Documentaries and Associated Lesson Plans Now Available Online

NDCA produced and developed four artist documentaries in partnership with Prairie Public Broadcasting (PPB), the Bush Foundation, and the Spirit Room Gallery. These videos highlight Bush Artist Fellows (BAF) and Enduring Vision Award (EVA) recipients from North Dakota: traditional Dakotah storyteller Mary Louise Defender Wilson (BAF, EVA) from Porcupine, painter Walter Piehl (EVA) from Minot, Mandan/Hidatsa storyteller and flute player Keith Bear (BAF) from Drags Wolf Village, and traditional Armenian repoussé artist Norik Astvatsaturov (BAF) from Wahpeton. NDCA also partnered previously with PPB and Amid Productions on a fifth documentary called A Lyrical Life: The Struggle and Hope of South Sudan featuring Ma’di musicians living in Fargo. These documentaries have aired independently and as part of the shows Prairie Pulse and Prairie Mosaic at least 18 times reaching an estimated 117,000 viewers. This effort was designed to create greater exposure of these exceptional artists and their art forms to the general public as well as to schools, teachers, and students. In this regard, folk arts education consultant Sue Eleuterio, NDCA arts education director Linda Ehreth, and NDCA folklorist Troyd Geist developed lesson plans in association with the documentaries. Four lesson plans (one pre, two while viewing, and one post viewing) for teachers and students are associated with each documentary. The lesson plans are based on the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s Standards and Benchmarks in the areas of English Language Arts, Social Studies, Music, and Visual Arts. These documentaries and their respective lesson plans are available now online at the NDCA’s website and as a part of the North Dakota Studies component of PPB’s website. Schools and teachers are encouraged to utilize these documentaries, lesson plans, and featured artists themselves and other artists with the NDCA’s Artist-in-Residence and/or Teacher Incentive grant programs. For documentaries and lesson plans, visit www.nd.gov/arts/folkarts/folk.html. For more information on NDCA’s publications and recordings, visit www.nd.gov/arts/whatsnew/publications_recordings.html.