| Other Teaching Ideas |
Teaching Ideas 1. Using the World Wide Web in the Classroom: Students will construct a classroom Web site about the Harlem Renaissance, linked to the teacher�s home page. Begin with readings and discussions of a couple Harlem Renaissance poems (ex. Sterling Brown, Langston Hughes) and segue into a quick discussion of the history behind the movement. Divide the class into groups of four or five students and encourage them to choose a topic of interest. This might include other poets, writers, artists, jazz or blues musicians, or even further historical information such as the migration of African Americans to large northern cities in the early 20th century. Provide students with a few web sites to start from, but encourage further Internet searching, and don�t discourage students from seeking information in print sources. After compiling information ask the district�s technology coordinator to lead a workshop in building a Web page. Allow students to construct the Web pages creatively, then finish with an evaluation of the project (positives, negatives). Variations on this lesson plan might include the Beat poets, antebellum literature, or imagist writing, for example. (See English Journal, Number 2, Nov. 2000, �Teaching Tools: American Literature and the World Wide Web,� p. 97). 2. The Imagist Poem: Examining the use of Images and Metaphors by Imagist Poets. Examine several imagist poems, including but not limited to William Carlos Williams� �The Red Wheelbarrow,� Ezra Pound�s �In a Station of the Metro,� or Langston Hughes� �The City.� The purpose of this exercise is to describe something metaphorically without naming the object explicitly. Ask students to pick an everyday object from around the house, such as the washing machine, microwave, or an iron; they might have more fun with objects around the schools, such as a locker or a lunchroom table. Now ask them to list some things that it reminds them of or that it could be like, and from that, write their own four-line imagist poem. (See http://www.cgocable.net/~rayser/image.txt ) 3. Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt: This idea would be a wonderful introduction for middle school or freshman students before reading any of Shakespeare�s plays. The intention is to familiarize students with Shakespeare as a person and writer. Divide the classroom up into teams of 3 or 4 students and provide them a scavenger hunt worksheet listing items such as political and theater history (Tudor, Royal Shakespeare Company, Elizabeth I), literary terms (sonnet, tragedy) or Shakespeare in recent news. Allow students to meet during class to assign topics from the list and designate team leaders. Designate library day when students will individually research items on the list, finding as much information as possible on each topic. Encourage students to use electronic references and reference books, making sure to keep a list of sources for eventual annotation. Allot enough time for each group to complete the scavenger hunt, then pick a winner based on the quality of the annotated list. The winning team might receive a small item like a Shakespeare pen or pencil, and take pictures of each team for mounting on a classroom bulletin board. This �hunt� will undoubtedly unearth some interesting information about Shakespeare that can be used as a basis or point of discussion when reviewing literature. For example, students will discover that young boys were used in feminine roles in Shakespeare�s plays. During a discussion of �Twelfth Night,� we might marvel at the comic implications that might abound when a young boy plays the role of Viola, who then disguises herself as a man. (See http://www.ncte.org/notesplus/ideas/McGlinn1999aug.shtml ) |