Designed to combine with studies in various disciplines, such as history, costume, language, dance, music, and social studies, the 10 plays in this book are drawn from the fount of American folklore and popular culture. They range from European, African, and Asian folktales recast in New World settings to the mythology associated with real-life…

The legend of the gunfighter-lawman, frontier justice, and the extent of violence in western history are suggested as possible course content to make history more relevant and interesting. (DE)

Reports a panel proceeding enumerating classroom experiences in teaching local and regional American history to high school and college students through oral history techniques. (TO)

The booklet provides instructions for five Romanian folk dances. The dances include: the "Hora," one of the oldest, most widely known dances; the "Invirtita" and the "Hategana," Transylvanian celebration dances; the "Sirba," popular in all regions of Romania; and the "Caluserul" (the "Leaping…

Argues that teaching history through poetry to secondary-level students presents a broad humanistic perspective of each era studied. Demonstrates the method by including four poems to illustrate different perspectives on immigration to the United States. Claims that history becomes more memorable and understandable, and that poems in themselves…

In explorations of American literature in high school, the tradition of sailormen and the sea is generally not considered independently or distinctly because the sea is not viewed as a separate region of thought. Songs of the whalers and sailors of the sea and the inland waterways are frequently related to the historical and spatial context of…

Compares John Bull and Uncle Sam as iconographic symbols, respectively personifying male images of the British and United States national characters. Recounts their origins, evolutions, and representative values, and includes cartoons depicting the evolution. Describes female counterparts: Britannia and Columbia/Liberty. (CH)

This digest addresses the uses of oral history projects in the secondary U.S. history classroom. The document advocates that oral history is a stimulating classroom process designed to increase student involvement in a United States history class and improve student understanding of a relatively recent historical period. Oral history also involves…

Written by history students at Gary High School, Gary, Texas, this issue includes two articles relevant to East Texas history. "Mission Dolores and Jim Corbin," (Moss Heaton and others) is a summary of material presented by Professor James Corbin about the early Spanish presence in East Texas. The first attempt at setting up a mission…

Presents a folkloristic analysis of two history teachers' performances of lectures in an eleventh grade U.S. history course. Discusses educational research on teachers as storytellers, a folkloristic framework for analyzing teachers' storytelling, and the reception of stories by students. Reveals that the history lectures combine both anecdote and…

Develops a lesson explaining the farm tenancy system in which displaced farmers work on large landowners' farms. Describes various forms of tenancy: small farmer, cash tenant, share tenant, sharecropper, and migrant worker. Provides lyrics from eight folk songs and lists questions to help students retrieve information about farm tenancy in the…

This teacher's manual introduces educators to the History Channel's, "Save Our Sounds" project, a part of "Save Our History" project. The manual features the multilayered story of the U.S. recorded sound heritage. The manual provides opportunities for team teaching and enrichment studies in history, social studies, music,…

This unit provides relevant material for teaching Rudolfo Anaya's "Bless Me, Ultima." This material gives the classroom teacher the opportunity to focus more deeply on the teaching of Anaya's work, especially in the areas of Mexican history and folklore on which the book is based. Objectives for "Bless Me, Ultima" include: (1)…

The Maine Folklife Center is a division of the University of Maine (Orono) College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and helps the University fulfill its mission of teaching, research, and public service. The Maine Folklife Center offers courses in folklore, oral history, and public history. This curriculum guide can help teachers fulfill the Maine…

Provides lessons plans for teaching urban history through folk rhymes written by Chinese immigrants describing their early experiences in the United States. Includes eight folk rhymes from the early 1900s. Provides suggestions for teaching objectives, class activities, and classroom questions to enrich students' understanding of ethnic cultures…