What happens when all you want to do is play your sax,
but you end up crossing a gangster??
Find out when you read Harlem Summer!
Before Reading
About the Author…..
I was born on a Thursday, the 12th of August, 1937, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. My name at
birth was Walter Milton Myers. For some strange reason I was given to a man named Herbert Dean who lived in
Harlem. I consider it strange because I don't know why I was given away. I was raised in Harlem by Herbert and
his wife, Florence. Herbert was African American. Florence was German and Native American and wonderful and
loved me very much.
As a child my life centered around the neighborhood and the church. The neighborhood protected me and
the church guided me. I resisted as much as I could. I was smart (all kids are smart) but didn't do that well in
school. I dropped out of high school (although now Stuyvesant High claims me as a graduate) and joined the army
on my 17th birthday.
Basketball has always been a passion of mine. Sometimes at night I lie in bed thinking about games I've
played. Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I had gone into the NBA (I was never good enough)
or college ball. Anyway.... I wrote well in high school and a teacher (bless her!) recognized this and also knew I
was going to drop out. She advised me to keep on writing no matter what happened to me.
"It's what you do," she said.
I didn't know exactly what that meant but,years later, working on a construction job in New York, I
remembered her words. I began writing at night and eventually began writing about the most difficult period of my
own life, the teen years. That's what I do.
--Walter Dean Myers
Awards won by Walter Dean Myers:
Michael L. Printz Award
Coretta Scott King Award for Authors
Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature
Newbery Honor
Jane Addams Chldren's Book Awards for Picture Book
The Harlem Renaissance
Questions we will answer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What was it like to live in the 1920’s during Prohibition?
Where is Harlem?
What is the Harlem Renaissance?
Who were some of the famous people who made contributions during the Harlem Renaissance?
1. What was it like to live in the 1920’s during the Prohibition era?
From www.classzone.com
First, answer this question through reading a short overview:
After World War I, research and development propelled the United States and other industrial countries into the age
of modern technology. Advances in transportation, communication, and manufacturing allowed middle-class
consumers to buy cars, radios, and home appliances, which they saw advertised in magazines and newspapers. In
their leisure time, people crowded into huge movie theaters to gaze at films featuring their favorite stars.
Wartime inventions like electric starters and air-filled tires made modern and beautiful automobiles possible. Cars
now became sleek vehicles graced with chrome-plated bumpers. Before the war, only the rich could afford such
cars. But when prices dropped after the war, demand skyrocketed, and manufacturers increased production. Now
car ownership came within range for middle-class buyers.
Guglielmo Marconi had conducted the first successful experiments with radio in 1895. But only during World War I
did developed countries fully begin to exploit the advantages of wireless communication. The world's first
commercial radio station, KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began broadcasting in 1920. Within a few years,
almost every major city in the United States was broadcasting news, plays, music, and sporting events. Just as
during the 1950’s large numbers of families began buying television sets, in the 1920’s most families bought their
first radio.
Outside the home, popular entertainment in the 1920’s meant going to the movies. These movies stayed open from
1 P.M. to 11 P.M. every day of the year. How did Americans in the 1920s find the time to enjoy these new forms of
entertainment? During this period, machines, such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and refrigerators
increased leisure time by reducing the time it took to do housework.
During this time, our government also passed laws that made the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic
beverages illegal. The law was passed in 1920 and was repealed in 1933. This was called Prohibition. During this
time, there were places called “speakeasies” where people would go to illegally drink alcohol.
Second, answer this question through viewing a video about the Prohibition era:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiYqFXmVAFg
Write down three facts you learned about the Prohibition era from this video:
1.
2.
3.
2. Where is Harlem?
If you wanted to visit Harlem, you would have to cross the state and go through New Jersey into New York City!
A. What do you know about New York City?
B. What do you know about Harlem?
C. Have you ever visited New York City or Harlem? If not, would you like to? Why or why not?
3. What is the Harlem Renaissance?
From http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/arts/topic9.html
For aspiring African-American writers in the 1920s, Harlem was the place to be. Never before in America had there
been such a creative environment for black poets, playwrights, novelists, essayists, artists, and musicians. While
blacks in other cities faced race riots, many in Harlem were able to thrive in a supportive community. This
neighborhood gave birth to a lively cultural movement called the Harlem Renaissance.
One aspect of the Harlem Renaissance was a literary flowering. Countless black writers eagerly moved to Harlem
to nurture their talent and help define the African-American experience. Coming to Manhattan enabled them to meet
with powerful white editors and patrons who wanted to publish and support their work. White American intellectuals
became enchanted with the so-called "New Negro." Furthermore, since many jobs in New York discriminated
against blacks, the arts provided a way for them to achieve tremendous success, as well as a forum for
commenting on racial unfairness.
Important figures from the period include Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, W.E.B.
Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, and A'Lelia Walker. African-American writers believed that by writing stories, plays, and
poems based on their personal experiences, they could unite black Americans and change people's attitudes about
racism.
4. Who were some of the famous people who made contributions during the Harlem
Renaissance?
Open the book Harlem Summer. Turn to page 153. Glance through pages 153-165. Look at the pictures, and
read their descriptions. These are all real people and places written about in this book! Now choose three of the
people that seem most interesting to you, and fill in the following chart about them.
Name of the person
Describe the picture.
What did he or she do to be famous?
During Reading
You will not be answering study guide questions during our reading of this book. Instead, you will be
communicating with the others in the class through sticky notes! Every day, after we finish reading, you will be
responsible for putting up three sticky notes:
On one you will write a BURNING QUESTION that you can’t wait until the next day to get answered.
On another, you will write a CLEVER CONNECTION that you discovered between the book and your life.
On a last one, you will write a WONDERING that you have about the book or its characters.
You will receive two points per sticky note per day!
Burning Question Example:
“Where did Crab Cakes take that truck?”
Clever Connection Example:
“I watched a gangster movie called The Godfather. Dutch reminds
me of a character in it.”
Wondering Wall Example:
“I wonder why Mark doesn’t just ask his parents for help.”
Vocabulary Words
Vocabulary Word
plebian (noun)--p.33
cabaret (noun)--p.34
notorious (adjective)--p.37
bootlegged (adjective)--p.42
lynch (verb)--p.48
sanctified (adjective)--p.54
mingle (verb)--p.63
degradation (noun)--p.93
embark (verb)--p. 109
mourning (adjective)p. 131
miscreants (noun)p. 138
Definition
Character Circles
We all have circles of people in our lives. You have peers at school, family at home, friends in your
neighborhood, and people with whom you work. They could be described even as different friend
groups on Facebook. Here are the circles of people in Mark’s life. Describe each one in just a few
words.
Mom:
Fats Waller:
Family Circle
Peer Circle
Dad:
Matt:
Randy:
Uncle Cephus and
Aunt Carolyn:
Henry:
Crab Cakes:
Mark Purvis
(Protagonist):
Miss Jessie Fauset:
Dutch Schultz:
Work Circle
Langston Hughes:
Antagonist Circle
Dr. DuBois
Aussie
Farrell:
Bumpy
Johnson
Queenie
:
After Reading
Final Project: Socratic Seminar
Developed by Ben Herendeen, Sodus High School, NY
This process is based on Socrates’ method of teaching. That is, we learn best by continuing to ask questions rather
than arrive at answers. You will be expected to participate. You will be graded on your participation, as well as
your preparation for the seminar. Your statements must be backed up by materials we have used in class.
In order for seminar to work, everyone must be respected. We all have different experiences, so we all have
something different and valuable to contribute to these dialogues. Please recognize this when participating. If you
have something to say, speak up; you will be respected. If you feel you’ve been taking too much time, be respectful
and draw others into the dialogue.
For our seminar, we will look at several discussion questions for the novel that will guide the dialogue. The
questions are on the last page of this assignment. You must write out your answers to the questions before class.
You should have at least one sentence for each question with at least one quote from the novel that backs up your
assertions. You will also be responsible for filling out a rubric about another student’s participation in the seminar.
EXPECTATATIONS FOR SOCRATIC SEMINAR
1. Be prepared.
You should have your study guide for the unit, written assignment, and be familiar with the reference material. You
should be referencing the material during the seminar.
2. Speak up.
If you say nothing, you won’t get above a “C” for the seminar.
3. Be respectful.
Disagree without being disagreeable, don’t monopolize the conversation, and don’t interrupt others.
4. Be relevant.
Stay on topic, avoid “sound bites,” and don’t be repetitive.
