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These websites were selected by Bank Street graduate students in EDUC 574, Folklore in the Classroom course.
Title: Encyclopedia Mythica: Folktales
URL: www.pantheon.org/areas/folklore/folktales/
Description: This site is an amazingly thorough encyclopedia on mythology, folklore, and legends from around the world. The mythology section is arranged by continent. The folklore section is divided into the following categories: Arthurian Legend, Folklore, Folktales, and Greek Heroic Legend.
Title: The American Folklore Society
URL: www.afsnet.org
Description: This site is a great introduction to folklore. The section, "About Folklore" defines folklore, discusses folklorists, and the study of folklore. It also has links to folklore organizations and respected folklore books and journals.
Title: Exploring Everyday Folklore with Nina Jaffe
URL: www.teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/folkloreexp_index.htm
Description: This is a fantastic site for kids and adults to navigate. Nina Jaffe, instructor at Bank Street, discusses her careers as author, musician, and storyteller and defines the different kinds folklore as well as how to identify and write about folklore in your own life. Kids can even publish their own folktales and folklore online. You can even hear Jaffe retell a folktale from one of her books.
Title: Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
URL: www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
Description: This site has complete electronic texts (many with pictures!) of folklore, mythology and legends from around the world. There are also links to sites with detailed information about Germanic geography, mythology and culture as well as resources for investigating specific fairy tales.
Title: The Folklore Society
URL: www.folklore-society.com/
Description: This is the site of one of the oldest organizations dedicated to folklore. It provides an excellent list of links to websites about different kinds of folklore both locally and worldwide.
Title: Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
URL: www.folklife.si.edu/index.html
Description: This site has excellent cultural education programs and materials for K-12 teachers. A few activity guides can be downloaded from the website, and more extensive educational kits including video and audio recordings, etc. are available for purchase. The site also lists current exhibits at the Center as well as online exhibits, complete with curriculum guides.
Title: A Teacher's Guide to Folklife Resources for K-12 Classrooms
URL: www.loc.gov/folklife/teachers/index.html
Description: This website from the Library of Congress provides an extensive list of resources to help teachers bring folklife into the classroom. There is a description for each resource, including classroom applications, how to obtain the resource, and cost (if any) for the materials described. There is also a contact list of national, regional, and state and community-based folklife programs.
Title: University of California, Berkeley, Folklore Program
URL: http://ls.berkeley.edu/dept/folklore/links.html
Description: This site has links to resources for folklorists, journals, and folklore web sites. There is an emphasis on the academic study of folklore, and many of the links are to other university folklore programs.
Title: African Music Encyclopedia
URL: www.africanmusic.org
Description: This site provides biographies of various African musicians. It includes a glossary of African music and a list of recommended books, linked to Amazon.com for purchases. It also has a long, useful list of links to websites of African music festivals, periodicals, newsgroups, stores, etc.
Title: Cora Connection: The Manding Music Traditions of West Africa
URL: www.coraconnection.com/
Description: This site is fantastic! It includes pictures and diagrams of instruments, much information about the history and use of instruments, extended sound bytes, and opportunities to purchase recordings. It focuses on the kora, balafon, and ngoni.
Title: The Kennedy Center: African Odyssey Interactive
URL: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/aoi/artsedge.html
Description: This site from the Kennedy Center is full of information about dance, literature, visual arts, music, theater, and history of Africa. It includes sound and video clips, and an extensive list of links for educators including lesson plans and resources.
Title: Asia Society
URL: www.asiasociety.com/
Description: The Asia Society is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific." This site has information about upcoming events as well as pictures and information from their extensive art exhibits.
Title: AskAsia Homepage
URL: www.askasia.org
Description: A comprehensive site which offers resources for students, teachers and the general public. Various countries, culture groups, and languages are represented, as well as links to academic and higher education departments in Asian studies.
Title: Indian Mythology
URL: www.indianmythology.com
Description: This site serves as a resource for parents, educators, and individuals wanting to expand their knowledge base of Indian mythology and find creative ways to encourage interest in Indian culture through storytelling. It includes comprehensive stories, terminology index, discussion forum, image gallery, and an interactive quiz. It also encourages site visitors to contribute their own versions of stories of Hindu deities.
