331 Webquest: The Great Gatsby

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A WebQuest for 11th Grade English

Designed byTami Woods

[email protected]

Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

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As we proceed through The Great Gatsby, you’re going to step back in time and explore Gatsby’s and Carraway’s world. The importance of many of the issues in the novel rely upon some background knowledge into the social, cultural, political, and historical issues of 1920’s America. The purpose of this assignment is explore some of these elements found in the novel and America in the 1920’s and try to understand them from a particular point of view. So, have fun and let yourself dive into an America of jazz, prohibition, and broken dreams.

Along the way, you may keeping asking yourself: What were some of those particular issues and how were they important and how are they important today?

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TitleBy the end of this project you will have three items to turn in: 1. An essay from the beginning discussion with your group 2. Your individual project

•This and the particular format will be determined by the role you choose

3. A final reflection paper

In addition to this items, you have completed your webquest, you will be returning to your original groups and discussing and sharing the information you gained . You will also be sharing your project. This content will then be used to participate in a class discussion, in which you will be expected to share you particular area of expertise as it relates to the issues brought up in the conversations. This will include answering and asking questions.

You will be graded on three items listed above in addition to your participation in the class discussions. The specifics of your grade is discussed in the “Evaluation” step.

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Ready to get started?

First you need to get into groups of 4. Within this group, discuss what you know about America in the 1920s. Think about what you have learned so far, what your assumptions are , and where you acquired the knowledge and assumptions you have about this time period and culture. What are the questions you have and what would you like to learn? Take some notes on this discussion because you will need to write an essay about it.

Click here for the paper guidelines.

Next, each one of you will pick a different role (immigrant, socialite, journalist, or biographer). Then, based on which role you have chosen, you will follow that particular assignment and create an individual project. Each role is going to investigate a specific elementfound in The Great Gatsby from that particular perspective. You have been given some choice in the particular topic you may cover in your specific roles, however, make sure you are each covering a different topic. For example if the journalist’s focus is the jazz culture, the socialite will different aspect, such as the impacts of the prohibition. Everyone, however, will need to turn in a “Works Cited” page for theirproject.

•Immigrant•Socialite•Journalist•Biographer

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1-2 page

Double spaced

12 point font

Make sure your words count; a well- written, concise paper is more important than length.

Include some of your knowledge and assumptions about the 1920’s in America. Where did this information come from? How were these similar and/or different from others in your group.

Include at least two questions you have or areas you would like to learn more about and one question someone else in your group had. These questions will be used in the class discussion.

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You are an immigrant who has arrived in America. You have heard amazing things about America, but now that you are here, you are able to learn about things your way and see things with your eyes, not through someone else’s tales. Among other jobs, on the weekends you are a part-time caterer and frequently assist with the parties put on by Mr. Gatsby.

Who are you? What king of person are you? What is your native country? Why did you come to America? How old are you? How long have you been in America? Do you have an occupation in addition to your weekend catering? What is it and why do you have it? Where do you fit in society? What is your family situation and how does it effect you?

Based on your answers above, discuss the idea of the American Dream. What is it? How would you define it differently from someone who is a native of America? What are the truths and falsifies of the American Dream? What are your perceptions of Mr. Gatsby.

Create a journal chronologizing at approximately 3 months (the length of period covered in the novel) in which you address these issues. You may choose to complete this in any format you like, powerpoint, a ‘real’ journal (that you would need to be able to scan), a pdf file, a publisher document, etc.

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You are a member of the upper class and regularly attend Gatsby’s parties. However, there is a distinct difference between your wealth, which has been passed through your family for generations and Gatsby, who has just recently come into his money. Write a letter to a friend who is on currently living in Canada and wants you to catch them up on life in America. Within this letter, combine elements describing important to the social climate of the 1920’s, including fashion, current events, developing technologies, politics, as it seems appropriate. Remember to capture a particular voice as is fitting to your role.

