Voices of the Harlem Renaissance: Art, Music, and Literature

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Voices of the Harlem Renaissance: Art, Music, and Literature

Grade 11HistorySocial Studies5 days

In this 11th-grade project, students explore the cultural explosion of the Harlem Renaissance by analyzing the literature, music, and visual arts of the 1920s. After examining the historical impact of the Great Migration and the works of figures like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, learners investigate how creative expression can challenge stereotypes and redefine identity. The experience culminates in a "Self-Renaissance" portfolio, where students synthesize historical themes to tell their own stories and demonstrate why every voice is vital to American history.

Harlem RenaissanceGreat MigrationBlack HistoryIdentityArtistic ExpressionLiteratureJazz

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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we use the art, music, and stories of the Harlem Renaissance to tell our own stories and show the world why every voice matters in American history?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.

How did the "Great Migration" lead to a "rebirth" of Black culture in Harlem?
How did writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston use their stories and poems to share the Black experience with the world?
In what ways did the music (Jazz) and art of the Harlem Renaissance change how people thought about race and identity?
How can we use the lessons of the Harlem Renaissance to express our own voices and stories today?
Why is it important for different groups of people to have their voices heard in American history?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Analyze the causes of the Great Migration and its direct role in the development of the Harlem Renaissance.
Identify and interpret major themes (identity, heritage, and resilience) in the works of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and other key figures.
Evaluate how the emergence of Jazz and new visual art styles challenged racial stereotypes and reshaped American culture in the 1920s.
Create an original creative work (writing, art, or music) that connects the themes of the Harlem Renaissance to the student's personal identity and voice.

Common Core State Standards (ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.9

Primary

Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.Reason: The project focuses specifically on 20th-century foundational writers like Hughes and Hurston, requiring students to compare themes across their works.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3

Secondary

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.Reason: The project asks students to 'tell our own stories,' which involves narrative writing and creative expression.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.4

Supporting

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.Reason: To understand the poetry and prose of the era, students must analyze the unique figurative language used by Harlem Renaissance authors.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5

Supporting

Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.Reason: The project looks at how different artistic mediums (music, art, literature) were structured to create an 'aesthetic impact' that reflected Black identity.

National Standards for History (U.S. History)

NSS-USH.5-12.7.3.C

Primary

Explain the cultural, political, and economic impact of the Harlem Renaissance on American society.Reason: This standard directly addresses the core historical content of the project: the Harlem Renaissance's impact on society.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Lost Suitcase of the Great Migration

The classroom is transformed into a dusty attic scene where a 'lost' 1920s suitcase has been discovered. Students work in small groups to examine tactile items—a tattered train ticket from the South, a blues record, a draft of a poem, and a silk scarf—hypothesizing who the owner was and why they moved to Harlem.

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Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.

Activity 1

Mapping the Journey: The Great Migration Postcard

In this opening activity, students explore why thousands of African Americans moved from the rural South to the urban North. Students will engage with a 'Great Migration Map' and use a sensory graphic organizer to imagine the sounds, sights, and feelings of a traveler arriving in Harlem for the first time.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Analyze a map showing the migration routes from the South to Northern cities like New York and Chicago.

2. Use a 'Sensory Brainstorming' sheet to list what a person would see (bright lights, tall buildings), hear (jazz, city noise), and feel (hope, nervousness) upon arrival.

3. Write 3-5 sentences on the back of a postcard template addressed to a family member back home, explaining why you moved and one thing you've discovered in Harlem.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Postcard from Harlem' featuring a visual illustration on one side and a short narrative from the perspective of a migrant on the other.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with NSS-USH.5-12.7.3.C by explaining the historical causes (Great Migration) of the Harlem Renaissance and the economic/social factors that led to the cultural shift.

Activity 2

Voices of the Soul: Hughes and Hurston Mashup

Students will dive into the 'Soul of Harlem' by comparing the poetry of Langston Hughes (e.g., 'I, Too') and the prose of Zora Neale Hurston (e.g., 'How It Feels to Be Colored Me'). Students will focus on the theme of 'Identity' and how both authors use specific words to show pride.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Read Langston Hughes’ poem 'I, Too' aloud as a class, highlighting words that show strength or resilience.

2. Listen to or read an excerpt from Zora Neale Hurston’s 'How It Feels to Be Colored Me,' focusing on her description of herself as 'a brown bag.'

