The Great Gatsby Webquest
Follow the directions given for each section. Answer thoroughly in complete sentences on your own paper. Do
not cut and paste from the Internet! Put the information you find into your own words.
1. World War I
o After the war ended, the economy skyrocketed, making it possible for people to spend more time and money
on leisure activities. After reviewing the website in this section, list three major innovations that came out
of the WWI experience. http://mentalfloss.com/article/31882/12-technological-advancements-world-war-i
2. The Lost Generation
(a) Fill in the blanks to describe the Lost Generation: “a
postwar generation
characterized by lost
, lost belief in the idea of
, and a mood of
and
leading to
”.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americannovel/timeline/lostgeneration.html
(b) Now, put this sentence into your own words. You can use Learner’s Dictionary to look up any words that you
don’t know.
3. 19th Amendment - http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/19th-amendment
What right did women gain from the passage of the 19th Amendment?
4. The Roaring Twenties - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1922
List three major events that occurred in 1922 (the year in which the novel is set).
5. 18th Amendment - http://www.history.com/topics/18th-and-21st-amendments
What exactly does the 18th amendment abolish [ban]? What was the result?
6. Prohibition - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speakeasy
http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/speakeasies.html
o What is a Speakeasy?
o Why do you think Speakeasies popped up across the country?
7. Flappers - http://www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/1025/flapperjane.pdf
o Read the first five paragraphs of the article about "Flapper Jane." According to the author, what are the
essential elements of being a true flapper?
8. Automobiles - http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/automobiles.html
http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/cars.html
o Why were cars considered "the most important catalyst for social change in the 1920s"?
9. Music http://alephnull.net/20s/cdtracks.pl?disc=Roaring20s
http://alephnull.net/20s/cdtracks.pl?disc=JosephineBaker
http://alephnull.net/20s/cdtracks.pl?disc=Gershwin
o Listen to a few sample recordings of music from the early 1920’s. Describe the music (instruments used,
lyrics, singing).
10. 1920's Slang - http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm
o Read some 1920s slang terms. List 5 slang words or phrases and definitions from this site and write them
down in your notes.
11. 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?
Write one paragraph describing your predictions for the plot AND one paragraph describing your
predictions for the characters (two paragraphs in total).