English 3010W: Advanced Composition for Prospective Teachers
University of Connecticut – Spring 2011
Christine Briganti
Julianna Lyons
Alexi Wiemer
Joshua Young
African American Literature
Course Description:
In this course, students will embark on a historical journey from the beginnings of African
American experiences to current perceptions of their identity. This course hopes to broaden
students’ horizons and allow for connections between the historical contexts and contemporary
portrayals of African Americans. The focus of this course will be to explore the African
American identity and how it is defined in American history and today. The selected texts,
written by both white and black Americans spanning several centuries, will allow students to
experience the distain, hardship, hope, and strength that prevailed in times of racial adversity.
While the course materials will be mostly fictional, autobiographical, historical and political
texts, films and other media sources will be employed to help students a) think about what it has
meant to be black throughout American history, b) devise an understanding of the African
American culture, and c) develop a more multi-faceted working knowledge of the complexity
that is defining race. In order to define what race is, students must first understand the history
behind racial identity; special attention will be given to the historical events that helped to shape
these beliefs. Additionally, themes such as morality, overcoming hardships, and gaining
acceptance will be covered as they relate to developing one’s identity. By the end of the course,
it is expected that students will have developed a detailed awareness of the factors that contribute
to the construction of the African American identity.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. The hardships, struggles, and triumphs of African Americans throughout history have had a
significant impact on the development of their identities.
-What hardships and struggles have African Americans faced throughout history?
-What triumphs have shaped African Americans’ identities?
-How have these hardships shaped the way African Americans view themselves?
-How have these struggles shaped the way others perceive African Americans?
2. While African American culture has its distinct characteristics, similarities exist between it
and other cultures.
-In what ways have others impacted and contributed to African American culture?
-In what ways does African American culture represent a unique identity?
-To what extent is the African American culture embraced, both by African Americans
themselves as well as others?
3. African Americans have, throughout time, felt the need to assimilate into “white American”
society.
-How has white society contributed to the “need” for assimilation?
-What are some reasons for and against assimilating?
4. Race is a very complex concept; there are differing theories about it being socially
constructed, biological, environmental, etc.
-What factors define one’s race?
-What does it mean to be “mixed-race” or “multi-racial?”
5. Differing opinions of African Americans still exist in contemporary mediums.
-How are people’s opinions of African Americans today different than they were in the
past?
-What roles do African Americans play in today’s society?
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-Why do different contemporary mediums depict African Americans in conflicting ways?
6. The African American identity is influenced both by how others perceive African Americans
and how they perceive themselves.
-In what ways has the African American identity been influenced by African
Americans’ perceptions of themselves?
-In what ways has the African American identity been influenced by others’
expectations and views of African Americans?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. The instability of the concept of race.
2. How to challenge their preconceptions about race.
3. The similarities between African American culture and other cultures.
4. Contemporary portrayals of African Americans.
5. The hardships that African Americans have endured (racism, civil rights, etc).
6. Assimilation and African Americans’ struggle to maintain their identities in the face of
this external pressure.
7. The historical roots of and reasoning for stereotypes.
Students will be able to:
1. Draw upon historical documents and research to further their understanding of the
African American identity.
2. Use themes from course readings to understand and explain the hardships and struggles
encountered by African Americans.
3. Identity different writing styles (i.e., journaling, short stories, essays, diaries, speeches,
etc.)
4. Perform a close reading of novels, short stories, plays, poems, media forms, etc.
5. Appropriately respond to and evaluate the work of their classmates (peer-editing).
6. Develop a thesis statement and make a persuasive argument.
7. Speak in front of the class.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Participate in full class and small group discussions.
2. Read various texts, both in class and out.
3. Engage with a variety of media forms – viewing films, listening to music.
4. Peer-edit each other’s writing.
5. Engage in in-class writing assignments (free writing, journaling, creative writing, essays,
etc).
6. Compare and contrast different texts, characters, and films.
7. Analyze a variety of mediums (speech, novel, media, etc).
8. Do research and study the historical context of texts and films.
9. Examine different literary features and devices.
10. Develop their oral speech abilities through public speaking, debate, and performance.
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Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. In class participation and active involvement in discussions.
2. In-class assignments.
3. Quizzes that reflect their knowledge and comprehension of the reading.
4. Take home projects.
5. Writing samples (persuasive, compare/contrast essay, journaling, diary, free writing,
creative, reflective, speeches, letters).
