High School American History The Harlem Renaissance

(Alternative to text assignments)

Objectives

Assessment

Resources

Students will be able to:

answer the
reading focus
questions in their
S.S. Journal Log
Students will
effectively be
able to describe
a scene from the
Harlem
Renaissance.
C.S.3.1.A - A.
Cite specific
textual and
visual evidence
to describe
modern forms of
cultural
expression
including the
Harlem
Renaissance,
the Jazz Age,
and talkies
(movies).
ISTE: Standard
1 - Facilitate and
inspire student
learning and
creativity.
ISTE: 1.A and C
- A. Promote,
support, and
model creative
and innovative
thinking and
inventiveness.
C. Promote
student
reflection using
collaborative
tools to reveal

Students will show their

learning by:
Work in groups to
create a play to
act out about
Harlem in the
1920s
Students will be
able to write a
short story from
the perspective of
someone their
age in the era.
work in pairs to
write a
newspaper listing
all the important
items happening
in Harlem in the
1920s

Teacher will provide:

Textbooks
online music
from era
online art
from era

http://rubistar.4teachers.o
rg/index.php?
screen=ShowRubric&rub
ric_id=2571448&
http://rubistar.4teachers.o
rg/index.php?
screen=ShowRubric&rub
ric_id=2571456&
http://rubistar.4teachers.o
rg/index.php?
screen=ShowRubric&rub
ric_id=2571461&

Instructional
Plan

Students will be
allowed to use
their devices, or
school provided
devices, to
prepare their
presentations for
the Harlem
Art from Harlem
Renaissance.
Renaissance
Music should be
played at a low
http://www.artlex.co volume for
m/ArtLex/a/african_ students to
american_4.html
immerse
themselves in
History of
the time. Music
for each day is
Musicians
suggested.
http://historyoftheha Students should
rlemrenaissance.we be allowed to
ebly.com/musicians. discuss at a low
volume anything
html
about the topic
of the Harlem
Louis Armstrong
Renaissance.
Video
Students will
have one full
https://www.youtub week to work on
e.com/watch?
their projects
v=dNzYXoulqOU
and the Monday
and Tuesday of
Billie Holiday Video the next.
Students will
https://www.youtub present their
projects in class
e.com/watch?
on Wednesday,
v=64wIZ409YDk
Thursday, and
Friday. Students
Chic Webb Video
in groups will be
graded for the
https://www.youtub overall product.
e.com/watch?
Students who
v=NV6QXLJwgSU choose to work

and clarify
students
conceptual
understanding
and thinking,
planning, and
creative
processes.

alone will be
graded on
product as well.
Students are not
allowed to talk
about nonsubject items.
Students will
give the same
respect to their
classmates that
they would
expect from
them. (Calendar
attached.)

This lesson incorporates entry, adoption, adaptation, and transformation into it. I believe that
this will engage students by allowing them to be in control of what they learn and how they
present it. This also allows students differentiated learning by giving them the option to work
in groups or alone and gives them multiple ways to prove their learning instead of a written
exam.

HISTORICAL ROLEPLAY: Harlem Renaissance

CATEGORY

Historical
Accuracy

All historical information

appeared to be
accurate and in
chronological order.

Almost all historical

information appeared
to be accurate and in
chronological order.

Most of the historical

information was
accurate and in
chronological order.

Very little of the

historical information
was accurate and/or
in chronological
order.

Role

Point-of-view,
arguments, and
solutions proposed
were consistently in
character.

Point-of-view,
arguments, and
solutions proposed
were often in
character.

Point-of-view,
arguments, and
solutions proposed
were sometimes in
character.

Point-of-view,
arguments, and
solutions proposed
were rarely in
character.

Knowledge
Gained

Can clearly explain

several ways in which
his character "saw"
things differently than
other characters and
can clearly explain why.

Can clearly explain

several ways in
which his character
"saw" things
differently than other
characters.

Can clearly explain

one way in which his
character "saw"
things differently
than other
characters.

Cannot explain one

way in which his
character "saw"
things differently
than other
characters.

Required
Elements

Student included more

information than was
required.

Student included all

information that was
required.

Student included
most information that
was required.

Student included
less information
than was required.

STORY TELLING: Harlem Renaissance

CATEGORY

Knowledge

Can accurately tell

author, illustrator, title
and favorite part of
story when asked
several days after the
retelling.

Can accurately tell

author, title and
favorite part of story
when asked several
days after the
retelling.

Can accurately tell title

and favorite part of
story when asked
several days after the
retelling.

Has trouble
remembering title
without prompting.

Vocabulary

Uses a varied
vocabulary appropriate
for the audience, and
also successfully tries
to enlarge the
audience's vocabulary.

Uses a varied
vocabulary that is
appropriate for the
audience.

Uses a varied
vocabulary that is
occasionally a little to
simple or a little too
hard for the audience.

