Algeanna L. Griffin
EDU 560- Integrating Technology
June 17, 2011
Dominican University- Summer 2011
Literacy Strategy: Analyzing poetry of the Harlem Renaissance era using the Jigsaw strategy.
I. Rationale
The Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, was a time in history when African Americans gained a sense of cultural identity through music, arts, politics, and literature. The purpose of this lesson was to allow students to analyze the poems written in this era and decode the author’s message and compare and contrast each work. This particular assignment also requires students to provide evidence to support their analysis. The teacher will model the assignment with the whole class and then students will form small groups to complete their poetry analysis assignment.
II. Standards and Lesson Objectives
- Students will be able to analyze author’s message by connecting to prior knowledge, inference, and providing evidence from text to support analysis.
- As a result of this lesson, the students will be able to compare and contrast the works of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer and Paul Laurence Dunbar and create reflections illustrating their findings.
ILS. 18. A. 3 – Explain how language, literature, the arts, architecture and traditions contributed to the development and transmission of culture.
CC.K-12.R.9- Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research.
III. Interdisciplinary Connections
The Jigsaw strategy will support students in collaborative reading and discussion with peers while comparing and contrasting literary works of the poets of the Harlem Renaissance.
IV. Materials
Internet Access (Wiki Spaces/ Youtube)
Poems
Graphic Organizers
Pen
Highlighters
History Notebook/Folder
V. Assessing and Building Prior Knowledge
The students will visit wiki to access corkboard. The students will be asked to independently write what they already know about the characteristics of poetry. While on this site, the students will be asked to share why they chose that particular word. I will then show a two minute snippet on African American life in Harlem during the era of the Renaissance. The students will then predict how they believe poetry played a role during this era (think pair share).
VI. Teacher Input and Modeling
We will analyze author’s message through the poem I Too Sing America by Langston Hughes. Before engaging in the text, I will type the title on Powerpoint and the students will predict what they believe the poem is about. They are encouraged to use their background knowledge on race relations of society to assist in their predictions. After sharing predictions, I will access Youtube for a version of I Too Sing America and pass out hard copy of poem and Analyzer Graphic Organizer to each student. We will then discuss what the author’s message for this poem was. Students are reminded that in order to give an answer, they must provide an observation and evidence from the text to support their answer. I will provide an observation and evidence to support my answer. Students are reminded to underline support from text in green highlighter ink. The whole group completes the Analyzer graphic organizer as a class.
I Too Sing AmericaI too sing America
I am the darker brother
They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes,
But I laugh, eat well and grow strong.
Tomorrow
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--
I, too, am America. / My Observation
- The character in this poem experiences discrimination because he cannot eat with the guest.
- Individuals will be judged by character and not by skin color / My Evidence
- Text says, “ they send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes”
- Text says, “They’ll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed”
Author’s Message: The author is saying that racism in America has caused him to be inferior, but despite that, he is still strong and full of pride because he is an American.
VII. Student Practice of Strategy:
1. While the students are seated in their home groups, I will briefly preview the readings for analyzing. Students will also be provided with copies of text.
o Langston Hughes: Dream Variations (1)
o Countee Cullen: Harlem Wine (2)
o Claude Mckay: If We Must Die (3)
o Jean Toomer: People (4)
o Paul Laurence Dunbar: We wear the Mask (5)
Students will count off by fives. Provide the students with a few moments to find their homogenous groups based on their numbers.
2. Students are to report to their expert group. One student per expert group will retrieve poem for the entire group. Each group will click their link on wiki spaces and listen to the poem together and complete the observations and evidence graphic organizers in interpreting the author’s message. Each group must also provide a summary of the poem after completing the task.
3. After the expert groups have completed the task, students return to their home group. Each member in their home group now serves as experts on their particular reading. The students are required to discuss the readings and observations and evidence from their reading. Each student in the home group must take notes on Google Doc on each presenter. At the end of the presentations, each student should have five sets of notes and questions each representing the five authors.
4. should have five sets of notes and questions each representing the five authors.
e end of the presentations, each studetns rlineOnce step three is completed, students are now required to collaborate ideas on how are these poems alike and how are they different. The home group will then fill out the how are they alike and different graphic organizer using their Google Doc notes. This particular exercise allows the students to synthesize the reading materials and formulate arguments about their particular readings. This also allows the students to interact with the other readings they may be unfamiliar with. Lastly, the students must complete a reflection statement on which work they enjoyed the most and why using a word document. This will be emailed to the instructor.
VIII. Assessment
The students will be given a link to the poem Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes. They will also receive the Analyzer graphic organizer to identify their observation and evidence and must record the author’s message at the bottom. An extended practice assignment would encourage students to pretend they are poets in the Harlem Renaissance and create a poem that relate to that era.
How are they Alike? How are they Different?
Reflection Statement
1. Which poem did you enjoy the most? Explain
2. If you could meet one of these poets, which one would you choose? Why?
3. Pretend you are a poet of the Harlem Renaissance and create your own poem.
10 pts / 5 pts / 0 ptsPoem is 3 or more
stanzas.
Clear analysis is provided explaining authors message.
Poem reflects issues of
The Harlem Renaissance
Era. / Poem less than 3 stanzas.
Analysis is not clear or vague.
Poem reflects issues of The Harlem Renaissance
Era. / Poem is not completed.
Poetry Analyzer Graphic Organizer
Poem / My Observation / My EvidenceAuthor’s Message:
The Roaring Twenties
Essential Questions / Key Vocabulary / Unit Overview· How did the Harlem Renaissance affect African American culture as well as American culture?
· The 1920s have been referred to as the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age. What do these names suggest about the period? / · Materialistic
· Racism
· Expatriates
· Renaissance
· Prohibition
· Jazz Age
· Fundamentalism
· Laissez- faire economics
· Mass Media
· Speakeasies / This five day unit is based on Chapter 24 of the McDougel Little American History text. This unit covers the era in history of the 1920s, a time of returning to normalcy after World War I. This unit investigates the laws of Prohibition as well as the rebirth of the African American culture.
Standards/Objectives
Resources / Technology Integration / NETS- S StandardsInternet Access (Wiki Spaces/ You Tube)
Poems
Graphic Organizers
Pen
Highlighters
History Notebook/Folder
LCD Projector
ELMO
Head Phones
Lap Tops / Corkboard.me for anticipatory set
Internet Access for the following:
You Tube
Wiki Spaces
Corkboard
Google Docs / 1. Creativity and innovation
2. Communication and collaboration
3. Critical Thinking, problem solving, etc.
4. Technology operations and concepts.
Content, Skills, Assessment
Content / Skills / Assessmenta. Postwar Economics and Politics
b. The Jazz Age and Popular Culture
c. The Harlem Renaissance / · Analyzing primary and secondary sources
· Vocabulary Practice
· Interdisciplinary Projects
· Readers Theatre
· Problems and Solutions
· Inferencing
· Draw Conclusions
· Compare and Contrast
· Cause and Effect
· Synthesis / · Section Quizzes
· Chapter Test
· Mapping
· Document Based Questions
· Essential Question extended response
· Prezi Presentations
· Poetry and Music Analysis