3. Complete a Venn Diagram comparing how both authors describe their identity and heritage.

4. Cut out favorite words or phrases from both texts to create a 'Found Poem' that expresses a new message of pride.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Themes of Pride' Venn Diagram and a 'Found Poem' created using favorite lines from both authors.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.9 (comparing themes in foundational works) and RL.11-12.4 (analyzing word choice and tone).

Activity 3

The Rhythm of Resistance: Jazz and Identity

Students will explore how Jazz music was the 'heartbeat' of the Harlem Renaissance. They will listen to Duke Ellington or Louis Armstrong and analyze how the structure of Jazz (improvisation and call-and-response) mirrors the message of freedom and individuality in Harlem literature.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Listen to 'Take the A Train' by Duke Ellington and draw lines or shapes on paper that represent the 'movement' of the music.

2. Identify the 'Call and Response' pattern in the music and discuss how it sounds like a conversation.

3. Write a short paragraph or record a voice memo explaining how the 'mood' of the music matches the 'mood' of a Langston Hughes poem.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Rhythm and Rhyme' Listening Journal entry that connects a specific Jazz song to a poem studied in the previous activity.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5 (analyzing aesthetic impact and structure) and NSS-USH.5-12.7.3.C (impact of Jazz on society).

Activity 4

Windows into Harlem: Visualizing a New Future

Students will examine the vibrant art of Aaron Douglas and other Harlem artists. They will look for symbols (like stars, silhouettes, or musical instruments) and discuss how these images told a story of Black history and future hope, breaking away from negative stereotypes of the past.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. View a gallery walk of Aaron Douglas’s paintings and identify three recurring symbols (e.g., the sun, concentric circles).

2. Discuss in small groups: 'How does this art make you feel compared to old, negative pictures from the past?'

3. Create a silhouette-style artwork using construction paper or digital tools that represents a 'new trend' or a positive change.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Silhouette Story'—a piece of visual art using black silhouettes and bold colors to represent a personal or historical triumph.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with NSS-USH.5-12.7.3.C by evaluating how visual arts challenged stereotypes and reshaped American culture.

Activity 5

Echoes of Harlem: My Voice, My Story

In this culminating activity, students synthesize everything they’ve learned to express their own 'Renaissance.' Using the techniques of the 1920s (metaphor from Hurston, rhythm from Hughes, or bold visuals from Douglas), students will tell a story about their own identity and why their voice matters.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Review the Driving Question: 'How can we use our voices to show the world why we matter?'

2. Choose a medium (Writing, Music, or Art) that feels most comfortable for you to express your own story.

3. Draft or sketch a 'Self-Renaissance' project that includes at least one theme learned from Harlem (e.g., resilience, heritage, or pride).

4. Present your work in a 'Harlem Rent Party' style classroom showcase, where students celebrate each other's work.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Renaissance Portfolio' showcase piece—a student's choice of a poem, a short story, a painting, or a recorded song that answers: 'Why does my voice matter?'

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3 (writing narratives to develop real or imagined experiences) and the project's Driving Question.

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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Harlem Renaissance: My Voice, My Story Portfolio Rubric

Category 1

Historical & Cultural Knowledge

Evaluates the student's understanding of the historical events and cultural shifts that defined the Harlem Renaissance.

Criterion 1

Historical Context: The Great Migration

Ability to explain the causes and effects of the Great Migration and how it led to the cultural explosion in Harlem.

Exemplary

4 Points

Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of push/pull factors; postcard narrative provides vivid, historically accurate details of the journey and the arrival in Harlem.

Proficient

3 Points

Correctly identifies the main reasons for the Great Migration; postcard narrative clearly explains the move and one specific discovery in Harlem.

Developing

2 Points

Shows an emerging understanding of why people moved; postcard is partially complete but may lack specific details about the migration experience.

Beginning

1 Points

Shows initial understanding of the move but struggles to explain why it happened; postcard narrative is incomplete or lacks historical context.

Criterion 2

Aesthetic Impact: Art & Music

Ability to evaluate how Jazz and Visual Arts (Aaron Douglas) challenged stereotypes and expressed Black identity.

Exemplary

4 Points

Analyzes complex connections between art/music and the message of freedom; identifies sophisticated symbols and their impact on American culture.

Proficient

3 Points

Effectively connects a Jazz song to a poem's mood; identifies recurring symbols in artwork and explains their general meaning.

Developing

2 Points

Identifies basic elements of Jazz or Art (e.g., mood or colors) but has difficulty connecting them to larger themes of identity.

