CHAPTER 1
LOUISIANA’S CULTURE:
FAMILIES AND FESTIVALS
Pages 2-33
Focus on Skills
Categorizing
Page 4
Section 1
What is Culture?
Pages 5-8
Section 2
Louisiana’s Festivals
Pages 9-16
Section 3
Louisiana’s Cultural Regions
Pages 17-25
Section 4
Louisiana’s People
Pages 26-29
Meeting Expectations
Using Photos as a Source of
Information
Page 30
Chapter Summary
Page 31
Activities for Learning
Pages 32-33
Focus
Use Blackline Master A Word for
the Wise, page 1, as a pretest of
vocabulary and places found in the
chapter. Have students list any
terms or places they did not know
on the pretest in a notebook or
journal. As they encounter these
words in the reading, have them
write the correct definition for each.
1
Louisiana’s
Culture:
Families and
Festivals
Chapter
Internet Activity
Have students go to www.bb
crawfest.com/ to learn more about
the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival.
There is a link to a video clip showing sound and activity from a previous year’s festival.
Lagniappe
• Breaux Bridge is located some
110 miles from New Orleans and 40
miles from Baton Rouge.
• The Breaux Bridge Crawfish
Festival Association has contributed
more than $300,000 to civic organizations as well as provided minigrants and scholarships to local
schools.
Chapter Preview
Terms: cultural diffusion,
culture, jazz, blues, fais-do-do,
zydeco, gospel music, spirituals,
gumbo, jambalaya, Mardi Gras,
region, upland South, urban,
rural, ethnic group, free people
of color, lowland South
People: Acadians, Creoles,
Anglos, Isleños
Places: Sportsman’s Paradise
region, Crossroads region, Cajun
Country region, Plantation
Country region, Greater New
Orleans region, West Florida
2
Social Studies Skill
W
hen Alison moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Baton Rouge,
she left behind the brown desert she knew and came to the
lush green landscape of Louisiana. As she traveled with her
family across the Atchafalaya (a CHAF a li a) Basin on Interstate 10, she was amazed at all the water under the raised highway. She looked
out the window, watching for alligators. Before she had left Arizona, her friends
had teased her by saying her poodle would be eaten by the alligators in her
new backyard.
Baton Rouge was like Tucson in many ways. Alison spotted familiar fast-food
restaurants, several multiscreen movie complexes, and a large mall just a few
blocks from her new home. But she also noticed differences. The family’s new
house looked like an Acadian cottage instead of a Spanish adobe casa. Their Arizona
yard had cactus and rocks, but blooming azaleas surrounded her new house. Snack
counters at Baton Rouge gas stations sold Cajun Boudin instead of the cinnamon
churro she ate in Arizona.
At her new middle school, Alison discovered that she would study Louisiana in her social studies class. At the open house, Alison’s teacher offered her
parents a copy of the newest state tour guide. He showed them the festival
calendar and suggested that they might enjoy seeing Louisiana this way.
Alison’s class project became her visits to the festivals. After a year in Louisiana, she had seen much of her new state. She had a huge collection of festival T-shirts and had even learned to eat boiled crawfish. Alison had learned
much about her new home and its culture. She continued a long tradition of
cultural diffusion (the spreading of one’s own culture) when she invited her
classmates to a party where she served her favorite Arizona foods along with
some of her new Louisiana favorites.
Louisiana The History of an American State
Chapter 1
Creating a Map
Create a bulletin board with a
map of the United States or a map
of the world. Use push pins to represent the states or countries of birth
of students in the class.
Above: In spite of the 2005
hurricanes, New Orleans was
the site of a number of
Mardi Gras parades in 2006.
Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Questioning Strategies
3
Comprehension
• Ask students who are not native
Louisianians to tell the differences
between their previous home towns
and the town where they now live.
• Ask students to tell how their
movement to Louisiana is an
example of cultural diffusion.
Class Discussion
Ask students how many of them
were born and have lived in
Louisiana all their lives. Ask how
many have parents or grandparents
who are native Louisianians. Ask
nonnatives where they have come
from.
T2
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students if they have ever
attended a crawfish festival. If
they have, ask them to describe
the events that take place there.
If they have not, have them
predict what events might occur.
