Folklife Resources for Educators
Materials Related to Folk musicThere are 11 titles in this list.
Association for Cultural Equity - Teaching Resources
by Association for Cultural Equity http://www.culturalequity.org/rc/ce_rc_teaching.php
Educational resources and activities for use in the Pre-K through 12 classroom, based on archival materials in the Alan Lomax Archive. Can be incorporated into the curriculum areas of history, geography, language arts, social studies, visual arts, music, and dance. Includes lesson plans and streaming video for four of Alan Lomax's films in the American Patchwork series: "Appalachian Journey;" "Dreams and Songs of the Noble Old;" "Jazz Parades;" and "The Land Where the Blues Began." The site also includes classroom activities with streaming audio, focused on a variety of musical genres and characteristics, with examples recorded by Lomax in Spain, Italy, the Bahamas, England, Scotland, Trinidad, and the American South.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Geography; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Video recordings; Primary sources; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: South Carolina--Social life and customs; North Carolina--Social life and customs; Georgia--Social life and customs; Louisiana--Social life and customs; Mississippi--Social life and customs; Musical instruments; Southern States--Social life and customs; Folk music; Blues (Music); Ballads; Games; Children's songs; African Americans; Folk songs; Lullabies; Dance; Music; Dixieland music; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs
Geographic locations: United States; Trinidad; Spain; Southern States; Scotland; Mississippi; Louisiana; Italy; England; Caribbean Area; Bahamas; Appalachian Region |
Sponsoring Organization: Association for Cultural Equity 450 West 41st Street, Suite 602-606 New York NY 10036
(212) 268-4623 http://www.culturalequity.org/
Bermuda Connections Cultural Resource Guide for Classrooms
by Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation, Government of Bermuda http://www.communityandculture.bm/bermuda-connections
Educational guide for the K-12 curriculum with lesson plans, projects, and activities developed in connection with the 2001 Smithsonian Folklife Festival featuring the culture of Bermuda. The guide is composed of thirteen chapters introducing students to the cultural arts and heritage of Bermuda, including celebration, foodways, hospitality, play, performance, occupation, artistry, Bermudian identity, maritime life, musical traditions, and the effects of globalization. In addition, the guide provides guidance on doing interviews and fieldwork plus resources for further study and documentation of Bermudian community culture. Curriculum materials are intended for use in Bermuda, but could easily be adapted for classrooms elsewhere. (259 p. PDF)
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Festivals; Occupations--Folklore; Music; Folk music; History; Bermuda--Social life and customs; Fieldwork (Educational method); Interviewing; Maritime culture; Holidays; Folklore; Foodways; Celebration; Play; Hospitality
Geographic locations: Bermuda |
Sponsoring Organization: Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation, Government of Bermuda 81 Court Street Hamilton, Bermuda HM 12
(441) 292-1681 http://www.communityandculture.bm/
Other Organizations:
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/
Bluegrass in the Schools
by International Bluegrass Music Association http://www.ibma.org/events.programs/schools/lessonplans.asp
Lesson plans and activities for the K-12 curriculum introducing students to bluegrass music. Topics include the musical instruments and sounds of bluegrass, vocal harmonies, song lyrics, bluegrass festivals, the history of bluegrass, and in-depth study of individual bluegrass songs and ballads.
Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Musicians; Music; Ballads; Musical instruments; Folk songs; Bluegrass music; Folk music; Festivals
Geographic locations: United States |
Sponsoring Organization: International Bluegrass Music Association 2 Music Circle South, Suite 100 Nashville TN 37203
(888) 438-4262 http://www.ibma.org/about.ibma/index.asp
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/
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
Iowa Folklife: Our People, Communities, and Traditions
by Iowa Arts Council http://www.uni.edu/iowaonline/folklife/intro/index.htm
Learning guide for middle and high school students plus elders in senior centers based on field documentation of Iowa traditional culture, communities, and groups done in preparation for the Festival of American Folklife and the Festival of Iowa Folklife, both held in 1996. The guide includes lesson plans with objectives, background, conceptual and hands-on activities, and handouts, arranged by subject matter: Social Studies, Language Arts, Music, and Art. Accompanying the lesson plans are activities with guidance on developing a community research archive, collecting field recordings, and creating exhibitions, festivals, and publications based on fieldwork done by students. On the site are two streamed videos for classroom viewing, streamed audio of a CD exemplifying a variety of Iowa traditional musical styles, and "Inherit Iowa," a senior citizen activity guide.
