Folklife Resources for Educators
Materials Related to General
There are 29 items in this list. 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/
Preserving the Past with Oral History
by Emily Pennel http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/teaching-preservation/classroom-resources/resources/preservation_arkansas_oral_history.pdf
Lesson plan to use with students in grades 4-12 that introduces them to the basics of collecting oral history. Includes suggested questions to ask, tips to remember while interviewing, sample release forms, guidelines for transcribing interviews, and considerations to take into account in choosing appropriate technology for recording. Included are also examples of oral history projects that classes can use with their completed interviews. The lesson is correlated to Arkansas Curriculum Standards for History and Social Studies.(12 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Oral history; Interviewing; Inquiry-based learning
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program 1500 Tower Bulding, 323 Center Street Little Rock AR 72201
(501) 324-9880 http://www.arkansasheritage.com/
Teacher's Guide to the Teen Reporter Handbook
by University of Alberta Libraries http://www.youthsource.ab.ca/teacher_resources/oral_guide.html
Teacher's guide accompanying the "Teen Reporter Handbook: How to Make Your Own Radio Diary," a publication created by NPR's Radio Diaries project to train young people in interviewing and making sound recordings about their own lives, their communities, and their families. (14 p. PDF) Includes link to the "Teen Reporter Handbook" (22 p. PDF). Also includes an oral history unit for classroom teaching and other resources related to doing oral history, such as oral history websites, lesson plans, instructions for developing oral history questions, and guidelines on recording an interview.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Journalism; Inquiry-based learning; Interviewing; Oral history; Fieldwork (Educational method); Radio
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: University of Alberta Libraries 5-02 Cameron Library, University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
T6G2J8 http://www.library.ualberta.ca/
Other Organizations:
Radio Diaries 169 Avenue A, Suite 13 New York NY 10009
http://www.radiodiaries.org/
Masters of the Building Arts Activity Guide
by Betty Belanus, Marjorie Hunt http://www.folklife.si.edu/resources/pdf/BuildingArtsGuide.pdf
Adapted from a family activity guide to accompany the 2001 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program focused on the building arts and the artistry and skill of craftspersons. This guide offers activity suggestions for persons of all ages related to making stone walls, stained glass windows, and architectural terra cotta, and to working with ornamental ironwork, adobe, stone carving and masonry, and timber framing. (41 p. PDF)
Grade Level: All ages |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Artisans; Occupations--Folklore; Building trades; Material culture
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Suite 2001 MRC 520 Washington DC 20024
(202) 633-6440 http://www.folklife.si.edu/
Folklife and Fieldwork: An Introduction to Field Techniques
by American Folklife Center http://www.loc.gov/folklife/fieldwork/
A guide to conducting folklife fieldwork, updated in 2005. (46 p. PDF) Includes information on what to collect, how to do fieldwork, and provides examples of release forms, data sheets, and logs for audio, video, and still photography. Also has tips on using tape recording, video, and photographic equipment. A Spanish-language translation of the guide is included, under the title "La Tradición Popular y la Investigación de Campo Una introducción a las técnicas
de investigación." (46 p. PDF) Both English and Spanish versions are also available in free published versions from the American Folklife Center.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English; Spanish |
Subjects: Photography; Video recording; Folklore--Fieldwork; Oral history; Interviewing; Sound recordings
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington DC 20540-4610
(202) 707-5510 http://www.loc.gov/folklife/
Place as a Mirror of Self and Community
by Teaching Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/activity/place-mirror-self-and-community
Lesson with activities for students in grades 3-5 in a Social Studies curriculum that explores the intersection of cultural and human difference and community by looking at the role special places of all kinds play in people's lives.
