Harlem Renaissance | Zora Neale Hurston "Sweat" | High School Short Story Unit

This widely-anthologized story of a hardworking washerwoman and her abusive husband is a deceptively simple tale of good and evil, suffering and redemption, and reaping what you sow.

However, when read in the context of the many biblical allusions in the story as well as the African American Spiritual, the seemingly-straightforward story becomes much more nuanced and complex.

This fascinating mini unit will take your students through recordings of Zora Neale Hurston singing songs she learned through her anthropological research during the Great Depression, a brief exploration of African American spirituals, close reading of the short story, analysis of the masterful figurative language, an analysis of biblical allusions in the text, and dynamic discussions on the bigger questions and themes of the story.

It’s a lot to choose from, but by using the suggestions for differentiating your plans, you will be able to create plans that will work for any level, from standard to AP.

The variety of materials, real-life connections, and innovative approaches to the information will keep students engaged and excited about learning. Additionally, the concrete text-based questions and unique sources discourage cheating and encourage students to answer for themselves.

All of the answer keys quote the important passages, so there is no guessing on your part as to which parts of the text are most important. When you discuss the questions with your classes, you can point them to the sections to make sure that they are engaging with the text and working to interpret the sometimes challenging language.

Ultimately, the engaging discussions that you conduct with your classes will help them to clarify their own views on important topics and will help you get to know your students on a deeper level.

There are no lectures or power points here—students will do the work themselves, with guidance from their teacher. Rather than telling them what the story means, you will be empowering them with the confidence and skills to tackle a challenging text on their own.

Want to see what you’ll get when you buy? Be sure to check out the preview where you can see the resource in its entirety.