Activity Overview
One great way to help students connect with a text like The Great Gatsby is to bring the text into the modern day. By creating social media posters for characters in the novel, students will examine relationships through the lens of modern social classes, cliques, and personas. For instance, the face that Jay Gatsby puts on in public is different than what's happening in his personal life.
The profiles and what is included on them should be drawn from the text itself, or from inferences students are able to make. They should include conversations and interactions through the form of private messaging, timeline posts, and more. To expand this activity into a group project, assign each student a character, and have them work with a small group to recreate the story.
An alternative to this assignment is to create and print out social media page worksheets for students to complete offline, or give them the choice if they'd like to create digitally or with pen and paper.
To find additional templates for this activity, please check out our social media page templates.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a social media profile for a character or characters of your choice from The Great Gatsby using a poster-sized storyboard!
- Click "Start Assignment" to use the template in the assignment.
- Identify important character traits and moments in the story.
- Create images, posts, & biographical information for your character of choice using appropriate scenes, items, and characters.
- Save and exit when you're done.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Needs Improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Representation | The social media page depicts the character accurately through pictures and words. | Some images and words on the social media page accurately depict the character. | The images and words on the social media page do not accurately depict the character. |
| Artistic Depictions | The art chosen to depict the scenes are accurate to the work of literature. Time and care is taken to ensure that the scenes are neat, eye-catching, and creative. | The art chosen to depict the scenes should be accurate, but there may be some liberties taken that distract from the assignment. Scene constructions are neat, and meet basic expectations. | The art chosen to depict the scenes is too limited or incomplete. |
| English Conventions | Ideas are organized. There are few or no grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors. | Ideas are mostly organized. There are some grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors. | Storyboard text is difficult to understand. |
How To Change Original/ Classical Writings Into Modern Text
Divide Students into Groups
Teachers can divide the entire class into small groups of students and assign each group a particular portion of the novel they will work on together.
Replace Vocabulary and Simplify Language
Ask the students to replace old vocabulary and formatting with the modern language they use on social media. They can use less complicated expressions and eliminate any jargon to make sure that there is contemporary relevance.
Imagine Characters in a Modern World
Students can make use of the character traits and personalities of the main characters and induce a modern person with those traits. For example, Jay Gatsby was born in this generation what would he do, where would he go, how would he talk, etc.
Adapt the Novel Setting to the Modern World
Help students find the similarities and differences between the Jazz Age and modern times. This way they can easily transition the concept so it can resonate with modern readers. Students can also consider any sort of differences that the change in technology and culture might have had on the characters and storyline.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Social Media Project for The Great Gatsby
What obstacles can students encounter while working on the social media project?
Students may have trouble converting accurate character portrayals from today to those from the original book. Sometimes, different words can change the meanings of the original quotes so it is important for them to use the right kind of vocabulary to retain the original meaning. They could also require direction in finding a healthy balance between their own originality and consideration for the author's aims.8
How can the social media project help to spark students' interest in and passion for the book?
The project's modern methodology, which makes use of social media platforms, draws on students' experience with technology and interpersonal relationships. This personal connection can increase their interest in learning about "The Great Gatsby" in a fun and engaging way.
For what characters should the students make the social media profiles?
Students should be making social media profiles for all the main characters such as Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker, and Tom Buchanan. The groups can pick their favorite character from the list or the teacher can assign on their own terms.
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Great Gatsby, The
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