Discuss the poetry selections from the essay by asking the students to speculate where Hughes received his inspiration for each poem. A close text reading of the essay should help students connect the poems to the passages about Hughes' life. They may also include the roles of the protagonist, antagonist, and catalyst for change. Discuss the answers in a class discussion. Present the poems in class the following day.
Students can volunteer to read their poems, short story, or essay aloud to class.
Class and student writer discuss content and motivation. Divide into groups of five students, reading five other students' works. Groups select one work to be read either by the student author or by a representative in the study group. The African-American experience in the 20th and 21st centuries in America. Minority writers in history.