Traveling Encounter Kits and Trunks
November 2006
Vietnamese and
Swedish kits available for youth
 The
Nebraska Humanities Council is accepting reservations from teachers,
librarians, museum curators, and other Nebraska educators to use its
new educational trunks, “Children of the Dragon, Citizens of the
Plains: Nebraska’s Vietnamese Americans” and “Välkommen Till
Nebraska: Nebraska’s Swedish Americans.”
The trunks are available for a three-week loan, free of charge on a
first-come, first-served basis, to educators and community groups
statewide. These “cultural encounter kits,” created for students
grades 4-8, provide Nebraska youth a better understanding of the
Vietnamese and Swedish cultures and their rich traditions in our
state.
These new educational resources were developed by the Nebraska
Folklife Network, a non-profit arts and education organization that
promotes cultural understanding through the state’s traditional arts
and folklife. Each lesson in the kits is tied to state social
studies/history and reading/writing academic standards.
The new kits join the popular NHC kits on Nebraska’s Germans from
Russia and Mexican Americans, introduced last year as part of the
NHC’s major program emphasis, The New Nebraskans. All four of the
kits contain a teacher’s manual with lesson plans and handouts;
youth-sized traditional clothing; examples of cultural items such as
crafts, cooking utensils, music, and games; and age-appropriate
teaching materials that include bilingual and English language
books, laminated photos, media, and maps.
A $10,000 grant to the NHC from the Peter Kiewit Foundation of Omaha
and a $2,500 contribution from Union Bank and Trust of Lincoln to
the Nebraska Folklife Network funded the development of the kits.
Additional support for the trunks and other Nebraska Folklife
Network projects is provided by the National Endowment for the
Arts-Folk and Traditional Arts.
The kits have explored similarities and differences in immigration
patterns by pairing a more recent Nebraska immigrant group (such as
Mexican Americans and Vietnamese) with an earlier group (Germans
from Russia and Swedes). Teachers report positive results after
using the Mexican American and Germans from Russia kits in the
classroom, according to Gwen Meister, folklorist with the Nebraska
Folklife Center.
“Kids especially
enjoy interviewing each other about their own folk groups when
learning about culture,” she said. “It helps them get to know each
other in a different way than their usual classroom interactions.”
Vietnamese constitute the state’s largest Asian American population
group. Nebraska also has a large number of Swedish Americans and
several communities that celebrate their Swedish heritage. So it’s
likely that youth from both ancestries will participate at sites
where the kits are used.
The many resources in the kits can be used creatively to teach youth
who learn in different ways. The practical and user-friendly
lessons, bilingual books, media, and artifacts illustrate a variety
of cultural celebrations, music, crafts, foods, history, religious
expressions, language and stories. The kits’ information promotes
increased cultural knowledge and understanding.
“Excellent kit! You’ve done a great job of providing plenty of
resources. And the kit is formatted in a way that teachers can take
only what they need or want to use,” said Cindy Simonson, a 4th
grade teacher at Sandhills Elementary School in Halsey.
Each kit is expected to travel to an estimated 25 schools and youth
organizations during the school year, reaching at least 3,750 people
annually. Additional kits pairing Iraqi and Irish cultures in
Nebraska are scheduled for production by the 2007-2008 school year.
For more information, contact the NHC at (402)
474-2131 or at nhc@nebraskahumanities.org.
top
August 2005
Cultural encounter kits available
for youth
![4th grade students at Elliott School with papel picado [pierced paper]](../images/KitMexAm1.jpg) Encounter
kits designed to give Nebraska youth a better understanding of the
Germans from Russia and Mexican-American cultures are ready for use
statewide in schools, libraries, museums and other organizations who
serve youth grades 4-8.
The kits are available for loan through the
Nebraska Humanities Council (NHC) as part of the NHC’s new program emphasis,
The New Nebraskans.
A $10,000 grant to the NHC from the Peter Kiewit Foundation of Omaha supported
the development of the educational kits, created in partnership with the
Nebraska Folklife Network.
The kits explore immigration patterns by pairing a new immigrant group with a
more established group. Teachers already report positive results after testing
the kits in the classroom, according to Gwendolyn Meister of the Nebraska
Folklife Network.
“Kids especially enjoyed interviewing each other about their own folk groups,”
she said. “It helped them get to know each other in a different way than their
usual classroom interactions.”
Nebraska’s Hispanic population grew 155 percent from 1990 to 2000, and Germans
constitute the state’s largest traditional immigrant group, so it is likely that
youth from both ancestries will participate wherever cultural encounter kits are
used.
Multiple resources can be used creatively to teach youth who learn in different
ways. The kits contain practical and user-friendly lessons, plus a manual,
books, CDs, tapes and artifacts of traditional clothing, games, celebrations,
music, crafts, foods, history, maps, religious expression, language, stories and
other aspects of each culture. The kits’ in-depth information promotes cultural
knowledge and understanding.