Title: German Proverbs
URL: www.serve.com/shea/germusa/prov1.htm
Description: This site is a translated list (German on one side, and English on the other) of German Proverbs.
Country or State: Germany
Title: The Holland Ring
URL: http://www.thehollandring.com/holland.shtml
Description: The Holland Ring website is an excellent resource for examining Dutch heritage and tradition. It not only provides historical background and explanations of various Dutch practices but it also provides descriptions of cuisine, traditional dress, and most importantly what is known as Dutch folklore.
Country or State: The Netherlands
Title: Irish Literature, Mythology, Folklore, and Drama
URL: www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/
Description: This is a fantastic source of information about Irish folklore, myths, legends, saints, literature etc. There are links to hundreds of related sites and the information is organized into the following categories: history, language, periodicals, literature, mythology, publishers, theater companies, folklore, fine arts, food, marketplaces, and free goodies.
Country or State: Ireland
Title: Russian Folk Tales and Folk Belief
URL: http://members.aol.com/MHoll/Tales/RussianFolktalePage.html
Description: This site is provides information about the four categories of Russian folk tales: magic tales with a female hero, tales with a male hero, animal tales and tales about everyday life. There are interpretations and examples of each type (everyday life tales are still a work in progress).
Country or State: Russia
Title: Alaska Native Heritage Center
URL: www.alaskanative.net/
Description: This site provides information about the technology, cultural traditions, social organization and history of 5 of Alaska's 11 native cultures. Their FAQ section has some fantastic links to other sites about Alaska and Alaska Native cultures. There are some wonderful photographs of their current exhibits under "Visit," "What's Happening at the Center," as well as pictures of artwork and biographies of many Alaska Native artists under "Learn," "Special Programs and Resources."
Country or State: Alaska
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Alaska Natives
Title: American Folklore
URL: www.americanfolklore.net/
Description: "This folklore site contains retellings of American folktales, Native American myths and legends, tall tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from each and every one of the 50 United States." The "Student Resources" section is especially good, and you can even e-mail a folklore professor at UCLA.
Country or State: United States
Title: The British Columbia Folklore Society
URL: www.folklore.bc.ca/
Description: This site defines folklore and provides good examples of different kinds of folklore from British Columbia. A link called "Local Legends" invites readers to submit tales from their regions. There is a multitude of links, some to specific legends and others to folklore websites around the world.
Country or State: British Columbia, Canada
Title: Jose-Luis Orozco
URL: www.joseluisorozco.com/
Description: This website includes information on the folowing: a bibliography on Jose-Luis Orozco, show schedules, albums, stories, songbooks, CDs, cassettes, and DVDs, which are all in Spanish. The heritage and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world are brought to life through song.
Country or State: California
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Latino
Title: Kentucky Folklife: Traditions and Treasures
URL: www.garrard.k12.ky.us/traditions/projects/projects.htm/
Description: The site is currently under expansion. It contains 5 sections: oral histories, jump rope jingles and hand claps, quilts, recipes, and memories of schools of past and present Kentuckians.
Country or State: Kentucky
Title: The Library of Congress American Folklife Center
URL: www.loc.gov/folklife/
Description: This site contains an amazing array of ethnographic field collections, ranging from "California Gold: Northern California Folk Music From the Thirties" to "Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978-1996." The collections include audio and video recordings, drawings, photographs, and documents.
Country or State: United States
Title: Mexican Folklore: Legends, Sayings, Beliefs
URL: www.lasculturas.com/lib/libFolklore.php
Description: This is a comprehensive website on many aspects of Latino culture. It includes an extensive listing of legends, sayings and beliefs of the Mexican and Mexican American communities, including Aztec and Mayan mythology, along with other folktales. It also provides good references and links to more Latino resources.
Country or State: Mexico, United States
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Latino
Title: Native American Culture
URL: www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/stories.htm
Description: This website contains many Native American stories and legends, including several creation stories from tribes all over North America. There are also links to other Native American sites and photographs of folk art.
