English III AP
Mrs. Brodie
Rolesville High School
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Essential Question for the Unit: What made The Roaring Twenties Roar?
Overview: Before we delve into the complicated society of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, we
need to understand what life was like in America during the 1920s. This project will provide you with
the background information you need for a richer understanding of the classic novel.
AP Competency Goals: 2.01, 4.01, 5.01, 5.02, 1.01, 1.02, 2.02, 2.03, 6.01
The learner will use inquiry and research to inform an audience about complex subjects.
Determine author’s intent by identifying rhetorical strategies, analyzing the development of theme, and the impact in which they affect the
work, tone, mood, style, attitude, POV, syntax, diction, voice, and audience.
Make connections between text and personal experience.
Demonstrate understanding of language conventions.
Respond to resources demonstrating an understanding of cultural, historical and/or social implications with precision, sensitivity, energy, and
imagination.
Project Steps:
1. You will be given a learning team of 3- 4 people.
2. Your group will be responsible for creating a “magazine” that captures the spirit of the 1920s as
well as creatively informs the readers of the hot happenings of the era.
3. To accomplish this, you will each need to put in an equal amount of work and be sure to
cooperate with one another.
4. Each of you will choose a different area of interest from the 1920s to research. Some choices
are, but are not limited to: fashion, technology, the Prohibition, cars, sports, entertainment,
crime, women, money, laws, etc. It will be up to your group to decide who covers what topic.
You may need to break down the topics, for example, if you choose to cover CRIME in your
magazine, narrow this down. Maybe you want to do a feature article on Clyde Barrow of
Bonnie and Clyde. Be creative…you are the journalist for the magazine!
5. Complete research on your topic area individually. You may use the internet or any published
print materials available in the library (these have already been pulled for you). Keep track of
your sources as you go- you will include ONE Works Cited page, which will added to the back
of your magazine.
6. Once you have become an expert on your respective topics, each of you will write an article
covering what you learned and focus on your interest area. For example, if you looked at
sports in the 1920s, you could write an article that covers a famous athlete you found
particularly interesting during that era. If you are covering Prohibition, you will write a primary
source account of what was happening. You must write your article as if your were in that time
period, and it was happening then. In other words…present tense 1920’s! Your article should
include:
a. At least four well-written paragraphs (approx. 1 page)(this may vary). Your articles
should be written as if you were are currently living in the 1920’s…NOT present day!
Write it from the present tense as if it were happening right now, and it was the
1920’s.
b. Reliable and accurate information written in your own words (Use resources on the
media center website to aid in research).
c. Citations for any quotes used
d. Style and tone that captures the spirit of the era
e. At least two images that go with your article (hand-drawn or printed. If you choose
images from the internet, please include citations at the bottom of your page).
f. At least one satirical cartoon must be included in your magazine. We will discuss satire
in class. Your cartoon can be printed online.
7. Once each of your group members has finished writing individual articles, you will reconvene as
a group and put your articles together in a magazine. Read through each other’s articles and
design a cover page for your magazine that includes a title appropriate for your publication and
teasers about the featured articles. This should be done together.
8. On the day the project is due, we will hold a gallery walk of our projects. Your group should
come to class with at least two hard copies of your magazine. We will take some time to look
through each group’s work.
9. After our gallery walk, you will write a reflection that answers the essential question: “What
made the 1920’s Roaring?” Your reflection should demonstrate what you learned through your
own research, what you learned from your fellow group members as you compiled your
magazine, and what you learned from other groups’ magazines.
10. Turn in your Works Cited page along with your reflection and get ready to read The Great
Gatsby!
Remember: when writing your articles, think about your audience, choose diction carefully, and think
about which rhetorical devices you can add to your article to make it more appealing (ethos, pathos,
logos, figurative language, rhetorical questions, repetition, parallel structure, etc.)
Your rubric has been uploaded to my website! This is a major grade. You will work in the media
center beginning on Monday, 3/30- Thursday 4/2. You will then have two additional days with the
laptop cart in the classroom in order to complete the project. You must practice TEAMWORK and stay
on task in order to meet the deadline!