Name:
Date:
Period:
Historical Context of The Great Gatsby
I.
Directions
Each member of your group will be responsible for one aspect of life in the 1920s. You will conduct
your research individually, and then you will present your typed findings to the members of your
group. Mr. Afram will collect your typed findings, so put forth your best effort!
II.
Categories
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III.
Prohibition
Black Tuesday and the Stock Market Crash of 1929
The life of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Lifestyle of the 1920s (this includes fashion, art, music, and culture)
Assignment
1. Overview (5 points): Type one paragraph giving a brief overview of your topic. Provide a strong
introduction and define any relevant vocabulary (e.g., speakeasy, bootleg, flapper, or Al Capone).
(~125 words)
2. Analysis (5 points): Type one paragraph providing the motivation or cause for your topic. In other
words, what motivated Prohibition? What caused the Crash of 1929? What motivated or inspired
F. Scott Fitzgerald? Finally, what drove the lifestyle decisions of the 1920s? (~100 words)
3. Modern Connection (5 points): How does your topic influence life in the US? For example, how
did Prohibition shape our current attitudes about alcohol? What about the Crash of 1929? How
did the Crash shape US culture? With Fitzgerald, what’s his legacy? How does his work (or The
Great Gatsby) influence us today? Finally, how does the lifestyle of the 1920s influence us? (~100
words)
4. Image (5 points): Finally, print one image that relates to your topic and bring that image to class.
Be prepared to discuss that image and share how the image highlights the major themes of your
topic.
5. Works Cited (5 points): Attach a separate Works Cited page with 3 entries. Also remember to cite
your sources within your paragraph responses. You may reference your sources in two ways:
i. “According to the National Geographic website…”
ii. “One of the most notorious gangsters of the 1920s was Al Capone (biography.com)…”
blogs.smithsonianmag.com