Grade Level: 3-5 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Community life; Place-based education; Maps in education
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Teaching Tolerance 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery AL 36104
(334) 956-8200 http://www.tolerance.org/
The Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide
by Marjorie Hunt http://www.folklife.si.edu/explore/Resources/InterviewGuide/InterviewGuide_home.html
Interviewing guide for collecting folklife field research and oral history from tradition-bearers, and family and community members. Created in 2003, it provides guidelines on conducting interviews, with sample questions that may be adapted to specific needs and circumstances. Also includes ideas on preserving and presenting field research findings, a selection of further readings, a glossary of key terms, and sample forms, such as release forms, tape and photo logs, and interview information forms. (35 p. PDF) Can be used for classroom projects.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Performing Arts; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Interviewing; Oral history; Folklore--Fieldwork; Fieldwork (Educational method); Inquiry-based learning
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Smithsonian Institution Washington DC 20013-7012
(202) 633-6440 http://www.folklife.si.edu/archives_resources/about.aspx
Exploring Community History and Cultural Influence
by Teaching Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/activity/exploring-community-history-and-cultural
Activities for students in grades 6-12 that explore the concept of culture in individual lives, families, communities, regions, and cultural groups for use in a Social Studies curriculum.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Cultural relations; Ethnicity; Ethnic groups; Culture; Cultural pluralism; Community life; Intercultural communication
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Teaching Tolerance 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery AL 36104
(332) 956-8200 http://www.tolerance.org/
Harvesting: Interrelationships Between Humans and Plants
by Teaching Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/activity/harvesting-interrelationships-between-humans-and-plants
Activities for students in grades 3-12 to introduce them to the field of ethnobotany in order to explore cultural diversity and ethnic traditions. Topics considered include cultural food preferences, the folklore of plants, and the historical relationships that different cultural communities have with plants. For use in social studies, science, and health curricula.
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Science; History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Ethnic groups; Ethnobotany; Gardening; Ethnic folklore; Cultural pluralism; Plants; Community life; Food; Foodways
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Teaching Tolerance 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery AL 36104
(334) 956-8200 http://www.tolerance.org/
Folk Arts in Education - A Resource Handbook II
by Marsha MacDowell, LuAnne Kozma http://www.folkartsineducation.org/
Resource handbook examining folklife, folklore, and folk arts in education throughout the United States with sample curricula from over fifty programs for youth in K-12 educational settings, museums, arts and humanities councils, and other non-profit cultural and arts organizations. The 262-page handbook includes many web-based educational resources, plus a webography and bibliography, for the study of folk arts that encourage students to become involved in hands-on, experiential learning, fieldwork, and place-based research in local community settings. It is available on the site in downloadable form or for sale in hardcopy or on CD through the Michigan State University Museum's Michigan Traditional Arts Program Store.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Sports and Recreation; Science; Performing Arts; Music; Math; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Video recordings; Primary sources; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Festivals; Fieldwork (Educational method); Folklore; Occupations--Folklore; Oral history; Inquiry-based learning; Music; Oral tradition; Place-based education; Holidays; Vernacular architecture; Urban folklore; United States--Social life and customs; Rites of passage; Storytelling; Artisans; Community life; Children--Folklore; Folk music; Folk songs; Folklore--Fieldwork; Folk art; Foodways; Ethnic arts; Culture; Ethnic folklore; Family--Folklore; History; Needlework
Geographic locations: United States; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Michigan State University Museum Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824
(517) 353-2370 http://museum.msu.edu/
Other Organizations:
Michigan Traditional Arts Program Michigan State University Museum East Lansing Michigan 48824-1045
(517) 353-2370 http://museum.msu.edu/s-program/MTAP/
The Ties that Bind
by Colorado Council on the Arts http://www.coloarts.state.co.us/programs/education/folkarts/index.htm
Multi-media resource created in 2006 for K-12 classroom teachers to address Colorado model content standards in History, Geography, and other disciplines. The tool contains the following: Written essays (Sections 1 and II); Lesson plans (Section III); Lists of additional resources (Section IV); plus audio and video resources that can be downloaded from the site. Eleven lesson plans include: "The Art of Interviewing" (14 p. PDF), "Colcha Embroidery" (8 p. PDF), ""Exploring Cowboy Life Through Cowboy Poetry," (30 p. PDF), "Folklore Bingo" (10 p. PDF), "Hmong Cultures" (12 p. PDF), "Introduction to Folklore for Grade 12" (6 p. PDF), "Latino Cultures" (10 p. PDF), "Quilts across Cultures" (12 p. PDF), "St. Patrick's Day and the Irish" (12 p. PDF), "Take a Trip to a Special Place" (6 p. PDF), and "Wheat Weaving" (10 p. PDF).
