Free to Dream Poetry Lesson Plan

1. Langston Hughes (1901-1967) was a poet and a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. Have students learn about his life and the themes expressed in his writing. For example, he depicted the lives of working-class Blacks in America - their struggles as well as their joys. He stressed racial consciousness. He believed in humanity and had hope for a world in which all people could live together in understanding.
2. Have students read some poems by Langston Hughes. Some illustrative examples include "I, Too," "Freedom," and "Dreams," which address the feelings of hope - for Black Americans and for the world in general. Then have them compose an original poem about hopes, dreams, or freedom. They can write it on construction paper and then illustrate it.
3. Have them present their work and discuss the theme of their poems and why it's so meaningful to them.

LA: Develop real and imagined narratives.

LA: Write using words, numbers, and images to inform and explain, share experiences, and create narratives, either fictional or non-fictional.

SEL: Social Awareness: Understand the perspectives of and strengths of others.

Have students learn about some other notable people associated with the Harlem Renaissance, such as W.E.B. Du Bois, who helped found the NAACP; Marcus Garvey, who organized the United States' first Black nationalist movement, and Josephine Baker, a dancer and singer who symbolized the vitality of Black American culture.

The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate, is the official poet of the United States. Have students investigate what this means. When did the program begin? What responsibilities are associated with the title? Who is the current Poet Laureate?