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You are a reporter and through a friend you have been invited to a party being thrown by Jay Gatsby. You decide this is a perfect opportunity talk to some people and gain some information for your upcoming piece. (What your “piece” is, is your decision. You might consider the subcultures jazz, the prohibition, the different socioeconomic and cultures of the geography mentioned in the book. Come talk to me about your specific plan). Your final project can be handmade or made using a particular software, such as publisher.

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You are a blooming biographer and have begun reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The book has sparked some curiosity and you are interesting in learning more about Fitzgerald. You are creative, which means you have a choice on how you want to communicate about the man, F. Scott Fitzgerald. For example, you may make a trailer for the movie of his life (using possibly wmp or a similar software), storyboard a part of a movie, write the introduction to his biography, create a piece of artwork (portrait, collage, etc), or choose your own project, but come see me before you begin so we can discuss your idea.

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Here is a list of websites that contain information on The Great Gatsby and/or F. Scott Fitzgerald. The important thing to remember is, some of this information is credible, some might not be, use your best judgment on what you should use and what you should skip. Keep in mind the issues of citing and referencing information and your specific role. One website might work for the journalist but not the socialite. Also, remember all your classmates have access to the same list, so a little digging and perseverance might pay off.

A&E Classroom American History 1920-1929

Great Gatsby Movie Clip Fitzgerald Centenary

Jazz Age 1920s

The Flapper Station The Roaring 20s

American Dream What is the American Dream

Gatsby Guide America 1920 American Immigration

Immigration Articles USA Immigration

US History Resources

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Now, as one final piece to this adventure, I want you to take a moment and reflect upon what you have learned. While this essay is a little less formal than those we have written in the past, it still needs to follow the traditional writing conventions (i.e. correct grammar, punctuation, etc.). Incorporating elements from class and the novel is always a good idea. Consider some of the following:

Did you learn the answers to your original questions? How did you gain this information? What was something interesting and unexpected you learned?

What was the most important section/character of the book for you? Why?

What was the most beneficial section of the project for you? Why? How did it increase your knowledge and/or appreciation for the novel?

Why is The Great Gatsby an important part of American literature?

Guidelines:1-2 pages12 point font

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Excellent: Competent: Needs Work:

Accuracy of historical Information

Information is accurate and project includes citation page

Some information is accurate; citation page is incomplete and/or faulty

Many factual/historical errors; project is missing citation page

Appropriate use of form to project

Project demonstrates a considerable amount of effort, originality, and the media/form selection fits project’s goal as it has a strong voice specific to the particular role

Project demonstrates an average amount of work; form does not fit project’s objective. Specific role’s voice is present but is not clearly heard/seen

Project demonstrates minimal effort and does not fulfill role’s objective; lacks persuasiveness in conveying role’s particular voice.

Furthers knowledge of themes, events in novel

Project demonstrates a clear understanding of information that is both relevant and gained through independent research

Project includes some outside information and evidence of independent research

Project includes little to no outside information or evidence of independent research

Proceed to Evaluation for papers

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Excellent: Competent: Needs Work:

Grammar, Punctuation, Structure

Very few errors; meaningful transitions

Some errors; sentences and/or paragraphs are disjointed

Many errors, to the point of impeding overall meaning; no logical transitions to form

Completeness of answering objectives

Answered prompt completely, concisely, and demonstrates insight

Answered prompt partially by responding to only a few objectives or answering all objectives minimally.

Answered prompt minimally, responding incompletely to only one or two objectives

Timeliness and Guidelines

Turned in both papers on time and meets all paper guidelines

Turned in one paper or late and only partially meets paper guidelines

Turned in both papers late or did not turn in either paper ; does not meet paper guidelines

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I hope you have enjoyed stepping back in time and investigating the many facets of American culture of the 1920’s. I also hope you have gained some insight into some of the important issues and events that impacted Gatsby’s world. Try and think of your culture today and how students 90 years from now will look back view your politics, music, fashion, hobbies, and dreams. I look forward to seeing your projects and hearing the benefits of all your exploring in our class discussions!