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Geography; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Video recordings; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Irish Americans; Straw work; Folk art; Place-based education; Saint Patrick's Day; Quilts; Quilting; Hispanic Americans; Folklore; Hmong Americans; Cowboys--Poetry; Colorado--Social life and customs; Fieldwork (Educational method); Folklore--Fieldwork; Interviewing; Oral history; Embroidery; Weaving; Crafts; Holidays; Needlework
Geographic locations: General; Colorado |
Sponsoring Organization: Colorado Council on the Arts 1625 Broadway, Suite 2700 Denver CO 80202
(303) 892-3802 http://www.coloarts.state.co.us/
Folkstreams Generic Lesson Plan
by Folkstreams http://www.folkstreams.net/educators/WkshtLesson.htm
Generic lesson plan for grades 10-12 for use with films available as streaming video on folkstreams.net. Lesson plan template offers suggestions for viewing films as literary texts and primary sources, analyzing documentary filmmaking techniques, and guiding students in reflecting on the traditions, sense of place, identity, and beliefs of American cultural groups and communities.
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12; Undergraduate |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies; Language Arts; Performing Arts; Music |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans; Primary sources; Video recordings |
Language: English |
Subjects: United States--Social life and customs; Folk music; Folklore; Ethnographic films; Educational films; United States--History
Geographic locations: United States; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Folkstreams
http://www.folkstreams.net
Neutrogena Curricula
by Museum of International Folk Art http://www.moifa.org/eventsedu/education/neutrogena/index.html
Two lesson plans for grades 1-8 related to objects from around the world found in the Museum of International Folk Art's Neutrogena collections. The first lesson plan deals with hats and headdresses and the second with resist-dye techniques used in textile design. Both include background information for teachers, resource lists, and ideas for extending the lessons into other curricular areas. The lesson plans are both correlated to the New Mexico State Content Standards for Art and Social Studies.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8 |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Activities; Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: Resist-dyed textiles; Headgear; Hats; Textile fabrics; Crafts
Geographic locations: South America; Japan; Indonesia; General; Africa, West |
Sponsoring Organization: Museum of International Folk Art PO Box 2087 Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200 http://www.internationalfolkart.org/
Teacher's Guide to "In My Heart, I Am a Dancer"
by Debora Kodish, Deborah Wei http://www.folkloreproject.org/programs/education/dancer/index.php
Curriculum guide to accompany the publication, "In My Heart I am a Dancer," about the Cambodian community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Topics include Cambodian classical dance and costume, and the history and culture of Cambodia. Created for use with children in grades K-4 and also with older students. The guide includes background for teachers in working in the classroom with folk arts plus lesson plans, activities, and questions for students as they read the text.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5 |
Curriculum: Performing Arts; Art and Culture; History and Social Studies; Music; Math |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs; Beadwork; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; Refugees; Dance; Cambodian Americans; Cambodia--Social life and customs; Immigrants; Folk artists; Cultural pluralism; Costume; Crafts; Ethnicity
Geographic locations: Pennsylvania; General; Cambodia |
Sponsoring Organization: Philadelphia Folklore Project 735 South 50th Street Philadelphia PA 19143
(215) 726-1106 http://www.folkloreproject.org/
Other Organizations:
School District of Philadelphia Education Office, 440 N. Broad St. Philadelphia PA 19130
(215) 400-4000 http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/
Explore Your Community: A Community Heritage Poster for the Classroom
by American Folklife Center http://www.loc.gov/folklife/poster/
Poster designed for the middle and high school classroom to encourage students to learn more about their own communities by engaging in documentation and field projects. Includes suggestions for heritage studies and community projects, such as interviewing friends and classmates about school-related traditions and developing a walking tour of a local historical neighborhood. The poster is also available free of charge from the American Folklife Center.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Activities; Posters |
Language: English |
Subjects: Inquiry-based learning; Oral history; Place-based education; Fieldwork (Educational method); Folklore--Fieldwork; Community life
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington DC 20540-4610
(202) 707-5510 http://www.loc.gov/folklife/index.html
Other Organizations:
Rural School and Community Trust 1530 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 240 Arlington VA 22209
(703) 243-1487 http://www.ruraledu.org/index.php
Needles and Pins: Textiles and Tools
