The following is a list of ongoing digital writing activities that you will be participating in throughout the unit to familiarize yourself with media you may not yet have mastered, or that is completely new to you.

1. Digital Maps -- Using Inspiration software to create weekly update of a digital map of The Great Gatsby. Each week you will be expected to make at least five meaningful additions (and appropriate edits) to a digital map that organizes your ideas concerning how the narrative of The Great Gatsby is organized according to setting(s), themes, characters, emotions, class distinctions, or any other classification or commonality shared by various characters or entities. Your work should be posted at the Digital Maps page, and it will be checked once a week on Thursdays. Find my example of a digital map of The Great Gatsby here.

2. ComicLife Digital Stories -- Digital storyboarding/storytelling of specific scene(s) or chapter using images found on Flickr and presented in the medium of comic book or graphic novel using ComicLife. First select which scene you wish to explore in this narrative medium. Next, go to Flickr, search for appropriate images, and select the images you will use to tell your adaptation of the story. Vary the types and content of the images and tiles you use to make your presentation more dynamic. We will visit the computer lab two different days to begin and complete a significant amount of the work on this project. Post completed digital stories on the Gatsby Digital and Graphic Stories page.

3. On-Line Role-Play -- In groups of 4, you will participate in an on-line role-play of characters you think stand out as intriguing or believable. Each group member will take the role of a different character (no overlap allowed). Using details that are revealed about that character by either him/herself or the narrator (Nick), develop an argument or position that critiques or praises some aspect of their modern culture (e.g., the City of Ashes, drinking habits) or popular culture (e.g., music, dancing, film, news from the world, sports). Looking through the eyes of the character you play, take a position that you feel that character might also take given what you know or might infer from the details in the novel. After this, respond once to each group members' positions in the voice of your chosen role (whether you agree with that character or not). Finally, respond to at least two of the responses from your fellow group members (again, in your self-appointed role). Post your original role-play position and all following responses to a single group wiki page using this wiki. Go to the Gatsby Role-Plays page to find a link to where your group will complete your role-plays.

4. iMovie Project -- Lastly, you will create a 5-10 minute iMovie related either (1) directly to the narrative (or possible narratives) of the novel or (2) indirectly paralleling the plot, characterization, or themes in the novel. You CAN grapple with themes without human characters, but you will need to choose appropriate sounds, music, and images to set the right mood for the interpretation you intend to elicit. When you are finished, you need to post your film to YouTube and type and hyperlink your name with the appropriate webpage url on the iMovie Project page so that others can view and comment on your work. Each student must provide meaningful comments and constructive criticism on at least 3 students movies (to receive full credit). Lastly, you will need to write a brief introductory paragraph to relate what inspired you to choose your subject/topic/theme; determine how successful you think you were at creating an engaging film text (and why you think that way); discuss the tasks that you both struggled with and handled with ease, considering why that might be; and write briefly about why this narrative process, style, dialogue, etc. were important decisions that were meaningful to you.

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