Exploring the Themes of The Great Gatsby

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Exploring the Themes of The Great Gatsby

Taalmoment 

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain the themes of The Great Gatsby and provide examples from the book.

Introduce the learning objective and explain why understanding the themes of The Great Gatsby is important.

What do you already know about the themes of The Great Gatsby?

Introduction to The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. It is set in the 1920s and explores the decadence and excess of the wealthy elite in America during that time.

Introduce the book and its historical context. Provide students with a brief summary of the plot and characters.

Theme 1: The American Dream

The American Dream is a central theme in The Great Gatsby. It represents the idea that anyone can achieve success and happiness through hard work and perseverance.

Explain the concept of the American Dream and how it is portrayed in the book. Provide examples from the text that illustrate the theme.

Theme 2: Wealth and Class

Wealth and class are also major themes in The Great Gatsby. The book explores how wealth and social status can lead to corruption and moral decay.

Explain how wealth and class are portrayed in the book. Provide examples from the text that illustrate the theme.

Theme 3: Love and Relationships

Love and relationships are portrayed in various ways in The Great Gatsby. Some characters are driven by love, while others are more concerned with power and status.

Explain how love and relationships are portrayed in the book. Provide examples from the text that illustrate the theme.

Theme 4: Illusion vs Reality

Illusion vs reality is a prominent theme in The Great Gatsby. The book explores how people often create illusions to hide the reality of their lives.

Explain how illusion vs reality is portrayed in the book. Provide examples from the text that illustrate the theme.

Activity: Identifying Themes

Assignment: pair up and identify examples of the four themes in the book. Each pair should present their findings to the class.

Provide instructions for the activity and discuss how it will help reinforce the students' understanding of the themes.

Conclusion

The themes explored in The Great Gatsby are still relevant today. By understanding these themes, we can gain a deeper insight into the human condition and the world around us.

Summarize the main points of the lesson and encourage students to reflect on how the themes of the book apply to their own lives.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.