by Museum of International Folk Art http://moifa.org/eventsedu/education/needlesandpins/nandpintro.html
Education guide designed for teachers to use with grades 1-8, focusing on themes of an exhibition, "Needles & Pins: Textiles and Tools," on display at the Museum of International Folk Art from 2007 to 2009. The lesson plans and art activities focus on textiles and the tools used to make them. It includes background on the art and technology of weaving and permanently coloring cloth, including the techniques of printing, stamping, and painting. Activities in the guide include the making of a Ghanaian Adinkra banner and a weaving project. The lesson plans are correlated to the New Mexico State Art Content Standards.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Crafts; Textile fabrics; Adinkra cloth; Weaving; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: Ghana; General; Africa, West |
Sponsoring Organization: Museum of International Folk Art PO Box 2087 Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200 http://www.moifa.org/
Louisiana Voices : An Educator's Guide to Exploring our Communities and Traditions
by Paddy Bowman, Sylvia Bienvenu, Maida Owens http://www.louisianavoices.org/edu_get_start.html
Comprehensive resource guide for K-12 educators on the folklife of Louisiana. Although written for Louisiana, lessons and activities are adaptable to any region. The guide contains forty two lessons and many activities in nine units, correlated to Louisiana Content Standards, particularly those in English Language Arts and Social Studies. Units include: 1) Defining Terms; 2) Classroom Applications of Fieldwork; 3) Discovering the Obvious; 4) The State of Our Lives; 5) Oral Traditions; 6) Louisiana's Musical Landscape; 7) Material Culture; 8) The Worlds of Work and Play; and 9) The Seasonal Round and the Cycle of Life. It includes over 1000 pages, some in PDF-format, and links to many essays, slide shows, video and audio clips, and other web resources.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Science; Music; Math; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English; French; Spanish |
Subjects: Interviewing; Play; Performance; Celebration; Seasons; Family--Folklore; Games; Place-based education; Inquiry-based learning; Folklore--Fieldwork; Folklore; Music; Foodways; Louisiana--Social life and customs; Oral tradition; Storytelling; Material culture; Occupations--Folklore; Rites of passage; Holidays; Crafts; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: Louisiana; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Louisiana Voices Louisiana Division of the Arts Baton Rouge LA 70804
(225) 342-8180 http://www.crt.state.la.us/arts/
Folkwriting: Lessons about Place, Heritage and Tradition for the Georgia Classroom
by Diane W. Howard, Laurie Kay Sommers http://www.valdosta.edu/folkwriting/
Curriculum materials created in 2002 that combine the teaching of folklore concepts and fieldwork with the development of writing skills. Using lesson plans, activities, and resources for K-12 classrooms, background is given in the writing process and the concept of folklife as a subject for writing assignments. The guide includes instructions for doing folklore fieldwork and interviews, geared to different grade levels. Although written with Georgia traditions and curriculum standards in mind, the curriculum materials are applicable to the study of other states or regions. (354 p. PDF)
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Fieldwork (Educational method); Georgia--Social life and customs; English language--Writing; Holidays; Folklore; Folklore--Fieldwork
Geographic locations: Georgia; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Valdosta State University 1500 N. Patterson Avenue Valdosta GA 31698
(229) 333-5946 http://www.valdosta.edu/
Chasing El Niño
by NOVA Teachers http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/2512_elnino.html
Classroom activity called "Forecasting Folklore" created to evaluate the accuracy of weather folklore by formulating questions and designing experiments that put them to the test. Includes links to NOVA's online site that tracks El Niño, the NOAA's El Niño page, and other resources. The "Forecasting Folklore" activity aligns with National Science Education Standards for grades 5 through 12 for Science Standard A: Science as Inquiry.
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Science; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: El Niño Current; Weather--Folklore; Inquiry-based learning; Environmental sciences; Weather
Geographic locations: Pacific Ocean; General |
Sponsoring Organization: WGBH Educational Foundation 1 Guest Street Boston MA 02135
(617) 492-2777, Ext. 5400 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/
Folklife and Folk Art Education Resource Guide
by Fife Folklore Archives http://library.usu.edu/Folklo/edresources/index.html
Guide created in 1997 with lesson plans and activities related to teaching a general folklife and folk art curriculum for the upper elementary school grades. It also provides background on the diverse ethnic, occupational, and regional traditions of the state of Utah. Included in the guide are sample cultural surveys for fourth and fifth graders to use in doing fieldwork plus activities such as hosting a folklife fair. Some of the many traditional arts areas explored are cowboy poetry, children's folklore, occupational folklore, foodways, celebrations, and verbal folklore genres.
