In this six-week class, students will analyze and write an analytical essay about The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Students will be taught to analyze the characters, plot, and meaning of this classic novel of the Jazz Age. They will learn how this work reflects more than just the excess of the 1920s. It delves into class issues and the dark side of the American Dream. 
Prior to week one, students should read the first five chapters of The Great Gatsby. In class for week one, students will discuss these first five chapters. We will discuss the setting, the plot, the character development, and important issues related to class and the American Dream. Students will be encouraged to participate in and take notes over this discussion. For homework in week one, students will read the final chapters of The Great Gatsby. 
In week two, students will discuss the final chapters of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. We will focus, again, on setting, plot, character development, and issues related to class and the American Dream. We will discuss what Fitzgerald may have been trying to say or teach through the ending of The Great Gatsby. For homework in week two, students should review their notes and analysis of The Great Gatsby. 
In week three of class, students will learn to outline an essay analyzing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. They will be taught how to use their analysis to format their ideas in outline form. For homework in week three, students will submit their outline. 
In week four of class, students will learn to write a rough draft of their essay analyzing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Students will be taught how to include their analysis of plot, characters, and important issues such as class and the dark side of the American Dream. Students will be encouraged to find outside sources to use in their analysis. At this point, students will focus on the content of their rough draft rather than on length of the essay. 
In week five of class, students will be taught how to proofread their essay for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. They will also be taught how to edit their essay for content. Students also will be taught how to format their paper according to the guidelines of the Modern Language Association. They will be taught to use parenthetical citations and to format and write a works cited page.  Students will now focus on the length of this three to seven-page essay. For homework in week five, students will proofread and edit their essay. They will submit the final copy of their essay for a grade.
In week six of class, students will present and discuss their essays. If students are not comfortable reading in front of the class, I will read their work for them. If there are only a few students in class, in the remainder of class time, students will be allowed to create art work or write. Art and writing prompts will be provided.  
I will teach this class through discussion and PowerPoint presentations. I teach through interaction with the students and their interaction with each other. Discussion is of utmost importance. I believe students learn best when they enjoy what they are learning and when the learning environment promotes discussion. Learners should come to class prepared to think about the plot of and characters in The Great Gatsby, to write about their observations, and to have fun in class