6. Presentations (public speaking, performance, discussion leading).
Final Assessment:
The final assessment for this course will be done in two parts. The first part will include a
multimedia presentation or live performance. Students will be evenly divided into groups. These
groups will select one of the instructional units covered over the course of the school year.
Ideally, a different group will cover every unit and none of the units will be repeated. This will
serve as a way to review all units before the year ends while providing students an opportunity to
demonstrate what they have learned. Examples of acceptable projects include videos, skits, and
talk shows, to name a few. Students will be evaluated on the overall organization of the
presentation, content knowledge displayed, level of involvement of each group member, and
creativity.
The second part of the final assessment will be a portfolio comprised of all relevant unit
assessments. Students should be collecting materials for their portfolio throughout the year. As
such, teachers will introduce the portfolio assignment at the very beginning of the school year
and will remind students to save the appropriate materials. This portfolio will be accompanied by
a 3-5 page reflection that will include answers to the following questions:
1) Which piece in the portfolio do you feel is the strongest representation of your work?
Why?
2) Which piece in the portfolio do you feel you could most improve on if you had more
time? Why did you select this piece and how could it be improved?
3) Which unit did you find most interesting? Why? Which assessment method did you find
most effective? Why?
4) What specific aspects (units, assessments, etc.) about the course would you change?
Why?
5) How did your participation in the multimedia presentation/live performance enhance your
knowledge of the African American identity? (Do not limit yourself to only discussing
your presentation).
6) How do the items in your portfolio reflect your growing knowledge of the subject?
The portfolio will be evaluated on the inclusion of all assessment materials, completeness of the
reflection, and evidence of development in the quality of work.
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Instructional Units:
1. Slavery
2. Abolition and Reconstruction
3. Racism
4. Racial Passing
5. Segregation and Civil Rights
6. Harlem Renaissance
7. Depictions of the African American Family
8. Contemporary Conceptions of African Americans
1. Slavery
Texts: Frederick Douglass – Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Olaudah Equiano – The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
Harriet Jacobs – Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Film: “Unchained Memories”
Unit Description:
What was a “normal day” for the average African American who was enslaved during the
slavery era in the United States? How did slavery help mold the humble beginnings of what
would later be termed African American Literature? This unit aims to help students develop a
concrete understanding about slavery through the use of first person narratives written by
African American slaves. Various themes that emerge early on throughout slavery will not only
be depicted through autobiographies, but also through the use of a movie in order to have
students actually hear aloud the diction and accents of the time. By the end of this unit, students
will complete an in-depth paper on one text, and explain how slavery is represented and why.
This unit will explore detailed experiences of slavery in order to help students visualize the
hardships of African Americans. Moreover, students will develop a better understanding of the
cause and effect relationship between slavery and the origins of African American Literature.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. The hardships and struggles that African Americans have faced throughout history have had a
significant impact on the development of their identities.
-What similar experiences in slavery can be found between the texts and/or film?
-What different “forms” can slavery take depending on a certain individual’s geographic
location, gender, or other unique personal traits?
2. Race is a very complex concept; there are differing theories about how it is constructed, some
of which helped legitimize the existence of slavery.
-Which specific theories of race contributed to the enslavement of African Americans?
-What role does race play in the autobiographical works of African American authors?
-How has race limited the writing style, diction, and themes of the early works of
African American Literature?
3. The African American identity is influenced both by how others perceive African Americans
and how they perceive themselves.
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-How were African American authors mindful of their audience when deciding which
slavery experiences to write about?
-What benefits came from choosing to write about slavery from an autobiographical
standpoint?
-How did these first writings of slavery start to alter the “white man’s” view of slavery?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. The definition of slavery.
2. How African Americans experienced slavery.
3. How slavery is depicted across a variety of authors and mediums.
4. How slavery affected the development of African American Literature.
5. How African American Literature contributed to the start of the abolition movement.
Students will be able to:
1. Identify “common” slavery experiences for African Americans.
2. Use the different texts and film to understand the overall hardships associated with
slavery.
3. Differentiate between slavery experiences, and explain the causes of their differences.
4. Connect historical events associated with slavery to common themes in texts.
5. Discuss the beginnings of African American Literature and its relation to slavery.
6. Research extensively on a single text while incorporating a variety of reliable sources.
7. Argue their opinion on slavery and African American Literature in an effective, cohesive
manner.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Discuss their initial knowledge and potential opinions towards slavery and African
American Literature.
