All resources in Oregon Arts

Cultural Differences and Conflicts - Storyboards and Fotonovelas

(View Complete Item Description)

Middle school is a conflict-ridden stage, particularly for our emerging bilingual students, who are normally known as ELLs. Not only do they have to overcome numerous problems of linguistic and cultural adaptation, but they also have to face challenges such as family or economic instability and moves, often cross-border. Indeed, it is not uncommon to meet Hispanic students: Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Salvadorans, etc. who travel to their countries of origin, or to the countries of origin of their parents for seasons, sometimes even to stay and live there, despite having been born in the United States and having lived here all their schooling until that moment. It is also quite common to see students who migrate with their families to the United States when they are already 11 or 12 years old and who, as we mentioned, not only have to learn the language, but adapt to a new life, culture and traditions.In this lesson plan we propose to use these personal experiences to introduce basic conversational vocabulary. It is designed for both dual immersion programs and English development classes.

Material Type: Lesson

Authors: Sergio Cano Soto, Kari Kaldahl, Oregon Open Learning

Mexican-American history in the United States and the social activism of Chicanx artists as seen through screenprints

(View Complete Item Description)

This lesson is an introductory lesson to screenprinting and how screen printing is used for social activism. Further study of the historical background that shaped these screenprints (in the extensions section at the end of the lesson) includes topics relevant to Mexican American communities and raises awareness about important historical events in Mexican-American history in the United States. The main focus of this unit is to learn about the background and history of Mexican Americans through studying these and other Chicanx artist screen prints.

Material Type: Interactive, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Unit of Study

Authors: Charis Martin, Oregon Open Learning

CS Discoveries 2019-2020: Physical Computing Lesson 6.11: Making Music

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson students will use the buzzer to its full extent by producing sounds, notes, and songs with the buzzer. Students start with a short review of the buzzer's frequency and duration parameters, then move on to the concept of notes. Notes allow students to constrain themselves to frequencies that are used in Western music and provide a layer of abstraction that helps them to understand which frequencies might sound good together. Once students are able to play notes on the buzzer, they use arrays to hold and play sequences of notes, forming simple songs.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Zydeco in Houston: Black Cowboys, Trail Rides & Creole Roots | If Cities Could Dance

(View Complete Item Description)

Houston’s zydeco dance scene brings joy and a driving rhythm to partner dancing, and in this episode, we explore the dance’s deep roots in Creole culture and music. What was called La-la in Southeastern Louisiana Creole communities became known as zydeco in Houston with the influence of R & B and the ‘King of Zydeco’, Clifton Chenier. Houston is where zydeco is thriving, evolving and reaching a broader audience, around trail-riding clubs who dance together after their rides to the accordion-driven sounds of zydeco bands with a touch of hip-hop. As infectious as zydeco is, it’s grown popular worldwide, but what hasn't changed is how zydeco brings community together in Houston. If Cities Could Dance is a Webby Award-winning video series featuring dancers from cities across the United States. Step into the shoes of dancers from across the country who dare to imagine what it would look like if their city could dance.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

How Hula Dancers Connect Hawaii’s Past and Present | If Cities Could Dance

(View Complete Item Description)

Honolulu is home to tourism hotspot Waikiki, and many of the city’s beachfront hotels host lavish luaus showcasing styles of hula influenced by Western music and instrumentation. But for Native Hawaiians, the origins of hula are deeply spiritual and rooted in Hawaii’s creation stories and the history and culture of their kūpuna or ancestors. Driven by the mele (poetry), hula marries movement with spoken word to express stories about specific deities, people, places and events.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

Philadelphia’s House Dancers Preserving the Soul of the Scene | If Cities Could Dance

(View Complete Item Description)

Philadelphia has a rich history of producing world-class dance talent, from virtuoso tap dancers LaVaughn Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers to the contemporary house and street dancers from Rennie Harris Puremovement, the longest running street dance theater company in the world. And, like the signature Philly sound, the city has moves with soul.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

East St. Louis: Dunham Technique | If Cities Could Dance

(View Complete Item Description)

