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Matt Dugstad
Unit Plan
Prefatory Statement:
The authors of “The Lost Generation” lived in a time that raised
many questions. Some of these questions being the same questions that today’s
generation of students are asking. “With all that goes on in the world,
with all the hate, destruction, and dying, how can I believe that there exists
a God that lets this happen?” Beliefs and traditions are constantly in
question; leaving those who ask lost in their pursuit of the answers. Questions,
though dark and deep, inspired some extremely interesting and beautiful literature
that deserves to be studied.
In this unit I will attempt to describe the time period of “The Lost
Generation” as well as get into a brief history of some of the authors.
Mainly Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. We will be reading the novel
The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway and the short story “Winter Dreams” by
Fitzgerald. On occasion we will look at other literature from the time such
as poems and passages from other works, but only briefly as most of our time
will be spent on the works of Hemingway and Fitzgerald.
I believe that the study of the literature from the lost generation will be
important for my students because it will enable them to describe their own
generation. By reading other people’s stories students will be able to
identify and learn about themselves and begin to understand the questions that
hinder their minds.
It is also important because the literature is so beautifully written about
such interesting themes that I believe the students will engage in it and,
in my hope, begin or continue to appreciate literature.
I will try to make this unit significant (to the world) by focusing my students
on understanding the questions they ask before they actually ask them. I believe
that understanding the question is just as important as finding the answer,
as sometimes people do not even know what they are asking therefore they cannot
understand the answers that they find.
I will let the literature bring up such issues as race, ethnicity, gender,
class and social justice as all can be found as themes within the works that
we will be reading. Students will be participating in a “Lost Generation” web
quest that will serve as both research on the lives of the authors and a part
of their assessment. They will also be participating in class discussions,
in class activities, and occasional quizzes. There will also be a final paper
for this unit.
The Minnesota State High School Standards that this unit will meet include
Reading and Literature and Writing; these will be displayed by the unit itself.
Class Specification:
This unit is appropriate for most students at the age of 10th- 12th grade.
The characters in the works we are reading are mainly of the upper middle
class, so students that belong to a similar class might identify better than
those who do not. Though the themes are those which I believe most people
should be able to relate to, in case a wide variety of cultures or classes
is represented, it might be useful to change the reading list or to change
the assessment tasks in adapting to works or tasks that are more meaningful
with specific students.
Significant Assumptions:
This unit is based around the assumption that all students in the class will
be able to read at an advanced level and be able to analyze and interpret what
they read in order to write about it. Though the reading is not extremely difficult
and some discussion questions will be provided, some students may need scaffolding.
This unit focuses on defining a generation. It is assumed that students will
be able to identify with “The Lost Generation” and with the other
students that make up their own generation. There will be some explanation
of the web quest but there is an assumption that students will be able to effectively
work with the Internet.
Desired Outcomes/ Standards/ Objectives to be Met:
By the end of this unit students will have learned:
• The concepts of “The Lost Generation” and about the lives
of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
•
Close reading skills specifically dealing with the works they read. Skills
such as close textual analysis and discussion of themes.
•
The styles of writing exhibited by Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
•
Inductive thought by examining their own generation and defining it through
their identification with “The Lost Generation.”
Standards that will be met:
Comprehension –
7. Make inferences and draw conclusions based on explicit and implied information
from the texts.
Literature –
4. Evaluate the impact of an author’s decisions regarding word choice,
point of view, style and literary elements.
11. Demonstrate how literary works reflect the historical contexts that shape
them.
14. Respond to literature using ideas and details from the text to support
reactions and make literary connections.
Possible Whole Class Activities:
•
Whole class discussion
•
Collaborative multi-genre research paper
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Listen and discuss “The Lost Generation” lecture
•
Read important sections out loud
Possible Small-Group Activities:
•
“Pick a quote” days
•
Defining a generation and presentation
•
“Pick a poem or passage” days
Possible Individual Activities:
•
Final essay
•
Two original works for the collaborative multi-genre research paper
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Individual research on a theme or aspect dealing with “The Lost Generation” – topics
and themes for research are listed later.
•
Completion of web quest
Ongoing Activities:
•
Students will be journaling three times a week during class and are encouraged
to journal much more on their own time.
•
They will also be encouraged to do as much extra research as they want dealing
with “The Lost Generation.”
Student Resources:
•
Journal
•
Copy of “The Sun Also Rises”
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Copy of “Winter Dreams”
•
Access to computer
Unit Launch/ Anticipatory set/ Set Induction:
At the beginning of this unit it will be necessary to somehow motivate the
students to want to learn about “The Lost Generation.” In order
to do this I will ask the students to look closely at their own generation
and to try to define it using a short phrase such as “The Lost Generation.” How
I will do this is explained in a detailed lesson plan that is labeled Day
1.
