The Ballad of the Landlord Lesson Plan

Langston Hughes, the Twentieth Century, and the Harlem Renaissance

Kind of Activity:

Research

Objective:

Students will be able to consider the poem in the context of Hughes' life and the world in which he lived.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.7; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.8

Structure:

Create a collective timeline for the class spanning the years of Langston Hughes's life, 1902-1967. This can be either a physical timeline on chart paper or an online timeline using classroom software.

Divide students into two groups. One group should be assigned to research the major events of Hughes's life, both regarding his writing and his personal life. Where did he live? What...