Comments on: Are You Smarter Than a Boston Latin Student? http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/02/22/are-you-smarter-than-a-boston-latin-student/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:59:33 -0600 hourly 1 By: vital core http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/02/22/are-you-smarter-than-a-boston-latin-student/comment-page-1/#comment-311 vital core Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:47:32 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/02/22/are-you-smarter-than-a-boston-latin-student/#comment-311 <i>"the end of his American dream saw him face down in his swimming pool"...Somewhere today, there are a couple a proud English teachers smiling quietly to themselves.</i> Cliff's Notes are free online. Cut and paste baby. The letters don't suprise me. The primary reason high school students nationwide are required read Gatsby so they can become, like Nick Carraway, full of ennui and distaste for the American experiment. It's a great excuse to listen slack-jawed to their teacher opine about how terrible it all is. So <i>of course</i> those students are miffed anyone would dare see anything hopeful in Gatsby! The paper probably received a dozen such letters protesting. It's like a repudiation of the entire high school experience! “the end of his American dream saw him face down in his swimming pool”…Somewhere today, there are a couple a proud English teachers smiling quietly to themselves.

Cliff’s Notes are free online. Cut and paste baby.

The letters don’t suprise me. The primary reason high school students nationwide are required read Gatsby so they can become, like Nick Carraway, full of ennui and distaste for the American experiment. It’s a great excuse to listen slack-jawed to their teacher opine about how terrible it all is.

So of course those students are miffed anyone would dare see anything hopeful in Gatsby! The paper probably received a dozen such letters protesting. It’s like a repudiation of the entire high school experience!

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