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.
(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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.