By the end of today's lesson, students will have orally analyzed Melvin B. Tolson's seminal poem, "Dark Symphony" and synthesized all of the New Negro/Harlem Renaissance poetry, short stories, essays, and monologues we've looked at in order to find evidence to write the next part of the grad. portfolio paper.
Agenda:
1) Students will read Tolson's "Dark Symphony" individually
2) Literary discussion circles on "Dark Symphony"
3) Information/parent letter given out about the final joint research unit in English/history --> students need to get this letter signed
4) Introduction to EAP/ESGP essay #3 --> students work in groups to find evidence to respond to an argument about mental liberation. They may find evidence in any of the Harlem Renaissance literature they have read in this unit.
Here is a list of all of the texts that students can use (this list is posted in the classroom as well):
- "The Colored Soldier" (Langston Hughes)
- "Democracy" (Langston Hughes)
- "I, Too" (Langston Hughes)
- "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain" (Langston Hughes)
- "My People" (Langston Hughes)
- "Poem" (Helene Johnson)
- "No Images" (W. Waring Cuney)
- "Heaven to Hell" (Langston Hughes)
- "Thank you, M'am" (Langston Hughes)
- "Who's Passing for Who?" (Langston Hughes)
- "Dark Symphony" (Melvin B. Tolson)
HW: Most students finished selecting evidence in class -- those who didn't finish need to do so over the weekend (six quotations in total) and come in ready to write the essay on Monday; Nida is asking students to get the parent letter signed (see agenda above)