2. Read texts and watch a film that explores the hardships of slavery.
3. Participate in class discussion with their thoughts and reflections on the assigned readings
or film.
4. Identify important themes, characters, and writing styles in each of the assigned texts and
film.
5. Engage in pre-writing, peer editing, and an extensive revision process when writing the
in-depth textual research paper.
6. Argue their opinion about certain themes within slavery and their relationship to African
American Literature.
7. Write an in-depth research paper on a text from this unit.
Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. A participation grade. Students will be expected to regularly contribute to class
discussions, and come in with all assigned work thoughtfully completed. Students are
expected to not only state but also argue their opinions with one another, with the hope of
prompting an in-depth conversation with potentially differing points of view.
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2. In-class quizzes. Students will be randomly quizzed in class on the assigned readings or
film of the day. Students are expected to not only read the assigned material but also
develop an understanding for what has just been read. Major characters, events in the
plot, and themes discussed in class will be the focus of the quizzes.
3. An in-depth research paper on a text read in class. Students will be expected to
incorporate at least two reliable outside sources when explaining the themes of the text.
Moreover, the research paper should not only analyze major concepts within the text but
also make connections to its contributions to African American Literature.
2. Abolition and Reconstruction
Texts: Harriet Beecher Stowe – Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Mark Twain – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Abraham Lincoln – “Gettysburg Address”
Music: Ol’ Man River (Musical; music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II)
Unit Description:
The stigma of slavery did not simply disappear after abolition in 1865. This unit will
allow students to explore the hardships, such as Jim Crow laws, that persisted once slaves were
free from their masters. Additionally, attention will be given to the differing national attitudes
regarding the place of African Americans in free society. The role of double consciousness will
also be explored as former slaves consider their sense of self through the eyes of others. Students
will examine texts written about and during this period, and listen to music that reveal
stereotypes, triumphs, and struggles as African Americans reclaimed their humanity. We will
also look into the laws that existed to stifle the livelihood of African Americans, and how they
are reflected in texts. Students will ultimately complete two writing assignments in which they
compare the perceptions of African Americans during and after enslavement, and showcase their
knowledge of the stereotypes from the point of view of those experiencing them.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. The hardships and struggles of slavery had a significant impact on the development of African
Americans’ identities even after they were freed.
-How did the label of being a former slave affect the everyday lives and identities of
African Americans after abolition?
-What laws/historical events shaped their experience?
2. Harsh stereotypes of African Americans were created, and persisted over decades. These
altered the perceptions of African Americans.
-What stereotypes existed? What are their historical roots? How were they proliferated?
-How did authors interpret and reflect the racism they saw?
-How are these reflected in other mediums (music and illustrations of characters in the
texts)?
3. Though abolition should have eradicated African Americans’ hardships and struggles, it
ultimately led to new ways for whites to assert their power.
-What laws allowed whites to maintain control over African Americans after
abolition? How did political leaders view this change?
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-How did Northerners and Southerners differ in their treatment of African Americans?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. The definition of a stereotype.
2. The history of race relations, including the laws and attitudes that existed during the
Reconstruction era.
3. The pivotal political figures during abolition and Reconstruction.
4. The role of double consciousness and how it contributes to the African American
identity.
5. How racism is prevalent in these stereotypes and others’ perceptions.
6. How authors’ lives and personal experiences shaped their works.
7. The different mediums by which these stereotypes were employed.
Students will be able to:
1. Identify the hardships, triumphs, and stereotypes that existed during this period.
2. Use literature and film as a means to examine the causes and effects of the prevalent laws
and attitudes.
3. Perform close readings of novels and speeches.
4. Embody the voice and perspective of a character to convey his point of view on the
treatment of African Americans.
5. Compare the struggles of slavery to those after abolition.
6. Actively participate in class discussion, group activities, and response group writing
sessions.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Research information about Jim Crow laws, amendments to the Constitution, and other
historical documents written during the late nineteenth century.
2. Read texts and listen to music that explore the hardships of life in the South during this
period.
3. Reflect on the texts they read in a journal for homework.
4. Participate in full class and small group discussions about how the perceptions of African
Americans are molded due to racist sentiments, using the texts for support.
