(This unit was designed as part of an elective course in Afro-American Literature for high-school students, mostly juniors and seniors, with a variety of reading and writing skills. The unit can be taught autonomously at any high school level since many of the reading selections, especially the poetry, are fairly easy to understand.)
Weeks 1 and 2
The first two weeks should primarily introduce the historical backgrounds of the Renaissance Period. The points to be covered are:
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1.
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What was the state of black art before the renaissance
?
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Students must understand that 1920 was only 57 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Previously, Afro-Americans as a group did not have education or access to the publishing world sufficient to make a significant literary effort. Similarly, other fields of art were shut off by the general assumption of black inferiority. Also, Afro-Americans were not thought to have a distinct cultural heritage.
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2.
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What is a literary movement and what does the term
“
Renaissance” mean
? Here it would be useful to mention other literary movements and the European Renaissance.
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3.
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What was the state of American society at this time
? Here the teacher should cover the Jazz Age, Prohibition, postwar changes, and white-black relationships.
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4.
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Why did Harlem develop as the
“
black mecca
”?
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5.
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What was the Great Migration
?
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6.
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Who was Marcus Garvey and how did he influence black thought of the period
?
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Lecturing and note-taking would be primary strategies for objectives 1 and 2. For objectives 3 and 4, readings from
The New Negro
(“The New Negro” and “Negro Youth Speaks”), an excerpt from Langston Hughes’
The Big Sea
, and “The Awakening: A Memoir” by Arna Bontemps will be helpful. Students will read selections and answer questions.
For objective 4, it would also be useful to use “Harlem: the Culture Capital,” by James W. Johnson, from
The New Negro
.
For objectives 5 and 6, two short readings are very good: “Marcus Garvey” and “The Great Migration,” both selections from
Black History:
A
Reappraisal
, Melvin Drimmer, ed.
Also, in these first two weeks it would be useful to show two filmstrips which the Lee High School History Department possesses: “The Harlem Renaissance and Beyond, Part 1,” and “The Great Migration,” Parts 1 and 2.
Week 3
Now that students should have an understanding of the historical climate, an analysis of art and literature of the period should begin. This can be approached first by reviewing basic literary terms such as plot, theme, setting, characterization, tone, satire, irony, conflict, climax, imagery (metaphor-simile), and symbolism. The literature and artwork can be presented in thematic units. In Week 3, the teacher might begin by exploring poetry which exhibits racial pride and racial relations. These works would include Hughes’ “I, Too,” and “As I Grew Older”; McKay’s “If We Must Die” and “America”; and Cullen’s “Epitaphs” and “From the Dark Tower.” The poems should be read aloud in class first by the teacher and then by students. The teacher might also consider having students memorize one of the poems.
Sample Lesson
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1.
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Read “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay.
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2.
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Students should write out the answers to the following questions.
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a.
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Who is “we” in the poem (point of view)?
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b.
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How should “we” die? (Make sure students answer primarily in their own words, using an important quote.)
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c.
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Who are the “monsters” and what other terms are used to refer to them? (imagery)
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d.
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Explain the line, “What though before us lies the open grave!” (theme)
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e.
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What is the tone of the poem?
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3.
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Students should read “I, Too” by Langston Hughes.
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4.
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Students should answer the following questions:
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a.
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What does the kitchen symbolize?
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b.
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What is the theme of the poem?
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c.
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What is the tone of the poem?
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d.
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How do the tone and theme differ from “If We Must Die”?
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5.
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Students should write a paragraph discussing the relationship to the poetry of Garvey’s philosophy on black pride.
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Week 4
The idea of atavistic or African connections should be explored next. Useful here are poetry from
Cane
(“Georgia Dusk” and “Song of the Son”), Hughes’ “Afro-American Fragment” and “Nude Young Dancer,” McKay’s “Harlem Dancer,” Cullen’s “Heritage,” and slides of the artwork of Aaron Douglas, Sargent Johnson, and Richard Barthe. It might also be useful to show a few slides of African sculpture so students can more easily visualize African influence on art. Also, depending on the background of the students, the teacher might show a portion of tape 10 of the videotapes of Alex Haley’s
Roots
(in possession of Lee High School Annex) to demonstrate how negative American blacks’ view of Africa had been since the days of slavery. This would make the change more dramatic for the students.
Sample Lesson
After students have read and compared “Harlem Dancer” and “Nude Young Dancer,” particularly examining the subtle clues which connect each portrayal to African motifs, students should view a slide of Barthe’s “African Dancer” and first discuss similarities. The students should write one-page papers comparing all three works. Slides of Aaron Douglas’ work could also be used for comparison to any of the poems exhibiting this theme.
Week 5
The theme of exoticism can be explored next. The poems used in Week 4 can be reexamined and a selection from
Home to Harlem
(chapter one is good) can be used. Students should discuss what the term “exotic” means and why Africa as well as Afro-Americans were used as symbols of the exotic.
Week 6
The theme of glorifying the common Negro should be explored. Students should read such works as Hughes’ “Mother To Son,” and “Thank You M’am,” Bontemps “Summer Tragedy,” Fisher’s “Miss Cynthie,” Toomer’s “Fern,” Hurston’s “The Gilded Six-Bits,” and review
Home to Harlem
.
Sample Lesson
After the teacher has discussed characterization, students should write a paper comparing the main characters of “Miss Cynthie” and “Summer Tragedy,” particularly examining the motivation in the latter story and the ways in which all characters exhibit pride and dignity.
Week 7
Teachers should conclude the unit by assigning Thurman’s
Infants of the Spring
(a photocopied selection) and Hughes’ “Who’s Passing For Who.” Either in writing or orally, students should analyze the portrait of the Renaissance presented in these works in light of the selections from
The New Negro
from the first weeks of the unit.
Weeks 8 and 9
Students should use the last two weeks to complete individual reports and review for a final exam. Each student should have been preparing a combination research/literary analysis paper on one author from the second week of the unit. The paper should first focus on biographical information on an author, and second on an analysis of one long work (preferably a novel) by that author. If time allows, students should present their work orally to the rest of the class in addition to passing in a written paper.
As the students prepare for an exam on the unit, it might be helpful to have the class break into groups and, using all notes, books, and reports, write study sheets on dittos for the entire class.
