Class Objectives:

This class will provide the student with a brief overview of American Folk Music. Emphasis will be placed on American Roots Music genres which include the following;

Spirituals, Ballads, Bluegrass, Western Swing, Country, Honky-Tonk, Urban Blues, Delta Blues, Gospel, Zydeco, Cajun, Tejano, Native American, and  “general” Folk.

Folk dances associated with Country, Cajun, and Ethnic Folk genres will also be introduced.  Specific dances will include, Cajun two- step, Western two-step, polka, and contra dance.

Participation will include:

• Recording information through weekly note taking on selected folk music genre(s)
• Analyzing and describing what you hear through written quizzes
• Singing selected folk songs
• Performing selected folk dances
• Oral History Field Work Project (see additional hand-out)

Assessment will be based on:

• Written quizzes (6-8 total)
• Performances (in-class)
• Oral History Field Work Project
• Standard Percentile will be used to determine letter grades

Students will be expected to adhere to the following guidelines and procedures:

1. Enter classroom quietly and take care of all personal needs prior to entering the room.
2. Come prepared each day with writing utensils and a hard surface to write on.
3. Maintain an organized folder/binder of all-materials.
4. Responsible Thinking Procedure (RTP or RTC) will be implemented if student chooses to not follow teacher expectations.

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Weekly Topics/Activities

Jan 15 – 19 – Chronological Overview, Definition of Folk and Popular Music, Listening Examples, Civil Rights Movement and the Folk Song

Jan 22-26 – Begin Oral Histories, Ballads, Spirituals

Saturday, January 27 – Bluegrass Show at Browntown Hall

Jan 29  Feb 2 Bluegrass, Honky-tonk, Country, Western Swing, Western Two – Step

Friday, Feb 2, Elementary Folk Dance Showcase

Feb 5-9 Gospel, Urban Blues, Delta Blues

Feb 12-16 Folk Revival

Feb 19-23  People’s Artists, Folk Festivals

Feb 26- Mar 2 Cajun Zydeco, and Tejano

Mar 5- 9  Native American

Mar 12- 16 Urban Folk, Regional Folk

This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the teacher.  The teacher also reserves the right to adjust an individual’s grade according to her assessment of that student’s efforts in the class as deemed necessary.