Langston Hughes Lesson Example

Based on what you just saw, pretend that you are writing a lesson. How could you turn that information into a journal prompt or other brief opening?

Why did John Green go on this tangent? Specifically, how will this help readers better understand the poem? Consider if your poem has any other language that might need preloading before your peers read your poem.

We read a Claude McKay poem! It was written as a sonnet. How do you expect Hughes' poetry to sound different from McKay's sonnet, based on Green's descriptions of his inspirations?

Think back to the Dickenson poem we read. Why is this joke funny? You can also discuss other poets you might have discovered in Phase 1 of this project.

Is there anything in Hughes' biography that you think is especially important in understanding his poetry on a deeper level? Thinking this way will help your own planning for your poet's biography.

Choose which question to answer: A) Which details from Hughes' bio helps you better understand the poem? B) What is one poetic device Green mentions and why is it significant to developing the themes of this poem?

Period 6 students: name something Green said that we did not discuss in class when we read Harlem.

Period 7 students: how did the historical context Green included help his analysis of the poem?

After watching this lesson, what are your next steps in preparing your presentation? Will you do research? Start annotating? Something else?