Reading Strategy
Addressing GLE Vocabulary
Have students define cultural
diffusion as the process of spreading cultural elements (e.g., music,
religious beliefs, practices, clothing) from society to society
through indirect or direct contact
among groups.
T3
Each Focus on Skills defines a skill,
gives the teacher an opportunity to
conduct a guided practice on the
skill, and finally allows students to
apply their understanding by
practicing the skill on their own.
Focus
Before asking students to
complete the skill activity, discuss
the concept of attributes. Ask
students to define attribute (a
characteristic, i.e., long hair, blue
eyes, liquid, etc.).
Group Activity
Choose one student to come to
the front of the room. Tell students
if someone has a common attribute
with that person to come up and
stand beside the first student. Allow
only one student to stand next to
the first one. Then, invite a third
student who has a common attribute with the second student to
come up. Continue until all students
are part of the lineup. NOTE: This
activity can be used as a grouping
strategy by having the students
number off, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., after
they are lined up.
Try This!
Elements of Louisiana Culture
Music: accordion, chank-a-chank,
gospel, guitar, orchestra, zydeco
Food: boudin, gumbo, okra,
peaches, pralines
Religion: Jewish, Protestant
Ethnicity: African American,
German, Irish, Spanish, Vietnamese
NOTE: Students may insert the
terms blessing the fleet, Lent, and
Mardi Gras in the Religion column.
Guiding Question 1-4
It’s Your Turn!
Answers will vary.
Teacher Note
If you want information on learning styles, go to web site
www.ldpride.net/learning
styles.MI.htm.
T4
Focus
on
Skills
Categorizing
Defining the Skill
Categorizing is a strategy that
Elements of Louisiana Culture
leads to logical thinking. Categorizing is also a strategy that will
Music
Food
Religion
Ethnicity
make you a better reader. When
you categorize, you separate
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
words, events, people, ideas, and
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
other objects into groups that have
some common feature or attribute.
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
For example, you might categorize
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
people according to the decade in
which they lived. Or, you might cat______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
egorize objects according to their
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
shape or size. If you use this strategy while you are reading, it will
help you to better understand the
content of the reading. Categorizing vocabulary words
Try This!
that have common features enables you to form conLook at the list of words in the box on the left that
cepts and make predictions about your reading.
might appear in a reading about the culture of Loui-
Word List
4
zydeco
accordion
Jewish
peaches
Spanish
blessing
Mardi Gras
Protestant
gospel
Lent
German
Irish
gumbo
orchestra
the fleet
guitar
African American boudin
Vietnamese
chank-a-chank
okra
pralines
Catholic
1
Section
SECTION 1
WHAT IS CULTURE?
What is Culture?
INTRODUCE
As you read, look for:
Outline
• the elements of culture, and
• vocabulary terms cultural diffusion,
culture, jazz, blues, fais-do-do, zydeco,
gospel music, and spirituals.
A. Religion
B. Music
C. Food
Culture is the way of life of a group of people. The
elements of a culture include religion, music, food,
clothing, language, architecture, art, literature,
games, and sports. All of these elements combine
to create the interesting culture of Louisiana. They
enhance the quality of life for the state’s citizens.
Often, these elements are the basis for one of the
many festivals in the state.
Materials
Textbook pages 5-8
Blackline Masters
Teacher CD-ROM
Transparencies
Online textbook
mystatehistory.com
Religion
Focus
siana. On a separate sheet of paper, place each word
under the most appropriate heading on the above
chart. (You will not use all the words.) After you have
separated the words into groups, write a sentence describing the culture of Louisiana.
The first European religion in Louisiana was
Roman Catholic because the French and then the
Spanish controlled the colony. At the time, both
were Catholic countries. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, members of various Protestant religions moved into the territory. Methodists, Baptists,
and Presbyterians were later joined by other Protestant groups such as the Lutherans, who were often German immigrants. Members of the Jewish faith
have come to Louisiana at various times. More recent immigrants have brought Buddhism and Islam
into Louisiana.
It’s Your Turn!
Music
Chapter 1 contains a lot of information about
Louisiana’s fairs and festivals. To check your understanding of the skill of categorizing, make a chart
under which you can categorize the various fairs and
festivals as you read pages 9-16 in your textbook.
