Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography for the Roaring 1920’s
Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2007, March). pbs.org. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/
wnet/americannovel/timeline/thegreatgatsby.html
This site not only shows a visual timeline for the novel The Great Gatsby, but also includes
200 years of other important works, plus all the literary movements which makes them
interconnected. This could be instrumental in discussing how The Great Gatsby is related to
larger themes and events such as Modernism, the Harlem Renaissance, etc. This timeline
could also highlight many essential discussion topics, as for instance, the writing of The
Great Gatsby was nestled between a powerful trio on one side (prohibition/women gaining
the right to vote/jazz era) and the great depression on the other side. A great question for
students to answer/discuss could be “How do all those other factors (like jazz/prohibition/
modernism/suffrage/great depression) enrich the text?”
Gerald, A.S., McEvoy, K., and Whitfield, P. (2004). Transforming Student Literacies: Three Feminists (Re)
Teach Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Feminist Teacher, 15(1), 48-65. Available from http://
www.jstor.org/stable/40545906
This spunky journal may cause some teachers to disapprove of the strategies suggested, but
for those looking to critically analyze women’s suffrage/lack of rights through works written
by rigid thinking males of that time period, this journal is a gem. Although this could be
used to look at writings of any time period, it could be a very special way to critically look
at how women were addressed in the early to mid 1900’s. It also breaks down exactly how
to embrace girl power through being a “resisting reader” (not getting boxed in by the male
point of view). Although this might be a knee jerk reaction to such powerful female opinion
and analysis, these women authors don’t just support female students in the classroom,
but all students. One of the most fascinating, and reflective thoughts in the article was
this quote, “Teaching students to resist patriarchal assumptions about literature, authors,
authors' intentions, and historical and cultural context is teaching them to question on a
sustained level, not simply accepting what some still consider universal truths." Included in
the journal are teaching strategies for empowering all types of students which describe how
to give students the tools to speak in class, so students become “masters” of their thinking
and speaking. This journal contains many helpful activities to speed this process along. All
authors commented on the richness of class discussion after these activities. This would only
increase the types of discussions and cognitions when reflecting upon a tumultuous time
period such as the 1920’s with students.
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/gatsby/index.html
This entire site contained scads of primary resources from 1900 to 1929. Although mostly
centered on building discussion and analysis in 9th to 12th graders, these images and articles
from newspaper clippings and magazines give a project based foundation to such topics as
women’s suffrage, prohibition, the text The Great Gatsby, and the Jazz era. The Library of
Congress does a nice job making the content clear, and search friendly for teachers.
Kerr, F. (1996). Feeling “Half Feminine”: Modernism and the Politics of Emotion in The Great Gatsby.
American Literature, 68(2), 403-431. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2928304
In Kerr’s review she does an interesting job in highlighting the emotional excess in femininity
and masculinity during the time period of the 1920’s. Although her analysis on homoerotic
behaviors of the Gatsby male characters is fascinating, what is most applicable to this
group project is the basis for how women are viewed during this time. Kerr uses poignant
quotes from the Gatsby text, which describe the female race in terms such as “flabby”,
having “artificial laughter”, being “incapable of appreciating higher forms of art”, and the
list goes on and on. The flippant use of these terms brings reference and validity to the low
level of importance- and therefore the upmost urgency- in obtaining women’s suffrage, and
women’s rights. This identification of such quotes may assist students in getting a full picture
of how women were valued and treated during this time.
