Life and Times in Harlem | Create WebQuest

Introduction

In the early 1900s there was a large number of Black Americans that migrated from the south to the north. Many of these Black Americans made a neighborhood in the New York borough of Manhattan known as Harlem their home. By the late 1910s there was an explosion of culture and arts in Harlem. This became known as the Harlem Renaissance and lasted into the mid 1930s. This was an era of freethinking and creativity. This was a feeling Black Americans had never experienced before and Harlem was able to attract some of the most influential and significant individuals in the history of United States.

The Harlem neighborhood was thriving. There was a new sense of pride in Black Americans. There were artists, musicians, poets, authors, and dancers creating and innovating. They were not following any trends, they were starting trends. Whether it was art, music, or fashion, Black Americans in Harlem were taking creating their own lane and catering to their own communities. These people were developing their own standards.

This webquest will allow you to be a part of the Harlem Renaissance and get a deeper look into the era. Students will:

- learn about the contributors to this era

- gain a better understanding of the social climate

- learn to work as team

- research and gather information

- write a newspaper article on your choice of topics

Task

In groups of 5 or 6 you will create a newspaper reporting about and chronicling Harlem and the people of Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance. The newspaper must contain several sections. Those newspaper sections will consist of music/dance, art, literature, social climate/politics, fashion, and events. Once you have done all of your research, written your articles, and contructed your newspaper, you will present to the class. Each group must create a name for their newspaper and you can also be creative with the names of your sections. Have fun with this and make sure you add pictures that relate to each section.

Process

1. You have been assigned groups of 5 or 6 classmates.

2. Your team must now assign members to specific roles. Each member needs to be responsible for a section of the paper. If there is an extra section then team members can all contribute to that section.

3. Your team will create a name for your newspaper. Be creative.

4. The newspaper you create will be presented in front of the class.

5. Each section should contain 2 to 3 articles. These sections should discuss in detail the influential people in that genre and some of their most noteworthy works. They should also include memorable events that happened in that genre. Sections like social climate/politics should discuss every day life in Harlem, the inequalities amongst black and whites that existed during that time, the politicians in power, etc. There is more than enough information available to come up with 3 articles in each section.

6. Use appropriate pictures for each section.

7. Construct your newspaper with your team and present the newspaper. I will provide you several google doc newspaper templates that you may use.

Newspaper Templates:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X2Y-mKcFmvAgaeRFy8jAnMN8wDNWhjHnS3yk0cWDwJQ/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15yp5j3ThyzSUIYzZdg7cmQtkMi4Dp5tJ1tAQnIbiZBw/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZVTVbneyXnbp8WXnEiB069T0L3OhIAgH6npuzWddbhM/edit

Information from the following links can researched further. You do not have to only use the links I have provided for you.

Harlem Renaissance Links:

General Information and Video

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/harlem-renaissance

General Information

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/harlem-renaissance/pdf/teacher_guide.pdf

Harlem Renaissance Writers

http://www.africanamericanhistoryplace.com/Harlem_Renaissance.html

http://historyoftheharlemrenaissance.weebly.com/writers-and-poets.html

Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston but this site can be used to search for all people of interest

http://www.biography.com/people/langston-hughes-9346313#growing-success

http://www.biography.com/people/zora-neale-hurston-9347659#synopsis

Politics/Community Leaders

http://archive.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/dubois.html

https://www.boundless.com/art-history/textbooks/boundless-art-history-textbook/europe-and-america-1900-1950-36/america-1930-1945-228/the-harlem-renaissance-809-10846/

http://www.academia.edu/3029842/Harlem_Renaissance_and_its_Discontents

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/mwollaeger/KrisBoboPaper2.htm

Important events

http://www.longwharf.org/aint-misbehavin-harlem-renaissance-time-line

http://www.iniva.org/harlem/chron.html

http://library.howard.edu/content.php?pid=273384&sid=2259614

http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-renaissance.html

Evaluation

Category	1 point	3 points	5 points	Points
Organization	The newspaper was very unorganized. Sections were missing. Articles were placed in random sections.	There was a front page. There were separate sections of interest. There was a table of content. All articles were not correctly placed in their appropriate section.	There was a front page. There were separate sections of interest. Articles were placed in the correction section. There was a correct timeline of events. There was a table of content.
Overall look of the newspaper	Not enough pictures. Headings are missing. Very little effort.	Title of newspaper. Headings for articles. Titles for various sections. Columns may not be aligned properly. Pictures may be off a bit.	Title of newspaper. Headings for articles. Titles for various sections. Column alignment. Pictures. Picture alignment. Creativity.
Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation	There are many errors in spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.	There are some errors in spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.	There are no errors in spelling, capitalization, or punctuation
Teamwork	No cooperation. There was very little to no communication. There was yelling and arguing. There was a lack of respect for fellow team members.	Some people were cooperating. There was some lack of communication. All ideas or input were not taken into consideration.	Everyone worked together. Everyone shared their ideas and listened to each other. There was constant communication and feedback.
Research	Did not use the research links provided.	Informative but vague and fewer details.	Provided very detailed and accurate information on all topics.
Presentation	Most group members are hard to understand. Information is presented in a disorganized way. Oral presentation includes few or no details.	Some group members speak clearly, but are difficult to understand. Information may be only partially organized. Oral presentation includes few details.	All group members speak clearly and are easy to understand. Information is presented in an organized way. Presentation is visually organized and complete.
Total points				0/30

Conclusion

You all have now experienced one of the greatest eras in United States history. You were able to see people who were just released from slavery a few decades before become some of most innovative, creative, and influential people this country has seen. Your newspapers that you constructed should have provided you with a great deal of new information. I really hope you all appreciate how important this era was and how remarkable these people were.

Teacher Page

CA S.S. Standard(s):

11.5.5: Describe the Harlem Renaissance and new trends in literature, music, and art, with special attention to the work of writers (e.g., Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes).

11.8.8: Discuss forms of popular culture, with emphasis on their origins and geographic diffusion (e.g., jazz and other forms of popular music, professional sports, architectural and artistic styles).

Common Core State Standard(s): Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.