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UNIT LEARNING TARGET

I CAN ANALYZE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS AND EXPLAIN HOW THESE CONTRIBUTE TO THE TEXTS OVERALL MEANING

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I CAN

    • Character, theme, setting, tone, main idea

Identify structural elements

    • How would the story be different if one of the elements was changed

Explain how the elements contribute to meaning using support

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STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

1. The components that are the foundation that make up the literary work

  • Characters
  • Setting
  • Tone
  • Theme
  • Main Idea

2. By asking yourself “how would the story or meaning change” will provide you with your explanation.

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CHARACTER

What is a character

    • A person in a novel, play, or film

Explain the traits of the character

    • What kind of person is Tom?
    • What kind of person is Nick?

Solution #3

    • How would the story have changed if Tom was a kind and empathetic person?
    • How would the story had changed if Nick was more than an observer? What if he told Tom about Gatsby right away?

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SETTING

    • What is setting?
    • How would the story of The Great Gatsby change if it wasn’t set in New York?

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TONE

How the author wants to portray a feeling or attitude towards a certain topic using specific word choice, sentence structure, and imagery.

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“This is a valley of ashes. A place where ashes grow and take form, with rising smoke, and men who move slowly through the air. Occasionally, cars drive along a track, give out a creek, and stop… (23)”

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THEME

A universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature.

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    • What if class was never mentioned in the text?
    • What if Gatsby, Tom, or Daisy weren’t rich? How would this effect the theme of recklessness?

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MAIN IDEA

The overall message of the text that a writer intends to convey to the audience.

  • The main idea of The Great Gatsby is that the American Dream is corrupted by the pursuit of extreme wealth and status.
  • How would the story change is this was not the main idea? What is the main idea was about lost loves?

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