5. Write a letter from Jim to Huck or Uncle Tom to Simon Legree detailing his reasons for
escaping from slavery and his perspectives on the people and situations encountered.
6. Write an essay comparing the plight of an African American in a slave narrative to the
plight of one character from this unit.
7. Peer-edit essays.
Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. Journals that will be collected and checked for completion. Their journals should include
reflections on the texts read and the films viewed rather than a summary. Through this
journal, students will demonstrate a comprehension of the selected texts and film.
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2. A comparative essay in which students examine the African American plight during
slavery verses during Reconstruction through the lens of two different narratives or
characters from the Slavery and Abolition and Reconstruction units.
3. A letter written from Jim to Huck after the study of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or
from Uncle Tom to Simon Legree after reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin. With this, students
will give certain characters a voice to defend or refute the stereotypes that exist for
former slaves.
3. Racism
Texts: Richard Wright – Native Son
Flannery O’Connor – “Everything that Rises Must Converge” (short story)
Langston Hughes – “Minstrel Man” (poem)
Films: “Crash”
“Fab 5” (ESPN 30 for 30 documentary)
“Remember the Titans”
Unit Description:
What exactly is racism? Why do people feel the need to distance themselves from and
belittle others based solely on their race? This unit aims to help students develop a working
knowledge of racism. Students will, by the end of the unit, be able to identify the characteristics
of racism. Through reading texts and viewing portions of various films, students will be able to
see how racism is depicted in a variety of mediums. Students will ultimately complete some
independent research to explore the role of racism in society today. Students will be able to
speak about the progression of racism from the past to the present. This unit will also explore the
impact that racism can have on others’ perceptions of African Americans and the influence that it
can have on African Americans’ views of themselves.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. Racism, one of the hardships and struggles that African Americans have faced throughout
history, has had a significant impact on the development of their identities.
-What do the texts and films show to be some of the most common characteristics of
racism?
-What reasons do the texts and films give for why one group of people could hate
another?
-In what ways has racism contributed to the hardships and struggles that African
Americans have endured?
2. Racism is still prevalent in contemporary America, and differing opinions of it still exist in
contemporary mediums.
-What are some of the most famous historical instances of racism, and how did they
shape contemporary perceptions of racism?
-In what ways is racism still a factor today?
-Is racism viewed the same way today as it has been in the past?
3. Racism has altered how others perceive African Americans and how African Americans
perceive themselves.
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-How has racism changed the way that people look at African Americans?
-How has racism changed the way that African Americans view themselves?
-Why has racism changed the perception of African Americans?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. The definition of racism.
2. How racism affects African Americans and their perceptions of themselves.
3. How racism affects other people’s views of African Americans.
4. How racism is depicted across a variety of mediums.
5. How the concept of racism has transformed throughout history.
Students will be able to:
1. Identify instances of racism across texts and films.
2. Use literature and film as a means to explore the causes and effects of racism.
3. Respond to texts in an analytical way.
4. Develop a thesis statement and make a persuasive argument.
5. Employ research to justify their opinions and prove their points in a persuasive argument.
Students will find and cite reliable sources.
6. Participate constructively in peer-review sessions.
7. Perform close readings of novels, short stories, and poetry.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Participate in a prewriting activity at the beginning of the unit in which they will discuss
their initial definition of racism.
2. Read texts and watch films that explore racism.
3. Reflect on the texts they read and films they watch in a journal for homework.
4. Participate in full class and small group discussions about how racism impacts the
characters in each text and film.
5. Write in class essays. Students will be given a prompt for some essays while others will
be free writes.
6. Write a persuasive essay at the end of the unit.
7. Peer-edit essays.
Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. Journals that will be collected and checked for completion. Their journals should include
reflections on the texts read and the films viewed, not summaries of them. Through this
journal, students will demonstrate a comprehension of the selected texts and films.
2. An essay analyzing how racism is still prevalent in America today. Students will need to
do some research so as to back their personal opinions with evidence. In doing this essay,
students will demonstrate their knowledge of racism and its role in contemporary
American society.
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4. Racial Passing
Texts: Nella Larsen – Passing
Charles W. Chesnutt – The House Behind the Cedars
Unit Description:
Why did African Americans throughout history choose passing as part of their every day
lives? What challenges and struggles did African Americans face that led them to pass?