Choose headings that contain an attribute that can
be used to separate one fair or festival from another.
New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz. Jazz is a kind of improvised music
with strong rhythms and syncopation (accents in unexpected places). Brass
bands and piano players helped create this new sound. Jazz has spread across
the planet, an ambassador for Louisiana culture. In New Orleans, jazz funerals
for musicians feature marching groups called “second lines.” The music of
contemporary jazz greats like the Marsalis family owes much to the music of
earlier artists.
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Class Discussion
• Ask students to define culture.
(Comprehension)
• Make a class list of ideas.
• Come up with a class definition.
Guiding Question 1-12
Critical Thinking
Evaluation
Have students examine the
elements of culture and rank each
as to its importance to the culture
of Louisiana.
Above: Religion is an
important element in
Louisiana culture. This
church is in Cheneyville in
Rapides Parish.
Section 1 What is Culture?
Using Photos and
Illustrations
5
Addressing Learning Styles: Interpersonal/Involvement
Objectives
Reading Strategy
Sit Down! Stand Up!
Tell students that you will call out an attribute. All students who have that
attribute should stand up. Start by saying something like, “Stand up if you are
wearing tennis shoes.” (All students wearing tennis shoes should stand up.) Then
say, “Stand up if you have blue eyes.” (All standing students who also have blue
eyes will remain standing. Any other students who have blue eyes will stand as
well. Students who have tennis shoes but do not have blue eyes will be seated.)
Continue calling out attributes as students stand and sit. As a variation, you may
want to get the activity started and then ask students to take turns choosing an
attribute.
GLE 12: Describe the causes
and effects of cultural diffusion
and effects of cultural diversity in
Louisiana.
GLE 75: Describe the
contributions of ethnic groups
significant in Louisiana history.
GLE 81: Explain cultural
elements that have shaped
Louisiana’s state heritage (e.g.,
festivals, music, dance, food, languages).
Addressing GLE Vocabulary
Have students define cultural
elements as including the
customary beliefs, social forms,
and material traits of a racial,
religious, or social group. These
elements may be special from
group to group through direct and
indirect contact.
Have students look at the photo
of the church in Cheneyville. Ask
them to identify churches that are
located in their communities. How is
the architecture alike/different from
the church in the photo?
Guiding Question 1-10
TEACH
Review the section vocabulary.
Remind students to define any
words that are on their lists of unfamiliar terms or places.
T5
Questioning Strategy
Below: Storytellers and
local musicians, such as
accordionist Ophe J. Romero
of the Romero Brothers,
entertain visitors every day
under the Evangeline Oak
in St. Martinville.
Internet Activity
For more information on blues
artists, go to blues.about.com/
od/bluesartists/. Ask students to
find a Louisiana artist to research.
Class Discussion
Point out two famous musicians
— Jelly Roll Morton and Leadbelly.
Ask students why they think some
artists use such interesting names.
Multidisciplinary Activity
Math Ask which students play a
musical instrument. Make a class
graph representing the instruments
that are played by class members.
Critical Thinking
Of the instruments described, ask
students to determine which is most
representative of Louisiana’s musical
heritage.
The blues is also a link to the past.
This music style is based on black folk
music, especially on the chants of the
plantation workers. Those rhythms
Jelly Roll Morton, a
were memories of their African culture
musician from New
and made the slaves’ lives and their
Orleans, claimed that he
work more bearable. The instruments
invented jazz back
most associated with blues music are
in 1897 by combining
the guitar and the harmonica. Later,
ragtime, French
when horns were added and the tempo
quadrilles, and blues.
changed, the new style was known as
rhythm and blues.
In the 1930s, a cultural anthropologist (a scientist who studies human cultures) toured the United States collecting folk music. The blues music Alan Lomax recorded in Louisiana is now part of
the Smithsonian’s Folkways Collection. One of those
he recorded was a Shreveport musician named
Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly. A
statue of this artist now stands in downtown
Shreveport.
Another famous form of Louisiana music comes
from Cajun bands. These musicians sing in French
as they play the fiddle, the triangle, and the accordion. The Cajuns, who are descended from the
Acadians, learned to play the accordion from the
Germans who moved into southwest Louisiana in
the 1880s.
The early Cajuns often held dance parties at
their rural homes. Entire families came, and the
young children were put on blankets on the bedroom floor. They were told to go to sleep, which
in French is fais-do-do (fay doh doh). This became
the name of these dance parties, and today the
term fais-do-do refers to a Cajun dance.
Zydeco (ZI de koh) is the special music of
French-speaking African Americans of South Louisiana. It is much like Cajun music; the song is sung
in French and played on an accordion. An added
instrument, the rub board, is used for rhythm.
Country music is part of the heritage of North
Louisiana. In the days before television, when
people gathered for entertainment, musicians
brought their instruments. Their string bands usually included a guitar, a fiddle, and a mandolin.
Reading Strategy
Lagniappe
Knowledge
• Have students look at the photo
of accordionist Ophe J. Romero. Ask
them what ethnic group first used
the accordion. (German)
• What instruments were used by
the Cajuns?
• Where did zydeco originate?
• Give some examples of string
instruments.
Guiding Question 1-11
6
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Compare and Contrast
Make a T-Chart or Venn diagram
on the chalkboard and ask students
to compare and contrast two styles
of music, i.e., rock and roll and
gospel. You may want to use whole
group instruction to compare two
styles of music and then ask students to compare two others to
demonstrate their understanding of
the skill.
Internet Activity
This traditional southern country music developed into bluegrass music and
then into modern country music.
Country music and blues were adapted to become rock and roll. Rock and
roll started in New Orleans as early as the 1940s. Antoine “Fats” Domino and
Little Richard recorded 1950s rock-and-roll hits. A young musician named Elvis
Presley performed his new music in the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport
before he gained national fame. Jerry
Lee Lewis left Ferriday in Concordia
Parish to become a piano-pounding
rock-and-roll star. The Beatles and the
Rolling Stones listened to Louisiana
Louisiana musicians still
musicians as they developed their own
achieve fame in the world
style. The Neville Brothers and many
of country music. Kix
Brooks of the country duo
other musicians continue Louisiana’s
Brooks and Dunn is from
contribution to rock and roll.
Shreveport. Tim McGraw,
Many early rock-and-roll musicians
from the small town of
started out singing gospel music. GosStart, won the CMA
pel is church music that blends eleEntertainer of the Year
ments of folk music, spirituals (the
award in 2001.
sacred folk songs of African Americans), hymns, and popular music. You
Go to www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/
singers/sfeature/songs.html to
access recorded spirituals as well as
the lyrics to some songs. You may
want to play some examples.
Guiding Question 1-12
Above: New Orleans jazz
trumpeter Wynton Marsalis
and his group performed
at an October 2005 event
in San Jose, California, for
Apple Computer.
Teacher Note
Go to www.negrospirituals.com/
to find background information on
the origin of African American
spirituals.
Guiding Question 1-11
Lagniappe
Questioning Strategy
Knowledge
What is the CMA Entertainer of
the Year Award?
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Section 1 What is Culture?
7
What musical group is pictured?
Ask students what other musical
groups they can name.
Addressing Learning Styles
Multidisciplinary Activity
Reading Strategy
Musical/Rhythmic
Visual/Spatial
Verbal/Linguistic
Review the types of musical
instruments that are mentioned.
Have students research one of the
instruments or give them an
opportunity to create a new musical instrument.
Music and Art Bring in a CD and
play examples of various types of
music associated with Louisiana’s
culture, i.e., blues, jazz. Have students draw a picture representing
the music they hear.
Guiding Question 1-12
Categorizing
The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism identifies the following music categories: jazz,
blues/rhythm and blues, rock and roll, Cajun/zydeco, gospel, country/bluegrass, and classical. Have students create a
chart, like the one that follows, on which to record information while listening to examples of each type of music. Play
examples from the soundtrack of the movie The Big Easy. As students listen, have them identify the category of each
example.
Type of
Music
Jazz
Blues
Rhythm &
Blues
Rock and
Roll
Cajun/
Zydeco
Gospel
Country/
Bluegrass
Classical
Example
from The
Big Easy
T6
T7
can hear gospel music in churches throughout Louisiana every Sunday morning. Songs sung in African American churches preserve the old spirituals and
add contemporary music. Rural churches in
North Louisiana feature gospel quartets.
