In this unit students will learn about the Harlem Renaissance and the origins of the social and cultural reformation that changed American culture forever. Students will be exposed to the luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance in not only the written word, but through visual arts and music as well. Included in the unit is Lenox, Massachusetts native James Van Der Zee's photography which captures many of the overriding themes of the Harlem Renaissance visually and are as striking today as they were ninety years ago.

Students should have previous knowledge of the changing American values after the First World War. They should also have an understanding of Antebellum life in the United States and what this meant for African-Americans across the country.  This unit is designed to be integrated with the traditional coverage of the cultural revolutions occuring in the early 20th Century and the contributions of cultural change to the struggle for civil rights, using this specific material presented here to fill in the gaps in textbook materials.

Included are a series of example lesson plans which combine primary documents and local history in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.