The work of Langston Hughes opens the door to research into the origin and legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and how the literature of the period can be viewed as a commentary on race relations in America. In addition, groups are assigned...

Discuss the meaning of the phrase tone of voice with the class. They respond to a variety of scenarios where a particular tone would be prevalent. They then read "Mother to Son" without knowing the title and answer some questions about...

Connect the ideas of jazz improvisation and art to writing poetry. Learners collaborate and write different lines of poetry, imitating the jazz styles of improvisation and freewriting. Take a close look at the poems "Tenebrae" by Yusef...

Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...

A band of brothers or the Devil's agents? Nobel warriors freeing the oppressed or mercenaries working for the military/industrial complex? Groups examine poems from the Civil War, World War I, and World War II to determine the poets'...

Use Langston Hughes's poem, "Words Like Freedom," to explore the concepts of freedom and liberty. Learners read the poem, determine the theme, and use the provided graphic organizer to examine the connotative and denotative meanings of...

Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...

"Salvation," a short story written by Langston Hughes, is about religion and one boy's struggle to believe in Jesus. After reading the text with your class (not provided), distribute the four short-answer questions listed here. Readers...

Introduce your young scholars to personification. The literary device is clearly defined and illustrated with clever examples. Opportunities for guided and independent practice using poems by Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes are also...

Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...

A carefully crafted three-day lesson plan integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson plan...

Young scholars compare and contrast African-American, Asian-American, Chicano and Native-American movements with the civil rights movement and are exposed to the sociopolitical and economic factors involved in the rise of social movements.

The class reads a short comment on the symbolism of rivers in the Langston Hughes poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." They respond to a question about the relationship between rivers and the black community and a question about the...

Tenth graders complete a brief journal entry explaining what they would do with one million dollars. They read and discuss "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes. Students finish reading Act I of A Raisin In The Sun and identify the...

Langston Hughes’ poem, Fall Leaves, provides the text for a personification identification worksheet. Pupils underline examples of this literary device and then write an explanation of how it is used in the poem.

Reflect upon the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance by looking at some of Langston Hughes' works. "I, Too" and "American Heartbreak" are mentioned, as well as work by Malcolm X and Smokey Robinson. Specific questions help guide discussion...

Students, while in the computer lab, visit a variety of web sites and read about the life and work of Langston Hughes. They create an author's brochure on Mr. Hughes from the data they collect from the various web sites. Each student...

Young scholars complete a unit of lessons that explore the poetic voice of Langston Hughes. They define voice, read and analyze various poems by Langston Hughes, and complete journal entries for each lesson.

Explore the idea of democratic poetry. Upper graders read Walt Whitman, examining daguerreotypes, and compare Whitman to Langston Hughes. They describe aspects of Whitman's I Hear America Singing to Langston Hughes' Let America Be...

Students analyze the elements of poetry and jazz. In this critical thinking skills lesson plan, students take a closer look at the rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, form, free verse, lyricism, and imagery that exist is jazz as well as poetry. 

Students investigate African American history by researching culture. In this Harlem Renaissance lesson plan, students identify the teachings, music and art associated with African Americans in Harlem in the early 20th century. Students...

Eleventh graders discover the poetry of Langston Hughes. In this social issues lesson plan, 11th graders experience the views of Langston Hughes. Students read Hughes' poetry and discuss the basic theme. Students evaluate the political,...

Young scholars write a speech.  In this dreams lesson, students define the word dreams and list their own dreams.  Young scholars read and discuss Langston Hughes work, read and discuss excerpts from speeches by JFK and Martin Luther...

Students analyze the use of voice in Langston Hughes' poetry. In this poetry analysis lesson, students define voice in poetry and write journal entries to develop their voice as writers. Students write a poem with a clear voice or write...