More formal classical music also contributes to the musical sound of Louisiana. Orchestras have created musical culture since
colonial days. Young musicians today continue this tradition as they audition for the
Louisiana Youth Orchestra.
Community brass bands were popular at
the turn of the twentieth century. Today,
high school bands perform concerts and
provide the marching bands for local parades. Music continues to add a tempo to
life everywhere in Louisiana.
Interdisciplinary Activity
Family and Consumer Science
Have students bring in family
recipes. Identify what makes the
food unique to Louisiana.
Guiding Question 1-11
Have a food tasting. Ask students
to create foods from the recipes
they submit. Share with all classes
or with the whole school.
Reading Strategy
Categorizing
Have students look at cookbooks
and find recipes in each of the
following categories: food from
another country; food from another
part of the United States; food that
is part of Louisiana’s heritage;
contemporary food; food made from
products grown in Louisiana; and
food made from ingredients
imported from another country.
Food
Above: Louisiana has a
world-class seafood industry.
This plate features three
products that would satisfy
any seafood lover—
crawfish, crab, and shrimp.
ASSESS
Check for Understanding
1. The spreading of one’s own
culture
2. Religion, music, food
3. Jazz
Check for Understanding
1. What is cultural diffusion?
2. What are two elements of culture?
3. What kind of music originated in Louisiana?
Alternative Assessment
Play a form of music and have
students identify it.
Newcomers and visitors to Louisiana usually comment on the music and the food.
Louisiana food is considered one of the best
elements of our culture, although some find
the spices a little too hot! The food of Louisiana has spread across the world in recent
years, with Cajun restaurants in places like
Salt Lake City, Utah.
The food most identified with the state
is actually the Cajun and Creole food of
South Louisiana. Until recently, residents
of North Louisiana ate more like their
neighbors in East Texas and Mississippi. People north of Alexandria were more
likely to eat fried chicken or barbecue. For many years, crawfish were not
considered food anywhere outside of Cajun country. Fish fries featuring catfish took the place of crawfish boils. Today, boiled crawfish is served throughout the state.
8
2
Section
SECTION 2
LOUISIANA’S FESTIVALS
Louisiana’s Festivals
INTRODUCE
As you read, look for:
Outline
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
• examples of the many festivals in our state,
and
• vocabulary terms gumbo, jambalaya, and
Mardi Gras.
People first organized their lives around the seasons and
only later developed the formal calendar. Their earliest
festivals celebrated a successful harvest. These celebrations are part of cultures around the world. In Louisiana,
the harvest festivals have expanded into year-round fun.
The more than four hundred Louisiana festivals showcase local food and music. The fall festivals begin Labor
Day weekend. These late August and early September celebrations signal the end of summer.
Materials
Textbook, pages 9-16
Blackline Masters
A Year of Festivals, page 2
The Economic Impact of
Festivals, page 3
Creating a Souvenir T-Shirt,
page 4
Have You Heard These Words?,
page 5
Teacher CD-ROM
Transparencies
Online textbook
mystatehistory.com
August and September
On the Gulf Coast at Morgan City, the Shrimp Festival
celebration began more than sixty years ago. The blessing of the shrimp fleet combines a religious rite and a
social occasion. This is a common feature of Louisiana culture. Not long ago, to honor a new source of income for
St. Mary Parish, the festival planners expanded its title
to the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival. But the solemn ceremony with the priest
blessing the pennant-decorated shrimp boats is still the highlight of the weekend. Carnival rides signal the festive side of the event. As you can guess, the
featured food is shrimp—any way you like it.
The Frog Festival began in Acadia Parish more than twenty-five years ago.
Rayne calls itself the “Frog Capital of the World,” and huge frog murals decorate the entrance to the town. Visitors to the festival can eat frog legs and
watch frog-jumping contests.
On the same weekend in nearby Plaisance in St. Landry Parish, zydeco music
has created a different kind of festival. Crowds of music lovers gather at this
party and dance for hours as famous bands and newcomers play the upbeat music.
Dancing and music are also part of the celebration of French heritage at Festival Acadiens (a KA di en). Every year, more than 100,000 people join the fun in
Lafayette. Cultural preservation combines with a good time for the locals and
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
August and September
October and November
December
January and February
March and April
May
June and July
Mardi Gras
Section 2
Above: Lively Cajun music
is just one aspect of the
Festival Acadiens, a celebration of Cajun culture.
