Snapshot: The Decades

The Harlem Renaissance

Students read selected poems by Langston Hughes and analyze them to learn about the social climate of this time period. Students also work individually to research other artists of the Harlem Renaissance.

Standards
Social Studies
Grade 10

History, Benchmark F
The United States in the 20th Century
9. Analyze the major political, economic and social developments of the 1920s including:

e. Harlem Renaissance.

Objectives
• Students will read poems by author Langston Hughes.
• Students will analyze how these poems were a response to the political and social times.
• Students will create and discuss a poster prepared about an artist of the Harlem Renaissance.

Time Needed
This lesson should take three classroom periods as well as two nights of homework to complete the project.

Procedure

Have students read in their textbook about the Harlem Renaissance.
Discuss as a class this historic period.
Provide several poems by Langston Hughes. Have students read and analyze the poems. As a class, discuss the evidence of the political and social climate contained within these poems.
Have students research the Harlem Renaissance and choose another artist to study. Each student should prepare a project (poster, display board or PowerPoint presentation) to help other students learn about these individuals.
Display these posters and display boards around the room and have each person present their findings, including reading segments of their writing or showing images of their artistic contributions.

Topics

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes (1902-1967), http://www.gale.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/hughes_l.htm

Langston Hughes, http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html

Modern American Poets: Langston Hughes — This site gives summaries and explanations of many of his most famous works. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/hughes.htm

Literature

• Charles W. Chesnutt
• Clause McKay
• James Weldon Johnson
• Countee Cullen
• Jesse Redman Fauset
• Rudolf Fisher
• Sterling A. Brown
• Zora Neale Hurston
• Nella Larsen
• Claude McKay
• Jean Toomer

Artists

• Hale Woodruff
• Palmer Hayden
• Edward Burra
• Jacob Lawrence
• John T. Biggers
• Lois Mailou Jones
• William H. Johnson

Musicians

• Joe Oliver
• Duke Ellington
• Louis Armstrong
• Jelly Roll Morton
• Bessie Smith
• Ma Rainey
• Mamie Smith

Evaluation
Project Rubric

CATEGORY	Expert 4	Intermediate 3	Novice 2	Beginner 1
Poster Title	Presents a concise lead-in to the poster.	Gives very little information about the type of artist.	Does not give any information about the type of artist.	No title, name or date.
Pictures	Presents a visually appealing and accurate presentation of pictures including location.	Presents a visually appealing, accurate use of pictures and placement.	Presents a somewhat visually appealing use of pictures but is not accurate.	No pictures, lacks details, confusing.
Labels	Shows all labels accurately.	Shows all labels with few errors.	Shows few labels or inaccurate labels.	No labels.
Content	Contains numerous facts with interesting details.	Contains numerous facts.	Contains some facts with limited details.	Contains few or inaccurate facts.
Writing	All grammar and spelling are correct.	There are only one or two errors.	There are more than two errors.	There are very frequent grammar and/or spelling errors.

PowerPoint Rubric

CATEGORY	Expert 4	Intermediate 3	Novice 2	Beginner 1
Topic/Content	Covers topic completely and in depth. Includes properly cited sources and complete information. Encourages readers to know more.	Includes essential information with most sources properly cited. Includes enough elaboration to give readers an understanding of the topic.	Includes some essential information with few citations and few facts.	Includes little essential information and one or two facts.
Technical Requirements (To be Filled in by Teacher)	Includes at least ___ cards, five or more graphics from outside sources, five or more animations and several advanced features, such as video, 3-D or sound.	Includes at least ___ cards, at least three graphics from outside sources, at least three animations and some advanced features, such as video, 3-D or sound.	Includes ___ cards or less, fewer than three graphics from outside sources, fewer than three animations and few advanced features, such as video, 3-D or sound.	Includes ___ cards or less, few graphics from outside sources and few animations or advanced features.
Mechanics	Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization are correct. No errors in the text.	Includes two or three grammatical errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc.	Includes three or four grammatical errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc.	Includes more than five grammatical errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc.
Oral Presentation Skills	Communicates ideas with enthusiasm, proper voice projection, appropriate language and clear delivery.	Communicates ideas with proper voice projection. Adequate preparation and delivery.	Some difficulty communicating ideas due to voice projection, lack of preparation or incomplete work.	Great difficulty communicating ideas. Poor voice projection. Little preparation or incomplete work.

Scale: 18-20=Expert 15-17=Intermediate 10-14=Novice 6-9=Beginner