Folklife Resources for Educators

Materials Related to Decoration and ornament

There are 4 titles in this list.

Cultural Exchange: Jewish and Muslim Connections
by The Jewish Museum - New York
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/core/uploaded/pdfs/cultural_exchange.pdf

Curriculum guide designed to introduce middle and high school students to the dynamic cultural exchange that occurred between Jews and Muslims in medieval Spain. It also explores adaptations by Jews of motifs influenced by Muslim cultures in Turkey, Syria, Persia, Morocco, and Tunisia during the 19th and 20th centuries. Although the guide was created to prepare students for visiting the Jewish and Muslim Connections exhibit at the Jewish Museum, it can be used as a stand-alone resource. The materials focus on three subject areas: Cultural Folklore, Places of Worship, and Traditional Texts, each presented with historical background, suggested activities, and discussion questions. Individual themes and activities can be integrated into social studies, history, creative writing, geography, arts, and humanities curricula in the classroom. (28 p. PDF)

Sponsoring Organization:
Jewish Museum - New York
1109 5th Avenue at 92nd Street
New York NY 10128
(212) 423-3225
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/

God Given: Cultural Treasures of Armenia - Teacher's Guide
by Susan Eleutario
http://www.ndstudies.org/media/prairie_artists_norik_astvatsaturov_god_given_cultural_treasures_of_armenia

Teacher's guide for "God Given : Cultural Treasures of Armenia," a documentary featuring the metal repoussé artistry and life experiences of Norik Astvatsaturov, formerly of Azerbaijan and currently living in North Dakota. The curriculum materials provide an opportunity for students to examine issues related to the geography, history, and culture of Armenia, as well as ethnic conflict, the plight of refugees, and the experience of being an immigrant in the United States. The video is approximately 10 minutes long and is available on the website. Lesson plans in the teacher's guide (16 p. PDF) have benchmarks and standards for grades 9-12 for the Visual Arts, Language Arts, and Social Studies.

Sponsoring Organization:
North Dakota Council on the Arts
1600 E. Century Avenue, #6
Bismarck ND 58503-0649
(701) 328-7590
http://www.nd.gov/arts/

A Life in Beads: The Stories a Plains Dress Can Tell
by National Museum of the American Indian
http://americanindian.si.edu/education/files/NMAI_lifeinbeads.pdf

Teaching poster for grades 4-6 with accompanying lesson plans and activities that explore the traditional art of dressmaking and dress decoration among women of Native American tribes from the Great Plains region. Through the stories and art of contemporary women from the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes in Montana, students will learn about materials used in the past and today, as well as the cultural values and meanings behind dress decoration. Meets national curriculum standards for Social Studies. (10 p. PDF)

Sponsoring Organization:
National Museum of the American Indian
Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW
Washington DC 20560
(202) 633-6996
http://www.nmai.si.edu/

Ojibwa Sewn Bead Designs
by Illinois State Museum
http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/anthro/beads/sewn_beads_lesson.html

Activity geared to grades 6-9 to examine and recreate the Ojibwa sewn beading styles that were influenced by seventeenth-century French floral embroidery and fabric prints imported by French traders, using beaded objects found in the museum's collections and on the web. Includes discussion of Ojibwa beading styles and their motifs. Addresses the Illinois State Board of Education Goals and Standards for the Visual Arts and Social Science.

Sponsoring Organization:
Illinois State Museum
502 South Spring Street
Springfield IL 62706-5000
(217) 782-7386
http://www.museum.state.il.us/