A Teacher's Guide to Folklife Resources

Materials Related to Vernacular Architecture

There are 5 titles in this list.

[ 235 ]
Dane County Cultural Tour
by Randall School 4th and 5th Grades
Online presentation, 2002, free
Subjects: Music; Foodways; Vernacular Architecture; Folk Arts and Material Culture; Storytelling; Farming and Gardening; Occupational Culture;
Locations: Wisconsin;

http://csumc.wisc.edu/cmct/DaneCountyTour/

This is a record of one brave teacher's 4-day field trip with his class to document many of the folklife-related activities and institutions in Dane County, Wisconsin. Many of the descriptions are student-written. This also has a "How We Did It" section, in case you're thinking of organizing your own.

Published by:
Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures
901 University Bay Drive
Madison, WI 53705
608/262-8180

[ 190 ]
Investigating Where We Live
by National Buidling Museum
available online, ongoing,
Subjects: Vernacular Architecture; Community Life;
Locations: Washington (DC); New York (City); Maryland;

http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/iwwl-2008.html
http://www.peerlessrockville.org/programs/

Folder contains printouts from the documentation work done during summers in the cities listed below. This wonderful program takes teenagers into different areas of their cities to learn who lives there, what is happening there currently, as well as some history of the given neighborhood. Photography is used as a tool to understand and describe the community. The program is active in Washington, DC; Rockville, MD; and New York, NY. For current and past projects in Rockville, see http://www.peerlessrockville.org/programs/

Published by:
National Building Museum
401 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202/272-2448

[ 19 ]
Masters of the Building Arts: Family Activity Guide
by Betty Belanus, Marjorie Hunt
40 pp. activity guide, also available online, 2001,
Subjects: Folk Arts and Material Culture; Vernacular Architecture;
Locations: United States; New Mexico;

http://www.folklife.si.edu/explore/Resources/Tools/tools_buildingarts.html

One of the exhibitions at the 2001 Smithsonian Folklife Festival focused on the building arts. This companion guide, published by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, offers many suggestions for activities such as how to design and build your own gargoyle, how to work with adobe, and how to make terra cotta molds. A building vocabulary glossary is provided.

Published by:
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Mail Order Dept. 0607
Washington, DC 20073-0607
800/410-9815

[ 9 ]
Michigan Barn and Farmstead Survey Manual
by Steve Stier
32 pp. book, 2000, $7.00
Subjects: Vernacular Architecture; Occupational Culture; Farming and Gardening;
Locations: Michigan;

http://www.museum.msu.edu/s%2Dprogram/mtap/InfoforEducators/

This survey has the vocabulary and architectural examples to help students conduct barn surveys.

Published by:
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48224-1045
517/355-0368

[ 223 ]
North Country Folklore Online
by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York
free
Subjects: Storytelling; Occupational Culture; Foodways; Vernacular Architecture; Music; Folk Arts and Material Culture; Recreation;
Locations: New York (State);

http://www.northcountryfolklore.org/index.html

Site has educational modules dealing with many aspects of folklife in northern New York state. Designed for use by teachers or by older students. Includes pictures, text, and audio clips.

Published by:
Traditional Arts in Upstate New York
2 W Main St/PO Box 665
Canton, NY 13617-0665
315/386-4289