Divide students into groups and give each group one of the following poems from the Harlem Renaissance:

• “Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen
• “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay
• “Common Dust” by Georgia Douglas Johnson
• “I, Too” by Langston Hughes

In the small groups, students should work together to answer the following questions:

• Research the origin of your poem. Who wrote it, and what is important to know about the author? When was it written, and what was happening in history that may have shaped the poem’s meaning?
• What’s the main idea of your poem? What do you think the author was trying to say?
• What’s the most significant line of your poem? Why?
• What does this poem tell us about Black identity during the Harlem Renaissance?

Then, place students in new groups so that each group has at least one representative that read each poem. Have students share out in their mixed groups, taking notes on the poems they did not read. Lead a full class debrief to close, using the following question as a guide:

• What are the similarities and the differences between works of art produced during the Harlem Renaissance?