Resource for Teachers on Michigan’s Heritage

Attention teachers, students, scholars of Michigan history and music—

As we are all gearing up for another school year, we here at MTAP wanted to share a new resource available on Michigan’s musical heritage. Folklorist and Ethnomusicologist Dr. Laurie Sommers created 10 lesson plans through the Association for Cultural Equity that follow Alan Lomax’s 1938 fieldwork trip through Michigan. Each lesson uses field recordings from a specific area to explore the history and culture of that area, the music tradition heard, and music theory. The lesson plans are designed so students have a hands-on approach to learning history through music. Though the lessons were made with students in grades first through seventh in mind, students of all ages will enjoy these. 

Hear Dr. Sommers speak more in depth about the lesson plans:

The lessons came about due to collaboration between the Association for Cultural Equity,  the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, the Michigan TraditionalArts Program of the Michigan State University Museum, and the Center for the Study of UpperMidwestern Cultures, University of Wisconsin.