The Voices of Louisiana webpage contains many interesting quotations from people around Louisiana. Several of these are on Voices Of Louisiana Worksheet - Part 2.

• Choose at least three of these quotations.
• As you read the quotations, look for clues about each person's folk groups and what folk genres they mention.
• Use the chart underneath each quotation to list folk groups and folk genres that you discover within the quotation.
• List words or phrases that prove the folk group or folk genre is represented. Remember, one example can fall into more than one folk genre.
• Use the folk genre definitions below to help in your search.

FOLK GENRES

Oral Tradition: spoken words, sayings, jokes, legends, riddles, stories, poems, etc. that are passed along by people within a folk group.

Folk Music: traditional songs and styles of music shared in folk groups. Some examples are lullabies, ballads, Cajun music, zydeco, blues, and jazz.

Folk Dance: rhythmic movement, learned within folk groups and passed on in a traditional manner. The "Cajun Two-Step" is an example of folk dance. Some movements may not be considered "dance" by group insiders.

Material Culture: the "stuff"-artifacts and food-that people make in a traditional manner. Examples include quilts, Mardi Gras Indian costumes, carved duck decoys, crawfish traps, handmade baskets, homemade Halloween costumes, folded paper airplanes, and family recipes.

Belief: an acceptance that something is true. This category is very tricky because some outsiders may call someone's "belief" a "false superstition."

Custom: a common practice or habit of a folk group. The custom is very important to the group and is often expected or even required.

Body Communication: certain gestures, facial expressions, or whole body movements that are learned in a traditional manner. Many gestures are "culture specific." In other words, you must know what culture the person is from to understand what the movement means.

Part 2

For a PDF of this page click here.