Folklife Resources for Educators
Materials Related to Family--HistoryThere are 12 titles in this list.
Confino Primary Source Activity Lesson Plan - Elementary School
by Tenement Museum http://www.tenement.org/documents/lessonplans/web5_lessonplan_ConfinoElementary.pdf
Lesson plan with activities for elementary school grades to demonstrate how primary sources and documents can be used to piece together stories from the past. The primary source materials on the site include manuscripts and photographs pertaining to a young immigrant girl of Greek American heritage named Victoria Confino. In the early decades of the twentieth century, Victoria was a resident with her family at 97 Orchard Street, the current location of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. The lesson plan guides students in examining the primary source materials to learn about Victoria and her family. Appropriate for use with history, social studies, and geography curricula.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Geography; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Primary sources; Activities; Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: Immigrant families; Greek Americans; Inquiry-based learning; History; New York (N.Y.)--Social life and customs; Immigrants; Family--History; Tenement houses
Geographic locations: New York (N.Y.) |
Sponsoring Organization: Lower East Side Tenement Museum 91 Orchard Street New York NY 10002
(212) 431-0233 http://www.tenement.org/
Confino Primary Source Activity Lesson Plan - Middle School
by Tenement Museum http://www.tenement.org/documents/lessonplans/web5_lessonplan_ConfinoMiddleSchool.pdf
Lesson plan with activities for middle school grades to show how primary sources and documents can be used to piece together stories from the past. The primary source materials for this lesson include manuscripts and photographs pertaining to a young girl of Greek American heritage named Victoria Confino who was a resident at 97 Orchard Street, the location of the current Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Students are guided in examining the primary source materials to learn about Victoria and her family. Appropriate for use with history, social studies, and geography curricula.
Grade Level: 6-8 |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies; Geography |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans; Primary sources |
Language: English |
Subjects: Tenement houses; Greek Americans; Immigrants; New York (N.Y.)--Social life and customs; History; Inquiry-based learning; Family--History; Illinois--Social life and customs
Geographic locations: New York (N.Y.) |
Sponsoring Organization: Lower East Side Tenement Museum 91 Orchard Street New York NY 10002
(212) 431-0233 http://www.tenement.org/
Cowboy Poets - Teaching Guide
by Paddy Bowman http://www.folkstreams.net/context,276
Teaching guide for grades 10-12 to accompany an excerpt of the film “Cowboy Poets,” created by Kim Shelton in 1988. Fourteen minutes of the 50-minute film are chosen as a focus for the teaching guide. The film excerpt documents Wally McRae, a cowboy poet from southeastern Montana, a third-generation rancher and gentleman-philosopher, who uses his poetic gifts to make personal statements about continuity within the ranching community and the strength of cowboy traditions under siege in the modern world. The teaching guide and film explore the topics of cowboy culture and poetry, family ranch life, environmental conservation, and community resistance to a giant coal corporation in the neighborhood. The entire film is also available as streaming video on folkstreams.net.
