Task

=** Task **= You have formed news teams of four and are responsible for the production of two media-ready obituaries - one for Jay Gatsby and the other for Daisy - that are fit to be either published in a magazine or broadcast on the radio (recorded as a podcast). You can delegate the responsibilities amongst yourselves so that two of you will be primarily concerned with the article and two with the broadcast, but keep in mind that you are a team, and your individual grade will reflect the overall quality of both news items.

It is yours to decide which character will be discussed in which medium - i.e. a broadcast for Gatsby and article for Daisy, or vice versa - and it is yours to decide which of your groups members are better suited to which task. Please ask your teacher if you have trouble deciding.

When producing the news items, take into careful consideration the nature of the obituary, and the role that a news organization plays in the portrayal of an individual. That is, as a news team, your main responsibility lies in making a news story that will attract the biggest audience, and if the omission or exaggeration of details makes the story a more sensational one, then you are free to do just that.

You will also need to research the historical context of __The Great Gatsb__y: issues pertaining to the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) and bootlegging, womens suffrage (woman's right to vote), and the Roaring 1920's in general. Links to possible sources are provided on the Process page.

After you've gathered your research, you will make a value judgment of Jay and Daisy, to be reflected in the tenor of your news items. Were they victims of their historical time period? Were they just trying to "make right" in a turbulent time? Do you think they were inherently good or bad people? More details will be provided in Process.

Now, let's move on and begin the Process of your research task!