Throughout this unit students will discover many of the reasons why African Americans resorted
to passing instead of remaining true to their own identity. Students will examine stories about
passing and how the pressure to pass can significantly affect the lives of African Americans.
Through class debate, students will learn the positive and negative aspects of racial passing, and
will ultimately develop a broader understanding of why African Americans chose to pass. This
unit will also work toward understanding how passing impacts the lives of characters who,
themselves, are not passing. Ultimately students should be able to use what they have learned
about passing to form theories about how race is defined.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. African Americans have used passing as a means to assimilate into “white American” society.
-What reasons do the texts provide for why African Americans choose to pass?
-What are the positive and negative aspects of racial passing, and how can passing help or
hinder the lives of those involved?
-What sacrifices do African Americans make when they choose to pass?
2. The hardships and struggles that African Americans have faced while passing have had a
significant impact on the development of their identities, and the identities of those around them.
-How have the characters in the texts been affected by the decisions of their friends and
family members to pass?
-Based on evidence from the texts, can genuine relationships be formed if those involved
are passing?
3. Race is a very complex concept; racial passing brings forth the possibility that race can be
socially constructed, biological, environmental, etc.
- What evidence can be found throughout the texts in support of race as a social
construct?
- What evidence can be found throughout the texts in support of race as biological?
- What evidence can be found throughout the texts in support of race as environmental?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. The meaning of racial passing.
2. Why African Americans chose to pass.
3. What passing meant for African Americans in terms of withholding their cultural values.
4. The extent to which different people passed and why some did it more than others.
5. How passing affected the lives of individuals who, themselves, did not choose to pass.
Students will be able to:
1. Use the texts to explore the reasons why racial passing occurred.
2. Provide positive and negative aspects of racial passing for group discussion and debate.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Personally reflect on their own ideas of passing.
Develop persuasive writing skills.
Work collaboratively with a small group to lead a lesson.
Construct their own view on the importance of racial passing.
Analyze and compare characters across multiple texts.
Write a persuasive essay based on the content of class debate.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Participate in a class debate, taking sides based on character personalities in the text.
2. Work collaboratively with groups to plan their in-class discussion topic.
3. Reflect on and participate in other students’ class discussions.
4. Keep on track with reading assignments to be able to participate in class activities.
5. Peer-edit essays.
Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. A persuasive essay written after the class debate, explaining which character in the texts
uses passing for the most moral purposes. Students should contrast this character with
another character to provide examples of what amoral reasons may look like.
2. Leading a class discussion with a small group. Students will draw conclusions about
racial passing from the texts, in class discussions, and the debate, and use these
conclusions to form a central question about passing that they will answer during the
discussion they lead. Examples include: How does understanding racial passing allow us
to define race? How has the act of passing shaped the African American identity today?
5. Segregation and Civil Rights
Texts: Melba Patillo Beals – Warriors Don’t Cry
Martin Luther King – “I Have A Dream”
Film: “Hairspray”
Unit Description:
The Civil Rights movement marked an important period in American history, especially
for African Americans. What people, events, and movements helped to make this time period
monumental? This unit explores specific moments in history, and influential leaders who helped
to shape the Civil Rights movement and put a stop to segregation. Students will take a deeper
look at the different attempts to break down the barriers of racism and segregation throughout the
time period, and the powerful individuals that fought for equality. By analyzing speeches and
researching historical figures, students will take an inside perspective on how segregation
affected the lives of African Americans. In addition, students will be able to watch and read
about how segregation affected all parts of African Americans lives from work and home, to
school and social interactions. The unit will allow students to discover how segregation and the
Civil Rights Movement helped to shape the African American identity, and how this movement
helped promote equality.
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Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. African American culture has its distinct characteristics; segregation prohibited similarities
between it and other cultures from being evident.
-What evidence is shown in the texts and film that African Americans have been
separated in their everyday lives?
-What struggles and obstacles did African Americans have to overcome in order to live
with these barriers?
-What cultural similarities exist between African Americans and other racial groups?
2. Many significant historical figures arose in response to the hardships and struggles that
African Americans faced throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
-What impact have historical figures from the Civil Rights Movement had on history?
-How have these influential figures helped to shape the identities of future leaders?
3. Differing opinions about segregation still exist in contemporary mediums.
-Has segregation been completely abolished? In what ways does modern segregation
affect perceptions of African Americans?
