Process
The majority of your newspaper will be based on events in the novel The Great Gatsby; however, you may need to do some research to confirm or discover facts and ideas about the 1920s. Your newspaper content should be as authentic as possible. Be aware of the date of your newspaper—do all of your stories make sense for that date?
Pictures will add extra insight into the Roaring Twenties. The American Memory collection compiled by the Library of Congress is an internet archive of primary sources (pictures and writing from the actual time period you are looking at). The American Memory collection has pictures directly from the decade! Use this internet collection to incorporate pictures into your newspaper. Every source you use for pictures should be cited in your final Bibliography.
To locate pictures browse the primary sources in the American Memory Collection compiled by the Library of Congress: click on “more browse options” at the bottom of the blue box, in the next scene click on “1920-1929” in the green box, enter a key word to search or check a specific collection to view.
Newspaper requirements:
1. Your newspaper should be eight pages long - one page for each of the sections listed below.
2. You will assemble your newspaper using a Microsoft Publisher.
3. Before you begin, examine the contemporary newspaper provided to evaluate the content and story types for each of the pages. Your newspaper should include the embellishments and features found in any professionally published newspaper—title, date, page numbers, table of contents, headlines, etc.
4. See below to see the requirements for each individual section.
5. Wherever you used details from The Great Gatsby, include an in-text citation.
6. Compile a bibliography of all of the sources that your team used to prepare your Literary Newspaper (including the novel, websites where you located pictures, and facts you confirm related to the 1920’s, etc.). The American Memory Web site provides information for citing electronic resources.
Required sections:
Each team member should be responsible for two of the following sections. The two sections each team member chooses will be graded individually. The newspaper as a whole will also received a group grade.
1. News (front page)
- Write at two fictionalized news stories based on details from The Great Gatsby.
- Include all of the parts found on the front page of a newspaper including the "flag" (newspaper name) date, headlines, pictures and captions, etc. (Examine the modern newspaper provided for examples.)
- Use images from the American Memory collections to incorporate pictures and captions.
2. Editorials
- Write at least two fictionalized editorials based on details from The Great Gatsby.
- You should include several "letters to the editor" which concern both historical events as well as fictionalized events in The Great Gatsby.
- Include all of the parts found the editorial page of a newspaper including the "masthead" (newspaper name and the names of editors) date, headlines, political cartoons, etc. (Study the modern newspaper provided for examples.)
- Use images from the American Memory collections to incorporate pictures and captions.
3. Lifestyles
- Write at least two fictionalized lifestyle stories based on details from The Great Gatsby.
- Include all of the parts found on the lifestyle page of a newspaper as well as headlines, pictures and captions, etc. (Examine the modern newspaper provided for examples.)
- Use images from the American Memory collections.
4. Advertising
- Write at least two articles endorsing products that are important in the novel The Great Gatsby.
- Select historical advertisements from your search of the American Memory collections and create your own fictionalized advertisements based on events described in The Great Gatsby.
- Include a "classified" or "personals" section on your advertisement page.
- Use images from the American Memory collections to incorporate pictures and captions.
5. Entertainment
- Write at least two fictionalized entertainment stories based on details from The Great Gatsby.
- Include all of the parts found on the entertainment page of a newspaper as well as headlines, pictures and captions, etc. (Examine the modern newspaper provided for examples.)
- Use images from the American Memory collections.
6. Obituaries
- Write at least two fictionalized obituaries based on details from The Great Gatsby.
- Include all of the parts found on the obituary page of a newspaper including the abbreviated death notices. (Study the modern newspaper provided for examples.)
- Use images of "the deceased" from the American Memory collections.
7. Sports
- Write at least twp fictionalized sports stories based on details from The Great Gatsby.
- Include all of the parts found on the sports page of a newspaper as well as headlines, pictures and captions, etc. (Examine the modern newspaper provided for examples.)
- Use images from the American Memory collections.
8. Business
- Write at least two fictionalized business stories based on details from The Great Gatsby.
- Include all of the parts found on the business page of a newspaper including headlines, pictures and captions, etc. (Study the modern newspaper provided for examples.)
- Use images from the American Memory collections.
