English 11 /Lehman
The Great Gatsby Final Project/paper
200 points
To end the Gatsby unit, you are invited to work in groups of 2-4, or individually to create a 10-15 minute threetiered presentation. You will be given class time in order to complete these projects. The guidelines and choices
are provided in this attachment.
Project Components
Presentation:
1. Prezi or Youtube of an aspect of 1920s culture (50 pts)
2. Social Media account/page for any character within the book (50 pts)
3. Found Poem OR Art Collage that connects your research to your character and to today’s society (50 pts.)
Writing
1. Individually written 2 page essay to be submitted electronically no later than Friday, May 30.
In class Calendar:
May 13/14: Assign project
May 15: Groups and project choices due (20 additional points)
May 19, 20-21; 22; 27-28, 29, 30: In class work days. Mandatory.
May 30: Essays due on Turnitin
June2-5: Presentations
Requirements of each Component
1. Prezi or Youtube. Your group will need an account for either of these platforms. You will be creating slides or
video with which to compile findings from your research. Use these questions to guide your process: a)what aspect
of the 1920s did you research and why did you find it so interesting? b)what effect did your aspect of the 1920s
have on the society at the time? C) what connections do you see between it and the book, or Fitzgerald himself?
d)what connections or contrasts can be made between the 1920s and today (Research Topics on the back) One
slide MUST contain your MLA Bibliography.
2. Webpage. Choose and create a temporary account from one of the following media sites: Instagram, Pinterest,
Facebook, twitter or Blogger. Choose the site you feel best suits your chosen character from Gatsby. Use privacy
settings to ensure that no one but group members can contribute to the content. Create a page or feed that
incorporates details from the book, as well as imagines other details not in the book, but that you feel fits the
character.
3. Found Poem or Collage. Using the book for the Found Poem, or magazine and newspaper print for the collage,
create a piece that ties together your research, the book, and today in terms of shared themes, values, problems
or dreams. Your poem should be no shorter than five stanzas and/or one full page 10 font. Your collage should be
no smaller than 16 x16.
4. Essay: Each student will write a 2 page essay that answers the question: What relevancy does The Great Gatsby
have today in society, in classrooms, and/or in your own life as your strive towards your goals? Be specific, and
incorporate any aspect of the book and/or your research.
Research Topics:
1. In The Great Gatsby, there are numerous references to illegal activities-World Series fixing, bootlegging, police
corruption. Research some of this criminal activity in the 1920s, focusing on aspects that seem most relevant to
book and to today.
2. Charles Lindbergh was an important figure in the 1920s. In 1927, he made his first nonstop solo flight across the
Atlantic. How did this flight affect Americans? What other aspects of Lindbergh’s life became important in the
American psyche?
3. The Nineteenth Amendment was made effective in 1920. Trace the history of the women’s suffrage movement.
What arguments were made for and against women’s suffrage? Were any of the ideals or worries realized? How
has suffrage changed the United States, and in what way?
4. Between 1920 and 1929, car registrations almost tripled. What types of cars were most popular in America?
What effects did these cars have on the American public? What role did Henry Ford play in America?
5. The Harlem Renaissance was a period of literary and cultural growth that fostered a new black identity in the
1920s and 30s. Report on the variety of arts and people that were involved in the HR? Why would it have
happened at this specific place and time?
6. The 1920s is often called the Golden Age of Sports. What accomplishments were made in a variety of sport in
the twenties? Who was involved?
7. The Eighteenth Amendment, the Prohibition Act, was passed in 1919. How and why did the temperance
movement win this battle? How did it affect the country? Who led the movement to repeal it, and what were its
lasting effects?
8. The stock market crash of 1929 led to the Great Depression. How, and what was its aftermath? How were other
countries impacted?
9.Research a few of the other major literary figures of the 1920s such as: Ernest Hemingway, Eugene O’Neill,
Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, or Robert Frost. What were their major contributions? How do they
compare or contrast with F.Scott Fitzgerald?
10. How did fashion change in the 1920s, and what were the predominant factors in this change? Who were
designers, and are there or have there been examples of its influence in today’s fashion?
Presentation Requirements
1. Presentation can be no shorter than 10 minutes or longer than 15 minutes.
2. Each group member must present orally in equal proportion to others in group.
3. All equipment and video/slides must be pre-tested, and the presentation run smoothly.
In class work
1. This is mandatory. All groups must be actively working on their projects on a daily basis. Failure to come into
class prepared or to show progress by end of each class period will see a deduction in their presentation grade 5%
for EACH day.
2. Any individual who will be scheduled out of class for more than two days must work individually, and will be
given outside time to complete the project.
Rubric will be provided no later than Thursday, May 22.