-How has the Civil Rights Movement inspired events in present time?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. African Americans’ lifestyle during this time period.
2. The historical leaders that made a significant impact on the time period.
3. Important events that led to equality during the Civil Rights Movement.
4. Significant differences between how segregation affected African Americans in this time
period and how it still affects them today.
Students will be able to:
1. Recognize similar themes throughout texts and films.
2. Research in the computer lab, and use scholarly text to compose a speech.
3. Develop peer-editing skills.
4. Compose in class reflections based on the film viewed.
5. Participate in class discussion comparing similar events in the texts and film.
6. Further their persuasive writing skills.
7. Analyze and compare characters across multiple texts.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Keep an on-going journal from the perspective of either an African American student
experiencing segregation or a white student expressing thoughts on segregation, to see
what the ongoing reactions may be to the themes in the text.
2. Work in the computer lab to research a historical figure of the time period, and compose
their own “I Have A Dream” speech based on this individual.
3. Participate in class discussion comparing the film to the text.
4. Peer-edit speeches and essays.
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Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. A short story written from the perspective of the student that has been created in the
journal. The story should be told from the first person voice, and serve as a reflection of
what the students have learned from the film and the text.
2. A persuasive essay in support of either the film or the text, stating which school students
would have rather attended during the time period.
3. A speech in support of or against equality, based on the historical figure the students have
selected. Students will give these speeches orally to the class, and will also be evaluated
on peer feedback and reflection during the presentations.
6. Harlem Renaissance
Texts: Toni Morrison – Jazz
Ralph Ellison – Invisible Man
Claude McKay – Home to Harlem
James Baldwin – Sonny’s Blues
Selected poetry by Claude McKay, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, Charles
Chesnutt, and Maya Angelou
Music: Selections by Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, and
Count Basie
Unit Description:
This unit will focus on the African American intellectual and creative expression that is
visible through works from the Harlem Renaissance. Most notably, students will explore the
cultural explosion that resulted in a compilation of literature and entertainment, including music,
dramatic performances, and art. Though this period is typically viewed as a unique time during
which African American talent was showcased, a closer examination reveals many similarities
with previous European literary movements; in essence, the Harlem Renaissance may be viewed
as a European hybridization. By examining the historical roots of this identity shift, students will
witness the racial pride and tension that stemmed from African Americans’ gains and losses as a
result of both the Civil War and, more recently, World War 1. After fighting for their country,
many African American soldiers returned home to find that they had not gained any more
respect. Thus, much of the literature also reflects a frustration with this injustice and a yearning
for change. As poetry was an integral medium of expression during this time, students will
create their own poetry. This will serve as a means to express pride or overcoming adversity
while working with different poetic elements.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. While African American culture has distinct characteristics, parallels that exist between this
and other cultures became more apparent during the Harlem Renaissance.
-To what extent is the African American culture embraced both by African Americans
and others? How is this represented in the works studied in class?
-In what ways have others impacted and contributed to the African American culture?
-What historical events have shaped this culture?
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-In what ways are their struggles and culture similar to those of other racial groups during
the 1920s and 30s?
2. The African Americans used the arts to prove their humanity, demand equality, and
demonstrate the struggles that helped to shape their identities.
-In what creative ways did African Americans prove that they, too, are intellectuals?
-Who were the leading intellectuals of this period?
-How did these works help African Americans move past the stereotypes associated with
slavery and institutional racism?
-In what ways are the desires of African Americans similar to the desires of whites?
3. The Harlem Renaissance fostered an expression of racial pride and tension, thus allowing
writers, artists, and intellectuals to assert the humanity of the race while altering other racial
groups’ perceptions of them.
-What aspects of their culture are prominent in their works?
-What impression (or call to change) did this period make on America as a whole?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. Prominent African American figures from the Harlem Renaissance, both literary and
historical.
2. The popular mediums of expression during the Harlem Renaissance.
3. The historical treatment of African Americans, both nationally and abroad, that
contributed to their pride and frustrations.
4. The prominent themes that emerged in works from the Harlem Renaissance.
5. The similarities between the Harlem Renaissance and both European literary movements
and the New Negro Movement.
6. Various poetic elements, including narrative voice, tone, imagery, symbolism, etc.
Students will be able to:
1. Identify the struggles that are revealed in the texts.
2. Conduct close readings of texts and discuss how various art forms (music, art, etc.)
reflect the themes discussed in class.
