theater through the ages the renaissance answer key

Both the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Arts Movement focused on elevating political power for Black people. The art of the Harlem Renaissance set the stage for the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Arts Movement of the 1950s-1970s. © Barbara Jones-Hogu, Collection of National Museum of African American History and Culture, Museum purchase

Create a classroom gallery titled “The Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance.” For musical compositions, create a listening station as part of the gallery.

Jeff Donaldson’s Wives of Shango (1969) celebrates the noble African ancestry and rich history of black people.

Jacob Lawrence’s This is Harlem (1943) depicts the real, everyday experiences of black people living in Harlem.

Betye Saar’s Black Girl’s Window (1969) shows a young woman dealing with her past and dreaming about a future, which connects with history’s role in shaping people.

Use these additional images for inspiration.

If you do not have some of these materials readily available, you can limit the options for what students should create. See the materials list for different options.

Teacher’s Note: Depending on what students choose to create, you should have several different materials on hand for visual, written prose, and music.

Student artwork should be based on their everyday experiences with that theme.

After selecting a theme, students will create their own artistic work - visual, written prose, or music - that represents that theme.

Have students select one of the themes of the Harlem Renaissance and/or Black Arts Movement.

Compile the responses from question #3 into one master class list so that students can select a theme for their own artwork in the final part of the lesson.

After their investigation, each group will share their responses to the questions.

Direct them to this site to get started searching on reliable databases.

Use this lesson from Teaching Tolerance to teach students about reliable sources.

Provide students with some guidelines for conducting research:.

What similar themes are expressed in the artwork of both the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement?.

How does their artwork express the experiences of Black people?.

Who were some of the artists of the Black Arts Movement?.

How does their artwork express the experiences of black people?.

Who were some of the artists of the Harlem Renaissance?.

In groups of 3-4, students will conduct research and answer the questions:.

Tie the concepts of the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement back to the Hughes essay, specifically how Black artists should be proud of and celebrate their lives and history rather than trying to be more like white artists.

The Black Arts Movement, however, focused more on political action. They enabled artists to be themselves and express their personal realities.

The Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement both celebrated the rich culture and beauty of Black people.

During this time, the Black Arts Movement emerged in the 1960s-1970s. This movement was a fight for Black people to be treated equally in the United States.

About two decades later, in the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement began.

When the United States entered the Great Depression, the Harlem Renaissance faded.

Harlem Renaissance artists focused on themes such as the influence of slavery, Black identity, community, and the everyday experience of Black people.

Provide some historical context for Hughes’s essay and the lasting legacy of his words:.

Allow students to share their responses in a whole group discussion.

Building upon Hughes’s writing, what do you think makes an artist great?.Based on reading this one paragraph, what are some of the obstacles that Black artists have faced?.

In your own words, what is “the mountain” that stands in the way of Black art?.Why do you think Hughes felt sorry for the poet who said he didn’t want to be a Negro poet? Explain your answer.In groups of 3-4, have students discuss their responses to the following questions:.Prior to reading the paragraph, explain to students that the word “negro” was a term used in the past to describe black people today, Black is considered a more accepted term to use.Individually, students read the first paragraph of Langston Hughes’s essay.We will look at one of his essays that focused on the struggle of the Black artist in America.Hughes was a poet, social activist, and writer whose work focused on portraying the experiences of Black life in America.Hughes was a prominent leader of the Harlem Renaissance, which was an artistic movement that emerged in the 1910s-1930s.Part 1: The Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance

Theater through the ages the renaissance answer key