(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, November 5, 2019)
Second grade students are
listened to, singing, and learning Appalachian folk music and dance while third
grade students are creating pieces of artwork highlighting their family
Thanksgiving traditions this week at the Allen County Primary Center.
The special activities are part of the school’s ongoing efforts to enrich students’ music and art knowledge of different cultures. To assist ACPC in the task, the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKyPAC) provides special guests through their educational program to visit the school and present workshops addressing a specific related arts area.
Earlier this fall, kindergarten and first grade students learned about storytelling through the school’s collaboration with SKyPAC. Presenters from Louisville use movement and dance to help bring stories to life. This week, second and third graders are learning through presentations from the Escobar family---Alfredo Escobar leading the workshop on folk art for third grade and his wife, Jennifer Rose and daughters Lydia and Isabella, presenting the workshop on folk music and dance to second grade.
To help the third graders
relate and better understand folk art, Alfredo asked the students what their
typical Thanksgiving consisted of---such as the number of family gatherings,
the typical meal, or events surrounding the holiday, like putting up the
Christmas tree or shopping. Once students answered the question, Alfredo
challenged each one to visually create their tradition on paper in the form of
words or drawings---thus using artwork to share a glimpse of their personal
family tradition.
“The main thing is for the kids to know that in their own family, a lot of the traditions that have been handed down are traditions that were started to make their lives more creative,” Alfredo Escobar explained. “Maybe those traditions will be handed down to their kids.”
For second graders, the folk
music workshop centered on learning about traditional Appalachian musical
instruments, listening and singing related folk songs, and following up with
folk dances---thus introducing the young students to part of the culture of the
Commonwealth.
“I hope the kids have a good time singing together and dancing together,” Jennifer Rose said. “I hope the kids remember that the Appalachian Mountains are a part of Kentucky and therefore, a part of their heritage and their culture. I hope that because we are teaching about these folk traditions, the kids will have a better sense of community and friendship within their classroom group.”
The SKyPAC workshops at ACPC
and across the District are made possible through a continuing grant to SKyPAC
from the Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation---a grant that enables all students
in Allen County the opportunity to explore the arts in various ways throughout
the school year.