“Excellent kit! You’ve done a great job of providing plenty of resources. And
the kit is formatted in a way that teachers can take only what they need or want
to use,” said Cindy Simonson, a 4th grade teacher at Sandhills Elementary School
in Halsey. The kits have a flexible format with lesson plans that are keyed to
required educational standards.
Each kit will travel to an estimated 25 schools and youth organizations during
the school year, reaching at least 3,750 people annually. Encounter kits pairing
Swedish and Vietnamese cultures are scheduled for use by fall 2006.
Additional funding for the trunks came from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information, contact the NHC at (402)
474-2131 or at nhc@nebraskahumanities.org.
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February
2005
NHC gets
$10,000 from Kiewit fund
The Nebraska
Humanities Council (NHC) recently received a $10,000 grant from the Peter Kiewit
Foundation of Omaha to support the development of immigrant cultural encounter
trunks. These traveling educational trunks are being developed in partnership
with the Nebraska Folklife Network and will be available through the NHC’s
Humanities Resource Center.
To get Nebraska’s
youth interested in discovering their own heritage, the trunks explore
immigration patterns by pairing a new immigrant group with a more established
group. The Kiewit funding first will help create a set of cultural encounter
trunks that pairs Germans from Russia and Mexican cultures, followed by a set
that pairs Swedish and Vietnamese cultures.
Nebraska’s Hispanic population grew 155 percent from 1990
to 2000. Germans constitute the state’s largest traditional immigrant group. It
is likely that children from both ancestries will be in the classrooms where
cultural encounter trunks are introduced, beginning this fall.
The portable trunks will provide teachers statewide with
practical and user-friendly lessons. Each trunk will include a teacher’s manual,
books, CDs, tapes and artifacts of traditional clothing, games, celebrations,
music, crafts, foods, history, maps, religious expression, language, stories and
other aspects of each culture. Each will meet the state’s multicultural
education requirements and social studies standards.
“The cultural encounter kits are uniquely designed to help
Nebraska students become more aware and knowledgeable of the state’s rich
mixture of cultural traditions,” said Gwendolyn Meister of the Nebraska Folklife
Network.
Each trunk will travel to an estimated 25 schools and
youth organizations during the school year, reaching at least 3,750 students
annually, primarily in grades 4 through 6. Teachers using the trunks will be
asked to evaluate their effectiveness in enabling students to understand both
the Mexican and Germans from Russia cultures, as well as America’s broader
immigrant history.
Planning for the first two trunks included consultation
with the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. The Swedish and
Vietnamese trunks scheduled for production later this year will be available for
teachers in fall 2006.
Additional funding for the trunks came from the National
Endowment for the Arts. For more information, contact the NHC at (402) 474-2131.
Cultural encounter trunks and kits
The following
NHC traveling trunks are designed to educate Nebraska youth about
American and Great Plains ethnic culture and history.
Other trunks listed below are available
through the University of Nebraska Museum, the Center for Great Plains
Studies, the Nebraska State Historical Society, and the Joslyn Art Museum. For more information or to reserve the Nebraska Humanities
Council kits or trunks, call the NHC at (402)
474-2131 or e-mail
nhc@nebraskahumanities.org.
Nebraska
Humanities Council
Cultural Encounter Kits
 The NHC has
four Cultural Encounter Kits available statewide to schools,
libraries, museums and other organizations who serve youth grades 4-8. The kits
are available for loan as part of the NHC's program emphasis "New Nebraskans."
The kits are designed to be used as a pair--Mexican American with
Germans from Russia and Vietnamese American with Swedish
American--in order to explore the similarities and differences in
the immigration experiences of a recent immigrant group and an
earlier group.
Pair No. 1:
"A Treasured
Heritage: Mexican Americans in Nebraska" and "From the Steppes to
the Plains: Germans from Russia"
Pair No. 2
"Children of the Dragon, Citizens of the Plains:
Nebraska's Vietnamese Americans" and "Valkommen Till Nebraska: Nebraska's Swedish
Americans"
Encounter Kits include videos, CDs, books, clothing, cultural items and
curriculum materials, including lessons.
Nebraska’s Culture and History Trunks
 These sets use books, videotapes, CDs and other items to help students explore the culture and history of Nebraska and the region. This
unique collection contains materials that play a role in Nebraska culture
and history. Artists, musicians, historians, novelists, poets, filmmakers
and other humanities resources were chosen for their connection with Nebraska
and its communities.
Trunk No. 1
contains the following topics:
Explorers
Pioneers
1900 to 1929
General Historical Resources
Art
1950’s to Present: Civil Rights
Regional/Community History and Culture
Architecture/Building Restoration
Nebraska Folk Arts
Poetry
Trunk
No. 2 contains the following topics:
1950s to the Present: Contemporary Nebraska Culture
1950s to the Present: Farm Crisis of the 1980s and 90s
Music
Ethnic Culture in Nebraska
Photography and Writing
Environment/Landscape
Native American History and Culture
1930 to 1949
Nebraska Authors
Project directors may request
the materials of the topics that interest them. A complete listing
of all the materials with suggested grade levels is available by
e-mailing nhc@nebraskahumanities.org
The Rural Resources Project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln created
this trunk set.
