Lesson Plan
1
1
Academy of American Poets

We Sing America

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Walt Whitman: Journalist and Poet

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Can you love something so much you want to change it? Young patriots investigate Walt Whitman's love of America—and his suggestions to improve it—using primary sources as well as video evidence. Scholars research American issues of the...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Explore the idea of democratic poetry. Upper graders read Walt Whitman, examining daguerreotypes, and compare Whitman to Langston Hughes. They describe aspects of Whitman's I Hear America Singing to Langston Hughes' Let America Be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I Hear America Singing": Controversy and Music in the Mexican War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the Mexican War and its outcome through music. In this primary source analysis lesson, 8th graders analyze the lyrics of selected songs to consider the 2 perspectives regarding U.S. involvement in the war. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Gospel Beginnings

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify musical characteristics of gospel and sing a gospel selection. They practice the call and response technique. After going through individual parts, they sing the entire song with piano accompaniment.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Walt Whitman as a Model Poet ?I Hear My School Singing?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Contains plans for two lessons that use Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" as a model for students to compose their own pieces about the school community. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Poetry: Varying Views of America

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Lesson allows students to examine the various views of American perspective through studying three poems by diverse poets: "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, "I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes, and "On the Pulse of Morning"...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson plan, students will consider "Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.