Country or State: United States
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Native Americans
Title: The New York Folklore Society
URL: www.nyfolklore.org
Description: The Society offers many programs and services, such as the Folk Archive Project, to preserve and foster folk traditions of all cultures in New York. The "Resources" section is especially helpful to gain an understanding of folklore. It also has a list of useful folklore, arts, and music organizations, and archives, libraries, and museums located in New York.
Country or State: New York
Title: Ojibway Customs
URL: www.turtle-island.com/customs.html
Description: This site has information about the history, customs, oral traditions, music, art, and literature of the Ojibway people. There is information about their past and present traditions. Also, there are Ojibway legends as well as biographies of contemporary Ojibway artists, actors, authors, and musicians, and examples of their work.
Country or State: Canada, United States
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Ojibway
Title: Philadelphia Folklore Project
URL: www.folkloreproject.org
Description: This site has information about Philadelphia-area folk artists, recent folk life exhibits and events, and resources for educators, including teacher guides, publications, and curricula. It also provides biographies and photographs of respected folk artists from Philadelphia.
Country or State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Title: Storytelling: The Art of Knowledge
URL: www.civilization.ca/aborig/storytel/introeng.html
Description: This site offers visitors a general introduction to storytelling in First Nations communities as well as traditional stories from the Inuvialuit, Algonquin, Métis, Cree, Nisga'a, Abenaki and Mi'kmaq cultures. The stories integrate movement, song and dance, cultural objects, symbols, and imagination.
Country or State: Canada
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: First Peoples of Canada
Title: Whitman Mission National Historic Site
URL: www.nps.gov/whmi/educate.htm
Description: This well-organized site provides valuable information for curricula relating to the Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion. Though some interesting biographies and historical accounts can be found on the "Whitman Mission Teacher's Guide," the most valuable enclave of information is present within the over 100 page "Oregon Trail Teacher's Guide." This guide prompts teachers with ideas relating to history, language arts, mapping, science and math.
Country or State: United States
Title: National Library of Australia
URL: www.nla.gov.au/
Description: The National Library of Australia's site includes exhibits on Australian oral history, maps, music, performing arts, and historical photos documenting the cultural and ethnic history of Australia.
Country or State: Australia
Title:La historia de las arpilleras: Una vox femenina de America Latina
URL: www.davidson.edu/academic/spanish/allende/spa260a4/kate.html
Description: This site (in Spanish only) includes the history of arpilleras -- a woman's art form from the Andes region of Chile -- and its importance as a vehicle for communal expression, advocacy and support in the late twentieth century and today.
Country or State: Chile
Title: The Bavarian Schuhplattlers of Edmonton
URL: www.schuhplattler.edmonton.ab.ca/about.html
Description: This site was put together by a group of German-Canadians who perform traditional folk dances from Austria and Bavaria. There are excellent photographs and child and adult schuhplattlers as well as photographs and descriptions of each dance. The site also contains many other links to German cultural sites.
Country or State: Edmonton, Canada
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: German-Canadians
Title: The Hasidic Stories Home Page
URL: www.hasidicstories.com/
Description: This site encompasses many aspects of Hasidic storytelling and tales, including monthly articles and resources. There are stories, themes of storytelling, and insights into Hasidic life and values.
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Hasidic Judaism
Title: Jewish Community Center Association (JCCA) Early Childhood Curriculum Project
URL: www.jccathisnewmonth.org
Description: This site describes the history of the Jewish holidays and traditions that occur each month in the Jewish calendar. There are art activities, cooking projects, songs, and stories for each holiday. Although it is specifically designed for early childhood, I think that the activities can be used for elementary-age children as well.
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Judaism
Title: Jewish Family Stories
URL: http://world.std.com/~aradding/
Description: This site is a collection of Alan Radding's original stories. As a leader of many children's programs and services at his synagogue, Radding wrote these stories about and for Jewish children and teens, although adults will also enjoy reading them.