In the prime of her career (1930 - 1960s,) African American dance legend Katherine Dunham and her company toured over 60 countries, and she performed on Broadway and in Hollywood films. She created the Katherine Dunham Technique, bringing together elements of dances from the African diaspora -- including Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad -- with modern dance and ballet. The rigorous technique is credited for bringing Black dance to the classroom and to the stage, where it has mesmerized audiences globally and transformed the world of dance. The program Dunham created runs to this day at the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, and continues to revolutionize lives with dance and culture. Meet some of East St. Louis’ culture keepers, including Ruby Streate, one of Dunham’s most trusted teachers whom Dunham passed the baton to, and choreographer and educator Keith Tyrone Williams. Watch dancers Heather Beal and other Dunham program alums perform at the Mississippi River’s edge, in front of the Katherine Dunham Museum, and in downtown East St. Louis.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

How Go-Go Music Inspires the Beat Ya Feet Dance Movement | If Cities Could Dance

(View Complete Item Description)

John “Crazy Legz” Pearson, founder of the Who Got Moves Battle League, is breathing life back into Beat Ya Feet -- the bouncy, fast-moving dance found in the streets, backyards and go-go clubs of Black D.C. At the heart of the dance style is the music: go-go, a blend of funk, call-and-response and Afro-Latin rhythms, ubiquitous in D.C.'s Black neighborhoods.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

The Importance of Mentors in Theater | Treasures of New York: "The Drama League"

(View Complete Item Description)

Explore how young theater directors benefit from mentoring in this video from Treasures of New York: The Drama League. Each year a cohort of fellows are selected to receive professional training as part of The Drama League’s Directors Project. Students hear advice from experienced theater professionals and are encouraged to think about the kind of preparation required for a career in the theater.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

Playing with Paper & Light: Kenneth Ragsdale | AHA! A House for Arts

(View Complete Item Description)

Learn about the art of Kenneth Ragsdale. After watching a short video, students will experiment with making folded paper structures that they will photograph, using lighting and camera angles to create different effects. Completing all activities will take 2-3 class periods. More About This Resource For more studio tours and other arts content from WMHT, visit AHA! A House For Arts. AHA! A House for Arts features the stories of artists, makers, and creative institutions right here in our backyard and across the country. A celebration of all things creative, AHA! features everything from the traditional to the innovative.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

Lines in the Glass | Frank Lloyd Wright's Buffalo

(View Complete Item Description)

"Nature furnished the materials for architectural motifs." This quote from Frank Lloyd Wright illustrates his desire to connect humans to the natural landscape through architecture. One successful example of this concept was his design of art glass windows that connected with the trees and leaves outside. Examine the beautiful window patterns Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the Martin House and then design your own Wright-style window inspired by nature. More than a biography of America’s greatest architect, Frank Lloyd Wright's Buffalo is a story of family, friendship and the meaning of home in American life. The program explores how a friendship spanning decades affected the structural aesthetic of a major American city and made a significant impact on architectural history. Buffalo, New York has the unique privilege of having more Frank Lloyd Wright structures than any other city in America outside of Chicago. This collection of architecture is due to one man: Buffalo businessman Darwin D. Martin. The centerpiece of Wright’s work in Buffalo is one of Wright's earliest designs, the Darwin Martin House. Built in 1904, it precedes such masterpieces as the Robie House and Fallingwater and is considered by many as the finest example of his prairie house design. Learn more about the WNED PBS original production here.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

Talon Wilson, Blacksmith: Art, Tradition and Identity

(View Complete Item Description)

Talon Wilson is learning the master craft of blacksmithing at Sätergläntan school in Sweden and the experience has caused him to think deeply about who he is and how his Dakota ancestry can influence his art. A lesson plan for grades 9-12 is included as a gallery asset and in the support materials. More About This Resource: Postcards is an award-winning series showcasing the arts, history, and cultural heritage of western Minnesota and beyond. Funding for Postcards comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. To watch more Postcards, visit the show page or video portal.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media

Rosemåling Featuring Karen Jenson | Art to Preserve Culture and History

(View Complete Item Description)

Karen Jenson reflects on her life and lengthy career as a renowned Norwegian and Swedish rosemåler. Take a tour of her awe-inspiring house full of her work. A lesson plan for grades 8-12 is included as a gallery asset and in the support materials. More About This Resource Postcards is an award-winning series showcasing the arts, history, and cultural heritage of western Minnesota and beyond. Funding for Postcards comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. To watch more Postcards, visit the show page or video portal.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: PBS Learning Media