Grade Level: 9-12 |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies; Language Arts |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans; Primary sources; Video recordings |
Language: English |
Subjects: Environmental protection; Educational films; Montana--Social life and customs; Ethnographic films; Family--History; Coal mines and mining; Family--Folklore; Family-owned business enterprises; Cowboys--Poetry; Ranch life
Geographic locations: Montana |
Sponsoring Organization: Folkstreams
http://www.folkstreams.net/
Family Ties and Fabric Tales
by Teaching Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/activity/family-ties-and-fabric-tales
Lesson with activities for students in elementary, middle, and high school on researching family history by conducting interviews. Included is a Family Data Sheet for use in collecting oral histories and activities on mapping the historical settlement patterns of families. Intended for use in Reading and Language Arts and Social Studies curricula.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Language Arts |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: Maps in education; Oral history; Interviewing; Inquiry-based learning; Fieldwork (Educational method); Family--History
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Teaching Tolerance 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery AL 36194
(334) 956-8200 http://www.tolerance.org/
Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy Teacher's Guide
by Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum http://countrymusichalloffame.org/assets/Uploads/Files/2768FamTrad-LessonGuide.pdf
Teacher resource guide with eight lesson plans for grades 3-12 designed to help classes prepare for a tour of "Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy," an exhibit held at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The materials can also be used as a stand-alone unit about Hank Williams and his family's contributions to American music. Lessons cover the topics of Hank Williams and his family, including their roles as songwriters, musicians, performers, and collectors of country music. The lessons address curriculum objectives in the Tennessee State Curriculum Standards in Language Arts, Music, Math, and Social Studies. (21 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Music; Math; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Performing Arts |
Resource Type: Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: United States--History--1945-; Music; Songwriting; Family--History; Family--Folklore; Musicians; Country music; Tennessee--Social life and customs
Geographic locations: United States; Tennessee |
Sponsoring Organization: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum 222 Fifth Avenue, South Nashville TN 37203
(615) 416-2088 http://countrymusichalloffame.org/
The Grand Generation: Interviewing Guide & Questionnaire
by Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) http://smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/seek1/grand1.html
Educational website designed as a guide for collecting folklore and oral history from older tradition-bearers. It features a general guide to conducting interviews and a sample list of questions which may be adapted to specific needs and circumstances. The site also includes some examples of ways to preserve and present your findings and a selection of further readings. The site was produced to accompany the exhibition, "The Grand Generation: Memory, Mastery, Legacy," organized by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and SITES, but can easily serve in a stand-alone capacity to instruct students in grades 3 through college in the documentation of family folklore and oral history collected from elders.
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12; Undergraduate |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Interviewing; Inquiry-based learning; Folklore--Fieldwork; Family--Folklore; Family--History; Older people; Oral history
Geographic locations: [No specific location] |
Sponsoring Organization: Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) 470 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Suite 7103 Washington DC 20024
(202) 633-3168 http://www.sites.si.edu/
Other Organizations:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W. Suite 2001 Washington DC 20024
(202) 633-6440 http://www.folklife.si.edu/
Harvesting the River Lesson Plan: Taking an Oral History
by Illinois State Museum http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/harvesting/pdfs/OralHistory.pdf
Lesson plan for students in grades 5-12 to introduce them to recording and writing up an oral history from a family or community member after hearing and/or reading oral histories. Materials include a link to "Harvesting the River," an online audio, video, and image archive of the Illinois State Museum, based on research done on communities and activities found along the Illinois River. Lesson includes interviewing guidelines and procedures, as well as information on how to use the materials documented by the students. Addresses the Illinois State Board of Education Standards and Goals for History and Social Studies. (3 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities; Video recordings |
Language: English |
Subjects: Fishing; Oral history; Interviewing; Inquiry-based learning; Community life; Family--Folklore; Family--History; Illinois--Social life and customs; History; Boats and boating; Rivers; Transportation
Geographic locations: [No specific location]; Illinois |
Sponsoring Organization: Illinois State Museum 502 South Spring Street Springfield IL 62706-5000
(217) 782-7386 http://www.museum.state.il.us/
Rogarshevsky Primary Source Activity Lesson Plan
by Tenement Museum http://www.tenement.org/documents/lessonplans/web5_lessonplan_RogarshevskyPrimarySourceHighSchool.pdf
Lesson plan with activities for students in high school to demonstrate how primary source documents can be used to piece together stories from the past. The primary source materials for this lesson include manuscripts pertaining to Abraham Rogarshevsky, a Russian immigrant, and his wife Fannie, who lived on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side of New York where the Tenement Museum is currently located. The lesson plan guides students in examining the documents to learn about the lives and occupations of the Rogarshevsky family. Appropriate for use with history, social studies, and geography curricula.
