The Dream Flag Project
Related Web Sites
Drop Me Off In Harlem
A wonderfully interactive site with major sections on "Faces of the Renaissance," "A Place Called Harlem," and "Themes and Variations." Very friendly navigation and lots of visual material along with text. Also includes audio and video pieces. A/V materials are generally primary source documents. Reading level about 6th grade and up. From JFK Center for the Performing Arts in Wash., DC.
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/harlem/artsedge.htmlAcademy of American Poets
Has brief biographical sketch with links to related poets and texts of a selection of poems. Included bibliography. Includes an audio file of Hughes reading "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83Interactive Hughes Timeline
This timeline from a PBS site allows you to scroll and click, viewing all kinds of information about the life of Hughes and other related historical events. Requires Flash.Smithsonain Magazine with audio of "April Rain Song."
This is a very short article on Hughes but includes an audio recording of Hughes reading his "April Rain Song."
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/atm-jukebox-200804.html#NPR Radio Piece on "Ask Yo Mama"--Music and Poetry Premiere
This audio piece from NPR, aired on March 16, 2009, explains a new presentation of this late poem by Hughes. It features opera's Jessye Norman and hip-hop artists. Good for high (7:18)
Related Boooks
The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langston Hughes, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. A collection of poems which are very accessible to young readers. Poems are divided into sections by general theme. Each poem is illustrated with a black and white etching.
Poems to Dream Together : Poemas Para Soñar Juntos by Francisco X. Alarcón. Illustrated by Paula Barragán. Lee and Low Books, Inc. 2005; ISBN: I-58430-233
“This collection of bilingual poems celebrates the connections children share with their families, communities, and all living things.”
“Esta colección de poemas bilingües celebra los lazos que unen a los niños con sus familias, comunidades y con todos los seres vivientes.”Visiting Langston by Willie Perdomo and illustrated by Bryn Collier. A poetic text describing a girl's visit to the house where Lagnston Hughes lived.
Love to Langston by Tony Medina and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. A series of poems written in the voice of Langston and based on experiences in his life. Includes notes that explain biographical information related to each poem.
Harlem Poem by Walter Dean Myers and illustrations by Christopher Myers. A poetic description of what Harlem was and is. Rhythmic and jazzy in sound and illustration.
The Great Migration: An American Story illustrated and written by Jacob Lawrence. The original art of Jacob Lawrence, created in 1940-41 tells the story of African American movement from the rural South to the North.
Jump Back, Honey Poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar and illustrations by various artists. Illustrated poems from the one of the most well known African American poets before Langston Hughes.
In the Space of the Sky by Richard Lewis, Illustrated by Debra Frasier. A picture book focusing on wonder about the natural world. Most pages have fewer than twenty words.
Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, 1925-1964 edited by Emily Bernard. Nearly four decades of correspondence between Langston Hughes and a man who was first his mentor and supporter and later his trusted friend. For high school and adult readers.
Dream, A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes. by Susan V. Bosak. Original illustrations by 15 internationally acclaimed artists. "A one-of-a-kind collaboration five years in the making! 15 of the top illustrators in the world each offer a gorgeously illustrated page in a beautifully told poetic story about life's hopes and dreams, inspiring both children and adults." More . . .
Coming Home—from the life of Langston Hughes, written and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
A picture book story of the early life of Langston Hughes. Cooper focuses on his isolation when he lived with his grandmother as a small child and his tendency to dream.Langston Hughes, American Poet, by Alice Walker, illustrated by Catherine Deeter
A good story about Langston’s life, most appropriate for 4th to 6th grade or for anyone who wants to read a warmly written quick biographical sketch.Harlem Poem by Walter Dean Myers and illustrations by Christopher Myers
A poetic description of what Harlem was and is. Rhythmic and jazzy in sound and illustration.
The Dream Flag concept was created by sixth grade teachers Jeff Harlan, Sandy Crow, Helen Holt and others at The Agnes Irwin School (www.agnesirwin.org), Rosemont, Pennsylvania, U.S. The Dream Flag Project (www.dreamflags.org) is a collaborative project facilitated by Jeff Harlan and Sandy Crow. Contact dreamflags@agnesirwin.org or Jeff Harlan, Dream Flags Project Director, The Agnes Irwin School, Ithan Ave. and Conestoga Road, Rosemont, PA 19010, U.S. A.