Mrs. Lisa Rockrord-----English Department

Research Assignment
Introduction to The Great Gatsby

Overview: In order to appreciate the beauty and social commentary embedded in The Great Gatsby, we need to understand the culture of the 1920’s. In your groups, you are going to research an aspect of this time period and present your findings in an oral presentation for the class. You will be given two class periods to research in the library and two class periods in the room to organize and prepare your presentation.

TOPICS:
Women in the 1920’s
The Gold Coast (Then and Now)
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre
Prohibition
Music and Dance in the 1920’s
Art in the 1920’s

Requirements:
Your group presentation should be approximately 10 minutes long
Your discussion must be informative and touch upon the most important details of your topic. If your topic seems too broad, your group should decide upon a more specific focus for your presentation. Remember, we are trying to illustrate how these topics/events reflect the culture and social life during this time period.
When you present your topic to the class, each member of your group must address the class in some way. (Think about how you might divide up the work to ensure that everyone plays an equal role. This might include dividing up the actual research, note taking, artwork, and speaking responsibilities.)
You must have some sort of audio/visual aspect of your presentation. This can take the form of posters, handouts, musical selections, photographs, video clips, PowerPoint, etc. Just keep in mind the time frame as you prepare your presentation.
Your research must come from at least three different sources. One should be from a print source, and one must be from one of the library’s databases. BEWARE OF SHADY INTERNET SOURCES!


Time Frame
Friday 9/12 and Monday 9/15 – Library Work Sessions
Tuesday 9/16 and Wednesday 9/17 – In-Class Work Sessions
Thursday 9/18– Begin Presentations!

** If a group member is absent on the day of the presentation, THE GROUP WILL STILL PRESENT! The missing student will have to present his/her portion of the presentation in writing!

Grading:
Group Grade: You will receive a class work grade for this short research presentation. In determining your grade, I will consider the following qualities:
Quality of Information 40 points
Quality of Audio/Visual 30 points
Oral Presentation Skills 15 points
clarity, projection, eye contact, organization, etc…
Work Cited Page (MLA) 15 points

Individual Response Grade: You will write a response log as a result of these presentations. You should write a short summary of what you learned from your own group’s presentation and research. Then, you should use your notes to summarize what you learned from the other groups’ presentations. THIS WILL BE COLLECTED ON WEDNESDAY 9/24 and will count as a writing grade.

Library Resources
Online Databases
Virtual Reference Collection
Gale Cengage Learning Databases
Online Catalog
Academic Intergrity
NoodleTools Citation System
Citation Machine
Websites
American Cultural History 1920-1929
1920's Answers.com
United States History 1920-1929
A selection of books are available for student use.
Home access to our online databases is available. Please see the library staff for usernames and passwords.