Lesson Title:  Lessons Eleven; Day Eleven:  The Poetry of Langston Hughes

 

Time Frame:  One Day, One 50 minute period

 

Unit Title:  The Black Experience: 1920s-1940s

 

Grade Level:  10th and 11th

 

Subject:  Language Arts

 

Submitted By:  Alsandyra Essien

 

Illinois State Goals and Cross Curricular Components:

 

Language Arts Goal Two:  Students will be able to read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras, and ideas.

 

B.M.2.A.4c:  Students will describe relationships between the author’s style, literary form (e.g. short stories, novels, drama, fables, biographies, documentaries, poetry, essays) and intended effect on the reader.

 

B.M.2.A.4d: Students will describe the influence of the author’s language structure and word choice to convey the author’s viewpoint.

 

Related Social Science Goal 16:  Understand events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping the history of the U.S.

 

B.M.16 B.4:  Identify political ideas that have dominated United States historical eras.

 

Social Studies Goal 18:  Understand United States Social Systems.

 

Learning Standard A.  Compare characteristics of culture as reflected in language, literature, the arts, and institutions.

 

Learning Standard 18 B:  Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.

 

B.M. 18.A.4.  Analyze the influence of cultural factors including customs, traditions, language, media, art, and architecture in developing pluralistic societies.

 

Materials:

 

          Computers/laptop

          Projector

          Handouts of drafts, http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/024))

         

Resources:

American Memory:

Hughes, Langston.  Drafts of Langston Hughes's poem "Ballad of Booker T.," 30 May-1 June 1941. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/024))] [A57 (color slide; first and second drafts); A58 (color slide; final draft)] (January 2003)

 

Methods:

 

Journal Entry:  How do you usually react when you are told to revise a paper you have written?

 

1.     Pass out copies of “The Ballad of Booker T.” by Langston Hughes in its finished version as it appears in the text.  PowerPoint will also display the same items throughout the entire activity. 

 

2.     Have students read the poem silently to themselves.

 

3.     Have students discuss the theme of the poem and the poet’s choice of words and images.

 

4.     Pass out copies of Hughes’ first draft of the poem.

 

5.     Students are to compare and contrast this draft with the finished version.

 

6.     Pass out copies of Hughes’ second draft of this poem.

 

7.     Students are to compare and contrast the second draft with the first draft.

 

8.     Pass out copies of the third draft.

 

9.     Students are to compare and contrast the third draft with the second draft.

 

10. Pass out copies of the fourth draft.

 

11. Students are to compare and contrast this fourth draft with the third.

 

12. Refer students to the final version of the poem.  Students are to discuss the effectiveness of his revisions.

 

Assessment/Evaluation: 

 

After having analyzed a “real” writer’s work-in-progress, the students are to write a reflection on how  they now view working with revisions to their own papers.

 

Return