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Microsoft Word file:
Folklore Lesson Plan
(includes Self-Assessment Rubric, Student Handout, RFDL Lesson Plan, Graphic Organizer, Planning Template, Storyboard Template, and Note Taking Tool)
Adobe PDF file:
Folklore Lesson Plan
(includes Self-Assessment Rubric, Student Handout, RFDL Lesson Plan, Graphic Organizer, Planning Template, Storyboard Template, and Note Taking Tool)
Lesson Summary:
The tradition of story telling and oral history is very important to Black culture. It was very important to American slaves and continued to have some importance after slavery. Much of this tradition can be found in the stories from the Negro Leagues. It is important to separate myth from reality- historical fact, fiction, and opinions.
Key Features of Powerful Teaching and Learning:
(National Council for the Social Studies. “A Vision of Powerful Teaching and Learning in the Social Studies: Building Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy.”
http://www.socialstudies.org/positions/powerful/)
Meaningful: Students will identify the importance of oral tradition in African American and NLB history.
Value-based: Students learn how and why oral tradition and folklore was important to African Americans/slaves.
Challenging: Creating digital stories and beaming information to iPods will be technologically challenging for some students.
Integrated: Students research the importance of oral tradition and folklore in African American and NLB history.
Active: Student groups will work as a team to research and create a digital story.
Purpose/Rationale/Introduction:
The tradition of storytelling and oral history is very important to Black culture; it was very important to American slaves and continued to have some importance after slavery. Much of this tradition can be found in the stories from the Negro Leagues. It is important to separate myth from reality- historical fact from fiction and opinions.
Objectives:
1. Students will research and listen to numerous audio and video clips pertaining to African American and NLB oral traditions and folklore.
2. Students will distinguish between facts, folklore and opinions.
3. Students will create a digital story with pictures detailing a NLB or Black American folktale or oral history story using Windows Movie Maker.
4. Students will use an iPod to narrate a digital story.
Materials:
Internet access, Download Windows Movie Maker (free for Windows XP users), video cameras, iPods (optional), selection of recommended books and film, and student handouts (included)
Primary Resources:
Books:
• The Slave Community (Blassingame)
• Bre'r Rabbit Tales (compiled by William Falkner)
• Slave Culture (Sterling Stuckey)
• I Was Right on Time (Buck O'Neil)
• Maybe I'll Pitch Forever (Satchel Paige)
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues
(James Riley)
• Sol White's History of Colored Baseball (edited by Jerry Malloy)
• It's Good to be Alive (Roy Campanella)
Film:
Note: There are companion lesson plans for both of these films if so desired.
• Only the Ball was White
• There was Always Sunshine Someplace
Other:
Student self-assessment:
http://myt4l.com/projectlearn/projectlearn_file.php?file=25
See list of online resources
Procedures and Activities:
Day 1-2:
1. As students take notes, present the following background information:
The tradition of story telling and oral history is very important to Black culture. It was very important to American slaves and continued to have some importance after slavery. Much of this tradition can be found in the stories from the Negro Leagues.
Many folktales and oral stories have a bit of exaggeration to them for entertainment. For many years, when people looked at Negro Leagues history and talked to players, all many people wanted were the exaggerated stories, some of which are very funny. It made the Negro Leagues seem to be less serious than other baseball history or Black history in general. Most people were only interested in the "tall tales" Satchel Paige told about his playing career and ignored his personal history. So, it is important to separate myth from reality- historical fact from fiction, and opinions. At the same time, myths can inform us about reality with stories that have great morals.
African Americans can be compared to Native Americans in respect to how traditions and history was passed down. The African “griots,” a name taken from African culture meaning a class of musician-entertainers whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies, and their purpose in society are also good for comparison. Blacks in particular used story telling to pass down information because, as slaves, many were not allowed to learn to read or write English. Just because they did not know English did not really make them "illiterate" as many people might think, it merely meant that they found different ways of passing stories, histories and culture to following generations. Education of any sort in the slave community was a form of resistance. The Slave Community by Blassingame talks about such slave resistance.
Folktales like Bre'r Rabbit compiled by William Faulkner became ways for slaves to describe history, but also show connections back to Africa. Sterling Stuckey's Slave Culture also illuminates this.
So, folklore is part of Black culture and Black baseball. For many years, and for too many people, tall tales and funny anecdotes were all they knew of the Negro Leagues, which meant the Leagues were not taken seriously in some of the realms we have discussed and will be exploring in class.
