(Optional) School Customs Worksheet activity: Does our School have a folk life? Folk life includes the customs and habits people have right around us. Use this worksheet to think about the folk life of our culture here at school and what folklore might live on, after we move on to high school.
Folklore is passing on the folk life customs from one generation to another, in songs, stories and games. Musical folklore includes songs with instruments, dances and ballads. Every culture has a folk life but we don't always realize it, because what we do every day, or what music we enjoy doesn't always seem like something to be considered "folklore".
Homework Assignment
Folklore in your family: Ask students to talk with an older relative (grandparents are great for this assignment) or family friend about songs and games that were familiar to them as young people. Write down the names of songs or games and bring the list to the next class.
Evaluation
- Look for student identification of time signature, phrasing, and syncopation in rhythmic analysis of written and aural examples of folk songs and instrumental tunes.
- Look for identification of banjo (African influence) text (European influence) in student analysis of folk songs and instrumental tunes.