Jazz Academy
Let Freedom Swing
Three lessons in the Let Freedom Swing concert tour resource guide packed with information, materials, and activities that provide the context for any study of American history.
Curated OER
Focused Learning Lesson: American History
Eleventh graders examine the 1920s which was known as the "Roaring Twenties". They identify the Harlem Renaissance, Prohibition, and the Women's Suffrage movement.
Curated OER
Langston Hughes
Students identify similarities between Hughes' poetry and music (jazz and the blues).
Curated OER
Romare Bearden and the Face Collage
Fourth graders create a collage from magazines and newspapers to create a face. After finishing the face, they use mixed media to complete the background. They write their own description and examine the life and works of Romare Beardon.
Curated OER
Marian Anderson: From Page to Stage
Students become immersed in a compelling anecdote of the civil rights movement through the experience of constructing dramatic scripts. An added goal is to equip students, through this "hands-on" experience, to critique dramatic...
Curated OER
Jazz's Beginnings
Learners examine jazz's roots and their hybridization in New Orleans in the early 20th century. They listen to ragtime and jazz recordings, then complete worksheets imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
Deep like Rivers: Four African American Poets of the 1920s and 1930s
Students examine work by outstanding African American poets from the time period of the 1920s and 1930s. They study aspects of American and African American social, cultural and artistic history that influenced the content of some of the...
Curated OER
The Life and Work of Jacob Lawrence
Black History Month provides a time to talk about the accomplishments of African Americans like Jacob Lawrence.
Curated OER
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Students analyze sculpture, poetry, and music to gain an understanding of historical events. In this critical thinking skills lesson, students take a closer look at African-American history as they examine "Lift Every Voice and Sing'"...
Curated OER
Modernism
Students engage in a study of the literature of modernism in America. They conduct research and read different texts for clarification of the genre style. Students discuss the background influences of culture that shaped modernism.
Curated OER
Black History in Music
Learners relate musical styles with US historical context through research and presentation.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: American Literature and Composition: The Harlem Renaissance
This lesson is an introduction to a unit on The Harlem Renaissance, the period between the end of WW I through mid 1930s when African Americans were recognized for their literature, music, and art. It discusses their themes and lists...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Harlem Renaissance" by Jessica Mc Birney
A learning module that begins with "The Harlem Renaissance" by Jessica McBirney, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...
University at Buffalo
Circle Association: Harlem Renaissance History and Links
This resource from the Circle Association at the University of Buffalo gives background on the origins of the Harlem Renaissance and highlights its most famous authors.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: A Harlem Renaissance Retrospective
In this instructional activity, students work in collaborative groups to conduct Internet research and create a museum exhibit that highlights the work of selected artists, musicians, and poets of the Harlem Renaissance.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: Harlem Renaissance
Extensive information about the Harlem Renaissance, a period of time considered to be the cultural awakening of African Americans. Included are sections on poetry, fiction, and drama, as well as the legacy of this movement.
Other
Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance
An online exhibit of representative art from the Harlem Renaissance.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: What Was the Harlem Renaissance?
Professor Kate Rushin describes the Harlem Renaissance as a large social and cultural movement fueled by many factors in this video from A Walk Through Harlem.
Other
Oxford University Press: Harlem Renaissance [Pdf]
An essay detailing the artistry of the Harlem Renaissance period as demonstrated in the poetry and writings derived from New York City in the 1920s.
Library of Congress
Loc: Web Guides: A Guide to Harlem Renaissance Materials
Presents the Library's resources as well as links to external web sites on the Harlem Renaissance, and a bibliography.
PBS
Pbs: Masterpiece Theatre: The Harlem Renaissance
A review of the writers and artistry during the Harlem Renaissance by Masterpiece Theater. With links to Langston Hughes and a teacher's guide to watching the film "Cora Unashamed".
PBS
Pbs: American Novel: Literary Timeline: Literary Movements: Harlem Renaissance
History of the Harlem Renaissance, including information on prominent writers of the time period.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Harlem Renaissance Authors
As part of a study of the Harlem Renaissance, young scholars will do research on a Harlem Renaissance author. Individually, students will use websites to gain information about the author and the author's impact in literature and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Harlem Renaissance Unit
This unit on the history and contribution of the Harlem Renaissance combines research and creative presentations in the form of slideshows, a timeline, and desktop publishing.