Introduction
In this WebQuest you will be analyzing a significant component of one of the most widely known novels ever written, The Great Gatsby, historical context. What was going on in the world at the time the book was written? How did the author tie these things into his writing of the characters and the storyline itself? How much bearing did the historical setting have on the book as a whole? These are but a few of the questions you will have the answers to by the time you have completed this WebQuest.
Task
You will be split into groups of four and each group will be exploring the various aspects of the time period that The Great Gatsby was set in. Together, your group will complete an online exploration game that shows you what life was like in the 1920s and answer a series of questions about the time period. Then, each group member will be responsible for reading the articles provided to you about the time period and writing a 1-2 page summary of what life in the 1920s for either a wealthy male, a wealthy female, a non-wealthy male or a non-wealthy female (each group member will cover one of these possibilities).
Process
Project Steps:
1) Meet with your assigned groups, go over the instructions for this WebQuest and determine how you will split up the work
2) Follow this link to a series of articles about the history surrounding The Great Gatsby. Read AT LEAST one article from each section (you may want to read more articles to get an even better understanding of the time period).
https://sites.google.com/site/gatsbyguide/historical-context
3) Staying on this page, as a group, complete "The Roaring Twenties Game" (this can be found under the The Roaring Twenties tab on the website).
4) As a group, answer the following questions in approximately 2-4 sentences each:
A) What are some of the greatest similarities you found between today's society and life in the 1920s?
B) What are some of the biggest differences you found between today's society and life in the 1920s?
C) Which aspects of life in the 1920's (ex: the fight for women's suffrage, the prohibition, the types of cars they drove, the slang, etc.) had the largest impact on F.Scott Fitzgerald when he wrote the novel, The Great Gatsby?
D) *If a novel with the same plotline as, The Great Gatsby were to be written today, what do you believe would change the most?
E) *Again imagining The Great Gatsby were to be written today, what aspects of the novel do you think would remain the same, if any?
*You may want to use this list of character summaries to help you answer these questions: http://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-great-gatsby/characters
5) Once you have completed the steps above, as individuals you will each complete a 1-2 page essay (single sided, double spaced) explaining what life would be like in the 1920s. One group member will be responsible for writing about what life was like for a wealthy man, one a wealthy woman, one a non-wealthy man and one a non-wealthy woman. Some things you may like to discuss could include the kinds of expectations society would be put on you (whether physical or non), what your role would be in terms of having a job or maintaining a home, how you would be expected to behave, what you would own or drive, etc. You are allowed, but NOT required, to use outside sources.
Evaluation
Your WebQuest will be graded on a scale of 1-5, 1 being the lowest possible score, 5 being the highest. Students who do not submit any work will automatically receive a score of 0.
|
5 |
4 |
3 | 2 |
1 |
|
| Group Questions |
Students have displayed an accurate understanding of the material and have answered questions thoughtfully and throughly, going above and beyond in their answers, providing examples of their own. |
Students displayed an accurate understanding of the material and provided answers of an approptiate length, using some of the provided examples. |
Students displayed a basic understanding of the material but answers may have been too short or too simplistic. | Students provided answers that were too simplistic or did not properly answer the questions asked. | Students submitted answers of an unacceptable length that displayed a lack of understanding of the basic concepts |
|
Spelling and Grammar |
Students made little to no errors in their spelling or grammar. |
Students made very few errors in their spelling or grammar. |
Students made a few errors in their spelling or grammar. |
Students made more than a few errors in their spelling or grammar. |
Students made many errors in their spelling or grammar. |
|
Final Essay |
Student provided a reflective, insightful paper, of the appropriate length and structure, that accurately depicted what life would be like for their assigned person in the 1920s. The student used examples of various kinds and made a clear effort to develop an understanding of life in this time period, using examples and putting them in proper context throughout the paper. |
Student provided a good quality paper of the appropriate length and structure, that accurately depicted what life would be like for their assigned person in the 1920s. The student used some examples and clear effort was made to accurately undrrstand the time period. |
Student provided an acceptable paper of the appropriate length and structure, that may have had some errors in understanding or may not have provided many examples. |
Student provided a paper that may have been of a inappropriate length or structure OR displayed a slightly inaccurate understanding of the time period. |
Student provided a paper that was of an inapproptiate length or structure AND displayed a lack of understanding of the time period. Examples were not provided and little effort was shown. |
Conclusion
This WebQuest will be extremely valuable to you as we continue discussing The Great Gatsby and prepare for our final paper. Historical context has always played a crucial role in literature and the understanding of it, and it has had a drastic impact on many authors. By developing a greater understanding of the time period in which a novel is set, you can delve deeper into the various characters and scenarios and this will help you understand the book as a whole on a much greater level. Work hard, have fun, and enjoy the 1920s!