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[Teacher Page]WebQuest

WebQuest Slideshare Group

Photo Credits:

Flappers: “French Flappers, Parisian Cafe 1920's” by Vintage Lulu Flickr.com

Immigration: “Immigration to the U.S.” by Lulu Vision on Flickr.com

Family Photo: “Yia Yia and parents: 1920” by Kim Scarborough on Flickr.com

Guys by Car: “Kooba Sheep Sales 1920” by HistoryInPhotos on Flickr.com

Coaster: “Coaster Dips, roller coaster at Glen Echo Park, Maryland, ca. 1920” by trialsanderrors on Flickr.com

Car: “1920 Ford Model T “ by Vicki and Chuck Rogers on Flickr.com

Gatsby Cover: “Gatsby turns 80” by Brian Sawyer on Flickr.com

Book and Glasses: “Untitled” by mike_1630 on Flickr.com

Victrola: “Morgan Victrola” by morganthemoth on Flickr.com

Closed sign: “Prohibition Act” by Jungleboy on Flickr.com

Jazz: “Jazz Age Black Beauty” by discoverblackheritage on Flickr.com

Bass: “All that Jazz” by una cierta mirada on Flickr.com

Green Light: “Gatsby” by jpmatth on Flickr.com

Male Portrait: “1920 (about) Henry D Karandjeff” by LePetitPoulailler on Flickr.com

“F. Scott Fitzgerald “ by toolfan.hess on Flickr.com

[Student Page]

TitleIntroduction

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Teacher Page

A WebQuest for 11th Grade English

Designed byTami Woods

[email protected]

Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

Evaluation

Teacher Script

Conclusion

[Student Page]

Title

Introduction

Learners

Standards

Process

Resources

Credits

Teacher Page

This lesson was developed as a way to incorporate technology into the English classroom. It was designed so that while the students were required to use the internet, there was still room to express their creativity in regards to their individual projects. There are few guidelines as to what program they have to use to create their projects. This format was a deliberate attempt at allowing the students to pick their own style of learning , while still keeping them within the framework of the novel and it’s themes. This lesson was developed to be implemented while the students were reading The Great Gatsby, however, it could easily be the final project at the conclusion of the novel. There are a variety of components, such as use of technology, group work, individual projects and papers, and class discussion within this lesson so that the students use a multitude of skills. As this was designed for upper grade levels, such as 11th or 12th, there was some freedom given to them to make decisions was to what websites were creditable, what direction they wanted to take with their projects, and how determine which information to utilized when given an excess amount. In addition, the lesson was designed to scaffold the material through accessing their personal information, building on that knowledge and reflecting on how this information is useful in their world.

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This lesson was designed 11th grade students. While it is not explicitly implied here, there are a number of elements that could be combined with a social studies and/or history class. It is intended to incorporate technology, creativity, reading, writing, and assessing information for its value.

This lesson is based on the assumption that they are reading the novel as they begin this activity, although it could be assigned at the completion of the book. There is also some acknowledgement that the students have been previously introduced to the format of writing expected within a specific teacher’s classroom and that the students have been given some guidance as to how to tell a credible website from others such as opinion-based blog s or websites with a particular interest in the information they are disseminating. Basic computer skills are needed to work their way through the webquest.

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As mentioned earlier, students will be engaged in a variety of activities including; group work, essay writing, media projects, individual works, and class discussions. These activities will work toprovoke a number of skills such as teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking, in addition to addressing a number of standards.

Colorado Model Content Standards: Reading and Writing

Standard 2• Write and speak for audiences such as peers, teachers, and the community;Standard 3 •Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.Standard 4•Identify the purpose, perspective, and historical and cultural influences of a speaker, author, or director.•Discriminate between fact and opinion in writing, reading, speaking, listening, and viewing.Standard 5 • Understand the structure, organization, and use of various media, reference, and technological sources as they select information for their reading and writing;• Paraphrase, summarize, organize, and synthesize information;• Give credit for others' ideas, images, or information.Standard 6 •Read literature that reflects the uniqueness and integrity of the American experience.