Focus
Louisiana’s Festivals
9
Review vocabulary words for
Section 2 and remind students to
write the definitions of any words
they did not know on the pretest in
their notebook or journals.
Lesson Closure
Class Discussion
Have students write a short
response as an exit slip or journal
entry in which they tell which
activity from the section they
enjoyed the most. (This will give
you some clue as to their learning
style.)
• Ask students to tell about any
festivals they have attended.
(Comprehension)
• Ask students to generate a list of
festivals about which they have
knowledge. (Knowledge)
T8
Addressing Learning Styles
Objectives
Verbal/Linguistic
• Have students research the
origin of certain foods or
ingredients in certain foods.
• Create a class cookbook and
include the recipes contributed by
the students.
Guiding Question 1-11
GLE 4: Construct a chart or diagram to display geographical information in an
organized way.
GLE 12: Describe the causes and effects of cultural diffusion and effects of
cultural diversity in Louisiana.
GLE 75: Describe the contributions of ethnic groups significant in Louisiana
history.
GLE 81: Explain cultural elements that have shaped Louisiana’s state heritage
(e.g., festivals, music, dance, food, languages).
TEACH
Addressing Learning
Styles:
Interpersonal/Involvement
Group Project
Put students in groups and assign
each group a month and year in
which to record festivals. Use A Year
of Festivals on page 2 in the BLM
book.
T9
their international visitors. Experienced
elders demonstrate traditional crafts to
young beginners. The alligator skinning
always draws a large crowd.
About 75 percent of
Alligators are the focus of an entire
all wild alligator hides,
festival in St. Charles Parish. After years
along with about 85
of selling only the valuable alligator
percent of all farmed
hides, trappers now have a market for
skins, used by tanners
the meat too. This is the place to go if
around the world,
you want to try fried alligator or allicome from Louisiana.
gator sauce picante.
Sweet foods are part of the Sugar
Cane Festival in New Iberia. The huge
fair serves as a pause before the hectic time of the actual harvest, or cane grinding
as it is called. As one of the state’s oldest festivals, this celebration offers dancing, music, food, and carnival rides. A Bayou Teche (BI yo tesh) boat parade
and a street parade entertain the crowds. Cooking contests and livestock shows
bring many competitors to the festival.
Geography Activity
Lagniappe
Give students an outline map of
Louisiana parishes. As they read
about the festivals in their textbook, have them locate each festival
on the outline map.
Focus on Economics
Class Discussion
Have students brainstorm what
economic impact festivals have on
the towns where they are held. Lead
them into a discussion of the
various people who make money
from festivals, i.e., hotels, food
services, craftspeople, gasoline
stations. Discuss how festivals create
a ripple effect, i.e., people coming
to festivals may book rooms in a
hotel, which in turn provides jobs
for front desk employees, maids,
bellmen, etc.
October and November
Shreveport, the largest city in North Louisiana, celebrates the arts in the
fall. The Red River Revel is held along the banks of the Red River in the downtown area. This art show and sale features the works of artists who compete
Addressing Learning Styles
Logical/Mathematical
• Give the students the names of
three festivals that are held in
different parts of Louisiana. Have
students use a highway map to
calculate the distance between the
locations.
• Have students choose five
festivals that they would like to
visit. Using a highway map, have
them plan a trip to the five
locations. Calculate the cost,
including lodging, food, gasoline,
souvenirs, etc.
for prizes at the festival. Music and food of the region add to the week-long
party. A special feature of the Revel introduces children to art and artists.
Another salute to the arts is held in Hammond. Southeast Louisiana State
University sponsors Fanfare, held throughout the month of October. This
program displays the culture of the region and introduces new
cultural experiences. The fine arts, including theater and literature,
are featured.
In Acadia Parish, the heart of Cajun country, Robert’s Cove is home
to people of German heritage. The residents there celebrate the traditional German OktoberFest. The publicity poster says Wilkommen,
the German word for “welcome.” And that welcome is an invitation
to share German bands, German singing, and German foods.
Along the Texas border, Zwolle (za WA lee) in Sabine Parish recognizes its ties to Spanish and Native American cultures. The Tamale Festival highlights the special food that combines these two
legacies. A parade and street dance entertain the community.
