The Great Gatsby Class Project Swanky Gatsby Soiree Introduction: Throughout our reading of The Great Gatsby we will see the importance of the role of parties and the dazzling, yet at times, superficial, element of the social life of the 1920s. Fitzgerald accurately portrays the social, economic, and cultural shifts of the Jazz Age decade in his descriptions of the parties in the novel. The Task: Your task, as a class, is to become party planners and collaborate to plan a Jazz Age bash worthy of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald themselves. Each of you will choose to work on a committee and research all the historical, cultural, and social background information necessary to throw a Gatsby Party (minus the bathtub gin, of course!). Read the descriptions of the parties in the novel carefully to inspire you and try to remain true to the overall ambiance and atmosphere established in Fitzgerald s writing. The Process: In order to pull this off, you will be working in various committees to research, present information, and prepare for our cultural experience. Committees are as follows: 1. Fashion Committee: Your task is to research the history of 1920s fashion for men and women. Address who the flappers were as well as how they were a reflection of societal trends. You must also provide creative examples of how the class can come in costume (other than renting/buying costumes). In other words, how can we creatively and cheaply duplicate the fashions of the 20s for our party? (P.S. Extra Credit will be awarded to the guests who are in costume!) 2. Music Committee: Your task is to research the music of the 1920s specifically jazz and/or ragtime. What music will we hear, sing, and play at our party? Research forms, musicians, and lyrics, and educate your classmates. You will also be responsible for being our DJs (perhaps performers!?) at our party. You should coordinate with the dance committee closely. 3. Refreshments Committee: Your task is to research the food and drinks of the 1920s. What would typically be served at a party? It is up to your group to plan and present a menu, shopping list, and budget for our party. Draw inspiration from the novel, but also do careful research. You are also planning for a time before microwaves and prepackaged foods, which means no chips or nachos! As far as libations are concerned, you will need to consider and create non-alcoholic beverages (obviously) for our guests. Present a shopping list and budget to your classmates. 4. Ambiance Committee: Your task is to research various political and social gatherings of the 20s. Specifically research speakeasies and present your findings to the class. You should also research prohibition and the cultural response to it. In addition, research and present language and jargon of the 1920s and prepare a lexicon for your classmates so that our language at the party will be accurate. Also, designate specific topics of conversation that will be permitted at our party. It would be wise to work closely with the Guests Committee. Educate your classmates so that the conversations at our party will be authentic. 5. Décor Committee: Your group will research architecture and décor in the Jazz Age. What influenced and dominated design during this decade? What was the Art Deco movement? Who were the most influential architects and designers of the time and what were they known for? Educate your classmates on this
important element as well as design and provide props and decorations for our party atmosphere. You may decide to coordinate with the Ambiance Committee. Plan and present your ideas for visually transforming our classroom into a swanky venue. Present a shopping list and budget. 6. Dance Committee: Your task is to research the history of dance in the Jazz Age and present your findings to the class. Provide important information on the Charleston and Lindy as well as any other dances and discuss the significance of dance to the decade. Prepare to demonstrate and teach the rest of the class as well as lead dances at our party. You should work closely with the music committee. 7. Guests Committee: Drawing inspiration from the colorful characters of the parties in the novel as well as your research on the famous and influential people of the Jazz Age, compose a guest list for our party. Educate our class about some of the dominant figures of the decade as well as the average urban or rural citizen who might attend such a party. In addition, you will need to assign each class member with a role a persona he/she will don for our party. Coordinate with the Fashion Committee, as well as the Ambiance Committee for ideas. In addition, you are responsible for creating invitations for the party. Also, be sure to invite special guests such as our librarian, your history teacher, or other important people! Research: Though you will be given some time in the library, research will be completed largely outside of class. Though you will be researching and presenting in groups, each student will be required to submit an MLA style research paper. Please refer to the attached rubric. Committee presentations will begin. Individual MLA research papers due. Our Gatsby Experience will take place on. See attached rubrics for specific expectations and evaluation.
Gatsby Soiree Group Rubric Committee: Group names: Project Requirements Research: A minimum of 4 reputable and credible sources will be used, at least one of which will be a print source. Research is thorough, thoughtful, and detailed and responds to all individual committee and assignment requirements. Documentation: Create a typed, MLA format Works Cited page documenting the sources you use. This works cited page will be submitted the day your group presents. Presentation: You will present your research to the class in order to educate us for a successful party. Presentations will be approximately minutes in length and will be executed in a professional manner with ample and appropriate visual aids. Group Dynamic: Each group member should demonstrate equal effort and cooperation. Each group member exhibits respect and consideration for other group members. Any discrepancies will be addressed in conferences with the teacher. Party Success: The final factor in determining your success as a committee will be the party itself. You will be evaluated on how well you planned and prepared for your part of the soiree as well as how effectively the rest of the class internalized your committee s work and research. Possible 20 Earned Total = 60 Comments:
Gatsby Research Paper Rubric Name Committee/Topic Paper Requirements MLA Format: Page headings appear on each page and follow MLA format. Page margins are as follows: ½ top and 1 left, right, and bottom. Paper is double spaced throughout in 12 point font No title page; title appears on the first page, centered beneath the first page heading information, no bold type, no punctuation, no adornments Parenthetical citations appear throughout; each work that appears on the works cited page is cited within the text; citations are correct in format. Works cited page appears as the last page of the paper and is correctly formatted in MLA requirements; at least four sources are cited (at least one of which is a print source) in alphabetical order; sources are correctly cited in MLA format. Content & Organization: The paper is organized by a controlling idea and thesis statement and each paragraph is organized with a supporting topic sentence. The paper has an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. All paragraphs will be well-developed and thorough. The paper responds to all aspects of the assignment: historical background and relevant information as well as how you plan to apply, adapt, and implement this information for our Gatsby party specifically. Quality & Conventions: The paper reflects diligent and honest research methods and cites from reputable, academic, and scholarly sources. The paper reflects excellent work ethic and is a quality paper that the student can be proud of; the paper indicates diligent effort and time dedication. The paper is a minimum of three typed pages of text (excluding the accompanying works cited page). The paper indicates a sound understanding of English language conventions and has few to no errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. The paper indicates a sound understanding of the structure and function of a research paper. Possible 20 Earned Total= 40