2. Students explore hard copy and online resources (see list below) locating at least three examples of African American and/or Negro Leagues oral tradition/folklore (can do this in pairs or groups if preferred). After the students have completed their research, divide them into teams of 2-4, and have them share the examples they found in their research with the other team members. The team should decide on one example to use to create a digital story using Windows Movie Maker. Watch the video “Dad the Director” at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/
videos/default.mspx to introduce students to Windows Movie Maker. There are also sample videos available for students to watch at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/
moviemaker/videos/samples.mspx. Hand out the instructions on “Making Movies” and ask students to study the handout for the next step.
Day 3-4:
3. Student groups create a storyboard and then record their stories using a video camera from home or school. Students should use the student checklist/self-assessment rubric to guide the creation of the product. Students should write and use their own narration for the movie/story. Then, if the equipment is available, students can convert their stories to iPods. See the instructions for converting your movies to play on your iPod for assistance.
Day 5:
4. Students finish putting together their stories.
Conclusion:
5. When the digital stories are completed students should print off the student self-assessment at http://myt4l.com/projectlearn/
projectlearn_file.php?file=25 so student can evaluate their own work.
Extension and Enrichment:
Students create a short children’s storybook out of the oral tradition or folklore example they select and share it with an elementary-aged student. Teachers could also arrange for the stories to be displayed in the public library’s children’s section or at the elementary school library.
Online Resources:
Slave Narratives
• American Slave Narratives
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/wpa/wpahome.html
• Library of Congress: Slave Narratives
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/snhome.html
• North American Slave Narratives
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/
African American Genealogy
• Cyndi's List - African American
("Cyndi's List" sounds amateurish, but it's actually a credible, well-used site.)
http://www.cyndislist.com/african.htm
• African American Research
http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/heritage/african-american/
• Library of Congress: Afro-American Genealogical Research
http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/bib_guid/afro.html
• AfriGeneas
http://www.afrigeneas.com/
Assessment:
Students’ folktale or oral history digital story will be self-evaluated using the assessment rubrics.
Alternate Assessment:
Students write and create an original oral tradition or folklore story based on their own cultural and/or familial history.
Handout #1
Student Checklist
Digital Story
• I participated in discussions and contributed ideas about the project
• My project has information from good primary and secondary sources. My project has a bibliography.
• My project relates to the topic and includes accurate facts, supporting details, and high-quality examples.
• My project has a complete storyboard.
• The narration in my project is clear, interesting, and appropriate.
For group roles go to:
http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_ss/teacher99/toolkit/
TOOLKT24.pdf
For video storyboard ideas:
http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_ss/teacher99/toolkit/
TOOLKT06.pdf
For tips writing your video script:
http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_ss/teacher99/toolkit/
TOOLKT25.pdf
For directions on basic video camera operation go to:
http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_ss/teacher99/toolkit/
TOOLKT23.pdf
Self-Assessment Rubric
Please see link at top left to download.
Resources for Diverse Learners
Days 1 and 2:
1. Have the students pre-read the graphic organizer (available by downloading the entire lesson plan at the top left) to create a context for their learning.
2. Have students fill out the graphic organizer as the teacher presents the background information.
3. Although the lesson plan suggests that students research and find three examples of African American and/or Negro Leagues oral tradition/folklore, some students may not be able to accomplish this in the time allowed, or without considerable adult help. Consider asking students to find one example.
4. When assigning groups, assign one student to find an example from the slave interviews. Direct them to http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/snvoices00.html and have them pick a narrative from the list.
5. Assign another student to find an example from the Negro Baseball League history. Direct students to http://www.charliethejugglingclown.com/baseball.htm to read about the Indianapolis Clowns. Students choose one of the Negro Baseball League clown teams to research.
6. Provide the note-taking card (see below) for students to keep track of their research. This information will be used when they join their group to report on what they found. It will allow them to offer meaningful input to the group's decision.
• I researched a story about:
• One (or some) of the important people were:
• The thing about it that stuck with me the most was:
• I found some fact/folklore/opinion in this story. It was:
• I think it would make a good storyboard because:
Days 3 and 4:
7. As groups or individuals work on their storyboard, the enclosed Planning Template (below) might be helpful to organize their work. The teacher may change the topic in each of the sections to include other desired content. The template should be used to guide the creation of the story.
An alternative could be to have students use the computer to create their own template. See http://www.nvcc.vccs.edu/home/
ataormina/wdc/readings/strybdword.htm
8. Give extra points for honest and thoughtful responses on the template.
Graphic Organizer
Please see link at top left to download.
Planning Template
Answer the questions below to create a written assessment of the work that you did during the project.
A. Content Knowledge
What new things did you learn while you worked on this project? List at least three:
1.
2.
3.
B. Collaboration and Teamwork
Fill out the chart and list how you helped your team.
What I did How it helped
1.
2.
3.
C. Technology Improvement
List at least one new thing you learned about using technology: