Great Gatsby Book Projects

Spring 2007

To complete our Great Gatsby unit, we will spend this week developing a book project. Each group of two will work together to create a presentation to share with the class. The presentation must be between five to ten minutes in length and tell the major events of the book. While each group will have a variety of presentation choices, no two groups may select the same style.

Presentation Choices

A. Puppet Show

Create puppets based on at least three characters in your book using inexpensive materials (i.e., plastic cups, fabric scraps, paint, old socks, craft supplies, etc.). You should not spend a large amount of money on this project.

Design a backdrop/stage that can be used to have your puppet show.

Select a scene that you believe best represents the overall theme of the novel and create your show. So that you will be prepared for your class presentation, write out a script that details what each character will say and how they will move.

B. Found Poetry

Create at three found poems based on scenes that you consider powerful or interesting in your novel. Selecting words, phrases, and lines out of magazines, and newspapers creates found poetry. Display your found poems on poster board

Illustrate each poem.

Provide a written explanation of why you chose the scenes to discuss in your poem.

C. Comic Strips

Create three comic strips based on your novel. Each comic strip must consist of at least five boxes. Comic strips must be colorful and large enough to be seen in the back of the room. (I have white butcher paper that would work well for this.)

Write a caption for each of the scenes in your script.

In a paragraph for each strip, you must explain why you chose this particular scene and why you represented the characters the way you did.

D. Mobile

Design a mobile to represent characters and events in the story. (A wire coat hanger works well as a base for your mobile—covering it with wire or lace, makes it look especially attractive!)

Your mobile must have at least seven items dangling from it. Each item should be carefully drawn and colored.

Write an explanation for each item explaining why you chose to place it on the mobile.

E. Mural

Create a mural at least 5 feet long that depicts the most important events of the novel.

Make the mural attractive by outlining your drawings and making it colorful! If you have paints you’d like to bring in for this, that would be wonderful!

Write a written explanation of why you choose to illustrate the events that you did.

F. Alphabet Book

Create an alphabet book for your novel using at least 23 letters of the alphabet. Each letter must be represented with a word from the novel and an illustration. Drawings should be outlined and colorful.

Present your alphabet book to the class.

G. Character Diary

Imagine that you are one of the mind characters. Crawl inside his mind to learn how he thinks and feels. Create a set of at least ten diary entries that show his feelings about events in the book.

Illustrate at least two of you diary entries.

Design a cover for your diary and bind them together as a book.