Standards Correlations

R.1, R.3, R.4, R.7, R.9, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.5, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will synthesize information from a poem by Langston Hughes and a text about his life.

Key Skills

synthesizing, text features, vocabulary, interpreting text, inference, figurative language, informational writing 

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The first text explores how Langston Hughes followed his dreams to become a celebrated writer. The second is a poem by Hughes.

 

Structure: The article is chronological and is written from the third-person point of view. The poem has two stanzas.

 

Language: The language of the article is clear and accessible. The poem includes some figurative language, which is explained in annotations on the page.

 

Knowledge Demands: No prior knowledge is required.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: T 

DRA Level: 50

Lesson Plan: The Dream Chaser/Dreams

Essential Questions

  • What does it take to reach your dreams?
  • How can we make society fair and equitable for all?

Literature Connection

  • Novel: Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
  • Fiction: Shatter With Words: Langston Hughes by Margo Sorenson

1. Preparing to Read 

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article in their magazines or at Action Online. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). What can you infer about Langston Hughes’s life from the title “The Dream Chaser”? The title suggests that Hughes was someone who went after what he wanted and didn't give up. 
  • What do you predict will be the tone of the poem “Dreams,” just by looking at the title and the photo included behind it? Sample answer: By looking at the title and the photo behind it, we can imagine that the poem will have a positive tone. It might make us think about how great it is to have dreams or inspire us to come up with big dreams and follow them.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (racism, migration, movement, renaissance, legacy) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow. 

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the article gives information about a great author, Langston Hughes, and that the poem is one of his works.
  • Tell students that after they read, they’ll synthesize (put together) information from the article and the poem to better understand Hughes and his contribution to American culture.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Read the articles. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • Why do you think the article is called “The Dream Chaser”? What dreams did Langston Hughes chase? (interpreting text) Langston Hughes dreamed of living in a place where he truly belonged, and he chased that dream by moving to Harlem. He also dreamed of sharing his words with the world, and he chased that dream by writing poems, plays, and more.
  • In the photo caption labeled “A Big Risk,” we learn that Hughes gave his poems to a famous poet. Why was this risky? What does this action tell you about Hughes’s personality? (inference) Hughes’s choice to share his poems with Vachel Lindsay was a bold step because he risked losing his job if it was seen as inappropriate. This action shows us that Hughes was brave and believed in his own talent.
  • How does the poem’s message about dreams connect with what you learn about Hughes in the article? (synthesizing) The poem’s message is that we shouldn’t give up on our dreams, because they give us purpose and joy. In the article, we learn that Hughes dreamed of being a great writer and finding a place where he felt he belonged. He didn’t give up on those dreams, and he made them come true when he became a famous poet in Harlem. 

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • The article highlights how Langston Hughes’s writings contributed to the Harlem Renaissance, a movement in which Black Americans expressed themselves freely. In what ways do you think Hughes’s poem “Dreams” could have inspired the people of Harlem during that cultural movement? (synthesizing) Sample answer: The poem “Dreams” probably helped the people of Harlem keep working toward their goals. The poem’s message—that having something to hope for gives life meaning—likely encouraged struggling artists to keep trying. 
  • In the first stanza, what does the poet compare a life without dreams to? Why do you think the poet makes this comparison? (figurative language) Hughes compares a life without  dreams to a bird with a broken wing. A broken-winged bird can no longer fly freely, as it is meant to do. The poet makes this comparison to say that a life without dreams is not the way life is meant to be lived. It’s a broken life, without a sense of freedom and joy. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Have students work in pairs to complete our Synthesizing Skill Builder. (Click here to view all of your skill builders for this article.)
  • Writing Prompt: Think about a moment in your life when you felt a strong sense of belonging or found a place where you felt truly at home, similar to how Langston Hughes felt when he arrived in Harlem. Write a paragraph describing the place or the moment and explaining why it felt comfortable and right for you.

Learn-Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.

Learn More About the Harlem Renaissance

After reading the article and the poem, watch our video “Time Machine: The Harlem Renaissance.” Then, in a small group, discuss the following questions:

  • What is the mood, or feeling, of the opening section of the video (about New York City in the 1920s)? How does it make you feel, and why?
  • What is the mood of the section about segregation?
  • Based on the video, why did an all-Black community form in Harlem in the 1920s?
  • How do you think America might be different today if the Harlem Renaissance had not taken place?

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Study and create metaphors to improve fluency.

After reading the paired texts, direct students’ attention to the two metaphors in the poem. Remind students that a metaphor describes something by saying that it is something else.

In the poem, Hughes says that without dreams, “Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly” and “Life is a barren field/Frozen with snow.” Ask students what these two metaphors have in common. In both, Hughes compares life without dreams to something that can’t function as it is meant to. Hughes is saying that life without dreams can’t function as it should: It can’t progress with purpose and meaning.

Now ask students to come up with their own metaphors that mean the same thing. Ask, “What are some other examples of things that can’t work the way they should?”

If students need some inspiration, provide these sentence starters:

  • Without dreams, life is a bicycle without . . . (wheels)
  • Without dreams, life is a restaurant without . . . (food/customers)
  • Without dreams, life is a swimming pool without . . . (water)
  • Without dreams, life is a boat . . . (full of holes)
  • Without dreams, life is a party with no . . . (guests)
  • Without dreams, life is a guitar with no  . . . (strings)
  • Without dreams, life is a smartphone with no  . . . (service)

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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