The Preservation of a Heritage: Study of the Acadians
Harriet J. Bauman and John C. Warner
Guide Entry to 83.06.02
Our unit, an exploration into a culture, is designed to introduce the Acadians of Louisiana, a French-speaking people in the United States, to students on either the Junior or Senior High School level. The unit can be structured for use in a French class as well as a History or Social Studies class. The unit contains many varied activities for both Junior and Senior High, including a unit on History with maps (available from the Institute Office) and an historical time line of events. It also contains lessons for the study of Cajun folktales with a sample folktale. In the unit, we explore Cajun music, festivals, costumes, and customs. We suggest activities for all of the aforelisted activities. Our unit is designed to supplement the existing Foreign Language curriculum for French, yet is easily adaptable to any other suited curriculum. We estimate that the unit will take one to two marking periods to complete depending upon the level of the students, yet it is designed to be used in fragments also. Students will gain a better understanding of the Cajun culture while gaining insight into some events which helped to shape the American culture in Louisiana and the Louisiana Territory.
(Recommended for grades 7 through 12 French, Social Studies and U.S. History)
Key Words
Acadians History Foreign Language Instruction French