Grade Level: 9-12 |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; Geography; History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: Tenement houses; Family--History; Inquiry-based learning; History; New York (N.Y.)--Social life and customs; Immigrants; Immigrant labor; Russian Americans; Immigrant families
Geographic locations: New York (N.Y.) |
Sponsoring Organization: Lower East Side Tenement Museum 91 Orchard Street New York NY 10002
(212) 431-0233 http://www.tenement.org/
A Singing Stream: A Black Family Chronicle - Curriculum Guides
by Folkstreams http://www.folkstreams.net/film,2
Three curriculum guides to accompany the film “A Singing Stream: A Black Family Chronicle,” created by filmmaker Tom Davenport with Daniel Patterson and Allen Tullos in 1986. The 57-minute film, available as streaming video on folkstreams.net, traces the history of the Landis family of Granville County, North Carolina, over the lifetime of its oldest surviving member, 86-year-old Bertha Landis. In the film, her sons' gospel quartet, "The Golden Echoes" rehearses and performs during a Landis family reunion. Family members also describe their migration North, work, race relations, music, and family ties. The site includes a film study guide by Beverly Patterson for 8th and 9th grades that explores African American history, music, family life and culture, and film as a social and historical document. Also available is an intergenerational film discussion guide by Paddy Bowman that offers ideas for considering issues of Jim Crow segregation, voting rights, gospel music-making, and faith and resilience in African American families. In addition, the site includes a teaching guide for grades 10-12 by Paddy Bowman focusing on aspects of the film mentioned above plus background essays on gospel quartets, Bertha Landis, and Granville County, North Carolina.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12; Undergraduate |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies; Language Arts; Music; Performing Arts |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans; Primary sources; Video recordings |
Language: English |
Subjects: African Americans; North Carolina--Social life and customs; Segregation; Civil rights; Family--History; Gospel music; Race relations; Oral history; Music; African American families; Ethnographic films; Family reunions; Educational films; Family--Folklore; Race discrimination
Geographic locations: North Carolina |
Sponsoring Organization: Folkstreams
http://www.folkstreams.net/
Sweet is the Day: A Sacred Harp Family Portrait - Teacher's Guide
by Folkstreams http://www.folkstreams.net/context,64
Teacher’s guide for grades 6-8 to accompany the film, “Sweet is the Day: A Sacred Harp Family Portrait,” created by Jim Carnes and Erin Kellen in 2001. The 59-minute film, available as streaming video on folkstreams.net, tells the story of the Woottens, one of the key singing families who helped Sacred Harp music survive and flourish for more than 150 years in the South. The film intertwines scenes of family gatherings, singing conventions, and farm life in the Sand Mountain region of northeast Alabama with family recollections and songs from the shape-note tradition. The teaching guide and film explore shape-note music and Sacred Harp singing, including the importance of the tradition in the lives of families in the Sand Mountain community.
Grade Level: 6-8 |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies; Language Arts; Performing Arts; Music |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Primary sources; Video recordings |
Language: English |
Subjects: Music; Oral history; Shape-note singing; Farm life; Religious life and customs; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Choral societies; Alabama--Social life and customs; Family--Folklore; Community life; Ethnographic films; Family--History; Singing conventions; Singing schools; Educational films
Geographic locations: Alabama |
Sponsoring Organization: Folkstreams
http://www.folkstreams.net/
Tell Me Your Stories: An Oral History Curriculum
by Living Legacies Historical Foundation http://www.tellmeyourstories.org/
Oral history curriculum for high school and middle school grade levels that links students with their families and communities. The site includes lessons for ten class periods, beginning with a description of what oral history is, and subsequently outlining the steps involved in planning, researching, and carrying out an oral interview. Included on the site are ideas for sample projects applicable to a variety of classroom subjects.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies; Language Arts |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: Community life; Oral history; Interviewing; Inquiry-based learning; History; Family--History; Fieldwork (Educational method)
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Living Legacies Historical Foundation
(818) 786-1974 http://www.tellmeyourstories.org/
Telling My Story Oral History Lesson - Lower Elementary School
by Tenement Museum http://www.tenement.org/documents/lessonplans/web5_lessonplan_OralHistoryElementary.pdf
A lesson with activities for students in grades K-3 to introduce them to oral history as a way to gather information about a person, time period, place, or event. The materials included guide the students in developing a list of questions to ask during an oral history interview and explain the basics of interviewing. Appropriate for use with history, social studies, and language arts curricula.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Language Arts |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: Inquiry-based learning; Oral history; History; Family--History; Interviewing
Geographic locations: [No specific location] |
Sponsoring Organization: Lower East Side Tenement Museum 91 Orchard Street New York NY 10002
(212) 431-0233 http://www.tenement.org/
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