Organization of Unit:
Week 1:
Week one will get the class started on the novel “The Sun Also Rises.” There
will be assigned reading everyday, as well as daily discussions, of the novel
and “The Lost Generation.” At the end of the week we will have
our first “pick a quote” day, which entails assigning the students
into small groups and having one group pick a quote from the book that strikes
them in some way, basically a discussion starter but will also serve as participation
points for the group. They will pick a quote and discuss why they picked it,
what struck them about the quote, and its significance to the understanding
of the novel or theme from the novel. There will be assigned time (10 minutes)
three times a week for students to write in their journals. The first week
will also serve as a time for in class lectures about “The Lost Generation” and
Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and other lost persons that make up that
generation.
Discussion Questions for week one:
1. How does Hemingway show that Jake is insecure about his masculinity early
in the novel?
2. What characteristics of “The Lost Generation” can you find so
far in the novel?
3. Does Hemingway ‘s style of writing in any way prove that his is part
of “The Lost Generation?
4. What about the setting reveals more characteristics of “The Lost Generation?”
Day 1: Lesson Plan
Title: “The _________ Generation”
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson students will have learned:
• Various definitions of their own generation
•
How certain common characteristics can serve for defining a generation
•
A brief history of “The Lost Generation” and the characteristics
that define that generation.
Methods:
•
Hand everyone in the class a small piece of paper that says “The _________
Generation” (2 min)
•
Instruct them to think about their own generation and think of a word to fill
in the blank that describes their generation. (5 min) – Students do not
have to stick with the format of the phrase; they can stray and make up a totally
new phrase that defines their generation, example “Generation X”
•
Ask for volunteers to read their defining phrase and explain why they chose
the phrase they did. (5 min)
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Introduce “The Lost Generation” lecture and discussion. (10-15
min)
•
Make a list of characteristics, drawing on the lecture, that make up “The
Lost Generation.” (8-10 min)
•
Compare the generations (2-3 min)
•
Introduce Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises” (5 -10 min)
•
If any time remains instruct students to journal on the happenings of the day,
especially their own generation and the phrases they came up with describing
their generation.
Homework:
Assign students to read up until chapter five or page 42
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the completion of and presentation of the definitions
of their own generation and their involvement in the discussion of the characteristics
of generations and comparing of generations.
Week 2:
Week two will continue the careful reading of the text. The discussions will
hopefully by now be taking off. We will start to get into some more activities.
The web quest will be introduced. One full day will be spent in the lab,
exploring the web quest and doing research on “The Lost Generation.” Week
two will again have some time spent on journaling and several “pick
a quote” days. Week two should take us up until the end of book two
in “The Sun Also Rises.” By the end of the week students should
have task one in the web quest completed and should have a start on task
two. On one day during this week the students will perform their interviews
of Hemingway. I will be acting as Ernest and answering their questions with
the answers that they came up with. This activity will serve for a way to
show the entire class the depth of each interview. There is a lesson plan
for this day below. The topics for the three to four page essays will be
handed out this week and any questions will be answered. Essays will be due
at the end of the unit.
Discussion Questions from week two:
1. Compare Jake’s relationship to Brett with Cohn’s relationship
with Frances.
2. State one possible theme of the novel, and support your position.
3. How does Hemingway employ the ritual of the bullfight in this novel?
Possible Essay Topics:
1. Bill tells Jake that “[s]ex explains it all.” To what extent
is Bill’s statement true of the novel “The Sun Also Rises.”
2. Read closely and analyze one of the longer passages in which Hemingway describes
bulls or bullfighting. What sort of language does Hemingway use? Does the passage
have symbolic possibilities? If the bullfighting passages do not advance the
plot, how do they function to develop themes and motifs?
3. Analyze the novel in the context of World War I. How does the experience
of war shape the characters and their behavior? Examine the differences between
the veterans, like Jake and Bill, and the nonveterans, like Cohn and Romero.
4. Discuss the problem of communication in the novel. Why is it so difficult
for the characters to speak frankly and honestly? In what circumstances is
it possible for them to speak openly? Are there any characters who say exactly
what is on their mind? If so , how are these characters similar to each other?
5. Discuss the way Hemingway paints the Spanish countryside so beautifully
with words.
