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Milwaukee Public Museum: Indian Country: Oral Tradition
The Milwaukee Public Museum provides this introduction to the Native American oral tradition and oral literature of the Great Lakes region. Describes common themes and characters, including trickster characters and windingo (ice...
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Definition of Oral Tradition and Folklore
This curriculum unit for teaching about "Folklore in the Oral Tradition, Fairytales, Fables and Folk-legend" begins with a definition of Oral Tradition.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Storytelling: Oral Traditions
Students talk about what makes a good story, look at the oral tradition of storytelling, and compare and contrast stories from two different cultural traditions. This is one of four storytelling lessons.
Other
Central Oregon Community College: African Storytelling
This essay provides an excellent explanation of the importance of storytelling and what the author refers to as "orature," oral tradition as opposed to "literature" or written tradition. Clear examples are provided, including several...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Native Voices
This unit features the rich oral tradition of Native Americans storytelling in various genres predating the introduction and influence of English writings, bringing three contemporary authors to light. RI.11-12.8 seminal U.S. texts,...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: American Masters Collection: N. Scott Momaday
This is a collection of three video lessons from N. Scott Momaday about Kiowa Native American stories, storytelling, and their oral traditions.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Storytelling: Performance and Art
Learners explore how stories can be told without words, such as through performance and art. This is one of four storytelling lessons.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Fable and Trickster Tales Around the World
The lessons presented in this website "introduce children to folk tales" and how these folktales are changed and affected by generational and cultural values. Includes several links to further related information on folktales, fables,...
University of Richmond
University of Richmond: Rewriting Ethnography
A literary review and criticism concerning the book "Ceremony" by Leslie Marmon Silko. Analyzes the Laguna oral tradition and its presence in Silko's novel.
PBS
Pbs: Using Supporting Evidence to Interpret Meaning a Native American Folktale
In this lesson, students will watch a video clip with a Native American storyteller telling a traditional story. Students will use supporting evidence from the story to give meaning to oral and written texts.
ibiblio
Ibiblio: Cherokee Sacred Stories & Sacred Rituals
Explains the traditional Cherokee rules that surround both telling and listening to oral tradition. Identifies two basic types of Cherokee oral tradition: sacred stories and small animal stories. This site also contains a video of a...
University of Pennsylvania
Upenn: Oral Traditions in Africa (Lesson Plan)
This website features a lesson plan that can be used by teachers K-12 on oral traditions found in Africa.
American Indian Heritage Foundation
Native American Eagle Stories
From several Native American tribes come these stories of Eagle. Values of the culture are preserved in the retelling of these stories that show Eagle's value and symbolism for the Native Americans.
Other
Personal: Raven and the Man That Sits on the Tides
This is a Native American Raven tale from a Pacific Northwest tribe provided by Native American Storyteller, Barry McWilliams.
Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada: Community Stories: Admiral Digby Museum: Digby County: A Journey Through Time
Digby, Nova Scotia is a community with a long history of oral tradition. This has played a large part in preserving the community's history as elders' stories, gleaned from interviews, have been preserved for the future. This exhibit...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Native Voices, Chippewa Songs
Study the great oral tradition of the Chippewa Tribe in the Great Lakes regions through their music collected by Frances Densmore. For classroom activities and lesson enhancements click on the link, "Chippewa Songs Activities."
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Native Voices: Ghost Dance Songs
A Native American Paiute man known as Wovoka, after seeing a vision, started the Ghost Dance religion which had many songs to carry on its oral tradition. Click on the tab "Ghost Dance Songs Activities" to explore activities and photos.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Native Voices: Black Elk
Sioux visionary and leader, Black Elk, and his aide to writing Black Elk Speaks, poet John D. Niehardt, are featured in this lesson with regard to the concept of oral tradition in American and Native American writing. Click on "Black Elk...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Storytelling:the Meaning Behind the Mask
In many cultures, masks are used in oral story telling. Many learning activities are described on this site that will help students learn aspects of story telling and the different ways various cultures used masks.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Storytelling: Tales of Everyday Life
Students explore how events from everyday life can become stories, and how different types of narratives-such as ships' logs and journals-can tell the story of the same event. This is one of four storytelling lessons.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Storytelling: Writers' Workshop
Students draw on their understanding of different types of narratives to inspire and enrich their own storytelling. This is one of four storytelling lessons.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Becoming Visible: N. Scott Momaday
Relying on many elements, including traditional Native American and European American traditions, this biography features the rich literary contributions of N. Scott Momaday. See "N.Scott Momaday Activities" for more resources.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Teaching the Epic Through Ghost Stories
This lesson plan uses the oral tradition of ghost stories (anchored in the Gothic) as a means of explaining the oral tradition of the epics. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.
Other
Chaver: The Mishnah
This research site from Chaver.com describes the Mishnah in-depth: "The Art of Writing the Oral Tradition," "The Decalog as Wisdom Literature," and "Woven Texts: Literary Form in Ancient Hebrew Legal Codes."
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