The vocabulary
was not varied OR
was routinely
inappropriate for
the intended
audience.

Setting

Lots of vivid,
descriptive words are
used to tell the
audience when and
where the story takes
place.

Some vivid,
descriptive words
are used to tell the
audience when and
where the story
takes place.

The audience can

figure out when and
where the story took
place, but there isn't
much detail (e.g., once
upon a time in a land
far, far away).

The audience has

trouble telling when
and where the story
takes place.

Characters

The main characters

are named and clearly
described (through
words and/or actions).
The audience knows
and can describe what
the characters look like
and how they typically
behave.

The main characters

are named and
described (through
words and/or
actions). The
audience has a fairly
good idea of what
the characters look
like.

The main characters

are named. The
audience knows very
little about the main
characters.

It is hard to tell who

the main characters
are.

Knows the
Story

The storyteller knows

the story well and has
obviously practiced
telling the story several
times. There is no need
for notes and the
speaker speaks with
confidence.

The storyteller
knows the story
pretty well and has
practiced telling the
story once or twice.
May need notes
once or twice, but
the speaker is
relatively confident.

The storyteller knows

some of the story, but
did not appear to have
practiced. May need
notes 3-4 times, and
the speaker appears
ill-at-ease.

The storyteller
could not tell the
story without using
notes.

Voice

Always speaks loudly,

slowly and clearly. Is
easily understood by all
audience members all
the time

Usually speaks
loudly, slowly and
clearly. Is easily
understood by all
audience members
almost all the time.

Usually speaks loudly

and clearly. Speaks so
fast sometimes that
audience has trouble
understanding.

Speaks too softly or

mumbles. The
audience often has
trouble
understanding.

Written
Copy

The student turns in an

attractive and complete
copy of the story in the
correct format.

The student turns in

a complete copy of
the story in the
correct format.

The student turns in an

complete copy of the
story, but the format
was not correct.

The student turns

in an incomplete
copy of the story.

NEWSPAPER: Harlem Renaissance

CATEGORY

Contributions
of Group
Members

Each person in the

group has
contributed at least
two articles and one
graphic without
prompting from
teachers or peers.

Each person in the

group has
contributed at least
one article and one
graphic with a few
reminders from
peers.

Each person in the

group has
contributed at least
one article with some
minimal assistance
from peers.

One or more
students in the
group required
quite a lot of
assistance from
peers before
contributing one
article.

Knowledge
Gained

All students in the

group can accurately
answer all questions
related to a) stories
in the newspaper
and b) technical
processes used to
create the
newspaper.

All students in the

group can accurately
answer most
questions related to
a) stories in the
newspaper and b)
technical processes
used to create the
newspaper.

Most students in the

group can accurately
answer most
questions related to
a) stories in the
newspaper and b)
technical processes
used to create the
newspaper.

Several students in
the group appear
to have little
knowledge about
the facts and the
technical
processes used for
the newspaper.

Spelling and
Proofreading

No spelling or
grammar errors
remain after one or
more people (in
addition to the typist)
read and correct the
newspaper.

No more than a
couple of spelling or
grammar errors
remain after one or
more people (in
addition to the typist)
read and correct the
newspaper.

No more than 3
spelling or grammar
errors remain after
one or more people
(in addition to the
typist) read and
correct the
newspaper.

Several spelling or
grammar errors
remain in the final
copy of the
newspaper.

Who, What,
When, Where
& How

All articles
adequately address
the 5 W's (who,
what, when, where
and how).

90-99% of the
articles adequately
address the 5 W's
(who, what, when,
where and how).

75-89% of the
articles adequately
address the 5 W's
(who, what, when,
where and how).

Less than 75% of

the articles
adequately
address the 5 W's
(who, what, when,
where, and how).

Use of Primary
Sources

Reading of primary
source material was
thorough.

Reading of primary
source material was
fairly thorough.

Reading of primary
source material was
incomplete.

Reading of primary
source material
was not done.

Articles Supporting
Details

The details in the

articles are clear,
effective, and vivid
80-100% of the time.

The details in the

articles are clear and
pertinent 90-100% of
the time.

The details in the

articles are clear and
pertinent 75-89% of
the time.

The details in more

than 25% of the
articles are neither
clear nor pertinent.

Calendar of Events
(Will begin on a Monday and conclude on a Friday.)
Day 1 Intro to

Day 2 Student

Day 3 Student

Day 4 Student

Day 5 Student

assignment.

work day. Music

work day. Music

work day. Music

work day. Music

Journal

by Louis

by Billie

by Chick Webb

from Louis

Assignment

Armstrong

Holiday

Day 6 Student

Day 7 Student

Day 8

work day. Music

work day. Music

Presentation Day Presentation Day Presentation Day

by Billie

by Chick Webb

Newspapers

Armstrong

Choice

Holiday

Day 9

Role Play

Day 10

Story Telling