6. What is it that Brett “sort of [has] instead of God”?
7. What role did Gertrude Stein play in “The Lost Generation?”
Lesson Plan:
Title: Interview with Ernest
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson students will have learned:
•
The answers to the questions their classmates asked Ernest
•
Biographical and perhaps personal information about Ernest
Methods:
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Introduce myself as Ernest Hemingway giving as accurate performance as possible
complete with the dress of our author and whatever else is necessary to make
myself him. (2-3 min)
•
Having already acquired the questions and answers to their questions, I will
now open the audience up for inquiry and provide the answers to the questions
that they ask. I will also turn some questions on them, asking them to answer
questions about me and my generation. (Almost the rest of the class)
•
With the time remaining students will be asked to journal about Ernest and
his life.
Homework:
•
Students will have to read a chunk of the novel over the weekend and be ready
to finish it next week.
Assessment:
•
Students will be assessed through a writing exercise that asks them to write
a description of Ernest Hemingway. This should include everything from the
way he dressed to his life and times. This will be graded on its inclusion
of important points and attributes we made in class during the interview.
Week 3:
Week three will wrap up “The Sun Also Rises” and introduce the
multi-genre research paper that the entire class will participate in. We will
focus on in-depth final discussions in week three and any final questions or
concerns about the novel will be answered. We will have several more “pick
a quote” days and wrap up the life of Hemingway. We will also have a
day in the lab to do research and work on the final essays for this unit. Students
will again be asked to spend some time writing in their journals.
Discussion questions for week three:
1. How is Count Mippipopolous like Jake and his friends? How is he different?
How are all the men in this book different or similar from men today?
2. How does Hemingway utilize vocabulary and syntax to achieve the “Hemingway
style”?
3. What is the significance of the title of the novel, The Sun Also Rises?
4. Identify the most significant symbol in the novel and justify your choice?
5. Describe the Hemingway hero.
Week 4:
The last week of the unit will introduce F. Scott Fitzgerald and his short
story “Winter Dreams.” We will do a bunch of background stuff
on Fitzgerald and discover why he is a part of “The Lost Generation.” Discussions
will again be big but we will also be doing some more activities. By the
end of the week the web quest should be entirely complete as well as the
essays and multi-genre research works. The last two days of the unit will
be spend on combining the works from each student and forming our class multi-genre
research paper. On the final day we will read the entire paper and give thanks
to all who contributed. Some new activities that we will do include the presentations
of “defining a generation” task on the web quest, and in the
later half of the week we will have a “pick a poem or passage” day.
This day will be spent on other authors of “The Lost Generation.” Students,
who choose to participate, will earn extra credit if they pick a poem or
passage from another author of “The Lost Generation” and read
it to the class, explaining the themes and the author of the work. Journaling
will again be a big part of the week and of their grade.
Discussion questions from week 4:
1. What are Dexter’s “winter dreams?” How does he set about
to realize them? How do they relate to his love for Judy Jones?
2. Each of the story’s six episodes dramatizes a different stage in Dexter
Green’s development. What changes take place? What remains essentially
the same?
3. Why does Dexter react so emotionally to the news about Judy that he learns
from the man from Detroit? What precisely is the nature of Dexter’s loss?
What does he discover about his “winter dreams” and about himself?
4. What comment does the story make about the rich? How does it compare to
your experience of the rich? What comment does it offer about American society
at large?
Lesson Plan
Title: What does the F. stand for?
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson students will have learned:
•
Who F. Scott Fitzgerald is and what he wrote
•
Why his writing is significant to the “The Lost Generation”
•
The common themes and style of his work
Methods:
•
Introduce F. Scott Fitzgerald and lecture on his life and work. (10 min)
•
Listen to “Winter Dreams” on tape while following along on paper
(25-30 min)
•
Take reactions and questions (5-10 min)
•
With any time remaining students will write in their journals
Homework:
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Students will be asked to come to class tomorrow with answers to the discussion
questions listed above. They will be encouraged to be prepared to discuss their
answers with the entire class.
Assessment:
•
Students will be assessed on their involvement in the class discussion and
the completion of the discussion questions. There answers will be read and
graded.
Supporting Materials for Teachers Who Teach the Unit:
• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
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Sylvia Beach And The Lost Generation: A History of Literary Paris in the Twenties & Thirties
by Noel Riley Fitch
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Letters From The Lost Generation: Gerald & Sara Murphy and Friends, edited
by Linda Patterson Miller
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Paris Was Yesterday by Janet Flanner
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That Summer In Paris by Morley Callaghan
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Hemingway The Paris Years by Michael Reynolds
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Fitzgerald & Hemingway by Matthew Bruccoli
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Images of The Lost Generation: Hemingway’s France by Winston Conrad
Grading of Unit:
Two “Pick a Quote Days” 20 points
Web quest 75 points
Class participation 15 points
Quizes 20 points
Multi-genre research works 30 points
Final Paper 100 points
Total 235 points
Check List for Final Paper:
__ Paper if free of all mechanical errors
__ Paper includes research from at least three sources and uses proper MLA
documentation
__ Paper is a minimum of three to four pages in length
__ The paper has a definite thesis that is supported by the research and opinions
of the author
__ The paper has fluidity, it does not jump around from idea to idea but is
consistent in its style
* I will give each of these check list items a grade A – F an average
will then be totaled and a final grade will be reached.