Beginning

1 Points

Participates in listening or viewing activities but struggles to describe the artistic meaning or historical significance.

Category 2

Literary Analysis & Interpretation

Assesses the student's ability to analyze foundational works of literature and interpret their meaning.

Criterion 1

Thematic Analysis & Found Poetry

Ability to identify and compare themes of pride, heritage, and identity in the works of Hughes and Hurston.

Exemplary

4 Points

Provides a sophisticated comparison of themes; 'Found Poem' uses word choice and tone to create a powerful, original message of pride.

Proficient

3 Points

Venn Diagram accurately compares authors' views on identity; 'Found Poem' successfully uses phrases from the text to show pride.

Developing

2 Points

Identifies some similarities/differences in the authors' work; 'Found Poem' is created but the message may be unclear.

Beginning

1 Points

Shows initial understanding of the texts; requires significant support to identify themes or complete the creative writing task.

Criterion 2

Language & Tone Analysis

Analysis of specific word choices, figurative language (metaphor), and tone used by Harlem Renaissance writers.

Exemplary

4 Points

Expertly analyzes how metaphors (e.g., the 'brown bag') and specific word choices contribute to a unique aesthetic and emotional impact.

Proficient

3 Points

Accurately identifies and explains the meaning of figurative language and phrases used by the authors to describe the Black experience.

Developing

2 Points

Identifies basic words or phrases but struggles to explain their deeper figurative or connotative meanings.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to determine the meaning of words or phrases used in the literary texts without heavy teacher prompting.

Category 3

Creative Synthesis & Final Product

Evaluates the culminating project and the student's ability to express their own identity through art, music, or writing.

Criterion 1

Self-Renaissance Synthesis

Creation of an original work that synthesizes Harlem Renaissance themes with the student's own voice and identity.

Exemplary

4 Points

Produces an outstanding creative work that innovatively integrates multiple themes (resilience, pride) and shows a powerful personal voice.

Proficient

3 Points

Creates a quality work that successfully connects a theme from the Harlem Renaissance to the student's personal identity.

Developing

2 Points

Produces a project that shows emerging personal connection, but themes from the era are loosely or inconsistently applied.

Beginning

1 Points

Project is incomplete or fails to make a clear connection between the student's voice and the historical themes studied.

Criterion 2

Creative Communication & Voice

Application of narrative techniques (storytelling, rhythm, or visual symbols) to develop real or imagined experiences.

Exemplary

4 Points

Demonstrates advanced integration of skills; uses sophisticated narrative structure, rhythm, or visual metaphor to tell a compelling story.

Proficient

3 Points

Uses effective techniques and well-chosen details to develop a narrative or artistic message that answers 'Why my voice matters.'

Developing

2 Points

Shows partial skill integration; narrative or artistic piece contains some detail but lacks a clear structure or sequence.

Beginning

1 Points

Provides insufficient evidence of narrative development; the final product lacks detail or clear communicative intent.

Category 4

Growth Mindset & Reflection

Assesses the student's engagement with the portfolio process and their ability to reflect on their own learning journey.

Criterion 1

Metacognition & Personal Growth

Engagement with the learning process, use of feedback, and reflection on their growth as a thinker and artist.

Exemplary

4 Points

Shows exceptional growth; reflections demonstrate a deep understanding of how their perspective has evolved through the unit.

Proficient

3 Points

Consistently provides evidence of effort and clear reflections on what was learned in each activity.

Developing

2 Points

Participates in activities and shows some evidence of learning, but reflections are brief or lack specific detail.

Beginning

1 Points

Requires constant support to stay engaged; provides minimal reflection on the learning process.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning

Question 1

How much has your understanding of the Harlem Renaissance changed from the start of this project to now?

Scale

Required

Question 2

Which part of the Harlem Renaissance helped you express your own 'voice' the most during this project?

Multiple choice

Required

Options

The poetry and words of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston

The rhythm and 'call and response' of Jazz music

The bold symbols and silhouettes of Aaron Douglas’s art

The history and personal stories of the Great Migration journey

Question 3

The artists of the Harlem Renaissance showed 'resilience' (staying strong during hard times). What was the most challenging part of this project for you, and how did you keep going?

Text

Required

Question 4

In our Driving Question, we asked: 'Why does every voice matter in American history?' Based on what you learned, why is it important for YOU to share your unique story and identity with the world?

Text

Required