Before students meet Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, East Egg, or West Egg, give them a social system to navigate.

In Who Gets In?, students take on one of six fictional social profiles. Each profile begins with a different mix of money, family name, connections, education, and reputation. Students may improve one rating before the simulation begins, then move through five social situations in which different gatekeepers control access.

Students predict first. Then the rule is revealed.

A profile with plenty of money may still be shut out. A strong family name may matter more in one setting than another. Connections may open a door that education cannot. By the end, students have something concrete to discuss before the novel asks them to think about old money, new money, status, belonging, and the limits of social mobility.

In Who Gets In?, students take on one of six fictional social profiles. Each profile begins with a different mix of money, family name, connections, education, and reputation. Students may improve one rating before the simulation begins, then move through five social situations in which different gatekeepers control access.

Students predict first. Then the rule is revealed.

A profile with plenty of money may still be shut out. A strong family name may matter more in one setting than another. Connections may open a door that education cannot. By the end, students have something concrete to discuss before the novel asks them to think about old money, new money, status, belonging, and the limits of social mobility.

WHAT STUDENTS DO

• Read one of six fictional social profiles
• Choose one one-point upgrade before Round 1
• Predict whether their profile will receive full, limited, or no access
• Identify which advantages they expect each gatekeeper to value
• Record the actual outcomes and track access points
• Compare patterns across the six profiles
• Consider whether their upgrade changed an outcome
• Discuss which advantages are rewarded and which remain difficult to acquire
• Return to the simulation after reading The Great Gatsby and test the model against Fitzgerald's world

THE FIVE ROUNDS

1. The Club List
2. The House on the Water
3. The Dinner Table
4. The Position
5. The Next Invitation

Each round introduces a different social barrier. Students discover that wealth, inherited status, connections, education, and reputation do not carry equal weight in every situation.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• 22-page complete resource PDF
• Teacher Quick Start and implementation guidance
• Student/teacher "How It Works" page
• Six fictional social profile cards
• Student Simulation Record
• Five round cards and five reveal cards
• Class debrief and comparison activities
• After-reading return to the simulation
• Teacher Outcome Matrix
• Eight teacher discussion prompts
• 25-minute and 35-minute pacing options
• 16-page student materials PDF
• 5-page teacher guide PDF
• Editable PowerPoint

TWO PACING OPTIONS

25-minute version: Use three selected rounds with adjusted scoring and guided comparison. Ideal for shorter class periods or a focused introduction.

35-minute version: Complete all five rounds, compare access totals, and debrief the patterns students discovered.

Both versions include preparation and discussion guidance.

A NOTE ABOUT THE PROFILES

The fictional profiles intentionally leave race, gender, and ethnicity unspecified. Students do not need to invent these details or disclose anything about their own backgrounds. After reading the novel, students can consider the additional ways Fitzgerald's social world is shaped by race, gender, and other forms of power.

The simulation is a simplified model designed to generate questions and discussion, not a historical reconstruction of every social barrier of the 1920s.

WHEN TO USE IT

Use this activity immediately before beginning The Great Gatsby, before introducing East Egg and West Egg, or as a bridge into discussion of social class, wealth, reputation, status, and the American Dream.

Students do not need prior knowledge of the novel.

TEACHING THE WHOLE NOVEL?

When students are ready to move from questions of status and belonging into close character analysis, continue with my The Great Gatsby Character Analysis Mini-Unit | Literary Analysis & Writing.

WANT MORE PRE-READING SIMULATIONS?

The Great Gatsby: Who Gets In? is also included in the Literature Pre-Reading Simulations Bundle, featuring six decision-based activities for major secondary texts.

These simulations encourage students to make decisions, examine consequences, and explore important themes before beginning their reading.

FILES INCLUDED

PowerPoint + PDF | Grades 9–12 | 22-page complete resource

Plotting Something • Secondary ELA
22-page complete resource

Plotting Something • Secondary ELA