Possible Quiz questions:
1. In what sport did Robert Cohn participate at Princeton?
(A)
Soccer
(B)
Golf
(C)
Boxing
(D)
Track and field
2. Where does the fiesta occur?
(A)
Pamplona, Spain
(B)
Burguete, Spain
(C)
Paris, France
(D)
Mexico City, Mexico
3. What is Cohn's profession?
(A)
Tennis player
(B)
Writer
(C)
Shoemaker
(D)
He is unemployed
4. In what war was Jake injured?
(A)
World War II
(B)
Spanish-American War
(C)
Persian Gulf War
(D)
World War I
5. Who knows the most about bullfighting?
(A)
Brett
(B)
Jake
(C)
Bill Gorton
(D)
Cohn
6. What country does Jake come from?
(A)
America
(B)
Great Britain
(C)
France
(D)
Canada
7. What is Brett's title?
(A)
Lady
(B)
Duchess
(C)
Princess
(D)
Mrs.
8. Who wins the fight between Jake, Mike, and Cohn?
(A)
Jake
(B)
Mike
(C)
They never fight
(D)
Cohn
9. What is the name of the owner of the hotel where Jake stays during the
fiesta?
(A)
Pedro Romero
(B)
Montoya
(C)
Belmonte
(D)
Geoffrey Chaucer
10. Who is Count Mippipopolous?
(A)
A man Jake killed during the war
(B)
A talented fisherman
(C)
A bullfighting expert
(D)
A wealthy Greek expatriate living in Paris
11. How does Brett and Romero's relationship end?
(A)
Brett walks out on Romero
(B)
Romero sleeps with another woman
(C)
Brett forces Romero to leave
(D)
Jake kills Romero
12. Which of the following characters is physically impotent?
(A)
Robert Cohn
(B)
Jake Barnes
(C)
Bill Gorton
(D)
All of the above
13. In what sport do Jake and Bill engage while in Spain?
(A)
Fishing
(B)
Fox hunting
(C)
Boxing
(D)
Horseshoes
14. Which of the following characters does not want to sleep with Brett?
(A)
Jake Barnes
(B)
Robert Cohn
(C)
Mike Campbell
(D)
They all want to sleep with Brett
15. What does Jake say to Brett at the end of the novel?
(A)
"
Things have a funny way of working out"
(B)
"
Isn't it pretty to think so?"
(C)
"
No, of course I didn't invite him!"
(D)
"
I love you"
16. How good a bullfighter is Pedro Romero?
(A)
He is the best around
(B)
He is past his prime
(C)
He works hard but is only mediocre
(D)
He is generally poor but shows flashes of brilliance
17. How does Cohn react to the bullfight?
(A)
He is bored
(B)
He refuses to go to the bullfight
(C)
He loves every second of it
(D)
It makes him sick
18. Where did Brett and Jake meet?
(A)
On a bus
(B)
At an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting
(C)
At a hospital during World War I
(D)
At the previous year's fiesta
19. Why does Cohn decide not to go fishing?
(A)
He is too hung over to travel
(B)
He can't afford the money for the bus ticket
(C)
He wants to wait for Brett
(D)
Bill and Jake make him feel unwelcome
20. What do most people drink at the fiesta?
(A)
Wine
(B)
Absinthe
(C)
Brandy
(D)
Whiskey
21. Who introduces Brett to Romero?
(A)
Mike
(B)
Montoya
(C)
Cohn
(D)
Jake
22. What interrupts Jake's vacation in San Sebastian in the novel's final
chapter?
(A)
A visit from Cohn
(B)
A wire from Brett
(C)
The outbreak of World War II
(D)
The death of Romero
23. What does Cohn ask Romero to do after Cohn beats him up?
(A)
Leave Pamplona
(B)
Never bullfight again
(C)
Shake his hand
(D)
Promise to treat Brett well
24. What is Cohn's girlfriend's name?
(A)
Frances
(B)
Edna
(C)
Georgette
(D)
Marie
25. With whom does Brett secretly go to San Sebastian?
(A)
Count Mippipopolous
(B)
Bill Gorton
(C)
Robert Cohn
(D)
Montoya
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