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Crafts; Folklore; Material culture; Utah--Social life and customs; Children--Folklore; Cowboys--Poetry; Oral tradition; Fieldwork (Educational method); Folk art; Folklore--Fieldwork; Occupations--Folklore; Foodways; Celebration
Geographic locations: Utah; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Fife Folklore Archives Utah State University Libraries Logan UT 84322-3000
(435) 797-2869 http://library.usu.edu/Folklo/index.html
Learn NC
by UNC School of Education http://www.learnnc.org/
K-12 teaching and learning resources from the School of Education at the University of North Carolina. Includes lesson plans and learning materials (text and multimedia) on all curriculum areas for use by students independently or as part of classroom instruction. Resources can be browsed by grade level, subject area, and curriculum objective. Lesson plans include folklore, traditional culture, and many other topics. All lesson plans are aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Sports and Recreation; Science; Performing Arts; Music; Math; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Video recordings; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities; Primary sources |
Language: English |
Subjects: Traditional medicine; Oral history; Music; Material culture; History; Foodways; Folklore; Folk art; Fieldwork (Educational method); Ethnic groups; Ethnic arts; Dance; Culture; Cultural geography; North Carolina--Social life and customs
Geographic locations: North Carolina; General |
Sponsoring Organization: LEARN North Carolina The University of North Carolina, School of Education Chapel Hill NC 27599-7216
(919) 962-8888 http://soe.unc.edu/
Nebraska By Heart
by Nebraska Folklife Network http://www.nebraskafolklife.org/
A multidisciplinary instructional unit developed in 2007 for grades 6-8 designed to explore folk and traditional arts and folklife, generally and as they exist in Nebraska. The unit includes four lesson plans: 1) An Exploration of Folklife and Folk Arts; 2) Folk Arts and Folklife in Nebraska Culture; 3) Understanding the Folk Process; and 4) Reflecting on Folk Arts, Folklife, and Culture.
Grade Level: 6-8 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Nebraska--Social life and customs; Oral tradition; Material culture; Folk art; Folklore; Crafts
Geographic locations: Nebraska; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Nebraska Folklife Network 5620 Hunts Drive Lincoln Nebraska 68512
(404) 420-5442 http://www.nefolklife.org/
Row Upon Row: Sea Grass Baskets of the South Carolina Lowcountry
by Digital Traditions http://www.digitaltraditions.net/html/Row_Resources.cfm
Educator guide that introduces students in grades 1-12 to the sea grass basket making tradition of the South Carolina lowcountry. Lesson plans address the basic concepts of tradition, folk groups, and folk art, with examples drawn from lowcountry basket making and basket makers. In addition, the guide focuses on the value of studying one's own local history and emphasizes the connections between African American hairstyles and heritage. The units of the guide include student activities and teacher background, geared separately towards elementary, middle and high school levels. Curriculum covered is useful for classes in social studies, art, language, and South Carolina history, and is correlated to the South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Program. (100-page PDF)
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: African Americans; Basket making; South Carolina--Social life and customs; Hairstyles; Maps in education; Folklore; Folk art; Crafts
Geographic locations: South Carolina; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Digital Traditions Folklife Resource Center, McKissick Museum Columbia SC 29208
(803) 777-3714 http://www.digitaltraditions.net/Index.cfm
Other Organizations:
McKissick Museum University of South Carolina Columbia SC 29208
(803) 777-7251 http://www.cas.sc.edu/Mcks/
Dane County Cultural Tour 2002
by Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures http://csumc.wisc.edu/cmct/DaneCountyTour/
Description of a four-day field trip taken by a classroom of fourth and fifth graders from Randall Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin, to farming communities, small towns, and suburbs in south central Wisconsin. They visited ethnic communities and occupational sites, met and interviewed folk artists, musicians, and community historians, and documented their experiences through writing and photography. Many of the field reports included were written by students. This site gives an idea of the places they visited, and the traditions and folklore they discovered, and includes a "How We Did It" section for ideas on organizing similar cultural tours.
