Folklife Resources for Educators

Materials Related to New Mexico--Social life and customs

There are 4 titles in this list.

The A:shiwi (Zuni) People: A Study in Environment, Adaptation, and Agricultural Practices
by National Museum of the American Indian
http://www.nmai.si.edu/education/files/poster_zuni.pdf

Teaching poster for grades 6-8 that examines the reciprocal relationships between the land and the A:shiwi people, also known as the Zuni, including how they have adapted to the semi-arid climate of New Mexico through a centuries-old farming technique known as "waffle gardens." Lesson plan includes background on how Native peoples have used observation and experimentation to develop science-based agricultural practices and also how A:shiwi waffle gardening reflects the traditional values of their culture. Poster 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/

Other Organizations:
Scholastic, Inc.

(800) 724-6527
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/index.jsp

Dust Bowl Migration -- Primary Source Set
by Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/dust-bowl-migration/

Photographs, recorded music, and song lyrics document the daily ordeals of rural migrant families from the Great Plains during a decade marked by both the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The resources in this primary source set are intended for classroom use. Includes a Dust Bowl Migration Teacher Guide (8 p. PDF), photographs, and sound recordings collected at California migrant labor camps, and a link to primary source analysis tools.

Sponsoring Organization:
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue, SE
Washington DC 20540-1300
(202) 707-5000
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/

Explore Culture Online
by Arizona State Museum
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/explore.shtml

Online educational activities, podcasts, videos, exhibitions, oral histories, databases, bibliographies, and multimedia resources created for the Arizona State Museum about their exhibits, collections, and programs related to the material culture of Southwest Native Americans. Includes cultural and archaeological topics such as masks, pottery, textiles, painting, and weaving from Northern Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona. Can be used in the classroom.

Sponsoring Organization:
Arizona State Museum
The University of Arizona
Tucson AZ 85721-0026
(520) 621-6302
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/

Hispanic Folk Arts and The Environment: A New Mexican Perspective
by Alejandro Lopez
http://www.nmcn.org/heritage/folk_arts/

Curriculum guide in English and Spanish on aspects of Spanish exploration and settlement in the Rio Grande corridor of New Mexico. Includes four focus areas with lesson plans and activities: 1) Land, River, and Hispanic Settlements; 2) Building Community: The Roots of Adobe; 3) Foodways of the Rio Grande; and 4) Rio Grande Weaving. Curriculum materials are correlated to New Mexico State Content Standards for Art, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Mathematics, and Physical Education.

Sponsoring Organization:
New Mexico CultureNet
913 Placita Chaco
Santa Fe NM 87505-6253
(505) 474-8500
http://www.nmcn.org/

Other Organizations:
Museum of International Folk Art
PO Box 2087
Santa Fe NM 87504-2087
(505) 476-1200
http://www.moifa.org/