Roaring Twenties Days

Ms. Lucibello English 11 Roaring Twenties Days

“The Jazz Age was wicked and monstrous and silly. Unfortunately, I had a good time.” Heywood Broun

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is set in the Roaring Twenties, a very colorful time in American history. In order to truly understand and appreciate the novel, you must learn about the time period in which it takes place.

Your Assignment: Find a 1920’s personality (entertainer, athlete, politician, entrepreneur, scientist, etc.)who significantly impacted American life/culture and then find out all you can about him/her. Familiarize yourself with this person’s life story/contributions as well as you can because on ______, you will come to class as your chosen 1920’s personality. You will deliver a 4-5 minute presentation to the class about yourself, beginning with an introduction (Hello, my name is…) and then explaining some important aspects of your life and, of course, how you impacted American society in the 1920’s. In this fashion, we will be introduced to and learn about several important 1920’s personalities.

Memorization / extreme familiarity with material is highly desirable so that you do not read from a paper but rather talk to the audience as if you really are that character. A note card with bullets is allowed, but be sure that you are not glued to it as this will undoubtedly detract from the fluency of the presentation.

Additionally, you are encouraged to be as creative as possible! Grading Criteria (must be brought to class on day of presentation. Failure to do so will result in a grade of 0)

***4-5 minute time requirement will be enforced. Any significant deviations from this will result in the loss of points. Practice in front of the mirror, your parents, or even your dog!

1. Fluency/Familiarity with material – After all, this is your biography! _____/25

2. Volume _____/10

3. Rate of speech _____/10

4. Eye contact with audience (not just me!) _____/10

5. Avoidance of fillers (like, um)/ Poise _____/10

6. Creativity, thought, and effort evidenced in presentation _____/20

7. Enthusiasm/Ability to capture audience’s interest _____/15

Total: ______/100

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