920’s time period, other than what they have in The Great Gatsby.

Confidence:             Low         
 Comments:  Students may be apprehensive about being able to organize and delegate research for a newspaper.

Satisfaction Potential:                                                  High
Comments:  Presenting a project which is a result of collaboration of team members has a high satisfaction potential.