Peabody Public Schools

Harlemania: An Interdisciplinary Unit

Prepared by: S. M. Smoller

Date: April 2009

Theme: Poetry, Art and Music of the Harlem Renaissance and The Culture of the 1920's

Primary sources used: Discovery Education Streaming: The 1920's Beyond the Glitter:
Culture in the 1920's; New York Up Close-Immigration and the Industrial Revolution: The Harlem Renaissance; Works of : Aaron Douglas, Romare Bearden, Duke Ellington and various Jazz musicians.
Resources: http://www.peabody.k12.ma.us/higgins/Harlem/resources.htm

Specifically designed for grade 7 students

Instructional Objectives:

Students will understand that primary sources are “eyewitness accounts” of history and that by looking at how ordinary people experienced events they can better understand some of the key points in American history.
What if the Harlem Renaissance Era never occurred?
Students will sharpen their personal interaction skills by analyzing concepts of being yourself, accepting others, bullying, name calling and the effects of labeling others.
Why is analyzing someone's point of view important?
Students will build and strengthen their vocabulary and discover the significance of point of view and theme.
What is a literary movement and what does the term “Renaissance” mean?
Students will showcase their work with the school community and community at large via an Art Exhibit and Music Performances.

Materials and Resources:

Website: http://www.peabody.k12.ma.us/higgins/Harlem/index.htm

Vocabulary:

Matching and Flashcard Activities on quia.com: http://www.quia.com/jg/1618088.html

Extensions and Modifications: Link to ClickSpeak for text-to-speech software for Firefox users, access from Higgins to: e-reader, vision enhancement software, and Kurzweil.

Correlation with Massachusetts Frameworks:
English: