Fishbowl

Leading Question: Does wealth affect the relationships in The Great Gatsby?
In preparation for the fishbowl activity, students will need to come to class with three quotes
from the novel that discuss the importance of money, the importance of wealth, or both. The
desks will be moved into two different circles, one on the outside and a smaller one in the
middle. The circle in the middle will be given the leading question above, and discuss what they
think using textual evidence. The leading question will be “Does wealth affect relationships in
The Great Gatsby?” This will then prompt students to use the quotes they chose, and explain
their opinion on the question. Each student should continue to use textual evidence and expand
on the quotes they chose, given a more in-depth analysis. One of the seats in the inner circle will
stay open as a “hot seat.” This gives the students sitting in the outer circle the chance to hop in
and share a thought, moment in the novel, or idea they think the inner circle should discuss or
consider. Apart from the hot seat, there will be other questions to ask in case the conversation
stops or gets off track. These questions include:
- How does money cause a divide in the novel?
- What are the relationships in novels based on?
- What is the difference between the West and East Egg? How do you know?
- Would you support Daisy leaving Tom for Gatsby? Why or why not?
This activity allows all students to share ideas, think critically, and participate in a discussion
about the novel and essential question. Students in the outer circle should be prepared to discuss
within the hot seat. They will be taking notes and remarking on certain conversation points to
help support theirs. This lesson will have students consider, not only an answer to the question
but analytically think about money in the novel and the effect it has on many different things. By
having students consider the West egg and East egg they are asked to analyze living situations,
old and new money, and the characters that live in each egg. By questioning the relationships in
the novel, students will understand that while other things do contribute to relationships, money
drives many of them. By asking supporting questions, students will discuss and flesh out the
presence of money, and how much of an impact it has on everything. The quotes chosen by each
student will also help support how often money and relationships are referenced, providing
support to their function in the novel.

Song Selection
Using the main themes of love, relationships, and wealth, along with the essential question
students will create a mini playlist with 3 songs that relate to the text. Students will do this in
pairs and be given a worksheet that allows them to record their song choices and give an
explanation as to why they picked their songs. Songs should discuss things such as money,
relationships, upcoming fame, heartbreak, and others that relate to the plot of the novel. After
choosing each song, students will be required to pick three lyrics from each song (9 in total) that
summarize the song and explain its relation to the novel. Each lyric should be analyzed and
paired with a quote from the novel that shares significant comparisons. For example, in Jay-Z’s
song “Empire State of Mind” the chorus states “ In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are
made of.” This lyric emphasizes the location in which the novel takes place and Gatsby’s rise
into wealth and popularity. While that may not be everyone's “dream” Gatsby was enjoying his
position of popularity. Students will also give an overview as to why they picked their song, and
how it relates to the novel. Students should also include lyrics that use literary devices if
possible. Students' playlist should be about a certain character, or moment in the novel. Whether
they create a playlist about Gatsby himself or a playlist for the extravagant parties he threw, there
should be cohesion to the playlist created. From this assignment students will have a deeper
understanding of the effect money, relationships, and other big themes have in the novel. The
type of songs they pick will reflect how the novel makes them feel about certain themes, while
also having them analyze the lyrics with interpretation and relation to the novel.

Collaborative Author
This activity would happen closer to the end of the novel after the readers know Daisy
and Gatsby do not end up together. The point of this activity is to have the students write an
alternative ending. Students should rewrite a pivotal moment where Daisy and Gatsby decide
they will be together. However, to stay connected with the essential questions, students will have
to write about Daisy and Gatsby leaving all of their money behind and moving away from the
West and East Egg. In supporting this requirement students may consider the following
questions: Does Gatsby’s fate change? Do they live happily ever after? Does the relationship
work? Through the requirement and supporting questions, students will discuss how wealth
functions in the novel, and how the novel would change if wealth was not so important. This
activity can be done in small groups so there can be a collaborative discussion when considering
alternative pivotal moments. While they will rewrite this moment in the novel, they should also
discuss how this will affect the end of the story. These are all questions they could consider
answering. This could be an activity they could also present with their small groups whether
through a collaborative author board in the classroom where every group posts their alternative
ending or in a group presentation style.

Character Map
Create a visual character map separating the East and West Egg. Place the characters in their
respective locations. What happens when characters interact with someone, not from the same
place as them? This activity will create a great visual to help students understand the difference
between the West and East Egg and where the characters are located. In groups, students will
create a character map on a large poster board. They should separate the poster into West and
East Egg and place the characters in their respective locations. The poster board should also
include the Valley of Ashes. Each character should have a quick description on the poster board,
and how they gained their wealth. My hope for this activity would be to have the students make
connections with all characters, no matter where they are located. Each “web line” should be
numbered, and on a separate sheet of paper, the characters' relationships will be explained and
described. Having the students compare the relationships between inner locations and mixed
locations will be an interesting analysis to close the activity.
From this activity, students will create a visual, but they will also be required to explain
the relationships they draw. In these explanations, students should use contextual evidence such
as dialogue to support their ideas. When considering how characters between the West and East
Egg interact, an example would be a conversation between Tom and Gatsby. How does the
dialogue prove their relationship is not good? How does being from a different place and its
relationships with wealth and status affect their interactions with each other? These are things
students will think about as they flesh out and explain their character map.

Letter to One’s Self

For this activity, students will write a letter as Gatsby. The letter should be written from Gatsby
at the end of the novel, to himself before the war. The letter can also be written from Gatsby
before the war, writing to his future self. What does he want for himself? Where does he see
himself? Both letters should include advice based on the point of view students chose. The letter
should reflect on his relationship with Daisy and how money has affected his relationship with
her at that moment in time. This will direct students to think about the essential question of how
wealth affects relationships in the novel. Through this activity, students will have the ability to
choose a moment they would like to reflect on and explain how they think it affected Gatsby’s
character using textual evidence.