Harlem Renaissance

This collection of inquiries explores the significant impact of the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance on African American history and culture. It investigates the causes and effects of the Great Migration, the cultural influence of Harlem during the Renaissance, and the role of Langston Hughes’ poetry in shaping African American identity. Exploring this history helps students understand the struggles and achievements of African Americans in their pursuit of equality and recognition. It highlights the resilience and creativity of a community that shaped American culture and identity.

Building Block Stacks 1

Great Migration Imact

Compelling Question

What impact did the Great Migration have on the United States?

About the inquiry

The Great Migration was a catalyst for the evolution of African American culture, creating a dynamic interplay of rural traditions and urban innovation. It reshaped not only African American life but also the cultural fabric of the entire United States, laying the groundwork for greater visibility, recognition, and influence of Black culture in the 20th […]

Instructional Snapshot

Students read a text on Black Lives Matter, analyze social media data on activism, and in groups connect themes from the text to trends in the data. T…

1 Supporting Questions

Building Block Stacks 2

Harlem Impact

Compelling Question

What impact did Harlem have on the African-American Community?

About the inquiry

Maps serve as a powerful record of ever-changing areas. This visual narrative captures the essence of a neighborhood while providing a crucial insight into the lives of people who lived in various neighborhoods. Looking at A Night-Club Map of Harlem by artist E. Simms Campbell provides valuable insights into the Harlem Renaissance because it captures […]

Instructional Snapshot

The class opens with a map of modern-day Harlem to introduce context and the idea of the Harlem Renaissance as a cultural “rebirth.” Students analyze…

1 Supporting Questions

Building Block Stacks 3

Langston Hughes on America

Compelling Question

How did Langston Hughes offer the African-American community a different version of America?

About the inquiry

While “I Hear America Singing” is celebrated, some critics argue that Whitman’s poem overlooks the struggles and injustices faced by marginalized groups in America, such as enslaved people, women, and indigenous communities. These omissions have prompted responses like Hughes’s “I, Too”, which seek to fill the gaps in Whitman’s vision Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too” […]

Instructional Snapshot

The class begins with students brainstorming their definitions of “America” before reading and annotating Whitman’s I Hear America Singing and Hughes’…

1 Supporting Questions