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Judiasm
Title: Los Angeles Donauschwaben Dancegroup Web Page - Donauschwäbische Tanzgruppe Web Page - Welcome Page
URL: www.donau.org/welcome.html
Description: This site was created by a group of people who participate in a German cultural group in Los Angeles. It includes samples of German Austrian music, photographs of traditional costume and dance, online recipes for German foods, and a history of the Danube-Swabian heritage.
Country or State: California
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Danube-Swabians
Title: The Religious Society of Friends
URL: www.quaker.org
Description: This website provides information about Quaker beliefs, history, practices, folk art, and traditions. There are also many historical writings of famous Quakers - about various political, policy, and religious issues. The site also has an extensive list of links to Quaker organizations.
Culture, Ethnic Group, or Religion: Quakerism
Title: Cinderella
URL: www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0510a.html
Description: This site is dedicated to the many different Cinderella stories from around the world. It includes Cinderella stories from France, Germany, Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Georgia, Serbia, Russia and more. It also includes links to sites on folklore compiled by other organizations or people.
Subjects: Fairy Tales
Title: Family Folklore: How to Collect Your Own Folklore
URL: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/seek2/family.html
Description: This site is a practical resource for teachers planning a family folklore research project with students. It breaks down the steps of an investigation and includes topics and issues to consider before and during the process. This site also describes migration experiences of various cultural groups. It includes information about people, objects and ideas from a wide range of cultures in the United States, Canada, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Pacific and South America.
Subjects: Family Folklore
Title: Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales & America
URL: www.contemplator.com/folk.html
Description: This site has the history, audio recordings, as well as the lyrics to many folk songs primarily from Europe and the United States. You can search by country or by category, such as love songs, sad songs, children's songs, songs of war etc. The "Folk Microencyclopedia" is also an excellent source of information about different folk songs and genres.
Country or State: England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, United States, Canada, and Australia
Subjects: Folk Music
Title: Greathall Productions
URL: www.greathall.com/
Description: This is the web address for Jim Weiss, a professional storyteller. He is available for performances and workshops across the United States and Canada, and he has twenty-seven recordings that can be purchased on this website. In my own class, I use his recordings of fairy tales with my first graders as I search for my own voice as a storyteller.
Subjects: Storytelling
Title: Kids Games
URL: http://gameskidsplay.net/
Description: This site includes many traditional and international games played by children in various settings, as well as jump-rope rhymes and rhymes used to pick who is "It." The games also have personal anecdotes and tips.
Subjects: Games, Rhymes
Title: New Fairy Tales, by Rosemary Lake
URL: www.rosemarylake.com/
Description: This site contains many original tales with intellegent, brave female heroines. They are designed for 4th-6th graders, but shorter tales may work for 1st-3rd graders and longer tales for 7th-9th graders. There is also a list identifying themes in each story, such as cooperation, independence, and problem solving.
Subjects: Modern Fairy Tales
Title: QuiltEthnic
URL: www.quiltethnic.com/intro.html
Description: This site's mission statement reads, "To provide information about diversity, creativity, and artistry in quilting and textile traditions among African-Americans and other ethnic groups". There are links covering the textile arts of African, African-American, Asian, Haitian, Latin/South American, and Native American peoples, and they include articles as well as photographs.
Subjects: Quilting
Title: Solar Folklore
URL: http://solar-center.stanford.edu/folklore/folklore.html
Description: A fascinating website exploring the various aspects which surround the lore of the Sun and the Moon. It has many links to other websites offering interesting details on the mythological historical, scientific and cultural aspects of this lore.
Subjects: Sun & Moon Folklore
Title: Storm Facts: Winter Weatherlore and Folklore Forecasts
URL: www.stormfax.com/wxlore.htm
Description: There are various folklore forecasts, such as, "If the first week in August is unusually warm, the coming winter will be snowy and long," and weatherlore, such as, "the wider the brown (middle) band on a wooly bear caterpillar, the milder the Winter."
Subjects: Weather Folklore
Title: Weather Folklore
URL: http://members.aol.com/Accustiver/wxworld_folk.html
Description: This site contains over two hundred weather folklore sayings.
Subjects: Weather Folklore