Harlem Renaissance Lesson Plan

Teacher Name: Shelby L. Carbaugh

Lesson Title: Harlem Renaissance

Target Age / Subject: 11th Grade / U.S. & Virginia History

-Students in this class represent a diverse group of ethnic backgrounds, but socio-

economically a majority being middle class. This lesson is designed for the College-Prep

level classroom and all students have demonstrated proficiency in Internet-based

research, all possess a county-issued iBook. In all there are a total of 31 students, six of

which have IEP's and two English-learners.

VA SOL: USII.6c:

-The students will demonstrate knowledge of the social, economic, and technological

changes of the early twentieth century by;

c) examining art, literature, and music from the 1920’s and 1930’s,emphasizing Langston

Hughes, Duke Ellington, and Georgia O’Keefe and the Harlem Renaissance

Introduction:

- Harlem Renaissance – Langston Hughes

- Estimated length of lesson 90 minutes

- Standard of Learning

-Turmoil and Change: 1890’s to 1945 US II.6.c

-Source documents of increase understanding of events and life in U.S.

History from 1865 to the present USII.1a

-Sequence events USII.1c

-Interpret ideas and events from different historical perspective USII.1d

Learning Objectives:

- The student will gain a thorough understanding of the social, economic, and

technical changes of the early 20th

century by examining the art, literature, and

music of the 1920’s, specifically the Harlem Renaissance

- The student will explore the key leaders of the Harlem Renaissance including

Langston Hughes, Jacob Lawrence, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie

Smith and understand each individuals unique role and contribution to the

Renaissance

Content:

-Students will be analyzing the social, political, and economic conditions in American

society during the 1920’s which led to the Harlem Renaissance by reading the handout

“Introduction – “Defining American Culture/Harlem Renaissance”

-Students will be organized in four groups of six to eight students each to research for the

next class a predetermined artist of the Harlem Renaissance

Group #1 – Jacob Lawrence

Group #2 – Duke Ellington

Group #3 – Louis Armstrong

Group #4 – Bessie Smith

-In class for this plan the teacher will be presenting the writer Langston Hughes

Materials:

-iBook’s

-Text: “Horizons: United States History From Civil War to Present”

-CD Player

-CD’s “Ladies of Jazz” and “Golden Legends: Billie Holiday” provided my teacher

-Attached handouts

Teaching and Learning Sequence:

Introduction / Anticipatory Set

-“Ladies of Jazz” and “Billie Holiday” CD playing upon student’s arrival to class

- Teacher will be running a slide show of Harlem Renaissance art and photographs from

the era

Lesson Development

-“Renaissance” graphic organizer (see attached hand out) will be distributed to the class.

Filling this out together as a class will help the teacher determine any prior knowledge of

the students and will introduce the concept of a “Renaissance” to the students.

-Teacher will present the “Harlem Renaissance” Power Point

-Teacher and students will revisit the Renaissance graphic organizer with the

corresponding Power Point slide and engage in class discussion

-Teacher will transition at the end of the slides and go over previous class homework

handout “Introduction – Defining American Culture/ Harlem Renaissance” and round out

the discussion of how the class feels African Americans at this time would be ripe for a

renaissance of their own.

-Teacher will explain the assignment of groups and the activity to be completed by next

class.

-Teacher will conduct a lecture on the life of Langston Hughes, which will include a

biographical WebQuest.

-Class will listen to an audio recording of the Langston Hughes poem “Dream

Variations”

-Students will participate in a “Free-Write” class exercise involving the poem and will

record their thoughts and opinions of how the poem reflects the cultural “rebirth” of

African Americans during the 1920’s.

Closure and Evaluation:

- Using the grid handout, the students and teacher will compare and analyze the

economic, social, political, and geographical characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance.

Homework

- Students will work in assigned groups to complete the research and prepare to

present their assigned Harlem Renaissance artist due for the next (2nd

) class

meeting.

- Students will prepare for the next lesson in the unit by reading the section in the

text The Horizons, which explain the factors which led to the end of the Harlem

Renaissance.

- Students will conduct Internet research to enhance their understanding of the

Renaissance end and will find and attach a minimum of three web sites to the

class blog and explain at least one item from each site which added to the

information included in the text. (due 3rd

class meeting)

- OR

- Students will find at least one trade book, which addresses the Harlem

Renaissance and/ or its end and spend 2-3 minutes sharing with the class what

new information they gained from the found trade book. (due 3rd

class meeting)

Assessment:

- Teacher will be circulating around the room throughout the class to ensure

students are on task and are completing the objectives and assessment of the

graphic organizer is being completed and thoughtfully filled-out.

- Students will be required to participate in the class discussions and will be equally

called on by the teacher to contribute.

- The Free-Write essay will be collected and evaluated by the teacher.

Adaptations

-Within groups the more gifted students will lead the groups through their Internet

research, while other students will act as note-takers recording facts for each individual

artist. This activity will enable all students to practice and develop their research skills,

which will allow them to successfully complete the homework assignment and

presentations.

-Teacher will circulate the room assisting students, especially English-learners, compose

the Free-Write essay and will provide 3-2-8 worksheet for essay development, which will

always be posted in the classroom.

-Gifted students will be paired with those who may be struggling with the writing

assignment and equal ability students will also be paired in order to give peer feedback

and assistance.

References:

Langston Hughes Biography and Timeline:

Library of Congress, U.S. Government, April 23, 2000.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/writers/hughes, accessed October 5,

2008.

Lesson Plan and Handouts:

Melcher, T. Teaching the American Twenties Exploring the Decade Through Literature

and Art. Retrieved October 5, 2008.

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/educator/modules/teachingthetwenties/lesson.php

Textbook:

Green, Jr., Dr. Robert P., McGowan, Dr. Thomas N., Salvucci, Dr. Linda Kerrigan

(2003) Horizons; United States History: From Civil War to Present. In Good Times and

Bad (pages 289-290.) Orlando, Florida: Harcourt.