skip navigation  The Library of Congress >> Research Centers
AFC Logo The American Folklife Center
A - Z Index
 home >> educational resources>> folklife resources for educators >> subjects
Disclaimer

Folklife Resources for Educators

Materials Related to Fieldwork (Educational method)

There are 23 titles in this list.

 

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/


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/


Double Exposure Lesson Plan: Eye on Your Community
by Illinois State Museum
http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/pdfs/dd_comm.pdf

Lesson plan geared to grades 3-7 for helping students learn how to use a camera to document people, places, and things that make up their neighborhood or school. Addresses the Illinois State Board of Education Goals and Standards for art and the tools, techniques, and processes used to create specific effects in the arts. (2 p. PDF)

Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8 Curriculum: Art and Culture; History and Social Studies
Resource Type: Activities Language: English
Subjects: Photography; Community life; Neighborhoods; Fieldwork (Educational method)
Geographic locations: [No specific location]

Sponsoring Organization:
MuseumLink Illinois
1011 East Ash Street
Springfield IL 62703
(217) 782-7475
http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/

Other Organizations:
Illinois State Museum
502 South Spring Street
Springfield IL 62706-5000
(217) 782-7386
http://www.museum.state.il.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
101 Independence Ave, SE, LJ-G49
Washington DC 20540-4610
(202) 707-5510
http://www.loc.gov/folklife/

Other Organizations:
Rural School and Community Trust
1530 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 240
Arlington VA 22209
(703) 243-1487
http://www.ruraledu.org/index.php


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/


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/


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


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/


Ghetto Life 101
by Sound Portraits Productions
http://soundportraits.org/on-air/ghetto_life_101/

In 1993, two teenagers from Chicago's South Side collaborated with public radio producers to create the radio documentary "Ghetto Life 101," based on audio diaries of life in the Ida B. Wells housing projects. A study guide (24 p. PDF) was written for classroom use to accompany the audio segments. It adds new voices and historical perspectives to the original radio documentary. Topics covered in the study guide include growing up in the ghetto, the character of urban neighborhoods, and responding to violence in the inner city. In addition to the study guide, the Ghetto Life 101 web site includes the original audio documentaries, their transcripts, and photos.

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: Illinois--Social life and customs; Sound recordings; Violence; Neighborhoods; Community life; African Americans; Fieldwork (Educational method); Interviewing; Inner cities; Urban folklore; City and town life
Geographic locations: Illinois

Sponsoring Organization:
Sound Portraits Productions
80 Hanson Place, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn NY 11217
(646) 723-7020
http://soundportraits.org/


Hmong Cultural Tour
by Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures
http://csumc.wisc.edu/cmct/HmongTour/themes/index.htm

Teacher's guide for organizing cultural tours for students in the upper elementary grades, developed as an educational resource for a Madison Children's Museum exhibit, Hmong at Heart, created in 2004. This site documents a class trip of 4th and 5th graders to seven cities in Wisconsin to introduce them to Hmong culture and communities firsthand. Includes a "How We Did It" section, to help teachers plan their own cultural field trips, and students' essays about the trip. Hmong traditions and history, including music, foodways, crafts, games, healing practices, and textile arts are described in the "Field Guide to Hmong Culture," (91 p. PDF). Links to the "Teachers' Guide to Local Culture" (69 p. PDF), which includes a generic lesson plan for grades 3-5, with adaptations for K-2, plus teaching strategies. Also links to the "Kids' Guide to Local Culture," (139 p. PDF), which includes student activities.

Grade Level: K-2; 3-5 Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Activities Language: English
Subjects: Interviewing; Inquiry-based learning; Foodways; Traditional medicine; Music; Games; Textile fabrics; Folklore--Fieldwork; Community life; Storytelling; Fieldwork (Educational method); Hmong Americans; Wisconsin--Social life and customs; Crafts
Geographic locations: Wisconsin

Sponsoring Organization:
Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures
901 University Bay Drive
Madison WI 53705
(608) 262-8180
http://csumc.wisc.edu/

Other Organizations:
Madison Children's Museum
100 State Street
Madison WI 5370f3
(608) 256-6445
http://www.madisonchildrensmuseum.org/


Indivisible Educator's Guide
by Center for Creative Photography
http://www.indivisible.org/resources.htm

An educator's guide for K-12 students that combines photography and first-person narratives to explore community life, identity, and civic action (72 p. PDF). Lesson plans are available on taking documentary photographs, collecting oral histories, and analyzing gathered fieldwork documentation. It includes descriptions of twelve community documentation projects undertaken throughout the United States. Created in 2000 in connection with a national documentary project called "Indivisible: Stories of American Community." A selection of slides and an audio cd of excerpted project interviews accompanies the lessons.

