Get Connected to Gatsby - the Facebook Project
- The purpose of the project is to get students to relate to the characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby and to incorporate their own knowledge and feelings about the main ideas of the novel as well as connect their world to the novels. From this project I want my students to learn how to gather information and use it to understand the characters as well as the story they are reading. The main focus of this project is comprehension and critical thinking. Each student must use the information to benefit their page and discover the true purpose of each character and how it relates to Fitzgerald's ideas about culture and politics.
- After reading and researching the book and watching the film the Facebook project will combine what the students have learned into one comprehensive Facebook page of one of the four main characters. Each Group focus on one of the following characters: Jay, Daisy, Tom, and Myrtle.
- Each group will then participate in mini workshop in which they will answer questions about four of the main topics discussed and examined about the novel: World, Reader, Text, and political /cultural.
- Each station will help develop the character's Facebook page while creating an opportunity for discussion among each group regarding how the station pertains to their characters actions and position in the novel.
- After each day of the workshop has ended the students will answer one reflection question to help develop and gather their thoughts about what they learned from the workshop.
- Students will get into groups of 5 and choose a character they relate to most. After they choose their character's each group will rotate through each station and develop different aspect of their character's personal traits. Each student in the group will be responsible for one section of the FB page and be asked to incorporate all of the context from each station's subject into their portion. For example of a student is apart of the Jay group and is responsible for The personal information tab this student will be asked to create the information based solely on the traits of his character and the information gathered from the stations. Students will focus on a different aspect of the stations in terms of the character's decisions made and why they made those decisions based on the questions from each station.
Sample Questions: The Great Gatsby Facebook Group Project
Day 1
Group: Daisy
Station: World
Question: What should Daisy’s relationship status be married or it’s complicated? How does Daisy’s marriage to Tom represent her need to be loved? What does her decision to marry him tell you about the role of women in the 1920’s? Explain evidence of your conclusions.
Day 2
Group: Myrtle
Station: Political/Culture
Question: Develop what Myrtle may post in her information section of Facebook. How does Myrtle’s social class play a role in her affair with Tom, as well as her death? Do you think Tom’s social class played a role? If so, explain.
Day 3
Group: Gatsby
Station: Text
Question: Develop a status that Jay Gatsby might have posted after the accident with Daisy. How do his actions influence the actions of Daisy and Tom?
Day 4
Group: Tom
Station: Me
Question: Develop a message that Tom might send to Myrtle. How do you relate to Tom’s judgmental attitude about other people around him? Have you ever done anything unethical for someone you love? How did your decision affect others involved?
- On the last day of the project students should have their Facebook page completed and ready to share the final question will be used tor reflection and discussion.
Day 5
All Groups
Reflection
Question:
Notice the questions you’ve developed and discussed in your groups. Write the three best answered questions and decide where your answers best benefit your characters FB page. Record which questions connect the text, reader, world, political/culture subjects from the last week. Apply your conclusions to your page.