Heritage & Traditional Arts Program
Traditional arts are artistic activities such as music, dance, and crafts that are passed down from one generation to the next within families and communities and are regarded by the community as part of their heritage.
Folk and Traditional Arts Lesson Plans
These Folk and Traditional Arts Lesson Plans have been developed to assist 4th and 5th grade classroom teachers with sharing our state’s cultural heritage in the Arts. The curricular units are designed to be taught by teachers with minimal experience in the arts with links to power points, resources, and teaching materials. We welcome feedback as you share these units with your students.
Abenaki Beadwork
-Comparing Abenaki Clothing Worksheet
Birch Bark Canoes
Blacksmithing
New Americans in New Hampshire from Bhutan (Immigration and Folk Arts)
-Shaping our Future Final Report
Contra Dancing
Fiddling, Dance and Community
Fly Tying
French Canadian Music & Culture
Introduction to Traditional Arts
Local Traditions
-Appendix A: Cultural Traditions Checklist
-Appendix B: Arts We Live With
-Appendix C: Interview Guidelines
-Appendix D: NH Apprenticeship Categories
Shaker Brooms
-NH Shaker History Abridged Article
Storytelling
-Storyboard Template Worksheet
-Storytelling Vocab List Worksheet
The Folk and Traditional Arts Lesson Plans were developed with input from artists, teachers, and social service providers. Forty traditional artists were surveyed and we received 18 responses. Artists answered in depth how they would share their art form in 4th and 5th grade classrooms, why it is important for youth to learn about the art form, and the connection to NH history and culture. We received 26 survey responses from classroom teachers and arts educators on what components to include: connections to standards, enduring understandings, essential questions, worksheets, supplemental materials, and further enrichment opportunities. Teachers also gave insights to the challenges they may face in implementing these units in their own classes. We then held a 16 member focus group with representatives from state universities, English language educators, classroom teachers, social studies and arts specialists, Department of Education, and the NH Humanities Council. Two curriculum specialists were then contracted to draft the lesson plans and two 5th grade classroom teachers gave feedback on the final versions. We welcome feedback as you share these units with your students and welcome suggestions on future curricular units.