☺ A Raisin in the Sun WebHunt
“I guess ya’ll seen the news what’s all over the colored paper this week.”
“No–didn’t get mine yet this week”
“You mean you ain’t read ’bout them colored people that was bombed out their place out there? Ain’t it something how bad these here white folks is getting here in Chicago! Lord, getting so you think you right down in Mississippi!”
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Imagine that you are working in a group of young journalists who were just hired as a team to create a short newspaper that will appeal to African American readers in your hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
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YOUR TASK:
Your goal is to research contemporary topics (contemporary, for this project, meaning somewhere between 1950 and 1959) and to write articles for your newspaper. EVERY MEMBER IN EVERY GROUP must write his or her own article independently. Each member should select a topic from the list below; articles should be about people, politics, culture, and events. Use the links provided as a springboard to start your research; you should also search for reputable information to coincide with the links provided below.
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EVALUATION:
You will be given (1) a group grade and (2) an individual grade.
While I generally do not give group grades, I feel that it is vital that you learn to work with your peers much as adults–including teachers–need to work with their colleagues. That said, I will NOT penalize any individual whose group is not acting responsibly. What I am looking for is evidence that you have tried to work responsibly and “professionally.” Your group grade comes from your time-on-task, the quality of your sources, the balance of work among group members, and the overall impression that your “newspaper” makes. I will distribute group rubrics in class.
You may also find the group rubric here.
Your individual grade will come from the quality of the article that you write. You will be graded on the Delaware reading and writing rubrics.
Click here to view the reading rubric.
Follow this link to view the writing rubric.
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TOPIC LIST: Each group member should select just one topic. There will be extra topics that your group does not choose to use.
They Were Lied To: Information about African American Migration to Chicago
What was the Chicago Defender? Why did thousands of African Americans leave their southern homes to move to the Chicago area? What did Blacks find when they reached Chicago?
Consider writing a letter to the editor, a persuasive article in favor of or against African American migration, an “unbias” expository piece.
Here is some information to get you started:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam011.html
o What is the American Dream?
Read this online essay. Did the American Dream vary based on one’s race?
Consider writing an expository piece. You may also want to write a narrative piece in the guise of a member of an African American family who migrated north.
Here is some information to get you started:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html
o Facts of the Times: 1950-1959
What were the major events that affected African Americans in the 1950s? How did these events impact each other to perpetuate racial tensions?
Consider writing a political piece.
Here is some information to get you started:
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade50.html
o Twentieth Century Timeline
Use this information to fuel your own questions about the eras depicted. Then, follow links or conduct independent research that connects to these questions.
Consider writing a political piece.
Here is some information to get you started:
Info. on the Detroit Riot of 1967
Although Raisin in the Sun is set in the 1950s in Chicago, racial tensions from the 1950s and before fueled events in the 1967 Detroit Riot. Read the articles and pay close attention to the video clips from witnesses and experts. How did racial tension build to culminate in such a chilling event? Could any measures have been taken to prevent the Riot?
Consider writing a narrative piece from the eyes of an involved policeman or citizen, or as a bystander/witness.
Here is some information to get you started:
http://www.67riots.rutgers.edu/d_index.htm
Immigrants Unhappy about Assimilation
It’s no secret that America is frequently referred to as “The Melting Pot.” Is this a good thing? Is assimilation (look up the term if you’re uncertain of its definition) ideal? Why or why not?
You might want to write a narrative piece from the eyes of an immigrant.
Consider the following article as a springboard to your research.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/meltingpot/meltingpot.htm
Redlining: What the Banks Won’t Tell You”
Look up “redlining,” “banking practices,” find out what it is and why it was used.
Consider writing your article as an opinion or persuasive piece.
Here is some information to get you started:
http://syracusethenandnow.org/Redlining/HOLC_Maps.htm
“Jim Crow: A History”
This website has some great information about the progression of Jim Crow. Discover where they term came from, what it applies to, and how it might have affected the lives of blacks in the 1950s.
This article could be a personal narrative of someone affected by Jim Crow, a persuasive argument directed at the government or a chronological discussion.
Here is some information to get you started:
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm
“Blacks in Higher Education: Booker T. Washington’s Perspective”
Who was Washington? How did he think blacks could achieve their dreams? What is the “talented tenth?”
Your article might be a report, an opinion or a comparison with the beliefs of W.E.B. DuBois (extra credit if you choose this option).
Here is some information to get you started: http://www.gibbsmagazine.com/The%20Talented%20Tenth.htm
“The Life of Pioneer Lorrainne Hansberry”
What was so unique about her play A Raisin in the Sun? What kind of a woman was she? What is her background?
This could be a mock interview or an explanation of how her experiences shaped the play.
Here is some biographical information to get you started: http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~cybers/hansberry2.html
“Langston Hughes: Radical or Visionary?”
How did Hughes’ literature affect the Civil Rights movement? What topics and issues does he write about? How did his life influence his work?
This article could be an analysis of the poem, a mock interview, an opinion on if Hughes was a “radical” or a “visionary.”
Here is some information to get you started:
http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html
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