The Great Gatsby 1920s Cultural Connection Performing Arts Project
Now that we have found 1920s culture examples in each chapter, we are going to create
1920s Performing Arts pieces based on the 1920s culture!
Art Component:
You have the option of creating one of the following Art Pieces (based on the article
Surging Creativity; the Literal, Visual and Performing Arts of the 1920s…..):
 a piece of literature (poem, short story, etc.) that can be developed and turned in
to a literary performance piece
 a visual arts piece (painting, sculpture, collage, etc.)
 a dance from the 1920s (choreography, traditional dances such as the fox
trot/Charleston/shimmy, modern dance focusing on Martha Graham)
 a jazz or blues music piece (can compose music, create lyrics, or both)
 a short play/stage production
 a silent film/video
 a series of photos or project related to fashion
The Art Component must be based on and inspired by the following:
 specific passages, scenes, and situations from The Great Gatsby that represent
cultural examples of the 1920s culture
 historically accurate 1920s culture in the US (based on the novel, the article, and
any additional resources you find online)
 information from the Surging Creativity article (specifically focusing on the art
genre you choose) that we took notes on when we read the article
Written Component:
All art projects will include a written component abstract that explains the artistic
decisions, how 1920s culture is represented, and how the piece connects to The Great
Gatsby.
Rubrics:
Each art component and the written component will have an individual rubric that you
must follow in order to be successful on the project.
These will be performed and/or exhibited on Monday, July 6th during class and shared at Morning Meeting
on Tuesday, July 7th, therefore, they must be:
• completed with effort
• clean, precise, organized, and polished
• creative and original
• high quality and performance-ready
These projects will be individual, however, you may use other students in the creation and/or performance
of your project.
Timeline:
June 29 and July 1 – class time to work on this and conferencing with Miss Kerry
July 2 – performance presentation/run-through
July 6 – performance presentation/run-through during class
July 7/8 – all projects presented/displayed during Morning Meetings