University
of Nebraska State Museum
Omaha Tribe Encounter Kit
Ponca Tribe Encounter Kit
Santee Sioux Tribe Encounter Kit
Winnebago Tribe Encounter Kit
These large multi-media kits include a teacher’s guide, objects and
a wealth of hands-on fun to explore the cultures of the four tribes. Tribal
members, the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs and the University of
Nebraska State Museum developed these kits.
For more information on these kits go to
the Nebraska State Museum website by clicking here.
You can also contact the State Museum at (402) 472-6302, or the Nebraska
Commission on Indian Affairs at (402) 471-3494.
Center
for Great Plains Studies
Plains Pow Wows Encounter Kit
This hands-on encounter kit is a sister kit to the Nebraska State Museum’s
Omaha, Ponca, Santee Sioux and Winnebago kits listed above. This kit focuses
on the cultures and traditions of the Nebraska Plains American Indian Pow
Wow.
For more information contact Reece Summers at the Center for Great
Plains Studies. Call (402) 472-0599 or e-mail asummers3@unl.edu
Nebraska
State Historical Society
Czech Traveling Trunk
For more information call
800-833-6747 or contact your ESU.
Joslyn
Art Museum
Outreach trunks:
African-American Art
A collection of slides, books, videotapes, CD-ROM and photo reproductions
that explore the contributions of African-Americans to the arts.
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
Artifact and photo reproductions, postcards, slides, books and a hieroglyph
activity that explore these ancient cultures.
Ancient Egypt
CD audio guide, slides, books, hieroglyph activity and games take a
look at this ancient culture.
Ancient Greece and Rome
Students can handle reproductions of Greek pottery and Roman sculptures;
assemble a catenary arch; look at photo reproductions, slides and books;
and play a Mythology card game while learning about these early civilizations.
Animals in Art
Uses the theme of animals to enrich elementary level teaching of science,
art, math, and language arts. Lesson plans, activities and hands-on objects
support the Nebraska standards for grades K-6.
Age of Enlightenment (Middle/High School)
Ben Franklin’s Surprising Century (Elementary)
Teaches students about the American and French Revolutions, Versailles,
scientific discoveries and revolutionary ideas of the 18th century. Included
are poster-sized reproductions from Joslyn's collection of 18th century
art, period costumes, books and more.
Art of Architecture
Explores the art of building using an architectural model, books, blocks,
card games, slides, videos and photo reproductions.
Art of China, Korea and Japan
Teaches about faraway lands with jade, ivory and lacquered wood artifacts,
a Japanese doll, slides and books.
Connecting Art and Music
Poster reproductions of five images from Joslyn's collection, folk
instruments, recorded music and suggested activities focusing on connections
between art and music.
Contemporary Native American Art
Pottery, sculpture and collage materials from artists, as well as interviews,
photographs, slides, books and videos to discover Native American artists
include Bob Haozous, Jacquie Stevens and Arthur Amiotte.
Impressionism
Discover a world of light and color through videos, CD-ROMS, a memory
game, slides, books, print reproductions and postcards.
The Maximillian-Bodmer Expedition. 1832-34
An expedition map, hands-on materials from nature, printmaking tools
and videos associated with the historic North American journey.
Mexican Art and Culture
Use this trunk to expose students to the colorful and festive country
of Mexico. Poster reproductions of artwork, touchable folk art objects
and games inspire young learner. Lesson and activity plans are included
for grades K-6.
The Mystery of the Museum
Use as a pre-visit preparation for learning in the museum. Uncover
knowledge about the people, places, and artworks of Joslyn Art Museum with
lesson plans, art reproductions and games.
Picturing Nebraska
Learn about Nebraska and its artists with print reproductions, slides,
audiotapes, books, videos, a resource packet, games and more.
Southwest and Plains Native American Crafts
Students learn about Native American artisans with authentic pieces
of pottery, weaving, basketry and other crafts, as well as photo reproductions,
slides, books and videos.
Show Me a Story
Discover stories revealed or suggested by art: a Greek vase, Hopi Kachina
dance wands, art reproductions, books, tapes and a storyboard.
Treasures of American Folk Art
Folk art is highlighted with carved wood and metal artworks, a doll,
a quilt square, postcards, slides and a video.
20th Century American Art
Students can meet artists from the 20th century through photo reproductions,
slides, books and videos.
Visualizing Time: Art and Cultural Change
Focuses on art from various time periods and cultures. Included are
multicultural art objects, an interdisciplinary timeline activity, large
reproductions and books.
For more details, visit the Joslyn website here.
To request a trunk, e-mail outreach@joslyn.org
or call the Education Department at (402) 661-3878.
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