A Raisin in the Sun Webquest
The next major reading we're going to do this year is the award-winning play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. However, before we read, it's important to have a good understanding of the issues surrounding the play as well as the time period in which it was written. Set on the South side of Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun is about an African American family who comes into a large sum of money due to unfortunate circumstances. Despite the major improvements the money can do for the family, the family isn't in agreement on what to do with it. Continue on with this Webquest to learn about the play's and author's background.
SECTION 1: THE AUTHOR, LORRAINE HANSBERRY
Read the following two articles:
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1. What, in your opinion, are the three most interesting facts about Lorraine Hansberry’s life?
2. What award did Hansberry win? What made this a noteworthy achievement?
3. What makes A Raisin in the Sun a notable American play?
SECTION 2: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (TIMELINE)
The play A Raisin in the Sun is set during the 1950's. This was a pivotal time during the Civil Rights movement.
4. Explain (in one- two sentences) what major events took place during these years/dates during the Civil Rights Movement. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
The play A Raisin in the Sun is set during the 1950's. This was a pivotal time during the Civil Rights movement.
4. Explain (in one- two sentences) what major events took place during these years/dates during the Civil Rights Movement. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
- 1948
- 1954
- 1955 (Aug)
- 1955 (Dec. 1)
- 1957 (Sept)
- 1960 (Feb. 1)
- 1961
- 1963 (Aug. 28)
- 1964 (July 2)
- 1967 (June 12)
- 1968 (April 4)
- 1968 (April 11)
SECTION 3: THE GREAT MIGRATION
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5. What was one major reason African Americans left the South to move to cities like Chicago and New York?
6.Between 1910-1920, the African American population increased by ______% in Chicago. 7. How did African Americans learn about new job opportunities, train schedules, and more? |
SECTION 4: HOUSING DISCRIMINATION
During this time period, it was legal to discriminate against people based on race or sex, in terms of employment, education, and public accommodations.
PART 1: Read "Housing Segregation in the 1950s"
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8. What were "restrictive covenants"?
9. Following the Great Depression, new housing structures were built in the South Side of Chicago. Describe them. 10. What specific event inspired Lorraine Hansberry to write A Raisin in the Sun? |
PART 2: Watch the video and read the excerpts.
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11. Based on the video and the excerpts below, create a list describing the hardships African Americans faced in securing comfortable house in parts of America during the mid 1900s.
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SECTION 5: THE POET - LANGSTON HUGHES & HIS POEM: "HARLEM"
Langston Hughes was the leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance, whose poetry showcased the dignity and beauty in ordinary black life. The hours he spent in Harlem clubs affected his work, making him one of the innovators of Jazz Poetry.
Langston Hughes was the leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance, whose poetry showcased the dignity and beauty in ordinary black life. The hours he spent in Harlem clubs affected his work, making him one of the innovators of Jazz Poetry.
Watch the Mini Bio over Langston Hughes & Section from Crash Course (3:00-6:00)
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12. Where was Langston Hughes born?
13. Which part of New York did Hughes spend most of his life in?
14. What forms of music influenced Hughes’s work?
15. Hughes was the first African American author to do what?
16. Who did Hughes write for (who was his audience)?
13. Which part of New York did Hughes spend most of his life in?
14. What forms of music influenced Hughes’s work?
15. Hughes was the first African American author to do what?
16. Who did Hughes write for (who was his audience)?
Read Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem"
17. Define the word deferred. What does a "dream deferred" literally mean?
18. List out all the similes used in the poem. Why does Hughes use these similes? What is the effect of each on the reader?
19. What is the message of this poem? Is it a positive or a negative one? Explain and use proof from the poem.
20. What is the connection to Lorraine Hansberry's play? What might this play be about?
https://www.shmoop.com/harlem-dream-deferred/harlem-summary.html
18. List out all the similes used in the poem. Why does Hughes use these similes? What is the effect of each on the reader?
19. What is the message of this poem? Is it a positive or a negative one? Explain and use proof from the poem.
20. What is the connection to Lorraine Hansberry's play? What might this play be about?
https://www.shmoop.com/harlem-dream-deferred/harlem-summary.html
SECTION 6: INFLATION
21. In “A Raisin in the Sun” the following amounts are mentioned: .50, $10,000, and $100,000. The play was written in 1957, how much would this money be worth now?
21. In “A Raisin in the Sun” the following amounts are mentioned: .50, $10,000, and $100,000. The play was written in 1957, how much would this money be worth now?
Click on the link below and calculate inflation from the above prices. Write down the results.
READER RESPONSE ASSIGNMENT
Read the articles and analyze the images featured below. They capture what life was like for African Americans living in the South Side of Chicago during the 1940's and 1950's. Consider what life would have been like at this time. Also, consider what this tell your about society during the 1950's.
City at a Crossroads— http://ti.me/1KZdEOs
Racial Restrictive Covenants--http://bit.ly/1QNXRyO
South Side--http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1177.html
Racial Restrictive Covenants--http://bit.ly/1QNXRyO
South Side--http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1177.html
Assignment Directions:
When you have finished reading the articles and viewing the photos, write a journal entry from the point of view of one of the figures you have seen in the photos. Be sure to include details about what life is like growing up in Chicago during the 1940s-1950s. |
Your entry should:
(1) Use a photo from "City at a Crossroads" to serve as your inspiration. Paste this in a separate word document. (2) Use the knowledge you gained from the websites above and the webquest to write an entry through the perspective on one of the figures in the photo. (3) Be sure to describe the photo and the person in it. FOR SUBMISSION: typed, single-spaced, paragraph breaks, Times New Roman 12 pt., standard edited English. Word count should be between 250-300. Post the word count at the end of your entry. |