3. Actively participate in class discussion and group activities.
4. Write journal entries including free writing activities, reflections to music and art, and
connections between the Harlem Renaissance and other literary movements.
5. Research information regarding important leaders and the time period.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Share their existing knowledge about the time period prior to beginning this unit.
2. Reflect on the texts they read in a journal for homework.
3. Participate in full class and small group discussions about the different cultural elements
that are revealed through texts.
4. Listen to music and view artwork from the time period.
5. Write their own poetry and participate in response groups.
6. Students will participate in a Poetry Slam where they will share their poetry with the
class.
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Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. Journals that will be collected and checked for completion. Their journals should include
free writing exercises and reflections on the texts read. Through this journal, students
will demonstrate a comprehension of the selected texts and an ability to use the poetic
elements learned in class in their own writing.
2. Students will write their own poetry after examining selected poetry. They will then
submit a 2-3 page explication of their poems which will allow the teacher to gauge the
students’ understanding of the poetic devices covered in class.
7. Depictions of the African American Family
Texts: Gregory Howard Williams – Life on the Color Line
Danzy Senna – Caucasia
Lorraine Hansberry – A Raisin in the Sun (selected scenes)
Langston Hughes – “Mulatto” (poem)
Film: “A Raisin in the Sun” ft. Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, etc. (2008)
Unit Description:
While individual African Americans did endure struggles, many new issues arose for
families. In this unit, students will explore some of the problems that African American families
faced. Amongst other things, students will see how African American families were pressured to
assimilate into “white” society. Students will study the reasons for and against assimilating in an
effort to understand the experiences of African American families. In addition, this unit will
examine what it means to be mixed-race. Students will examine the struggles that mixed-race
couples faced and the hardships that multi-racial individuals endured. This unit aims to expose
students to others’ perceptions of mixed-race relationships and individuals while revealing the
effect that these perceptions had on the African American family and identity.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. Some African American families felt the pressure to assimilate into the “white American” way
of life.
-What is assimilation?
-How could African American families benefit from and struggle due to assimilation?
-In what ways has white society contributed to the “need” for assimilation?
-What do the texts and film say about assimilation? What reasons do certain characters
have to justify their decisions?
2. Race is a very complex concept; there are differing theories about it being socially
constructed, biological, environmental, etc. This complicated the experiences and lifestyles of
multi-racial families.
-How is race defined in the text? Is this definition influenced, in part, by the experiences
of mixed-race families?
-How are mixed-race couples and individuals viewed in the texts?
-What impact does being mixed-race, or being in a mixed-race relationship, have on a
family?
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-How does a mixed-race individual view him or herself in the context of the family?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. The definition of assimilation.
2. How some African Americans felt pressured to assimilate into “white” society.
3. Reasons that African Americans have for and against assimilating.
4. The hardships that mixed race families encountered.
5. The way mixed race relationships have been perceived throughout time.
6. Individuals’ struggles to define their own identities as a result of being mixed-race.
Students will be able to:
1. Interpret dramatic material and present it to the class.
2. Complete a close reading of a dramatic script; students will examine mood, tone, theme,
etc.
3. Perform close readings of novels and poems.
4. Think critically and explore a text from the perspective of one of its characters.
5. Understand how literature serves as a tool to explore human nature – in this case, as it
relates to mixed race relationships.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. View the 2008 film version of A Raisin in the Sun and read selected scenes from the play.
2. Work in small groups to perform key scenes from A Raisin in the Sun. These scenes
should cover the play’s major themes (assimilation, for example).
3. Participate in large class discussions about the play and the struggles of an African
American family.
4. Read and discuss texts that explore the theme of mixed race relationships.
5. Keep a “diary,” written from the perspective of a character who is mixed-race.
Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. In-class participation in the A Raisin in the Sun group scene performances.
2. Quizzes to ensure that they are reading and check for their comprehension.
3. A diary. Each student will select a character from a text that involves mixed race
relationships. Each student will keep a “diary” that documents his or her selected
character’s thoughts about family throughout the book. Students will be expected to write
a diary entry every time something significant family-related happens to the character.
All entries should reflect the character’s thoughts on being mixed-race and how that
impacts the family. This assignment allows students to wrestle with plot, characters, and
the influence that being mixed race has on a family. Students will be working on this
diary throughout the duration of this unit.