Powers, M. (2007). [Review of the book Spirits of Defiance: National Prohibition and Jazz Age Literature]
. The American Historical Review 112(1).217. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/
10.1086/ahr.112.1.217
This source does a nice job reviewing a book which ties together jazz, drinking, wild women
in the speakeasies, and impactful novels such as The Great Gatsby. By analyzing the era of
Prohibition through a variety of texts, it gives Prohibition, like all other facets of the 1920’s, a
richness of complexity needed when assisting the creation of important essential questions
in the classroom. This review was rather interesting because there were sections where it
was not reviewed favorably. Powers suggests that the original author, Kathleen Drowne,
looked at certain aspects in a literary first, historical second way, which in turn made her
not accurate at times with her analysis. Although this might be splitting hairs to most
readers, at the very least this level of detail would most likely not be something the typical
adolescent student would find interesting. Most likely this original source would be used
in the classroom for the purpose that Powers gives praise for, “Drowne does an excellent
job of compiling literary references to Prohibition-era drink culture, something no one has
previously done in comparable detail.” This source could help when creating a unit on the
1920’s, as teachers strive to bring students to a higher level of cognition where there is less
black or white, and instead, more desired shades of grey.
Rogers, T. (1998). Reading Gatsby/Performing Jazz: On Narrative Voice, Race, and Resistance. English
Education, 31(1), 48-59. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40172962
This author provides a detailed account of how she incorporated the use of two novels The
Great Gatsby and Jazz in her literature course. Even if a teacher didn’t plan on using these
two novels, what that teacher could obtain from this source is that by reading two different
texts, students can look at the same time period and see different cultures, beliefs and
issues juxtaposed to each other. For instance an African American story of survival through
oppression (Jazz) compared side by side to the white society lifestyle of excess (The Great
Gatsby) is described as a strategy for each to enrich the other. This source was interesting
because it included a section where fellow teachers gave their feedback. Although several
said that they might not teach Gatsby and Jazz together, they would look at teaching two
contrasting texts at the same time.
This really fits society, if one thinks about it. There is always varying opinions, different
struggles in every time period. Just looking at the 1920’s alone, and the fact that this group
project only covers women, Harlem Renaissance, prohibition, and one novel should attest
to the fact that there is way more that could be covered in the 1920’s. Taking different
topics and comparing them juxtaposed to each other is what will give students a much more
comprehensive appreciation for this time period.
Ruggieri, C.A. (2008). Strategies for Success with Gatsby [Review of the book “The Great Gatsby” in the
Classroom: Searching for the American Dream]. The English Journal, 97(3), 109-111. Available
from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30046843
"While you're reading The Great Gatsby, it is a novel of its time; after reading, it is a novel
for all times" -David Dowling, author of The Great Gatsby in the Classroom: Searching for the
This quote of the author is thought provoking much like the sources listed in this review,
by Ruggieri. Content is listed by chapter and provides rubrics, examples of student work,
outlines to give opportunities for class and group discussion, detailed descriptions of possible
art projects and skits. Lastly, the source lists a plethora of post reading texts, videos, and
teaching strategies with a step by step breakdown of how to present it to the classroom.
This would be especially helpful when engaging students in The Great Gatsby in a variety
of learning styles. Gatsby can be a difficult text, especially to students who have not yet
developed a higher awareness, or metacognitive ability to see the richness that the text
can present. These strategies are a valuable tool kit that can make Gatsby exciting and
understandable for any student.
Turk, D.B., Klein, E., and Dickstein S. (2007). Mingling ‘Fact’ with ‘Fiction’: Strategies for Integrating
Literature into History and Social Studies Classrooms. The History Teacher, 40(3), 397-406.
Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30036831
This source was especially valuable because it incorporates how to connect texts of the
1920’s to the historical movements of that time period across the curriculum. The authors
list their big five strategies for incorporating History and Social Studies with English classes
and go into specifics how they can be achieved while also being fun and exciting for the
students. Being era driven, theme based, asking essential questions, identity driven (also
culturally driven), and being literature based (like using the typical English strategies of close
readings, etc) are the main strategies, and the journal goes into great detail to describe how
this could evolve in the classroom. In these details, it discusses specific poems (Langston
Hughes), texts (The Great Gatsby), essential questions pertinent to women’s suffrage
such as “Are men and women created equal?” and so on. At the end of the journal a
comprehensive list of student activities shows how to utilize these strategies when given a
text example. This source would be valuable when teaching literature of the 1920’s since it is
impossible to not teach the impact History/Social Studies at the same time.
Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2007, March). pbs.org. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/
wnet/americannovel/timeline/thegreatgatsby.html
This site not only shows a visual timeline for the novel The Great Gatsby, but also includes
200 years of other important works, plus all the literary movements which makes them
interconnected. This could be instrumental in discussing how The Great Gatsby is related to
larger themes and events such as Modernism, the Harlem Renaissance, etc. This timeline
could also highlight many essential discussion topics, as for instance, the writing of The
Great Gatsby was nestled between a powerful trio on one side (prohibition/women gaining
the right to vote/jazz era) and the great depression on the other side. A great question for
students to answer/discuss could be “How do all those other factors (like jazz/prohibition/
modernism/suffrage/great depression) enrich the text?”
Gerald, A.S., McEvoy, K., and Whitfield, P. (2004). Transforming Student Literacies: Three Feminists (Re)
Teach Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Feminist Teacher, 15(1), 48-65. Available from http://
www.jstor.org/stable/40545906
This spunky journal may cause some teachers to disapprove of the strategies suggested, but
for those looking to critically analyze women’s suffrage/lack of rights through works written
by rigid thinking males of that time period, this journal is a gem. Although this could be
used to look at writings of any time period, it could be a very special way to critically look
at how women were addressed in the early to mid 1900’s. It also breaks down exactly how
to embrace girl power through being a “resisting reader” (not getting boxed in by the male
point of view). Although this might be a knee jerk reaction to such powerful female opinion
and analysis, these women authors don’t just support female students in the classroom,
but all students. One of the most fascinating, and reflective thoughts in the article was
this quote, “Teaching students to resist patriarchal assumptions about literature, authors,
authors' intentions, and historical and cultural context is teaching them to question on a
sustained level, not simply accepting what some still consider universal truths." Included in
the journal are teaching strategies for empowering all types of students which describe how
to give students the tools to speak in class, so students become “masters” of their thinking
and speaking. This journal contains many helpful activities to speed this process along. All
authors commented on the richness of class discussion after these activities. This would only
increase the types of discussions and cognitions when reflecting upon a tumultuous time
period such as the 1920’s with students.
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/gatsby/index.html
This entire site contained scads of primary resources from 1900 to 1929. Although mostly
centered on building discussion and analysis in 9th to 12th graders, these images and articles
from newspaper clippings and magazines give a project based foundation to such topics as
women’s suffrage, prohibition, the text The Great Gatsby, and the Jazz era. The Library of
Congress does a nice job making the content clear, and search friendly for teachers.
Kerr, F. (1996). Feeling “Half Feminine”: Modernism and the Politics of Emotion in The Great Gatsby.
American Literature, 68(2), 403-431. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2928304
In Kerr’s review she does an interesting job in highlighting the emotional excess in femininity
and masculinity during the time period of the 1920’s. Although her analysis on homoerotic
behaviors of the Gatsby male characters is fascinating, what is most applicable to this
group project is the basis for how women are viewed during this time. Kerr uses poignant
quotes from the Gatsby text, which describe the female race in terms such as “flabby”,
having “artificial laughter”, being “incapable of appreciating higher forms of art”, and the
list goes on and on. The flippant use of these terms brings reference and validity to the low
level of importance- and therefore the upmost urgency- in obtaining women’s suffrage, and
women’s rights. This identification of such quotes may assist students in getting a full picture
of how women were valued and treated during this time.