Grade Level: All ages; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Video recordings; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: European Americans; Scandinavian Americans; Crafts; Iowa--Social life and customs; Ethnic folklore; Festivals; Folklore--Fieldwork; Inquiry-based learning; Folk artists; Music; Foodways; Community life; Fieldwork (Educational method); Immigrants; Folk music; Holidays; German Americans; Czech Americans; Hmong Americans; African Americans; Mexican Americans; Occupations--Folklore; Material culture; Fishing; Maritime culture; Quilting; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: Iowa |
Sponsoring Organization: Folk & Traditional Arts Program Iowa Arts Council Des Moines IA 50319-0290
(515) 242-6195 http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/programs/folk-and-traditional-arts/resources.shtml
Other Organizations:
Iowa Arts Council 600 E. Locust Street Des Moines IA 50319-0290
(515) 281-6412 http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/
Show-Me Traditions: An Educators Guide to Teaching Folk Arts and Folklife in Missouri Schools
by Eleutario, Susan http://maa.missouri.edu/mfap/articles/showme_new.pdf
Educational guide with eight lesson plans and accompanying activities for fourth and fifth grade students that introduces concepts of folk arts and folklife in general and Missouri traditional art forms and artists in specific. The guide is organized as follows: Section I: Defining Folk Arts and Folklife; Section II: Discovering Folk Arts in Everyday Life; and Section III: Folk Artists in Missouri. Background information is provided on Missouri traditional arts and artists from the fields of Bluegrass music, Colombian-American dance and costume, Ozark riverways and boats, Irish-American music and dance, cowboy and spoken word poetry, German-American bobbin lace making, Missouri fiddling and old-time dance, and African-American storytelling. Site includes links to audio and video recordings plus additional background resources. Missouri curriculum connections are noted for Communication Arts, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Music, and Physical Education. (56 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5 |
Curriculum: Sports and Recreation; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities; Video recordings; Primary sources |
Language: English |
Subjects: Fiddle tunes; Cowboys--Poetry; German Americans; Boats and boating; Fiddlers; Clothing and dress; Bluegrass music; Lace and lace making; Poetry; Ozark Mountains Region--Social life and customs; Storytelling; Folk music; Folk artists; Missouri--Social life and customs; Folklore; Folk art; Family--Folklore; Folk songs; Material culture; Celebration; Festivals; Dance; Legends; Oral tradition; Foodways; Community life; Place names; Colombian Americans; African Americans; Irish Americans; Interviewing; Names, Personal
Geographic locations: Ozark Mountains Region; Missouri |
Sponsoring Organization: Missouri Folk Arts Program 21 Parker Hall Columbia MO 65211-2330
(573) 882-6296 http://maa.missouri.edu/mfap/
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/
Teaching Folklife: Educational Materials for Students and Teachers
by Hayden Roberts http://www.arts.state.tn.us/images/folklife/Teaching%20Folklife.pdf
This educational resource contains lesson plans designed to introduce teachers and students to a basic understanding of traditional culture in Tennessee. It is most useful for students in the 4th through 7th grades. The guide includes five lesson plans: I) Introduction to Traditional Culture; II) Storytelling and Oral History; III) Folk Arts and Crafts; IV) Traditional Music; and V) Foodways. The resource includes a glossary of folklife terms and readings brought together from a wide variety of sources on the topic of Tennessee traditional arts. Materials in the guide can be used in the classroom for teaching Language Arts, Music, Visual Arts, Social Studies, and Math.(179 p. PDF)
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8 |
Curriculum: Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture; Math |
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Legends; Tales; Material culture; Tennessee--Social life and customs; Folklore; Oral history; Storytelling; Crafts; Folk art; Folk music; Music; Foodways; Fieldwork (Educational method); Oral tradition; Country music; Indians of North America; Blues (Music); Gospel music; Musical instruments; Dance
Geographic locations: Tennessee |
Sponsoring Organization: Tennessee Arts Commission Folklife Program 401 Charlotte Avenue Nashville TN 37243-0780
(615) 741-1701 http://www.tn.gov/arts/folklife.htm
Other Organizations:
Tennesee Arts Commission
http://www.arts.state.tn.us
Tradition: Tennessee Lives and Legacies Teacher's Guide
by Dana Everts-Boehm http://www.arts.state.tn.us/resources/tradition_teachers_guide.pdf
Teacher’s guide designed for grades 3-12 which enhances the understanding of Tennessee’s folklife heritage. Originally developed to prepare students for visiting an exhibition of the same name, the guide can stand on its own as an educational resource. The materials include profiles of Tennessee folk artists from a variety of regional and ethnic backgrounds, representing Cumberland Plateau old-time fiddling, Middle Tennessee buck dancing, African American blues, Choctaw beadwork, the making of Mennonite sorghum, and Mexican needlework. The guide also introduces students to the basic concepts of folklife, tradition, folk group, family folklife, tradition bearer, folk artist, and fieldwork. Accompanying forms and guidelines on interviewing family members and presenting findings in the classroom are included. The materials conform to Tennessee State Curriculum Standards for Art, Social Studies, Modern History, and Science. (24 pp. PDF) For a DVD of photographs of Tennessee traditional artists, including those in the teacher's guide, contact: dana.everts-boehm@tn.gov
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture; Science |
Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Family--Folklore; Inquiry-based learning; Mennonites; Beadwork; Needlework; Folk music; Interviewing; Dance; Music; Folklore; Tennessee--Social life and customs; Artisans; Fiddlers; Folk artists; Musicians; Foodways; African Americans; Mexican Americans; Choctaw Indians; Basket making; Fieldwork (Educational method)
Geographic locations: Tennessee |
Sponsoring Organization: Tennessee Arts Commission Folklife Program 401 Charlotte Avenue Nashville TN 37243-0780
(615) 741-1701 http://www.tn.gov/arts/folklife.htm
Other Organizations:
Tennesee Arts Commission
http://www.arts.state.tn.us/
W is for Woods: Traditional Adirondack Music & Music Making
by TAUNY-Traditional Arts in Upstate New York http://woods.tauny.org/index.php
Educational resource for the study and history of traditional Adirondack music in New York State. Includes lesson plans for middle and high school music, history, and language arts curricula. The resource focuses on dance music, ballads, fiddle tunes, folk singers, collectors of folk music, and indigenous and ethnic traditional music found in the Adirondack region. The site has accompanying audio and video recordings, musical transcriptions, and background resources for the study of Adirondack traditional music. The educational content correlates to New York State Learning Standards.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Irish Americans; Mohawk Indians; Musicians; Fiddle tunes; Ballads; New York (State)--Social life and customs; Adirondack Mountains Region (N.Y.)--Social life and customs; Dance music; Folk music; Folk music--Collectors and collecting; Folk songs; French-Canadians
Geographic locations: New York (State); Adirondack Mountains Region (N.Y.) |
Sponsoring Organization: TAUNY- Traditional Arts in Upstate New York 53 Main Street Canton NY 13617
(315) 386-4289 http://tauny.org/
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