Grade Level: 3-5 |
Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Recreation; Community life; Foodways; Folk art; Inquiry-based learning; Farm life; Photography; Traditional farming; Folklore; Fieldwork (Educational method); Interviewing; Wisconsin--Social life and customs; Occupations--Folklore; Religious life and customs
Geographic locations: Wisconsin; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures 901 University Bay Drive Madison WI 53705
(608) 256-4640 http://csumc.wisc.edu/
Other Organizations:
Randall Elementary School 1802 Regent Sreet Madison Wisconsin 53705
(608) 204-3302 http://www.greatschools.net/wisconsin/madison/877-Randall-Elementary-School/
A Teacher's Guide to Kentucky Folklife
by Kentucky Historical Society http://www.history.ky.gov/pdf/Education/Folklife_Guide_Feb04.pdf
Teacher's guide to Kentucky folklife written in 2004 with lesson plans, student activities, and background essays. The guide has individual units on folklore in general and Kentucky folklife in the following areas: fieldwork, interviewing, folk art, foodways, occupational folklife, traditional music, and recreational folklife. The lessons can be used separately or together and are intended for use in the upper elementary and middle school classroom. (87 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8 |
Curriculum: Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Folk music; Folk art; Occupations--Folklore; Kentucky--Social life and customs; Games; Music; Folklore--Fieldwork; Folklore; Interviewing; Material culture; Foodways; Crafts
Geographic locations: Kentucky; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Kentucky Historical Society 100 W. Broadway Frankfort KY 40601
(502) 564-1792 http://history.ky.gov/
Other Organizations:
Kentucky Arts Council 500 Mero Street, 21st Floor, CPT Frankfort KY 40601
(502) 564-3757 http://artscouncil.ky.gov/
Cerámica y Cultura: The Story of Spanish and Mexican Mayólica
by Museum of International Folk Art http://www.moifa.org/eventsedu/education/teachersguide.pdf
A teacher resource guide for grades K-12, created in 2003, which details the history and cultural background of Spanish and Mexican mayólica ceramic pottery. It was developed in conjunction with a traveling exhibition of the same name, which opened at the Museum of International Folk Art in 2002. The guide presents materials for educators to use in introducing students to forms and functions of mayólica ceramic pieces as a way to show how to study culture through the examination of objects and as a point of departure for developing their own creative expression. It includes background information on mayólica for incorporation into classroom lesson plans, questions for discussion, and student activities related to calligraphy, design-making, ceramic tiles, and other projects. (50 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Cultural relations; Spain--Social life and customs; Crafts; Pottery; Folk art; Ethnic arts; Material culture; Mexico--Social life and customs; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: Spain; Mexico; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Museum of International Folk Art PO Box 2087 Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200 http://www.moifa.org/
Youth Portraits
by Sound Portraits Productions http://youthportraits.org/resources.php#study_guide
The Youth Portraits project was established to teach young people recently released from New York City's Rikers Island correctional facility how to use audio to tell stories about their lives. With the help of Sound Portraits producers, the young people crafted short audio documentaries by conducting interviews, cutting their own tape, adding music, and using computers to create finished pieces that were aired on public radio in January 2002. The Youth Portraits web site features their photos, streamed audio pieces with transcripts, and curriculum materials. The educational resources include a study guide (62 p. PDF) plus a recording and interviewing tutorial. These materials can be used in the classroom or as part of a life skills curriculum with youth.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies |
Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Juvenile corrections; Interviewing; Fieldwork (Educational method); Social justice; Identity (Psychology); African Americans; Radio; Oral history
Geographic locations: New York (N.Y.); General |
Sponsoring Organization: Sound Portraits Productions 80 Hanson Place, 2nd Floor Brooklyn NY 11217
(646) 723-7020 http://soundportraits.org/
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/
Teacher's Guide for Nevada Folk Arts Roster
by Nevada Arts Council http://nevadaculture.org/nac/dmdocuments/RosterTeacherGuide.pdf
Folk arts education guide created to accompany the Nevada Folk Arts Roster program and to provide an overview of the traditional arts and folklife of ethnic communities in Nevada. Includes lesson plans for the general study of folklife and also lessons on Mexican, African, Asian, Western and Eastern European, Hawaiian, and Native American cultures in Nevada, plus information on individual traditional artists working in the state. Accompanying worksheets and activities provide guidance in doing fieldwork. Lessons are designed for 4th and 7th grade students, but may be adapted for other age groups or skill levels. Correlated to Nevada Standards for Education for the areas of History, Social Studies, Geography, Library, Music, Physical Education, Visual Arts, and English Language Arts. (46 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Geography; Sports and Recreation; Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Crafts; Basket making; Mariachi music; Ukrainian Americans; Ethnic arts; Musicians; Family--Folklore; European Americans; Nevada--Social life and customs; Folklore--Fieldwork; Folklore; Folk art; Folk artists; African Americans; Asian Americans; Hawaiians; Indians of North America; Mexican Americans; Cowboys--Poetry; Cowboys--Songs and music; Irish Americans; Ranch life; Pysanky; Duck decoys
Geographic locations: Nevada; General |
Sponsoring Organization: Nevada Arts Council - Folklife Program 716 North Carson Street, Suite A Carson City NV 89701-4079
(775) 687-6680 http://nevadaculture.org/nac/
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