Folklife Resources for Educators

Materials Related to Ecology

There are 7 titles in this list.

Choctaw Baskets: Weaving the Past and Present
by Echo: Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations
http://www.echospace.org/articles/427/sections/1311

Classroom activities, lesson plans, and web-based resources for the study of Choctaw baskets for grades 5-8. The materials focus on the geography and ecosystem of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the ecology of canebreaks (river cane), the process of making Choctaw baskets, and the changes that occur in a culture as a result of interactions with other cultures. Curriculum suggestions conform to National Standards for Geography, History, and Language Arts.

Sponsoring Organization:
Echo: Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations


http://www.echospace.org/

Dakotah Storyteller: Mary Louise Defender Wilson
by Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education
http://locallearningnetwork.org/guest-artist/mary-louise-defender-wilson/

K-12 curriculum ideas for studying the life and artistry of 1999 NEA National Heritage Fellow Mary Louise Defender Wilson, storyteller and performer of songs, dances, and legends of the Dakotah (Sioux) and Hidatsa people. These materials can be used in the curriculum areas of language arts, geography, social studies, history, visual arts, and science. Includes audio recording of Wilson telling the Dakotah story “The Woman Who Turned Herself to Stone,” a transcript of an interview with her, background on Native American storytelling and language, and additional resources.

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/

Food and Culture, Past and Present in Choctaw Culture
by Echo: Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations
http://www.echospace.org/articles/173/sections/421

Curriculum resources for grades 4-12 that explore the effects of colonization, cultural interaction, and change on the local foodways of the Mississippi Choctaw culture. Topics covered include how food choices are influenced by the geography and ecosystems of a cultural group’s homeland, how cultural celebrations and ceremonies are related to available food resources, and how a group’s ways of obtaining food has changed since European contact. Curriculum suggestions and activities conform to National Standards for English Language Arts, Geography, and History.

Sponsoring Organization:
Echo: Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations


http://www.echospace.org/

Journeys and Transformations: British Columbia Landscapes
by Virtual Museum of Canada
http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibits/journeys/english/teacher.html

Teacher's guide that presents background, teaching ideas, and activities about the physical environments of British Columbia, including its mountains, forests, waters, grasslands, and cities. For each environment, sub-topics focus on the geography, natural history, First Peoples lives, and historical development of British Columbia. Materials include artifacts and historical accounts of indigenous inhabitants. Focusing on the theme of transformation, this interactive site provides curriculum background on the interactions of the physical landscape, native and newcomer populations, and culture.

Sponsoring Organization:
Virtual Museum of Canada
15 Eddy Street, 15-4-A
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada K1A OM5
(819) 994-1200
http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/index-eng.jsp

Pass It On: Cultural Traditions of the Lower Eastern Shore
by Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art
http://www.wardmuseum.org/Education/TeachersandStudents/TeacherTrainingResources/PassItOnK12CurriculumActivity/tabid/583/Default.aspx

K-12 curriculum and activity guide to the cultural life, history, landscape, and traditions of the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. Curriculum units with lesson plans and activities include: I) Following the Water (19 pp. PDF); II) Living Off the Land (36 pp. PDF); III) Sporting and Playing (14 pp. PDF) ; and IV) Folklore and Folklife (32 pp. PDF). There is also a map of the Eastern Shore, a glossary of terms, a bibliography for further research, and links to audio and video clips. The curriculum has been synchronized with Maryland state content standards for Social Studies, and can be used for classes in History, Geography, Science, Economics, and Art.

Sponsoring Organization:
Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art
909 South Schumaker Drive
Salisbury MD 21804
(410) 742-4988
http://www.wardmuseum.org/

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.

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 Woman Who Turned Herself to Stone - Teacher's Guide
by Susan Eleutario
http://www.ndstudies.org/media/prairie_artists_mary_louise_defender_wilson_the_woman_who_turned_herself_to

Teacher's guide for "The Woman Who Turned Herself to Stone," a documentary featuring Dakotah and Hidatsa storyteller Mary Louise Defender Wilson from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in south-central North Dakota. The story told in the video describes a young girl who loved nature so much that she found a way to remain in the midst of it forever. Materials in the guide offer an opportunity for students to explore issues such as the significance of language in culture and storytelling, the cultural expectations of adolescence, and the interactions between the physical environment and human activity. The video is approximately 6 minutes long and is available on the website. Lesson plans in the teacher's guide (22 p. PDF) have benchmarks and standards for grades 4-8 for 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/