Saving Jay Gatsby

Introduction

Congratulations! You have been randomly selected to travel back in time. You will be going to the summer of 1922. Your mission will be to attend a lavish and extravagant party at the Gatsby mansion in an effort to save Jay Gatsby. The 1920s is a completely different world than the one you live in now. You will need to prepare for your journey using the internet to learn how to blend into society.

Task

You must recreate yourself as a wealthy individual who is attracted to the party scene. You must fully immerse yourself in the customs of upper-class New York in order to fool the party goers. You must do so very carefully. Gatsby carefully built his persona and you must do the same. Do not take this mission lightly. The very life of Jay Gatsby rests in your hands. Once you have completed your mission, write a 2-3 page after action review.

Process

In an effort to save Gatsby you will need to blend in. You will have to:

  1. Find appropriate attire,
    1. If you are not dressed properly you will stick out and the mission will fail.
  2. Research the music and learn popular dances of the era,
    1. You are at a party and you will be expected to dance.
  3. Study up on popular phrases from the 20s,
    1. Slang has come a long way.
  4. Lear more about the types of food you will be expecting,
    1. You can expect an elaborate spread, but be prepared, it’s not like what you eat now.
  5. Learn your social customs and etiquette,
    1. Gender roles were stricter in the 20s.
  6. Create your new identity.
    1. You will need a new name, a job and a backstory.

Once you are prepared, you will go back in time and find Gatsby. It is your job to do what is necessary to keep Gatsby alive.

Once you have completed your mission, write a 2-3 page after action review. Discuss your disguise, the party, your interaction with Gatsby and the steps you took to save his life.

 

 

Attire

http://vintagedancer.com/1920s/what-to-wear-roaring-twenties/

http://education.seattlepi.com/did-way-women-dress-change-1920s-4808.html

http://vintagedancer.com/1920s/

http://glamourdaze.com/2010/05/1920s-fashion-womens-dress-and-style.html

 

Music and Dancing

http://playback.fm/charts/top-100-songs/1922/

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-gatsby-hit-songs-from-the-1920s-mw0002548758

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=13&smtID=6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2F8VS6MUI4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIDa0JjwN70

http://walternelson.com/dr/1920s-dance

 

 

Slang

http://www.1929anupperclassaffair.com/Flapperspeak.pdf

http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm

 

 

Food

http://inliterature.net/celebrate/parties-2/2013/05/throwing-a-1920s-great-gatsby-party-the-menu-from-the-book-plus-inspiration.html

http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/prohibition-speakeasies-and-finger-foods

 

 

Customs and Etiquette

https://www.lsrhs.net/departments/history/ShenM/site/20th_classwork,_handouts_files/Changes%20in%20Everyday%20Life%20in%20the%201920s.pdf

http://etiquipedia.blogspot.ca/2014/08/early-1920s-table-etiquette-for-children.html

 

 

Identity

http://www.ourbabynamer.com/1905-popular-names_2.html

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canmaps/1922-atlas/index-USA.html

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/289015

https://womenof1920s.wikispaces.com/Women+at+Work

 

Additional Resources

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-flapper-part-1-a-call-for-freedom-11957978/

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SUIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ2104240060&source=Bookmark&u=clov94514&jsid=0c4ce85f3e7ca0ad033b78caeff72842

Evaluation

  4 3 2 1 Total
Creativity The paper was well thought out and used imagery. The paper was fairly thought out and had some imagery. The paper lacked substance and had little imagery. The paper was poorly written with little to no imagery.  
Incorporated Mission Requirements Addressed each mission requirement. Addressed most mission requirements. Addressed few mission requirements. Did not address mission requirements.  
Research Information gathered is organized specific and in-depth. Information gathered is substantial organized and adequately in-depth. Information gathered is limited, unorganized and with little depth. Information gathered is vague or non existent.  
Grammar and Sentence Structure Well written with no grammar or sentence errors.

Well written with few errors.

 Poorly written with multiple errors. Poorly written with several errors.  
MLA Format Followed MLA format with no errors. Followed MLA format with few errors. Attempted MLA with several errors. Did not attempt to use MLA format.  
                    /20

 

Conclusion

 

You can relax now. The mission is complete. Thanks to your efforts Mr. Gatsby has been saved. While our story ends, you can carry on with a better understanding of life in the 1920s. The clothes, music and food serve as a visual reminder of the social and political changes that were occurring. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Credits

Teacher Page

The Great Gatsby is a timeless piece of literature. The purpose of this quest is to bring a lost era to a new generation of students. Their mission is to travel back in time to save Gatsby. This allows them to immerse themselves in the roaring 20s while creating an alternate ending.