• The Harlem Renaissance

    (adapted from carrollk12.org Harlem Webquest)

Welcome to the Harlem Renaissance

  • The Harlem Renaissance marked a cultural period during the 1920’s when African-Americans celebrated their heritage through music, art, literature, politics and social movements. First, watch the brief video introduction about the Harlem Renaissance.

    http://www.history.com/videos/the-harlem-renaissance-an-artistic-explosion#the-harlem-renaissance-an-artistic-explosion

     

    Then, view the following website to answer the questions: (Hint: Copy the questions in to MS Word and type your answers.)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance

    1. What is another name for the Harlem Renaissance?

    2. What contributed to the beginnings of this movement?

    3. What were some common themes within the movement?

    4. List at LEAST 5 major authors, musicians, or political leaders associated with this movement.

    5. Even after this movement ended, what enduring influences did it have on future generations?

Poetry in Motion

  • Langston Hughes was a famous Harlem Renaissance poet. Like others, he developed themes that connected the African-American heritage to the present. The website for this activity is:
    http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722

     

    STEP 1: Read “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” to yourself.

    STEP 2: Press PLAY to hear Langston Hughes recite his poem.

    STEP 3: Answer the following questions in MS Word.

     

    1. How old was Langston Hughes when he wrote this poem?

    2. What rivers does Langston Hughes mention and how do they connect the past to the present?

    3. Think: How does Langston Hughes’ verbal reading of the poem affect its overall tone?

All That Jazz Music

  • During the Harlem Renaissance, jazz and blues music spread from New Orleans to Harlem and all throughout the country. At this website, Ron Scott writes:

    This improvisational music called jazz is a unique sound, colored with political and social ramifications, weaved with Black cultural threads. It's the voice of the ancestors who speak through these great master musicians and the younger generation.

    STEP 1: Watch the brief video biography of Duke Ellington. A Famous Jazz Musician.
    http://www.biography.com/people/duke-ellington-9286338

    STEP 2: View http://jazzmuseuminharlem.org/jazznotes.html to answer the following questions in MS WORD.

    1. Who are three famous male and female jazz legends?

    2. What themes about the African-American heritage resonate from the rhythms of jazz?

    3. Think: In your own opinion, why might a jazz museum be important for current and future generations?

Harlem Renaissance Biography Wheel Project

  • Step 1: Choose one of the following people or groups from the Harlem Renaissance to research as your subject.

    Duke Ellington

    Jelly Roll Morton

    Langston Hughes

    Louis Armstrong

    The Harlem Globetrotters

    Pigmeat Markham

    Wilt Chamberlain

    Ella Fitzgerald

     

    Step 2: Use the internet to research your topic and answer the following questions. (You may cut and paste these questions in to MS WORD.)

    • Where and when was the person born? or When and where was the group created?
    • Describe the early life and education of the subject.
    • Why was the subject or group successful?
    • Describe their family.
    • List 3-5 major accomplishments.
    • How did the subject change the world or impact the Harlem Renaissance?
    • When and where did the person die? or When and where was the group at the time it disbanded?


    Step 3: Print out the Biography Wheel.

    Step 4: Create a biography wheel about your subject.

    Step 5: Make your biography wheel colorful.