Students will read Langston Hughes “Democracy,” and discuss the idea that some Americans have been denied the right to participate fully in American democracy.  Students will rely on previous learning and research to compile a list of such groups, and produce a bio poem that expresses the values and condition of one group.

Created by Angelia Greiner, January 2008

Students will identify a group of people who have, at some point in America’s history, been denied the right to full participation in society by writing a bio poem that reflects the experiences, values, and opinions of that group.
TEKS §110.32. English II. (b) 3, 8, 14(B), 26

Throughout history, many groups have been denied the freedom to express their own ideas, practice their own beliefs, and even exist as a people. The TIDES Database contains many images of groups of people who have, at some point in U.S. History, been denied full participation in our democratic way of life.  

1. Read and discuss the poem “Democracy” by Langston Hughes. The poem is included in many anthologies, and can also be found at http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/democracy and other poetry sites.



2. To what group is the poet referring?



3. Have students brainstorm a list of other groups who have been oppressed. Examples might include a character from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, from a short story such as Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron,” or from a novel such as The Diary of Anne Frank. Write the list on the board or overhead.



4. Examine and discuss the following images found on the TIDES database:
   • Sketches of Asians
   • Sketch of African American
   • Sketch of Native American
   • Mural in Chapultepec Castle, Mexico
   • Sketch of a woman
   These images portray other groups which have been denied equal participation in democracy at one point or another.



5. Have students search the TIDES database to select other images of people who have been denied full participation in society. Ask them to identify the reasons for this denial and at least two of the freedoms or rights that were denied to that group.



6. Explain to the class that they will produce a bio poem together on Hughes or on a member of another group they have recently studied, including a figure from the literature or history who they are studying.



7. Once students have chosen an oppressed group, have them write down the values and opinions of the group.



8. Place a copy of the “Suggested Bio-Poem Form” on the board. Write a bio poem that includes all of this information through suggestions from the class.

Copy of “Democracy” by Langston Hughes Suggested Bio-Poem Form

TIDES images:

Sketches of Asians Sketch of African American Sketch of Native American Mural in Chapultepec Castle, Mexico Sketch of a woman