Langston Hughes Lesson - South Eastern School District

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Joel Logan, Jennifer Adams, Jenna Ritter

  1. Previous lesson: Students will have read the Langston Hughes biography and his poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" in the previous day's lesson.

  2.  Warm-up: With a partner, students take 5 minutes to analyze "The Negro Speakers of Rivers" based on yesterday's reading and lesson.  Identify tone and figurative language in the poem.  After 5 minutes of brainstorming with partners, share with the class in a 5-10 minute discussion.

  3. Tell the class that they will be viewing a Crash Course video by John Green on the Harlem Renaissance and Hughes' poetry.  Ask if anyone knows anything about the Harlem Renaissance -- students have an opportunity to share any of their knowledge.  Instruct students that as they watch the video, they should jot down 3-5 new observations and/or questions about the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes, or "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" that Green presents.  

  4. Show video (11 minutes) while students take notes.

  5. Ask students to share with a partner their questions and reactions to the video (2 mins to share), then choose a few students to share with the whole class.

  6. Give students 5-10 minutes to explore this website on the Harlem Renaissance.  After reading, they should choose 1 of the following: a poem by one of the poets mentioned or a song by one of the musicians mentioned.  They should find a copy of the song or poem online, read/listen to it, and take notes on 3 ways the song portrays the African American voice of the time period.  They should be prepared to share their chosen song/poem and observations with a small group tomorrow.



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