Moore/American Lit., American Lit. Honors
The Great Gatsby /The Roaring Twenties Magazine Project
Your Assignment:
1. Students in each class will work as a team of writers to publish a magazine that
highlights various aspects of the 1920s in America and synthesizes elements from
Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby to historical events from the Jazz Age.
2. Students will individually write two or three articles for the class magazine. This
means that there will be a total of 9-12 articles for each magazine depending on the
size of the groups. Articles may be presented as editorials, reviews, society pages,
obituaries, features, etc. Each article must contain at least one parenthetical
documentation, a by-line, and visual.
3. Students will use MLA research methods to insert factual elements into their
fictitious articles. The magazine will conclude with a Works Cited page that lists all
resources used in the magazine.
4. Students will work together to design a cover and a table of contents for the
magazine.
5. Students will work in assigned groups--prohibition, 1920s trends, the automobile,
the Jazz Age, famous people, etc.--to develop a fifteen minute oral presentation to
the class about the team's subject area in which the team teaches the class a
historical blurb from the 1920s. Each team is required to bridge its topic with
Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
6. Because most people in school today were not living during the 1920s, much of
the information for this project will come from research. Articles will, however,
contain information that is fictional. While students must base the majority of their
writing on factual events and information, there is some freedom in this project to
be creative and adventurous.
7. Every article that goes into the magazine must be typed. Students have the laptop
cart, school computer labs, and individual resources to utilize. The computer cart is
scheduled for three class days. Further, any student who finishes work early will be
able to use classroom computers or the computer lab to continue work on the
magazine.
8. When creating/publishing your magazines it is important to consider format,
layout, and utilization of space on pages. It is also important to consider a front and
back cover. Dead space is ugly and detracts from a page and the text on a page.
Adversely, too much content and media on a page is also an eyesore. Utilize
examples of magazines and various media publications to get an idea of how our
pages will be formatted.
Requirements:
a. Length – Each publication must be of substantial length when considering the
amount of writing assigned. In essence, the final magazine product should be 6-10
pages, front and back. This does not include a front and back cover.
b. Format – magazine layout. Articles must be written in a column format. Each
article must be a minimum of 400 words and not exceed 800 words.
c. Title – each group must create an original title for their magazines. The title must
resemble or relate to some aspect of the time period being researched and written
about.
d. Articles – nine to twelve articles.
e. Advertisements – six to eight advertisements that are relative to products and/or
retailers/stores/companies from the time period.
f. Illustrations – six to eight visual representations must accompany your writing.
You may pull these from the internet, clipart, etc. However, quality and clarity are a
must!
g. Table of Contents – each publication will have a table of contents that includes
article titles and page numbers.
h. Works Cited Page – each publication will have a works cited page that will be the
last page of the magazine.
How you will be graded:
Title: 10 pts; Appropriateness
Articles: 65 pts each; Length, Content, Originality, Use of Satirical Tools
Advertisements: 10 pts each; Content, Originality, Use of Satirical Tools
Illustrations: 8 pts each; Color, Effectiveness, Appropriateness
Peer Evaluations: 50 points
Work Ethic: 50 points
TOTAL: 800 pts
** Your project must be presented in a magazine layout and be neat and
aesthetically pleasing, or it will not be considered for a grade.**
Due Dates:
11/19 – “A” Day
11/20 – “B” Day