Connotation, Character, and Color Imagery in The Great Gatsby

Materials and Technology

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

Copies of The Great Gatsby

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PRINTOUTS

• Color Imagery Journal
  
  
• Sample of Student Daily Activity Response
  
  
• Character Analysis Assignment for The Great Gatsby
  
  
• Rubric for Character Analysis Assignment

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WEBSITES

• Exploring Cultural Connotations of Color
• F. Scott Fitzgerald: Career Timeline
• The Great Gatsby Part I: Crash Course
  

  This video, Part 1 of 2, provides students with some help in understanding the major plot lines of The Great Gatsby.

• The Great Gatsby Part II: Crash Course
  

  This video, Part 2 of 2, provides students with some help in understanding the major plot lines of The Great Gatsby.  If you watch it on YouTube, take note of the "spoiler alert" for students.

• “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost
• Reading the World of Color
• F. Scott Fitzgerald Centenary

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PREPARATION

• Make copies of the Color Imagery Journal, Character Analysis Assignment, and Rubric for Character Analysis Assignment. Students will need multiple copies of the Color Imagery Journal handout if they are to track colors throughout the entire novel. Alternately, you might have students draw columns in their journals or notebooks, rather than using copies of the handout.
  
  
• Make overhead transparencies of the Sample of Student Daily Activity Response (or arrange for an LCD projector to project the example).
  
  
• If desired, collect red paint swatches from local hardware stores to use in the pre-reading session. Online paint swatches are also available at the Resene or the Glidden site. Alternately, crayons that students identify as red will work for this activity as well. Just be sure that the crayons have their name indicated on the labels. You can also make copies of a list of Crayola crayon colors or make an overhead transparency of the list to display in class.
  
  
• Explore the American Masters' Website on F. Scott Fitzgerald, to find additional resources that you can use to introduce the writer. The site includes video clips that may provide a useful supplement. Be sure to check that your classroom machines have the Real Player plug-in that is required to play the video files.
  
  
• Determine the number of sessions that students will need to read and discuss the novel itself. Adjust the number of required sessions for the full unit based on the amount of time that your class will need to cover the novel fully.
  
  
• Test the Exploring Cultural Connotations of Color travelogue and F. Scott Fitzgerald: Career Timeline on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

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