Against the Odds: The Trials and Tribulations of the Harlem Renaissance
by Erin Lunstrum
Boise State University

THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE WEB QUEST

INTRODUCTION

The time is 1918 in the heart of Harlem. World War I has just ended and many of your friends and family have just returned from fighting in Europe. You are an African American living in the heart of Harlem. For once you feel a sense of pride in being an American. Some questions you might ponder might be:

• How will I express myself and who I am?
• What are my goals?
• What does living in Harlem say about who I am?
• What defines my culture?

THE TASK

Working with other members of your group, you will divide up the task of researching the Harlem Renaissance by considering what it would be like to be an artist, an activist, or a historian. Each group will be assigned to answer different questions according to your assignment. Resources will be available via Internet web sites for you to research your data.

THE PROCESS

1. There will be three groups, each assigned to a different aspect of the Harlem Renaissance. One member of the group will present the information found, while the others will research and record the information.
2. Working on your own, you will go through the list of resources.
3. After you have examined the web sites given, you will provide the information to your presenter, who will then present to the entire class!

4. Use the following questions per group to assist you in your research and aid you in your class presentation:

GROUP I- The Artists

You are an African American living in Harlem, discovering your unique gift as a talented artist. View the web sites an this assignment listed under resources and answer the following questions. After answering the questions below, be prepared to present your research to the class. Remember, you are a Harlem Renaissance artist.

• Describe the initial or overall feeling of the paintings discovered on the web sites.
• What obstacles might you face as an African American Artist in the 1920's?
• Compare your life as an artist to that of a musician.
• Name three prominent artists of this genre and present their work through a power point presentation

GROUP II- The Poets

You are an African American poet immersed in the rich cultural influence of the Harlem Renaissance. Use the web sites listed below to assist you in your poetic research, and then answer the following questions. Be prepared to present your information to the class.

• The art movement was generally optimistic in tone during the Harlem Renaissance. Do you feel the poetry or prose produced during this time had the same tone?Can you draw any comparisons?
• Identify at least three prominent African American poets, provide your classmates with samples of their work and be prepared to discuss.
• Write a poem or a work of prose depicting the Harlem Renaissance and your reaction to your surroundings. Present the finished work to your classmates.

GROUP III- The Activists

You are a political activist interested primarily in the explosion of art and culture in the 1920's in Harlem. It is now 15 years after the cultural explosion in Harlem. Use the web sites listed below to assist you in your poetic research, then answer the following questions. Be prepared to present your information to the class.

• Who were the leading contributors to the Harlem Renaissance? List at least two and describe what they did (Hint: The PBS video described two very important characters in the film we viewed)
• Why was France such a liberating place to be for African Americans in the 1920's?
• Why did the Harlem Renaissance end?
• Combine the research you have gathered, print out what information you deemed pertinent and present it to the class using a poster board display

RESOURCES

Use the following web sites to assist you in your research:

• http://www.nku.edu/~diesmanj/harlem.html
  This web site contains an overview of the history of the Harlem Renaissance, focusing on art, poetry and works from prominent Harlem artists in the 1920's.
• http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?prmlD=1473
  A direct link to the inspiring and thought provoking poetry of Langston Hughes. Hughes became one of Harlem's most prominent poets.
• http://www.pbs.org,/newshour/forum/february98/harlem_2-20.html
  Web site forum bringing up pertinent questions regarding the Harlem Renaissance. This website also lists upcoming gallery openings, African American special events, and cultural information of pertinent artists.
• http://www.fatherryan.org/harlemrenaissance/
  Web site containing photographs from the 1920's Harlem, as well as significant works of art displayed at the Harlem Gallery of Art. This site also contains poetic works and biographies of displayed artists.

EVALUATION

This web quest was designed for a group activity. However, you will be graded individually by the quality and complete comprehension of your assigned group. Use the following rubric to determine your grade:

CRITERIA	MINIMAL OR LOW	ADEQUATE OR AVERAGE	EXTENSIVE OR EXCELLENT
Content	Minimal understanding of the Harlem Renaissance	Able to answer all questions and provide some further informationon African American Art	Able to fully understand process given, answer all questions and provide further information on African American Art
Technology	Briefly viewing several websites	Viewing all given websites thoroughly	Viewing all given websites, browsing related topics and relaying information
Teamwork	Lack of cohesiveness, confidence in presentation	Cohesive, confident knowledge of information presented	Cohesive, confident knowledge of information, additional tidbits of pertinent information on subject.

CONCLUSION
As a result of your fun and challenging web quest, you have had a great opportunity to learn about the Harlem Renaissance and the outburst of African American art. As a part of the investigation, you will have become aware of the challenges and obstacles overcome by struggling artists. Now it will be your job Dodecide, how your presentation represents the beauty of the Harlem Renaissance.

NOTES

Back to Lesson Plan