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Teacher PageFirst you need to get into groups of 4. [Teacher should do this with their choice method of dividing class into groups]. Within this group, discuss what you know about America in the 1920s. Think about what you have learned so far, what your assumptions are , and where you acquired the knowledge and assumptions you have about this time period and culture. What are the questions you have and what would you like to learn? Take some notes on this discussion because you will need to write an essay about it. [Give a due date and collect these papers as the questions will be used for the Socratic circle at the conclusion of the unit].

Click here for the paper guidelines.

Next, each one of you will pick a different role (immigrant, socialite, journalist, or biographer). [Review these with them before they read about them in the webquest].Then, based on which role you have chosen, you will follow that particular assignment and create an individual project. Each role is going to investigate a specific element found in The Great Gatsby from that particular perspective. You have been given some choice in the particular topic you may cover in your specific roles, however, make sure you are each covering a different topic. For example if the journalist’s focus is the jazz culture, the socialite will different aspect, such as the impacts of the prohibition. Everyone, however, will need to turn in a “Works Cited” page for their project.•Immigrant•Socialite•Journalist•Biographer

The lesson is designed to be an on-going process as they progress through the novel and a several class/day assignment. The students should be given at least a week to work on their individual projects. This lesson can be implemented by a first-year teacher as long as they have some knowledge about the novel and its themes.The computer lab will have to be utilized for several days.

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The following are needed to implement this lesson:

•Copies of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald •An adequate number of computers for the class size•Computers with at minimum Powerpoint and internet access•Additional software such as Publisher, Microsoft Movie Player, Comic Life, or similar applications are recommended.

Human resources needed:This lesson can be facilitated by one teacher. Access to computer technicians is recommended in the event of technology problems.Evaluation

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Success for this assignment will be evaluated in a number of way:

•The students’ papers will be graded based on their alignment of the rubrics and on how well they met the standards, especially those listed in Standard 3 and 5.

•The individual projects will also be graded on the basis of the rubrics and the others standards such as the objectives listed in Standard 5 and 4.

•The lesson as a whole unit should address the broadness in Standard 6 objective

•Student participation in the class discussion, group work and discussions, and using their lab time effectively.

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Facilitator’s directions:Introduce the various issues present in America during the 1920’s.Have the students go through the entire webquest once so that they are able to gain familiarity with the contents and ask any questions related directly with the webquest navigation.After they have proceeded through the “Progress” slide, have them get into their groups, after which, they will pick their roles and start their individual quest. Collect their first papers before they have started their first individual projects. The questions will need to be organized and addressed in the class discussion that occurs after they have completed their projects.Anticipate having to answer questions about the timeline of the assignments; which is due first, ect.Anticipate questions about the individual projects, some students may need some additional direction. Also, their options might also be effected by the available technologyThere should be a direct attempt to scaffold the information, by first accessing background information and progressing toward critical thinking skills by including previously covered information.The timing of this lesson is at the teacher’s discretion.Additional resources are listed in the ‘Teachers’ Credits’ for extended ideas concerning student activities and assignments.As this is a long-term assignment, frequent check-ins with students is recommended to addresses difficulties and minimum progress in a timely manner.

This page is linked to the Process segment off of the Teacher Page

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The Great Gatsby is an important part of American literature. Its value increases when students are given the opportunity to explore the historical, political, social, and cultural elements present in America during the 1920’s. Their ability to explore the characters and the varies themes helps them to gain a deeper understanding of why The Great Gatsby is appreciated and move toward understanding the importance of those element in today’s society and their lives.

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Additional websites:Gatsby Symbols Gatsby IdeasGreat Gatsby Lesson Plan and Referencesteach.beavton.k12.or.us/~jonathan_stoner/eng11/gatsby/gatsbyideas.doc (this is a word document that needs to be loading independently of this website).Great Gatsby movie clipColorado Standards: Reading and WritingComic Life

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