This resource provides an online teacher's guide for use with Langston Hughes's short story, "Cora Unashamed," and the film adaptation of the same name, created by Masterpiece Theater. Cora Unashamed is an integrated language arts unit of study that uses visual media to extend students' understanding of the short story. Students are able to examine the social and cultural influences that impacted Hughes's writing and compare events from the short story with the film. The site also provides essays and interviews about the making of the film and many links to online resources about Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance, and materials related to women, work, and race in the 1930's. The teacher's guide provides activities and discussion questions to use before and after viewing the film. Cora Unashamed may be printed from this website or found in Hughes's book, The Ways of White Folks. (author/ncl)

This lesson focuses on the issues facing a black woman in the early 1900's in the rural Midwest. Students in Arts/Communications programs could benefit by reading the story or viewing the video can discuss how the media in America affects society's perceptions. Students in Human Resources programs can use this lesson as a basis for understanding how personal prejudices and biases affect professional interactions. The lesson plan provides for discussions on various social issues. With a few adaptations, this lesson plan could easily be incorporated into various fields of study. For example, those in Health Technology programs could use this lesson as a basis for discussing ethics in health or how one's social status often determines the level of care one receives. Teachers can use this lesson plan as a basis for various topics of discussion. Lessons on ethics in media or the workplace can be developed from this plan. Using the plan with modifications can allow teachers in various fields to incorporate it into their fields of study.