Powers, M. (2007). [Review of the book Spirits of Defiance: National Prohibition and Jazz Age Literature]
. The American Historical Review 112(1).217. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/
10.1086/ahr.112.1.217
This source does a nice job reviewing a book which ties together jazz, drinking, wild women
in the speakeasies, and impactful novels such as The Great Gatsby. By analyzing the era of
Prohibition through a variety of texts, it gives Prohibition, like all other facets of the 1920’s, a
richness of complexity needed when assisting the creation of important essential questions
in the classroom. This review was rather interesting because there were sections where it
was not reviewed favorably. Powers suggests that the original author, Kathleen Drowne,
looked at certain aspects in a literary first, historical second way, which in turn made her
not accurate at times with her analysis. Although this might be splitting hairs to most
readers, at the very least this level of detail would most likely not be something the typical
adolescent student would find interesting. Most likely this original source would be used
in the classroom for the purpose that Powers gives praise for, “Drowne does an excellent
job of compiling literary references to Prohibition-era drink culture, something no one has
previously done in comparable detail.” This source could help when creating a unit on the
1920’s, as teachers strive to bring students to a higher level of cognition where there is less
black or white, and instead, more desired shades of grey.
Rogers, T. (1998). Reading Gatsby/Performing Jazz: On Narrative Voice, Race, and Resistance. English
Education, 31(1), 48-59. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40172962
This author provides a detailed account of how she incorporated the use of two novels The
Great Gatsby and Jazz in her literature course. Even if a teacher didn’t plan on using these
two novels, what that teacher could obtain from this source is that by reading two different
texts, students can look at the same time period and see different cultures, beliefs and
issues juxtaposed to each other. For instance an African American story of survival through
oppression (Jazz) compared side by side to the white society lifestyle of excess (The Great
Gatsby) is described as a strategy for each to enrich the other. This source was interesting
because it included a section where fellow teachers gave their feedback. Although several
said that they might not teach Gatsby and Jazz together, they would look at teaching two
contrasting texts at the same time.
This really fits society, if one thinks about it. There is always varying opinions, different
struggles in every time period. Just looking at the 1920’s alone, and the fact that this group
project only covers women, Harlem Renaissance, prohibition, and one novel should attest
to the fact that there is way more that could be covered in the 1920’s. Taking different
topics and comparing them juxtaposed to each other is what will give students a much more
comprehensive appreciation for this time period.
Ruggieri, C.A. (2008). Strategies for Success with Gatsby [Review of the book “The Great Gatsby” in the
Classroom: Searching for the American Dream]. The English Journal, 97(3), 109-111. Available
from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30046843
"While you're reading The Great Gatsby, it is a novel of its time; after reading, it is a novel
for all times" -David Dowling, author of The Great Gatsby in the Classroom: Searching for the
This quote of the author is thought provoking much like the sources listed in this review,
by Ruggieri. Content is listed by chapter and provides rubrics, examples of student work,
outlines to give opportunities for class and group discussion, detailed descriptions of possible
art projects and skits. Lastly, the source lists a plethora of post reading texts, videos, and
teaching strategies with a step by step breakdown of how to present it to the classroom.
This would be especially helpful when engaging students in The Great Gatsby in a variety
of learning styles. Gatsby can be a difficult text, especially to students who have not yet
developed a higher awareness, or metacognitive ability to see the richness that the text
can present. These strategies are a valuable tool kit that can make Gatsby exciting and
understandable for any student.
Turk, D.B., Klein, E., and Dickstein S. (2007). Mingling ‘Fact’ with ‘Fiction’: Strategies for Integrating
Literature into History and Social Studies Classrooms. The History Teacher, 40(3), 397-406.
Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30036831
This source was especially valuable because it incorporates how to connect texts of the
1920’s to the historical movements of that time period across the curriculum. The authors
list their big five strategies for incorporating History and Social Studies with English classes
and go into specifics how they can be achieved while also being fun and exciting for the
students. Being era driven, theme based, asking essential questions, identity driven (also
culturally driven), and being literature based (like using the typical English strategies of close
readings, etc) are the main strategies, and the journal goes into great detail to describe how
this could evolve in the classroom. In these details, it discusses specific poems (Langston
Hughes), texts (The Great Gatsby), essential questions pertinent to women’s suffrage
such as “Are men and women created equal?” and so on. At the end of the journal a
comprehensive list of student activities shows how to utilize these strategies when given a
text example. This source would be valuable when teaching literature of the 1920’s since it is
impossible to not teach the impact History/Social Studies at the same time.