8. Contemporary Conceptions of African Americans
Texts: Paul Beatty – “Dib Dab” (poem)
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Reg. E. Gaines – “Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans” (poem)
Tupac Shakur – “The Rose that Grew from the Concrete” (poem)
Barack Obama – “Presidential Acceptance Speech Transcript”
Films: “The Dave Chappelle Show”
“The Oprah Winfrey Show”
Music: Kanye West – “Get By Remix” ft. Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes
Lupe Fiasco – “Words I Never Said”
Sean Jean Combs – “I’ll be Missing You”
Tupac Shakur – “Changes”
Wale – “Letters”
Unit Description:
How are African Americans viewed today, and how does it differ from the way they view
themselves? What distinct mediums of expression are now redefining what it means to be
African American in the United States? This unit aims to help students make real world
connections to material they are likely to encounter in their everyday lives. Through the use of a
modern multi-media approach, students will apply the different themes they have learned about
throughout the year to poetry, oral speech, films, and rap lyrics. Students should come away with
the knowledge of how the same overall theme can be stated and represented in a multitude of
creative ways, and may even be done on a subtle level. By exclusively focusing these forms of
expression, students will develop an understanding of the constantly changing definition of
African American literature. By the end of this unit, students will complete a paper comparing
and contrasting two different genres that they were exposed to, explaining how they display
similar African American themes in different manners. This unit should help students to
recognize prevalent African American figures, and how they express themselves in the context of
current national issues.
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:
1. Differing opinions of African Americans still exist in contemporary mediums.
-How do the different mediums showcase the African American culture and all that it
encompasses?
-How can the same source be interpreted in a multitude of ways depending on who the
audience is?
2. The African American identity is influenced both by how others perceive African Americans
and how they perceive themselves.
-How do common stereotypes of African Americans potentially skew interpretations of
contemporary African American literature?
-What trademark characteristics of African American culture can be found within the
different sources?
Knowledge and Skills:
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of:
1. The redefining of African American literature today.
2. The different forms of expression African American literature utilizes.
3. How similar themes can be conveyed through different mediums.
4. The benefits and drawbacks of different mediums.
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5. Current issues that African Americans face today, and how these issues relate to their
overall history and impact their identity.
Students will be able to:
1. Analyze rap lyrics using standard poetry techniques to understand their overall theme.
2. Identify key differences in style between academic and speech writing.
3. Recognize standard course themes in prevalent African American television shows.
4. Create their own creative form of expression about their own lives.
5. Distinguish notable elements of African American culture and its placement in
contemporary literature.
6. Incorporate modern events into their interpretations of the material.
7. Discuss their feelings and opinions on various topics and sources in journal format.
Learning Activities:
Students will:
1. Discuss their initial knowledge and potential stereotypes towards present day African
American culture.
2. Read texts, listen to rap lyrics, and watch television show clips to further their
understanding of the African American identity.
3. Participate in class discussion with their thoughts and reflections on all assignments.
4. Identify important themes, characters, and writing styles in each of the assigned
mediums.
5. Engage in pre-writing, peer editing, and an extensive revision process when writing the
creative piece.
6. Argue their opinion about recurring themes from past units and their relation to how
those themes are depicted today.
7. Compose a creative piece –a television show, poem, or rap lyrics – depicting issues
within each student’s culture.
Assessment Evidence:
Students will be assessed with:
1. A participation grade. Students will be expected to regularly contribute to class
discussions, and come in with all assigned work thoughtfully completed. Students are
expected to not only state but also argue their opinions with one another, with the hope of
prompting an in-depth conversation with potentially differing points of view.
2. In-class quizzes. Students will be randomly quizzed in class on the assigned materials.
Students will be expected to identify key characters within the source, relevant themes,
and facts about the medium used.
3. Journals. Students will have to maintain a journal (in-class time will be provided for
partial completion) to track their thoughts, impressions, and ideas on the various
materials provided. Students will be expected to complete at least one paragraph’s worth
of writing for every material presented and address it in a thoughtful manner.
4. A creative piece. Students will be expected to either compose a poem, song lyrics, or
television show script depicting standard issues within their own culture. Students should
utilize key characteristics of their chosen medium, and utilize its strengths to effectively
communicate their message.
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