​rethink.

Lesson 3: Langston Hughes' Poetry

 

Preferences

Grade Level: 4th Grade

Standards Addressed:

 

8.3.4.B: Locate historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to United States history.

R4.A.1.3.1: Make inferences and/or draw conclusions based on information from text.

1.4.4.A: Write poems, multi-paragraph stories and plays. Include detailed descriptions of people, places, and things. Include literary elements.

                       

 

Lesson Overview:

 

For this lesson, students will focus on the perspective of Langston Hughes, a famous writer and poet during the Harlem Renaissance.  Students will explore the lives of both Langston Hughes and Booker T. Washington.  They will analyze and interpret some of Langston Hughes’ famous works and have discussions about their observations and understandings.  We want students to understand the process a poet goes through to create a final product and how small changes can completely alter the feeling and meaning of a poem.  Finally, the students will create their own poem about injustices as modeled by Langston Hughes.  This will allow students to think deeply about their lives and creating poetry.  

 

Materials Needed:

Langston Hughes Poems (Primary Sources)

• Ballad of Booker T. Drafts (See below)

• Ballad of Booker T. Final Poem (See below)

• I, too, sing, America

• Computers (Research Project)

 

Preparation:

• Students will need to have background knowledge of how to interpret poems.  Students should understand that all poems don’t have one direct meaning, but have endless possibilities and multiple interpretations.  Poems focus on evoking feelings and challenging understandings.  (This should be taught earlier in the school year.)

• They should also have a basic knowledge of how to write poems

• Students should know how to research information on the internet and find information that is relevant to their main focus. 

• The classroom will be set up in small groups so that students are able to work together easily. 

• Students will work in small groups and also participate in large group discussions.

 

Lesson Steps:

1. We will begin by learning about the life of Langston Hughes and Booker T. Washington.

2. The topic will be introduced by presenting two pictures; one of Langston Hughes, one of Booker T. Washington. I will tell the students that these are two men who were very influential to the Harlem Renaissance, but not give too much information. 

3. Students will do a brief research project to find important information about their lives.

4. They will be split into groups. One group will focus on what Langston Hughes did during the Harlem Renaissance.  The second group will give a brief history of his life.  The third group will discuss the type of works that he writes and the main themes.  The fourth group will focus on Booker T. Washington and his role during the Harlem Renaissance.  The fifth group will research the life of Booker T. Washington.  (Some of the information may overlap, but the majority will be different.)  

5. They will present this information to the class so that everyone fully understands the lives of Langston Hughes and Booker T. Washington.  Students can present the information through a powerpoint, a discussion, drawings or pictures. 

6. Then, the students will read the drafts of Langston Hughes’ poems and the final version.

7. We will read the first draft and the final draft aloud.

8. Then we will have a group discussion to examine their observations and the changes that Langston Hughes made to the poems.  Important questions to ask include: What do you believe is the main point of this poem?  Why would Langston Hughes write this? Does the main point change throughout the drafts?  Why did Langston Hughes change his wording?  What does this do to the meaning of the poem?  Does Langston Hughes beliefs or feelings towards Booker T. Washington change over time? When was this written?  Why did he write this after Booker T. Washington passed away?

9. We will then read I, too, sing, America together. 

10. The students will split into groups and have a discussion similar to our large group discussion.  They will discuss the themes, main points and the speaker.  They will focus on the injustices that the speaker is writing about and how he conveys his messages.  They will also talk about how he evokes emotion from the reader. 

11. The students will create their own poem.  They will focus on an injustice that they see in their lives or in society.  They will write a poem focusing on this issue as Langston Hughes did.