Located in the rice-growing prairie region, Crowley recognizes the
economic importance of rice. This Acadia Parish town calls its festival
the International Rice Festival. Visitors from other countries now join
neighbors at this harvest celebration, which was begun in 1939. A
school holiday highlights the importance of this local tradition.
Another of the older festivals in the state has been held in Opelousas
(op e LOO sas) in St. Landry Parish for more than fifty years. Begun to
celebrate the harvest of the locally grown Louisiana yam, that favorite food is still featured at the Yambilee Festival. Children can enter a
contest in which they create “yam-i-nals,” yams decorated to look like animals.
Abbeville, in Vermilion Parish, is home to one of the more unusually titled
Louisiana festivals. The Giant Omelette Festival has an interesting history. Legend has it that an innkeeper in a small French village made a fine omelette for
Napoleon. The emperor liked it so much that he directed the people from the
village to bring all the eggs they could find. The giant omelette made from the
eggs fed his entire army. The tradition continues today, with French villages making
huge omelettes to feed the poor at Easter. Abbeville joined an organization called
the Confrerie, an international association that celebrates French culture and
tradition, including the tradition of the
giant omelette. More than five thousand
eggs go into the giant omelette in
Abbeville. The chefs always add hot
sauce to give it a Cajun flavor.
The skillet used at
The central Louisiana town of Colthe Giant Omelette
fax in Grant Parish salutes another
Festival has a diameter
Louisiana crop—the pecan. Delicious
of 15 feet!
sweets made with pecans are sold along
with handmade crafts. The Louisiana
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students to think of local
foods that are featured at
Louisiana’s festivals.
Guiding Question 1-12
Group Activity
Many of Louisiana’s
festivals celebrate local
foods. The Pecan Festival
in Colfax (above) and
the Tamale Festival in
Zwolle (opposite, above
and below) are just two
of many examples.
Lagniappe
10
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Section 2
Louisiana’s Festivals
11
Economics Activity
Assign The Economic Impact of
Festivals from page 3 of the BLM
book.
Group Project
Put students in groups and have
them design a brochure to promote
one of Louisiana’s festivals. This
could be combined with a research
project. (Develop a rubric or use one
in the BLM book to assess the
project.)
T10
Using Photos and
Illustrations
• Look at the photos taken at
two festivals. What do the pictures tell you about the types of
activities that are found at the
festivals?
Guiding Question 1-12
• What can you conclude about
the attendance at Louisiana’s
festivals from looking at the
photographs?
Reading Strategy
Addressing Learning Styles
Addressing Learning Styles
Addressing GLE Vocabulary
Have students define
complements as goods and services that are usually consumed or
used together (e.g, hot dogs/hot
dog buns). A change in demand
for one complement causes a similar change in demand for the
other complement. Complements
are also known as complementary
goods.
Visual/Spatial
Have students create a collage
of festivals in Louisiana. They may
obtain pictures to use in creating
the collage in various magazines
or brochures that are available
from visitors’ bureaus or the
Department of Culture, Recreation
and Tourism.
Verbal/Linguistic
Have students write a
newspaper ad to attract people
to one of Louisiana’s festivals.
(Create a rubric or use one from
the BLM book to assess the
assignment.)
Form teams to complete a
scavenger hunt about Louisiana
culture. Each team must find ten of
the following items:
• an item representing a Louisiana
festival
• the words of a song about
Louisiana
• a picture with an example of
Louisiana architecture
• a Louisiana sports team T-shirt
• Mardi Gras beads
• an example of technology that
influences Louisiana’s culture
• a picture of a student dressed in
a costume for a special event
• a brochure from a Louisiana
tourist attraction
• an item from nature that relates
to Louisiana culture
• a newspaper article about a
Louisiana cultural event
• a recipe for a Louisiana food
• an ad for a restaurant featuring
Louisiana food
• a picture of a student with a family member
• an item that came from another
town in Louisiana
• an item from a family reunion
• an item with the name of a
Louisiana college on it
• a souvenir with “Louisiana”
written on it
• a toy that relates to Louisiana’s
culture
Multidisciplinary Activity
Art Assign Creating a Souvenir
T-Shirt from page 4 in the BLM
book. Create a rubric or use one in
the BLM book to assess the activity.
