The Great Gatsby
by:  F. Scott Fitzgerald



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Study Resources
Research Web Sites
The Gatsby Journal Assignment
A Gatsby Party Assignment

Study Resources
Chapter Questions
Vocabulary from the Novel

Research Web Sites
The Lost Generation--F. Scott Fitzgerald
An Introduction to The Great Gatsby
A 1920's Timeline

Assignments
The Gatsby Journal
    You will keep a journal for each chapter of The Great Gatsby.  I will check the journal after each reading to be sure that you did it.  At the end of the unit, I will collect your finished journal.  This will count as a quiz grade, in lieu of reading quizzes for each chapter.  Each journal entry should be at least a full page (double spaced, times font) in length.  You should include the following in each journal entry:

    1.  Title the journal with the chapter number.
    2.  Write a five sentence chapter summary.
    3.  Choose a different character for each chapter.
        A.  After writing about that character, provide a quote that represents that character.
        B.  What are that particular character's strengths and weaknesses (best and worst qualities)?
        C.  What is the character's role in the novel?
    4.  Write about a meaningful quotation that you feel has significance in the understanding of this chapter.


A Gatsby Party
    You are cordially invited to attend a Gatsby 1920's party.  Your job will be to plan the party, researching what it would be like to attend a party in the 1920's.  You will compile your research in a paper with a thesis statement, parenthetical citation, and a works cited page.  Your paper will discuss the culture of the 1920's and how The Great Gatsby was a reflection of the culture of the 1920's.  (See below for paper details and outline).
 
    Your presentation should have some sort of visual, auditory, and live physical demonstration.  For example, you may have some pictures of people of the 1920's, you may bring in some 1920's music, may provide some 1920's food, may wear 1920's attire as part of your presentation.  For your presentation, you are briefly telling the class about your research findings.

1.  Caterer:  Your job is to plan the menu for the party.  In order to do that, you must research what types of food and drink people of the 1920's consumed.  (Please keep appropriate!)  Remember, you are planning a party for a large and diverse amount of people.  This was before microwaves and "fast" food.  Therefore, chips and nachos would not make good party food.  Also, consider prohibition.  Where would you find beverages considering prohibition was going on.   Consider the following web sites for your research:

Prohibition
Introduction the the 1920's
A Century of Food
The Food Timeline
Food, Drinks, and the 1920's

2.  Fashion Coordinator:Your job is to determine how the men and women of the party should dress.  Remember, this is a formal party.  Pay attention to details (like the prom); consider hats, shoes, accessories, etc.  Alert guests on what NOT to wear.   Consider the following web sites for your research:

Flapper Fashion
What Daisy Wore--Gatsby Era Costumes
Flapper Fashion of the 1920's
Flappers

3.  Entertainment Coordinator:  Your job as the entertainment coordinator is to provide music and dancing at the party.  Consider what was popular in music and dance in the 1920's.  What other entertainment was popular?  What kinds of games and activities did the people of the 1920's play?   Consider the following web sites for your research:

Chicago Jazz Archive
Roaring '20's Concert Extravaganza--A Virtual Concert of Sound Clips
Music of the 1920's

4.  Guest Coordinator: Your job is to consider who to invite to the party.  You may plan a guest list of 15 people (most people just showed up to Gatsby's parties).  Consider guests from many walks of life.  It was not odd for a bootlegger to be chatting with a police commissioner.  Consider politicians, entertainers, artists, businessmen, the mob, sports players, etc.  Consider the following web sites for your research:

Jazz Age Biographies
People of the 1920's
1920's People

The Research Paper

    You will be writing a paper (2 pages in length) on how F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby is a reflection of the culture of the 1920's.  In order to do this, you will research both the culture of the 1920's as well as find specific examples in the text that refer to 1920's culture.  Therefore, you will utilize both outside sources as well as The Great Gatsby in your paper.

    Your thesis statement might read something like this:  F. Scott Fitzgerald reflects the culture of the 1920's in his novel, The Great Gatsby.


OUTLINE of PAPER

Gatsby’s Roaring Twenties

THESIS STATEMENT:  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby is a reflection of the values as well as the history of the 1920’s.

INTRODUCTION

I. Cultural description of the Decade

A. Prohibition

B. Jazz music

C. The pursuit of happiness
 

II. The literature of F. Scott Fitzgerald

A. Why Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby

B. How The Great Gatsby is a reflection of the early 1920’s (examples from the text)

    1.  Example #1  (you would actually write out the example)

    2.  Example #2

    3.  Example #3

CONCLUSION

MLA References
The MLA Guide to Writing a Research Paper
    Everything you would want to know about research paper writing.

The Format of the Paper
    Page numbers, MLA headings, spacing, etc.

Citing Sources in Your Paper
    How to use parenthetical citation in your paper.

Using Quotations in Your Paper
    How to quote references directly in your paper.

The Works Cited Page
    A Sample Works Cited Page

How Do I Cite That?
    Mrs. Pace's and MLA's Guide to Citing Sources


Paper Rubric

FORMAT (10 points)
_____Title is appropriate and catches the reader’s attention
_____Organization of the paper is clear and logical / An outline is included with your paper
_____Manuscript form (margins, page numbers, introductory and concluding paragraphs)
_____Meets page requirement (2-3 pages)

DOCUMENTATION (30 points)
_____Parenthetical notation is correct
_____Appropriate material is documented (quotes and paraphrasing)
_____At least THREE sources are documented (one book / print source, one computer source,    one additional source)
_____Works Cited page is correctly formatted.
_____Research is a balance between the sources.

CONTENT (50 points)
_____The introduction is well-written and interesting
_____The main points to be discussed in the paper are introduced
_____The thesis statement is clear in the introductory paragraph, stating the topic and approach to the topic
_____No quotations in the thesis statement or topic sentences of each paragraph.
_____There are at least three reasons in support of your argument, each developed into a separate
 paragraph.
_____Each paragraph is contained within a topic sentence and concluding sentence
_____There is in-depth analysis of each specific example to show the relationship between the example and the main point
_____Transitions are used to make the paper flow.
_____You use active, dynamic verbs
_____Body paragraphs demonstrate a thorough discussion of the main points
_____Body paragraphs have the writer’s Voice mixed with research
_____Quotations are included and properly embedded or incorporated in sentences
_____Conclusion is effective and calls the reader to action.

GRAMMAR / MECHANICS (10 points)
_____Sentence variety adds to the overall effectiveness of the paper
_____Vocabulary is on or above grade level and used correctly
_____Voice is appropriate to a formal essay
_____Grammar is correct or there are fewer than three mistakes
_____There are no fragmented or run-on sentences
_____Parallel structure is correct and clear
_____Correct spelling throughout