Original PromptCan you create this graphic organizer using this information: Critical Race Lens Graphic Organizer
Text: "Harlem" by Langston Hughes
Read the poem carefully.
Step 1: Close Reading
What images stand out to you?
What emotions do these images create?
Step 2: Apply the Critical Race Lens
Who has power in this poem?
Who is being denied opportunities?
How might race influence the speaker's message?
What larger social issue is Hughes addressing?
Step 3: Evidence
Select one quotation from the poem...
This lesson focuses on a critical analysis of Langston Hughes's poem 'Harlem,' employing a Critical Race Lens to assess how rhetorical choices, specifically similes, illuminate the theme of unfulfilled dreams within the context of systemic inequality. Students will engage in close reading, imagery analysis, and utilize a thinking routine to examine visual evidence, interpret emotional resonance, and question underlying societal issues. They will synthesize their findings through an evidence-based argument model, reflecting on how historical factors contribute to the meaning of deferred dreams. The lesson culminates in a reflection on contemporary relevance, challenging students to connect Hughes's work with modern analogies of deferred aspirations.