THE GREAT GATSBY
THE 1920's in the USA INTRODUCTION: THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the life of the wealthy during the Jazz Age (the Roaring Twenties). The 1920s era evokes images of flappers, racoon coats, the Charleston, and Prohibition. These images, however, reflect only a small part of life in this decade. TASK: What was life in the 1920's really like? On what people, events, and activities does Fitzgerald base THE GREAT GATSBY? In order to get the most out of the novel, you need to understand the culture of that era. Therefore, your job is to prepare a "special limited edition" guidebook, make a Power Point presentation, or write a documented research paper describing life in the '20's as it really was. PROCESS: 1. "Editorial" groups will be formed. Each group will consist of reporters and an editor who will work together to investigate certain areas of life in the 1920's and to publish their findings. 2. Each group will be responsible for assembling one section of their findings. GROUP 1: "Daily Life/ Foods/ Slang" (Choose 6)
GROUP 2: "Flappers/Fashions/Cars" (Do all)
GROUP 3: "Prohibition/ Crime/ Scandals" (Choose 6)
GROUP 4: "Famous People, Famous Events,Noteworthy Inventions" (Choose 6)
3. The end product of all of your research may be one of the following: A. An attractive story poster presenting your findings to the class. B. A Power-Point presentation. C. A section of a newspaper or magazine. RESOURCES: For all groups: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/america_1918.htm http://www.1920-30.com/ http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1920s.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Twenties http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/gcse/america/roaringtwenties.htm http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade20.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/famous-people-of-the-1920s.html http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/a/flappers.htm http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/decade/1920.htm http://www.buzzle.com/articles/inventions-of-the-1920s.html CONCLUSION: Through your research, you will be well prepared to enter into the world of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Roaring Twenties" in The Great Gatsby. His tale is full of the gusto of the era with a strange combination of satire, burlesque, fantasy, and melodrama much of which you have encountered through this web quest. As you begin to explore Fitzgerald's interpretation of the "American Dream" in the twenties, keep in mind the characteristics of the era which shaped his writing. EVALUATION OF RESEARCH PRODUCTS: Each of the groups has chosen an end product and will show the product to the rest of the class. Include quotes from “The Great Gatsby” in your final product. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
Dialogue between a flapper and a conservative woman in the 1920s in America by Alejo and Toti7/7/2010 F: What did you do this weekend?
C: Oh, nothing much. I did chores, cooked, and listened to the radio. How about you? F: I've done plenty, I went to a couple of parties, got a boyfriend, drank with friends a lot more! C: Oh. That's a bit strange. D'you have any plans for today? F: I might get my nails done and I'm running low on cigarrettes so I'm going to buy some more. C: Cigarrettes? I guess everyone is different but in my opinion, it's impolite to smoke F: You're getting boring to talk to. I'm going to hang out with my friends. Bye! |