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| | Title: |
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| Educator: |
William Slack |
| Educator Affiliation: |
Perpich Center for Arts Education, MN |
| Overview: |
A renaissance is a “rebirth or revival, a movement or period of vigorous artistic and intellectual activity,” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. This notion of rebirth accurately describes the level of energy that emerged in the African American community as the country entered the 20th Century. “The New Negro Movement,” as it is sometimes called, launched the careers of a new guard of artists and intellectuals who have had a profound impact on the thinking and expressive attitudes of all communities who came after them.
In 1920, W.E.B. DuBois embarked on a labor of love by publishing a magazine designed especially for African American children called The Brownies’ Book consisting of short stories, poetry, news, and art. Through learning about The Brownies’ Book, students will become familiar with DuBois and the Harlem Renaissance, and compare the history of the 1920s with social issues and news stories today. The unit recommends a class project to create a contemporary youth-oriented publication.
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| Grade Levels: |
6-8
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| Subjects: |
Arts - Dance, Drama, Music, Visual
Literature
Reading
Social Studies and History
Speaking, Discussion and Debate
Writing
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| Lesson Goals: |
Students will:
1. Know the contributions made by W.E.B. DuBois to the “New Negro Movement” and the Harlem Renaissance.
2. Know about Jessie Fauset, a prolific writer, literary editor of the Crisis (1919-1926) and an editor of The Brownies’ Book (1920-1921), who exerted her influence on the development of other writers.
3. Learn about the general format and content of The Brownies’ Book by creating a similar magazine for young people.
4. Compare the history of the 1920s with news stories today.
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| Text & Materials: |
1. Franklin, John Hope and the editors of Time-Life Books. An Illustrated History of Black Americans. New York: Time-Life Books, 1970.
2. Excerpts from The Brownies' Book can be found in:
Johnson-Feelings, Diane. The Best of the Brownies' Book. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. (352 pp, 140 b/w illus.) ISBN 01950999419.
3. Ebony Junior, Highlights, New Moon, or other contemporary magazine for young people.
4. Chase, Judith W. Afro-American Art and Craft. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, l971.
5. The Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America. New York: Studio Museum in Harlem, 1987.
6. Materials for illustrating and creating the magazine, such as tempera paint, water-based markers, bonded paper, copy machine, computer for word processing or desk top publishing, rubber cement.
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| Activities: |
1. Students will be given an overview or asked to research the Harlem Renaissance and the role played by the writers and the literature of the time. Students will be expected to provide evidence that they know:
a. key features of the Harlem Renaissance
b. biographical information about W.E.B. DuBois
c. biographical information about Jessie Faucet
Note that a section below suggests web sites with valuable information on each of these three topics or people.
2. Students will read an issue of The Brownies’ Book and a contemporary magazine for youth, such as Ebony Junior, focused on African American children, or one with a general youth “market audience,” such as Highlights. Students will be asked to consider these questions:
a. What are some possible positive and negative things about magazines or publications that are aimed at one audience? How many other publications today can you name that are made to appeal to one group within society?
b. How do you feel about the title, The Brownies’ Book? About the use of “colored” for describing Americans of African descent? What are other terms have have been used to describe people of African descent?
c. Describe what is included in The Brownies’ Book in terms of categories such as poetry, photography, etc.
d. How do you rate the quality of the writing and artwork? Provide specific examples to support your opinion.
e. In “The Grown-Ups’ Corner,” Mrs. C.M. Johnson wrote about the need to instill “race love and race love” into African American children. Does this need exist today? Why or why not? If you believe that the need to instill pride in African American heritage exists today, how do you think it is best accomplished?
3. As a class project, students will create a magazine.
a. Ask students to brainstorm and take on the various roles needed to create a magazine, such as publishers, editors, writers, photographers, layout designers, printers, and distributors.
b. Determine the magazine’s focus, such on African American history, or comparing 1920s to today.
c. Make content assignments, such as asking several people to write-up the research on W.E.B. DuBois and Jessie Faucet for the magazine.
4. Students will provide illustrations for the magazine.
a. Give students background to prepare them for the visual design aspect of the project. Show them work from Afro-American Art and Craft, and tell that during the African American renaissance in the 1920s, many visual artists worked as illustrators and graphic designers. Their job was to provide images that would complement, support, or advertise the work of popular literary and musical artists.
b. Discuss with students the role of the illustrator and graphic designer in collaborative works with literary artists and writers, using these prompters:
i. What are the similarities and differences between a graphic designer, illustrator, and a fine artist?
ii. What is the positive and negative side of using color in design or illustration?
iii. How can words and illustrations complement each other? How can words and illustrations detract from each other?
iv. What art forms can you think of that incorporate several of the arts together.
c. Using the poems, stories, news articles developed by students for the class magazine, students will develop images to complement the written work.
5. Students identified previously in the roles of layout, printer and distributors will complete the job of creating, duplicating and providing the magazine to everyone in the class.
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| Supplemental Resources: |
none |
| Web Links: |
http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/text/brownies_slide.html
http://www.powells.com/biblio/14200-14400/0195099419.html
http://www.oup-usa.org/isbn/0195099419.html
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/harmon/fausharm.htm
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/JessieFauset.html
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| Posting Date: |
2001-03-28 |
Comments: |
Read Educator Comments Add Your Comments |
| Standards: |
View Minnesota Content Standards information |
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