5. Be open.
Seminar is not about being right; it is about fully exploring the topic. It is arrogant to think that we will close the door
on discussion on a given topic in 40 minutes.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Write out your answers to these questions BEFORE seminar day! You must write at least three sentences for each
question that back up your words. Two of the sentences can be your personal feeling, and the third should refer to
the quote or the book itself.
1.
QUOTE (page 77):
“What I was beginning to catch on to was that there were a lot of people who lived in an ordinary way and
did okay with their lives. Then there were people who were always trying to do something great, and they
were probably the New Negro crowd. “
QUESTION:
What does it mean to be successful in life? Does it mean that you are simply happy and doing all right, or
does it mean that you do something the world considers to be great?
2.
QUOTE (page 79):
“You think the Negroes would win?”
“I know they would.”
“Isn’t that just racial prejudice the same as some white people got?” I asked.
QUESTION:
Is it still prejudice if African Americans think they are better than white people? Or is prejudice only when
white people are against people of other races?
3.
QUOTE (page 122):
“You know, Mark, at the beginning of summer I was getting really tired of being a teenager, having my
parents tell me what to do. I wanted some being on my own. Now I’m not so sure.”
QUESTION:
Are you tired of adults telling you what to do? Do you really think you are ready to be on your own?
4.
QUOTE (page 123):
“With so many kinds of people around I didn’t know how anyone could make a decision as to which one
they wanted to be. The thing was, there might even be people somewhere living in a way that I would like
even better, and I just hadn’t met them yet.”
QUESTION:
How do you make a decision about what type of person you want to be when you grow up? Who is your
role model?
Socratic Seminar Participant Rules:
Refer to the text/notes.
Be prepared.
Stick to the point.
Listen actively.
Speak up.
This seminar will be as good as you make it!
Socratic Seminar Rubric
NAME: ___________________________________________________
5
4
3
2
Conduct
*Patient with differing
opinions.
*Asks for clarification.
*Brings others into the
dialogue.
*Very focused on the
dialogue.
*Respectful.
*Comments, but does
not attempt to involve
others.
*Generally focused.
*Participates but shows
impatience.
*Some focus.
*Engages in “sidebar”
conversations.
*Disrespectful.
*Argumentative.
*Does not participate.
Speaking
*Speaks to all participants.
*Articulate.
*Takes a leadership role
without monopolizing the
discussion.
• Speaks at least twice during
seminar.
*Speaks to most
participants.
*Attempts to move on
to new ideas.
*Tends to “ramble on”
after making a point.
• Speaks at least once
during seminar.
*Speaks too softly.
*Needs prompting to
get involved.
*Has no sustainable
point; uses “sound
bites.”
*Monopolizes the
discussion.
*Reluctant to speak.
*Comments do not
support point.
Reasoning
*Cites relevant text.
*Relates topic to outside
knowledge and other topics.
*Makes connections between
own thoughts and others’.
*Willing to take an alternate
viewpoint.
*Asks questions to further
dialogue.
*Makes limited
connections to others’
ideas.
*Some intriguing points
that merit reaction.
*Some references to
text.
*Accurate on minor
points, but misses the
main point.
*No textual support;
“talking off the top of
your head.”
*Refuses to
acknowledge alternate
viewpoints.
*Illogical comments.
*Ignores the movement
of the seminar.
Listening
*Writes down comments,
questions, ideas.
*Builds on other’s ideas &
gives others credit.
•Carefully listens to assigned
student and marks
appropriate comments on the
rubric.
*Generally attentive
and focused.
*Responds
thoughtfully.
*Listens to assigned
student and marks
some appropriate
comments on the
rubric.
*Appears
disconnected.
•Sometimes listens to
assigned student and
marks few comments
on the rubric.
*Inattentive.
*Comments show lack
of understanding.
•Does not listen to
assigned student and
marks no comments on
the rubric.
*Familiar with text.
*Understands major
concepts.
*Writing assignment complete
and used quotes.
* Study Guide brought to
class.
*Was well prepared
*Fairly familiar with
text.
*Asks for references.
*Writing assignment
complete but without
quotes.
*A few notes are
incomplete.
*Was mostly prepared
*Confused with key
concepts of text.
*Writing assignment
may be completed
*Some notes are
incomplete or missing.
*Occasionally prepared
*Unfamiliar with text.
*Writing assignment
may be completed
*Notes are not
complete, many
missing assignments.
*Very much
unprepared
Reading/
Preparation
Total Score: ___________/25