Download lesson plans and learning guides, watch videos, order books and recordings, browse online exhibitions, and link to a world of cultural heritage educational materials.

Looking to engage your students in hands-on activities, or to stimulate research and discussion about folklore, cultural heritage, and oral history? Look no further; you will find a wealth of information on these pages. Much of it is free to view or download. You will also find links to help you locate useful materials on other parts of our site, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings pages.

A great place to start is our Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide. The guide offers interviewing techniques and project ideas, and many suggestions for other useful materials.

Although they might appear geographically specific, Discovering Our Delta: A Learning Guide for Community Research and other guides offer great suggestions for motivating your students to do their own cultural heritage collection with family or community members. See a complete list of the guides and other educational resource with brief descriptions.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings works with music educators to produce engaging lesson plans and learning activities that introduce students to a wide variety of music and cultures. Explore the lesson plans, and be sure to browse through the other Folkways educational offerings including curated “features” and workshop opportunities.

For Heritage Month curriculum ideas, check out the bilingual, interactive Musica del Pueblo site, plus Cultural Heritage Month features and videos.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival site not only keeps you up to date on the latest Festival news, but also offers downloads of Festival program book articles, videos, and other materials to supplement  school curricula and to engage learners of all ages.

There’s much more to discover, so see the complete list of materials. Check back as we add new material frequently. If you can’t find something you’re looking for, contact us and we will be glad to help.