Parent plan · Week 21 · Source evaluation, synthesis and Gatsby II — English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory

Parent teaching plan · 36 weeks

Units to teach or revisit

Chapter 5 · Research & Source-Based Writing

Assigned readings

Parent teaching schedule: assign the linked Chapter / Unit lessons alongside sustained reading and writing. Week numbers guide pacing; student lessons retain Chapter / Unit names.

This week’s goals

Read Gatsby Chapter II. Locate two credible contextual sources for the historical-text research question and retain exact source details.

Five sessions of about 45–60 minutes plus 20–30 minutes of sustained reading most days. Divide longer readings and adjust for comprehension and writing stamina. Combine exam sessions to provide the full time stated on the paper.

Session 1 · Setting and mediation

Establish literal understanding before interpretation. Identify speaker, event, source and location; distinguish observation from report and later explanation. Apply the linked unit method to the exact assigned text.

Your task

Explain how the valley setting and apartment scene in Gatsby II develop social relations through Nick’s account.

  1. Prepare (5 minutes): retrieve the linked unit method and state the task.
  2. Read/study (10–15 minutes): locate and annotate relevant text, source evidence or draft.
  3. Apply (20–30 minutes): respond independently with precise references and explained relations.
  4. Reflect (5–10 minutes): check criteria, explain a choice, and record a next step.
Hint and response guidance

Start with an exact reference or before/after wording. Separate the source’s assertion from verified information and your interpretation. Test the strongest competing account.

Compare a precise environmental detail with conduct or speech. Identify what Nick witnesses and how selection shapes the relation rather than define a symbol through a memorized label.

  • Respond accurately to the stated task and purpose.
  • Use precise relevant references, evidence, or explained language changes.
  • Explain reasoning and preserve a meaningful qualification.

Session 2 · Source evaluation

Test a claim against another relevant detail. Explain its scope and a contradiction. In a language task, identify the grammatical or contextual relationship and preserve meaning.

Your task

Evaluate two contextual sources for authorship, purpose, date, evidence, and relevance to the narrowed question.

  1. Prepare (5 minutes): retrieve the linked unit method and state the task.
  2. Read/study (10–15 minutes): locate and annotate relevant text, source evidence or draft.
  3. Apply (20–30 minutes): respond independently with precise references and explained relations.
  4. Reflect (5–10 minutes): check criteria, explain a choice, and record a next step.
Hint and response guidance

Start with an exact reference or before/after wording. Separate the source’s assertion from verified information and your interpretation. Test the strongest competing account.

Prefer primary records or a scholarly/institutional account with traceable support. A professional appearance or search ranking alone does not establish evidential value; retain the actual passage supporting your use.

  • Respond accurately to the stated task and purpose.
  • Use precise relevant references, evidence, or explained language changes.
  • Explain reasoning and preserve a meaningful qualification.

Session 3 · Synthesis matrix

Organize the response around purpose and audience. Explain the evidence-to-claim relationship; a quotation, terminology label, or rule alone is insufficient. Compare functions as well as apparent similarities.

Your task

Build a matrix connecting three primary passages and two contextual sources to claims, limits, and contradictions.

  1. Prepare (5 minutes): retrieve the linked unit method and state the task.
  2. Read/study (10–15 minutes): locate and annotate relevant text, source evidence or draft.
  3. Apply (20–30 minutes): respond independently with precise references and explained relations.
  4. Reflect (5–10 minutes): check criteria, explain a choice, and record a next step.
Hint and response guidance

Start with an exact reference or before/after wording. Separate the source’s assertion from verified information and your interpretation. Test the strongest competing account.

A row should state what a source establishes and what it cannot establish. Synthesis relates positions and evidence rather than list five summaries or count agreement as proof.

  • Respond accurately to the stated task and purpose.
  • Use precise relevant references, evidence, or explained language changes.
  • Explain reasoning and preserve a meaningful qualification.

Session 4 · A conflicting account

Apply the method independently, request specific feedback, and revise reasoning and structure before editing. Retain first drafts and explain the purpose of an actual change.

Your task

Explain one source disagreement and identify whether it concerns facts, interpretation, scope, or date.

  1. Prepare (5 minutes): retrieve the linked unit method and state the task.
  2. Read/study (10–15 minutes): locate and annotate relevant text, source evidence or draft.
  3. Apply (20–30 minutes): respond independently with precise references and explained relations.
  4. Reflect (5–10 minutes): check criteria, explain a choice, and record a next step.
Hint and response guidance

Start with an exact reference or before/after wording. Separate the source’s assertion from verified information and your interpretation. Test the strongest competing account.

Check the actual assertion and context before alleging error. Different questions or periods may explain the difference; a genuine contradiction needs a defensible basis for judgment.

  • Respond accurately to the stated task and purpose.
  • Use precise relevant references, evidence, or explained language changes.
  • Explain reasoning and preserve a meaningful qualification.

Session 5 · Annotated source notebook

Use criteria to evaluate the independent attempt. Explain a choice and record a supported next step. Consult response guidance afterward; keep unseen exam answers closed.

Your task

Submit five entries with full source details, relevant evidence, intended use, and a caution or limitation.

  1. Prepare (5 minutes): retrieve the linked unit method and state the task.
  2. Read/study (10–15 minutes): locate and annotate relevant text, source evidence or draft.
  3. Apply (20–30 minutes): respond independently with precise references and explained relations.
  4. Reflect (5–10 minutes): check criteria, explain a choice, and record a next step.
Hint and response guidance

Start with an exact reference or before/after wording. Separate the source’s assertion from verified information and your interpretation. Test the strongest competing account.

Include the primary texts and both contextual sources. Distinguish a copied quotation from your paraphrase and record a usable chapter/page/location before writing.

  • Respond accurately to the stated task and purpose.
  • Use precise relevant references, evidence, or explained language changes.
  • Explain reasoning and preserve a meaningful qualification.

Submit this week

Parent / teacher weekly conference

A parent should open and check the located sources. If a source is inaccessible or unverified, replace it or narrow the question; do not invent publication details or assume a model provides a real citation.

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