The great gatsby scavenger hunt
The Great Gatsby is set in the '20s (1922, to be exact). This assignment is designed to help you understand the main elements of the 1920s.
Directions:
Directions:
- Pick and respond to 5 of the 9 prompts below. Answer all of the questions for each prompt you choose. Then respond to the "Drawing Conclusions" prompt at the bottom of this page.
- You may type your answers on Google Drive (please share it in the correct folder), or you may hand write it.
- You may work in groups of 2. Make sure each of your names are on your paper.
- 1 paper per group
1. The Great Gatsby is written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Click here to skim his biography. (Do not read the whole thing!)
- What is his full name?
- List 3 interesting facts about him.
- How did The Great Gatsby mark a "striking advance in Fitzgerald's technique"? (paragraph 13)
- Who is Zelda?
- Where did he meet Zelda?
2. Click here to learn about the 19th Amendment.
- What did the 19th Amendment do?
- What changes do you think came about for women?
3. The 18th Amendment plays a huge role in this novel. Do you know what it did? Click here to find out. Click here for more information. And watch this short video.
- What did the 18th Amendment abolish?
- What was the result?
- How do you think the people reacted to this amendment?
- Which amendment changed it?
- What are speakeasies, and who visited them?
- After reading about prohibition, look at these photos of speakeasies.
4. After World War I ended, the economy skyrocketed, making it possible for people to spend more time and money on leisure activities. What effect did it have on society? Click here to find out.
- Describe the disillusionment felt after World War I.
- What did prohibition "do" to society during the 1920s?
- List 3 causes of the economic boom. (Read the section "Causes of economic boom")
5. Have you heard of the term "flapper"? This was a name given to a lot of the women in the '20s. Click here to read about them. Click here for another article.
- What is a flapper?
- What type of characteristics did she possess?
- Knowing what you know about the '20s, what were flappers rebelling from? What do you think led to this?
- After reading about "flappers", look at the selected photos of Louise Brooks. Does she fit the "Flapper" profile? Why or why not?
6. One of the biggest icons of the '20s was the automobile. Click here to read more about it.
- Why was the automobile such a big deal?
- How did the automobile affect women?
- After reading about the automobile, look at these photos of the automobile in the 1920's.
7. The 1920s were replete with mobsters and organized crime. Click here to read about the infamous Arnold "The Big Bankroll" Rothstein.
- What are three elements of Rothstein's biography that interest you? Explain.
- Now click here to read another article about Rothstein. What is the most interesting thing you learned in this article that was not in the previous article. Explain.
- Did you impression of Rothstein change from one web page to the next? Explain.
8. The '20s held some interesting slang. Click here to read some of them. Choose 3 of the following sentences and translate them on your own paper using this glossary.
- I definitely carry a torch for the Susie. She's the best hoofer around. She's the cat's meow!
- I couldn't believe when he took off his cheaters and looked at me in my eyes. It was then that I realized how keen his eyes were. I was soon stuck on him.
- She is so spiffy that I had the heebie-jeebies to pick her up Saturday night in my jalopy.
- Tommy got pinched last week for his hooch that he carried in. He tried to frame Robby, but the police knew the truth.
- I thought my date with Cindy was going to be the berries, but then her ex-boyfriend showed up. I told him to scram, but in the end, the date was a flat tire.
- Did you notice any terms in the glossary that are still used today? If so, which ones? Do they still have the same meaning?
9. View these film trailers for The Great Gatsby .
- What do you expect The Great Gatsby will be about based on the scenes in the trailers?
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Drawing Conclusions
- Based on the information you have collected from this website, what do you think the plot and setting of The Great Gatsby will include? What kinds of characters do you expect to encounter in the novel?