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; Primary sources; Audio recordings Language: English
Subjects: United States--Social life and customs; Community life; Oral history; Fieldwork (Educational method); Photography; Place-based education; United States--History--1945-
Geographic locations: United States; Texas; South Carolina; Pennsylvania; North Carolina; New York (State); Montana; Illinois; Florida; California; Alaska

Sponsoring Organization:
Center for Creative Photography
University of Arizona Libraries
Tucson AZ 85721-0103
(520) 621-7968
http://www.creativephotography.org/

Other Organizations:
Center for Documentary Studies
Duke University
Durham NC 27705
(919) 660-3663
http://cds.aas.duke.edu/


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/


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/


Louisiana Foodways Unit Activity
by Louisiana Voices Folklife in Education Project
http://www.louisianavoices.org/pdfs/Unit7/FoodwaysPacket.pdf

Classroom resource for teachers working with elementary and high school students to introduce the wide variety of food customs found in the state of Louisiana. The unit includes teacher background on Louisiana's food traditions, plus lesson plans and activities for engaging students in interviewing and documenting local and family foodways, correlated to Louisiana Content Standards. (39 p. PDF)

Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Art and Culture; Language Arts
Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities Language: English
Subjects: Foodways; Folklore--Fieldwork; Inquiry-based learning; Interviewing; Fieldwork (Educational method); Family--Folklore; Louisiana--Social life and customs
Geographic locations: Louisiana

Sponsoring Organization:
Louisiana Voices
Louisiana Division of the Arts
Baton Rouge LA 70804
(225) 342-8180
http://www.crt.state.la.us/arts/


The Seasonal Round
by Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education
http://locallearningnetwork.org/the-seasonal-round/

Curriculum unit that provides a point of inquiry for K-12 students to explore how seasonal changes reflect and influence daily life and culture, holidays, festivals, and personal, family and community celebrations. Includes ideas and activities for examining and documenting how traditions vary from season to season, affected by weather, agricultural patterns, ecology, religious practice, and the recurrent yearly cycles of human life.

Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 Curriculum: Science; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Activities Language: English
Subjects: Rites of passage; Farm life; Weather--Folklore; Foodways; Folklore--Fieldwork; Fieldwork (Educational method); Holidays; Festivals; Birthdays; Ecology; Family--Folklore; Seasons; Weather; Agriculture; Occupations--Folklore; Celebration
Geographic locations: [No specific location]

Sponsoring Organization:
Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education
c/o City Lore
72 East First Street
New York NY 10003
http://locallearningnetwork.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


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/


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


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/


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/


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/


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/


Zora Neale Hurston, the WPA in Florida, and the Cross City Turpentine Camp
by State Library and Archives of Florida
http://www.floridamemory.com/OnlineClassroom/zora_hurston/

Lesson plans, photographs, and writings related to Zora Neale Hurston's work for the Florida division of the Work Projects Administration (WPA) when she went on a recording expedition in 1939 to the turpentine camps in Cross City, Florida. Correlated to Florida State Standards, the lesson plans were created for grades 9-12 for a Language Arts and Social Studies curriculum. The primary source materials in this educational unit belong to the State Library and Archives of Florida's Florida Folklife Collection, available on the Florida Memory Web site.

Grade Level: 9-12 Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture
Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans Language: English
Subjects: Florida--Social life and customs; Folklore--Fieldwork; Labor history; Fieldwork (Educational method); African Americans; New Deal, 1933-1939; Occupations--Folklore; Authors
Geographic locations: Florida

Sponsoring Organization:
State Library and Archives of Florida
500 S. Bronough Street
Tallahassee FL 32399-0250
(850) 245-6700
http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/index.cfm

Other Organizations:
Florida Memory Project
State Library and Archives of Florida
Tallahassee FL 32399-0250
(850) 245-6700
http://www.floridamemory.com/


 

  Back to Top

 

 home >> educational resources>> folklife resources for educators >> subjects

A - Z Index
  The Library of Congress >> Research Centers
   June 23, 2011
Legal | External Link Disclaimer

Contact Us:
Ask a Librarian