Folklife Resources for Educators
Materials Related to Ethnic groupsThere are 14 titles in this list.
African Immigrant Experience
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=95
Multi-unit educational guide for K-12 grade levels with lesson plans and activities focusing on the life and experience of African immigrant communities in Pennsylvania. Topics featured include the refugee experience, why African immigrants are leaving their homes, and their work, families, and communities in Pennsylvania. The site includes transcripts of oral history interviews with African immigrants from Eritrea, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mauritania, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia. It also has a link to the online exhibit created by the Historical Society of Philadelphia entitled “Extended Lives: The African Immigrant Experience in Philadelphia,” that documents family life and experiences through primary source materials collected from community members. Materials in the guide are correlated to Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards for Reading and Writing, History, Geography, and Arts and Humanities.
| Grade Level: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Geography; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Ethnic neighborhoods; Ethnic groups; History; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs; Refugees; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; African Americans; Immigrant families; Immigrant labor; Sierra Leone--Social life and customs; Liberia--Social life and customs
Geographic locations: Sudan; Sierra Leone; Pennsylvania; Nigeria; Mauritania; Liberia; Kenya; Ivory Coast; Guinea; Ghana; Ethiopia; Eritrea; Africa |
Sponsoring Organization: Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200 http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1
Ethnic Fraternal Societies and Mutual Aid: An American Tradition with Old World Roots
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=87
Lesson plan related to the origins, functions, rise, and eventual decline of fraternal and self-help organizations among immigrants and African Americans with activities for middle and high school students. The lesson focuses on ways that immigrants and African Americans developed alternative social structures and mutual assistance organizations that served their social, psychological, cultural, and economic needs. It also explores issues of diversity, ethnic identity, and whether the government or the people are responsible for providing the social and economic safety net of mutual aid. Background materials include a glossary, resources for teachers and students, and links to primary source materials, including photographs and oral histories, drawn from the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania The lesson plan is correlated to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, History, and Geography.
| Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Geography; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; Fraternal organizations; Ethnicity; Ethnic groups; Immigrants; United States--History; United States--Social life and customs; African Americans
Geographic locations: United States; Pennsylvania |
Sponsoring Organization: Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200 http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1
Exploring Community History and Cultural Influence
by Teaching Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/activity/exploring-community-history-and-cultural
Activities for students in grades 6-12 that explore the concept of culture in individual lives, families, communities, regions, and cultural groups for use in a Social Studies curriculum.
| Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies |
| Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Cultural relations; Ethnicity; Ethnic groups; Culture; Cultural pluralism; Community life; Intercultural communication
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Teaching Tolerance 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery AL 36104
(332) 956-8200 http://www.tolerance.org/
Exploring Diversity in Pennsylvania History
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=74
Resources for teachers related to the diverse ethnic histories of Pennsylvania. Curriculum materials include lesson plans, student handouts, background readings, and links to primary source materials drawn from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Balch collections related to the topics of settlement, community, work and industrialization, and interethnic relations. Geared to the middle and high school classroom, the units include resources for studying the settlement, history, and culture of Germans, Irish, Italians, Chinese, Latinos, South Asians, Africans, and Koreans in Pennsylvania. Lesson plans are correlated to a variety of Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards.
| Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Performing Arts; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Cultural relations; Ethnicity; Geography; Immigrant labor; Asian Americans; Industrialization; Ethnic neighborhoods; Ethnic groups; Cultural pluralism; Korean Americans; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; German Americans; Irish Americans; Italian Americans; Chinese Americans; Arab Americans; Hispanic Americans; East Indian Americans; African Americans; Immigrants; Labor history; Emigration and immigration; Intercultural communication
Geographic locations: Pennsylvania |
Sponsoring Organization: Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200 http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1
Folk Artists: New Roots
by Institute for Cultural Partnerships http://www.culturalpartnerships.org/fan/
Educational web pages designed for use with students in grades 5-8 which provide activities and primary source materials about recent immigrant and refugee communities in Pennsylvania. A 12-page teacher's guide, "Using the Folk Arts of Newcomers in Your Classroom," offers curriculum suggestions and activities for exploring traditional forms of culture found in the Ahikskan Turk, Bosnian, Chinese, East Indian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Sudanese, and Vietnamese communities in Pennsylvania. Accompanying the guide are stories and videos, some in Spanish, of individual Puerto Rican, Chinese, and Mexican individuals, representing dance, foodways, and other cultural and artistic traditions. The guide correlates with Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and the Arts and Humanities.
| Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Lesson plans; Activities; Video recordings; Primary sources |
Language: English; Spanish |
Subjects: Crafts; Foodways; Vietnamese Americans; Bosnian Americans; Ethnic arts; Dance; Hispanic Americans; Chinese Americans; Puerto Ricans; Immigrants; Refugees; Folk artists; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; Ethnic groups; Ethnic folklore; Sudanese Americans; East Indian Americans; Mexican Americans; Asian Americans; Ahiskan Turks; Decorative arts
Geographic locations: Pennsylvania |
Sponsoring Organization: Institute for Cultural Partnerships 3211 North Front Street Harrisburg PA 17110-1342
(717) 238-1770 http://www.culturalpartnerships.org/
German Settlement in Colonial Pennsylvania
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=77
Lesson plan with activities related to German settlement in colonial Pennsylvania, geared to the middle and high school classroom, for use in the curriculum areas of history, geography, reading and writing. The lesson focuses on the hardships of the trans-Atlantic journey, immigration patterns and how they have changed over time, and reasons why people immigrated to the Colonies, especially from Germany to Pennsylvania. Background materials include a glossary, resources for teachers and students, and links to primary and secondary source materials drawn from the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The lesson plan is correlated to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, History, and Geography.
| Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Geography; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Ethnic groups; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; Immigrants; History; German Americans; Emigration and immigration; Geography; Cultural geography; United States--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Geographic locations: Pennsylvania |
Sponsoring Organization: Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200 http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1
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.
| Grade Level: 9-12 |
Curriculum: Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture; Geography |
| Resource Type: Video recordings; Lesson plans |
Language: English |
Subjects: Immigrants; Ethnic groups; Emigration and immigration; Refugees; Decoration and ornament; North Dakota--Social life and customs; Armenia--Social life and customs; Material culture; Armenian Americans; Art; Artisans; Decorative arts; Metal-work; History; Geography
Geographic locations: North Dakota; Armenia |
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/
Good Food, Served Right: A Photographic Essay on North Country Food Traditions
by TAUNY-Traditional Arts in Upstate New York http://www.northcountryfolklore.org/goodfood/index.html
Teacher resource guide with activities (20 p. PDF) that accompanies an online photographic exhibit of foodways and their traditions in the North Country region of New York State. The curriculum materials can be used for a variety of ages and grade levels. Includes photographs, audio recordings of oral interviews, and background on the food cultures of diverse groups of people who live in the North Country.
| Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities; Primary sources |
Language: English |
Subjects: Foodways; Food; New York (State)--Social life and customs; North Country (N.Y.)--Social life and customs; Ethnic folklore; Ethnic groups
Geographic locations: North Country (N.Y.); New York (State) |
Sponsoring Organization: TAUNY-Traditional Arts in Upstate New York 53 Main Street Canton NY 13617
(315) 386-4289 http://tauny.org/
Harvesting: Interrelationships Between Humans and Plants
by Teaching Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/activity/harvesting-interrelationships-between-humans-and-plants
Activities for students in grades 3-12 to introduce them to the field of ethnobotany in order to explore cultural diversity and ethnic traditions. Topics considered include cultural food preferences, the folklore of plants, and the historical relationships that different cultural communities have with plants. For use in social studies, science, and health curricula.
| Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Science; History and Social Studies |
| Resource Type: Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Ethnic groups; Ethnobotany; Gardening; Ethnic folklore; Cultural pluralism; Plants; Community life; Food; Foodways
Geographic locations: General |
Sponsoring Organization: Teaching Tolerance 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery AL 36104
(334) 956-8200 http://www.tolerance.org/
Immigrants in Coal Country: Anthracite Mining in Pennsylvania
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=89
Lesson plan with activities related to issues of work and immigration among ethnic workers in the hard coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania. The unit is geared to the middle and high school classroom for use in the curriculum areas of history, civics and government, geography, performing arts, and reading and writing. The unit focuses on the link between labor and ethnicity in a coal mining region, changes in the mining industry over time, and the culture of anthracite coal miners, including their music, working conditions, and life experiences. Background materials include a glossary, resources for teachers and students, and links to primary and secondary source materials, drawn from the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and other materials. The lesson plan is correlated to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, History, Geography, and Arts and Humanities.
| Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Geography; Performing Arts; Music; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Audio recordings; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Ethnic groups; Coal miners; Industrialization; Immigrant labor; Ethnicity; Community life; Music; History; Labor history; Cultural geography; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; Ballads; Folk songs; Coal mines and mining; Immigrants; Civics
Geographic locations: Pennsylvania |
Sponsoring Organization: Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200 http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1
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/
Mapping South 4th Street to Fabric Row
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania http://www.philaplace.org/resource/468/
Curriculum unit on the interactive PhilaPlace web site, (http://www.philaplace.org/), that offers guidance in exploring maps using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for a older commercial and residential area of inner city Philadelphia that includes many retail fabric stores to help develop interpretive and analytical skills for the study of history. It includes teacher resources, lessons, and classroom activities aimed for the middle and high school grades, aligned with Pennsylvania State Standards. The unit provides information on reading maps using GIS technology in connection with researching primary source material on census and land use to examine historical urban trends in immigration, occupation, ethnicity, and industrial and commercial development. Unit can be adapted to the study of the history of American urban areas other than Philadelphia. (75 p. PDF and 7 Excel spreadsheets with census information)
| Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises; Stores, Retail; Census; Industrialization; Ethnic neighborhoods; Ethnic groups; Land use; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs; Maps in education; Textile fabrics; Geography; Inner cities; Business enterprises; City and town life
Geographic locations: Philadelphia (Pa.); Pennsylvania |
Sponsoring Organization: Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200 http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1
Rural Roads, City Streets: Italians in Pennsylvania
by Historical Society of Pennsylvania http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=669
Lesson plan with activities related to Italian American life and history in Pennsylvania, geared to the middle and high school classroom, for use in the curriculum areas of history, civics and government, geography, reading, and writing. The unit focuses on the history of Italian immigration, settlement, and ethnic identity in Pennsylvania and major themes in Italian immigrant life. Background materials include a glossary, resources for teachers and students, and links to primary source materials, including photographs and oral histories, drawn from the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and other materials. The lesson plan is correlated to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, History, and Geography.
| Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12 |
Curriculum: Geography; Performing Arts; Language Arts; History and Social Studies; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Immigrant labor; Italian Americans; Identity (Psychology); Ethnicity; Pennsylvania--Social life and customs; Ethnic groups; Ethnic neighborhoods; Oral history; Community life; Cultural geography; Civics
Geographic locations: Pennsylvania |
Sponsoring Organization: Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107
(215) 732-6200 http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1
The World at the Fair: Experiences of the 1893 Columbian Exposition
by University of California, Los Angeles History and Information Studies Departments http://uclawce.ats.ucla.edu/for-teachers
Curriculum materials with lesson plans and activities that introduce secondary school students to a variety of historical and anthropological issues related to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The site includes primary source materials such as maps, photos, posters and articles from the late 19th century that allow students to analyze questions related to the event, including how different cultural groups and nations were exhibited and displayed on the fairgrounds and how this affected American attitudes towards immigration at the time. It also has three lesson plan modules for students: 1) Globalization Lesson Plan - China at the Fair; 2) Technology Lesson Plan - Electricity at the Fair; and 3) Anthropology Lesson Plan - Anthropological Exhibits at the Fair and the Midway. The curriculum materials address national standards for History and Educational Technology.
| Grade Level: 9-12 |
Curriculum: Science; History and Social Studies; Geography; Art and Culture |
| Resource Type: Primary sources; Lesson plans; Activities |
Language: English |
Subjects: Maps in education; Culture; Immigrants; Emigration and immigration; Exhibitions; Indians of South America; Festivals; Ethnic groups; Ethnic arts; United States--Social life and customs; China--Social life and customs; Indians of North America; Electricity; Anthropology; History; Museums--Curatorship
Geographic locations: United States; South America; China |
Sponsoring Organization: UCLA History Department Box 951473 Los Angeles CA 90095-1473
(310) 825-4601 http://www.history.ucla.edu/
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