Influential African Americans of the Harlem Renaissance Research Project

Mrs. Hamilton—10th Literature and Composition

Group Research Project: Society has long since been focused on the literary works of African Americans, but few really illustrate the influence that the poets and musicians from the Harlem Renaissance had on literature and culture. This lesson will allow students to research and understand that there are other influential African Americans other than Martin Luther King Jr., Langston Hughes, or Barak Obama. African American poetry and music from the Harlem Renaissance led the way for African Americans in literature, politics, culture, and society. Students will choose from one of the given topics below in developing their research. Collaborative research projects will reflect these aspects of the poets and musicians of the Harlem Renaissance, contributing specific information and reflecting a more topic-specific thesis statement.

Standards:

ELA10RL4.c,d ; ELA10W3.a,b,c,d,e

Objectives:

ü  Students will understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, trends, and political issues to develop historical principles.

ü  Students will observe, analyze, and interpret social influences, political influences, and cultural influences to better understand people and the influence that they have amongst individuals.

ü  Students will be able to identify, understand, and use different forms of research materials to create and develop a thesis statement and a bibliography.

Materials Needed:

  • 100 pack of 3 x 5 index cards with lines
  • Paper/Pen
  • Copies of all research material used
  • Computer/Printer

Developing Your Research Project:

1.  Research: The object of a research project is to research a topic. Utilize book and article databases at the library, reputable websites, encyclopedias (NOT Wikipedia!!) and other reference books, peer-reviewed magazines, and biographies. Find as much as possible written about your topic and make a copy or print a copy of the page. Use the index cards to write your bibliographical information on as your research your topic.

2.  Write your Thesis Statement: This is one of the most important parts of the writing process. You are to write one sentence that states your main point or subject. Remember that you have to be able to prove, using your research, anything you say in your thesis statement.

Research Topics:
Influential People:
Claud McKay
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments
Counteé Cullen
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments
James Weldon Johnson
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments
W.E.B. Du Bois
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments / Marcus Garvey
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments
Charles S. Johnson
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments
Duke Ellington
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments
Louis Armstrong
Biography
Historical/Personal Influences
Educational Background
Works Published
Movements/Historical Accomplishments

To submit research:

¤  Type (black ink, 12 point font, Times New Roman, double-space) your title page.

¤  Bold-face your thesis statement and place at the top of your outline.

¤  Type (black ink, 12 point font, Times New Roman, double-space) your outline.

¤  Type (black ink, 12 point font, Times New Roman, double-space) your bibliography page.

¤  Include the rubrics.

¤  Staple together in the following order: title page, outline, works cited page, and rubric.

¤  Paper clip source cards along with everything you stapled together.

¤  Place completed work in a manila/paper pocketed folder with your group name on it

This project is due March 29, 2011. Projects after Tuesday, March 29th will NOT be accepted.

TOTAL POINTS FOR PROJECT = 200 points


Name______Group______Class Period ______

Performance Assessment Rubric for Research

Subject: Influential African Americans of the Harlem Renaissance Research Project

Grade Level: 10th Literature and Composition

Performance Assessment for Research / Exceeding Standards
50pnts / Meeting Standards
25pnts / Below Standards
10pnts / Standards are Not Met
5pnts
ELA10RL4c.d
The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works. / Successfully identifies and assesses the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
Includes a formal works cited or bibliography that follows MLA format. / Somewhat identifies and assesses the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
Includes a formal works cited or bibliography the somewhat follows MLA format. / Student struggles to identify and assess the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
Includes a works cited or bibliography but does not follow MLA format. / Student fails to identify and assess the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
Does not include a formal works cited or bibliography.
ELA10W3a-e
The student uses research and technology to support writing. / Successfully formulates clear research questions and utilizes appropriate research venues, Uses a variety of supporting evidence from multiple sources to develop the main ideas, Successfully synthesizes information from multiple sources and identifies complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium, Successfully integrates quotations and citations into an outline and thesis statement, Uses appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to an appropriate style manual such as MLA format / Somewhat formulates clear research questions and utilizes appropriate research venues, Uses supporting evidence from multiple sources to develop the main ideas, somewhat synthesizes information from multiple sources and identifies complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium, Integrates quotations and citations into an outline and thesis statement, Uses conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to an appropriate style manual such as MLA format / Struggles to formulate clear research questions and utilizes appropriate research venues, Uses a minimal amount of supporting evidence from different sources to develop the main ideas, Struggles to synthesize information from multiple sources and identifies complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium, Integrates less than ten quotations and citations into an outline and thesis statement, Uses conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies but does not adhere to an appropriate style manual such as MLA format / Does not formulates clear research questions and utilize appropriate research venues, Does not provide supporting evidence from multiple sources to develop the main ideas, Does not synthesizes information from multiple sources and fails to identify complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium, Fails to integrate quotations and citations into an outline and thesis statement, Does not use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to an appropriate style manual such as MLA format


Name______Group______Class Period_____

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

¨  Research source cards: 10 source cards per subtopic

@  15 points ______

¨  Typed thesis statement and outline

@  50 points ______

¨  Works cited page

@  30 points ______

¨  FINAL RESEARCH FOLDER, submitted exactly according to instructions

@  5 points ______

TOTAL POINTS EARNED= ______/ 200 pts.

Comments:______