Only three chapters in and the kids were comparing the story to the modern day Real Housewives shows on Bravo. It made me laugh because it's not too far from the truth with the snobbery and scandals that take place.
Before we started reading, we took a fun little survey to see how "Gatsby" we might be. It gave the kids a sneak peek of what was to come in the novel and they enjoyed finding out the results.
They answered some comprehension questions each week, and we also analyzed specific lines from each chapter of Fitzgerald's novel.
After we finished the novel, they put together a character analysis where they listed some of their traits, chose a quote from the novel that suited them best, and created a thematic statement to sum them up.
We also got to play the blame game :) Using a pie chart, the kids typed in what percentage of fault they felt each character played in Jay's death. They had to type up evidence that supported the percentage they chose to support their thoughts. Kids love sharing their ideas and thoughts and so this was a lot of fun!
To get a FREE copy of my entire Gatsby curriculum click HERE.
Side note: I found this map to be really helpful in showing east vs west egg. It helps readers understand exactly where Gatsby's house is compared to Daisy's.
To top it off, we finish the unit by watch Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby. Be aware that, just like in the book, there is a lot of violence. I am a huge Baz fan, though, and think he does a beautiful job of portraying the novel. We also watched his Romeo & Juliet film. Click HERE for that curriculum.