Lesson Plan for US History/English
6th-10th grades
Time Frame: 3-4 days (90 minute class periods)
Mr. Donn; USA
Harlem Renaissance
Day One: Introduction: Provide background/History of the Harlem Renaissance
Day Two
Poetry of Langston Hughes
Tell how he wrote while listening to jazz
Play some old (Dixieland) style jazz and have students read along
Pass out packets of poems
Tell students that they need to select a poem that they are going to read to music. They get to select the music.
Direct students to go through the whole packet and describe in what style poems were written.
Day Three
Presentation Day:
Allow each student 1 minute
If the song selected has words that interrupt the reading, suggest to students that they try turning down the volume. (It works.)
Results in my class: I was surprised by the variety of music selected. The vast majority of students participated. Those who did not actually select a poem and set it to music listened during class to those who did. I did assign a couple of A++, a nearly unheard of success!