The Harlem Renaissance
Humanities
The Harlem Renaissance Unit Activity: English 11 Sem B Unit 6
Students will:
- Research, evaluate, and synthesize information about the Harlem Renaissance from varied resources
- Highlight connections across varied disciplines (i.e., art and poetry) using a comparison chart
- Demonstrate an understanding, through an essay, a multimedia project, or a museum exhibit, of the effects of the Harlem Renaissance on African Americans
STEP ONE:Preview the Harlem Renaissance Websites to learn about the Harlem Renaissance as well as conditions for black Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are also some websites that will give you additional history of African Americans in earlier America. |
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WRITE DOWN 5 FACTS YOU LEARNED FROM THESE WEBSITES: |
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STEP TWO: In this unit, you have read poetry and essays from the Harlem Renaissance. |
1.Refer back to the writings from this unit: |
2.In the chart that follows, compare and contrast the writings with the following images. Please provide 3-4 bullet points in each section. a.The first box should compare the SIMILARITIES between the ART and the WRITINGS. b.The second set of boxes should point out the DIFFERENCES between the ART and the WRITINGS |
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Similarities BETWEEN THE WRITINGS AND THE ART: |
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Differences: |
Differences: |
STEP THREE: Answer the following questions: |
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1.What impact did the Harlem Renaissance have on African Americans? What is the significance of this period in African American history? |
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ANSWER: |
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2.What did I learn about the Harlem Renaissance by viewing it from different disciplinary perspectives (both art and writing)? |
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3.How did learning about varied artists and poets contribute to my understanding of this time period? |
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4.How effectively did my comparison chart convey the connections across different disciplines? |
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5.List and describe three other concepts that you think would be enhanced by cross-disciplinary learning (outside of the Harlem Renaissance – can be other subjects, too). |
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STEP FOUR: Select ONE option from the three below: |
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a.Review the Harlem Renaissance Websites and decide on the artist, musician, or poet you would like to do your exhibit on from the options below: Option One: artist Jacob Lawrence Option Two: artist William H. Johnson Option Three: musician Duke Ellington Option Four: musician Bessie Smith Option Five: poet Langston Hughes Option Six: poet Countee Cullen b.Look over the Museum Exhibit Checklist to know what you’re going to be graded on. Each exhibit must include (but is not limited to) the following elements: Examples of the artist’s, musician’s, or poet’s work Background information on the artist’s, musician’s, or poet’s life A visually interesting backdrop for the exhibit that captures the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance A written or recorded guide to viewing the exhibit oNote: You should design the guide to enhance the viewer’s experience and summarize key elements. Think of the guide as a road map to guide viewers as they move through the exhibit. For example, you may choose to do an audio recording, giving a “tour” through the museum. |
2.Traditional option: Write a Literary Analysis Essay |
a.In this option, you will write an 800-1000 word literary analysis of a piece (or multiple pieces) from the Harlem Renaissance. b.You can use the poetry of Langston Hughes or Countee Cullen, or any other poets from the Harlem Renaissance era. c.For your literary analysis, you need to pick one literary element found in the piece (or pieces), and discuss how it affects the work(s) as a whole. Examples: symbolism, figurative language (metaphor, simile, allusion, etc.), diction, tone, mood d.Because this is an essay, proper conventions of English (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.) are crucial to your grade. Make sure that you use spell/grammar check, and EDIT and REVISE your work! |
3.Multimedia Project Option 2: Create a Multimedia Analysis |
a.Using Prezi, EMaze, or Google Slides, create a 10-15 slide presentation where you analyze literary elements of 2 or 3 poems from the Harlem Renaissance. You should include images (connecting art with poetry) Your slides can be bullets or paragraphs, but must use proper conventions of English Your understanding of the elements you’re analyzing should be clear, and the relationship between the works you’re analyzing should also be clear. b.You can use the poetry of Langston Hughes or Countee Cullen, or any other poets from the Harlem Renaissance era. c.For your literary analysis, you need to pick one literary element found in the piece (or pieces), and discuss how it affects the work(s) as a whole. Examples: symbolism, figurative language (metaphor, simile, allusion, etc.), diction, tone, mood You should then connect the poem through one of these elements to a work or works of Harlem Renaissance era art |
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