T11
Pecan Festival offers a glimpse of country life in the past. A country store offers old-fashioned items like home-ground cornmeal and homemade jellies.
Cultural diffusion, however, is responsible for the alligator on a stick
to be found at this North Louisiana festival.
Teacher Note
To get more information on the
Festival of Lights at Natchitoches, go
to www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/
festivals/dec_festival_of_lights.
cfm.
December
During the Christmas Festival of Lights, Natchitoches (NAK a tosh)
fills its riverbank with Christmas lights and its streets with visitors.
The first Saturday in December is the day for parades, food, and music. A fireworks display is the highlight of the evening; then the historic town is filled with the lights of the season.
A unique Christmas celebration occurs in St. James Parish. Bonfires burn on the lower Mississippi levee on Christmas Eve. Family groups
and organizations take part in the tradition of building wooden structures. They create replicas of houses and steamboats or just erect the
more basic shape, which looks like the framework for a tepee. This
preparation is done about a month ahead, so the willow logs will dry
and burn easily.
Reviewing Information
Have students make a set of flash
cards (use the template in the BLM
book). On one side of the card,
write the name of a Louisiana festival. On the other side, write the
name of the parish in which it is
held. Students may use the flash
cards for self-review or they may
play a match game with other students.
January and February
A celebration begun in 1993 involves the descendants of a longestablished cultural group. The French and African American heritage
combined in colonial Louisiana as part of the Creole culture. In Natchitoches
Parish, the St. Augustine Historical Society invites relatives and friends from
across the United States to gather and recognize their culture. At the
Creole Heritage Day Celebration, traditional skills are demonstrated,
such as making filé (fi LAY) powder for gumbo from the leaves of the
sassafras tree. Gumbo is a traditional Louisiana dish, a hearty Creole
soup made of seafood, chicken, okra, and other vegetables.
Baton Rouge and New Orleans both celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with
parades. “The wearing of the green” honors the Irish heritage of Louisiana. Following Louisiana tradition, float riders throw trinkets to the
waiting crowd.
The Strawberry Festival draws huge crowds to Ponchatoula (pon cha
TOO la). The strawberries grown in Tangipahoa (tan ji pa HO uh) Parish are eagerly awaited each year. Buying and eating berries is a favorite activity at the festival, along with the music and regional foods.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival brings more visitors to
Louisiana than any celebration except Mardi Gras. More than a half
million people come to see the thousands of musicians who perform
every style of music. For ten days, the fairgrounds are filled with people,
music, food, and dancing.
Lagniappe
In April, the Rebel State Historic
Site, the site of the Louisiana
Country Music Museum, hosts the
Louisiana Fiddle Championship.
BLM Assign Have You Heard These
Words from page 5 in the BLM book.
The well-known Crawfish Festival is held in Breaux Bridge. Fewer than 10,000
people live in this St. Martin Parish town, but in May more than 100,000 visitors show up to eat crawfish and dance to the chank-a-chank music. Chank-achank is the music of the Cajun bands who sing in French. This party first started
in 1959, and the state legislature has proclaimed Breaux Bridge as the “Crawfish Capital of the World.”
Fisher hosts Sawmill Days. This tiny town in Sabine Parish invites everyone
to see how a lumber town looked at the turn of the century. The old company
store and theater are examples of how a company-owned town was organized.
As at many other Louisiana festivals, visitors enjoy the folk crafts and regional
food. Here you might buy a sock doll or some mayhaw jelly.
In May, Fest for All brings everyone to the tree-shaded North Boulevard in
downtown Baton Rouge. Art, food, and music are features of this popular event.
The organizers spotlight local artists and invite participants from other states.
Children’s hands-on activities add to the fun.
Just south of Baton Rouge in Ascension Parish, Gonzales holds the Jambalaya
Festival to determine the jambalaya champion of the state. The cooking is done
outside in huge pots, and most of the contestants are men. Jambalaya—a
spicy dish of rice and meat—is considered a basic dish in Cajun kitchens. An
example of cultural diffusion, it was developed from a Spanish dish called paella.
Art Have students draw a picture
representing one of Louisiana’s
festivals.
Questioning Strategies
After discussing the unique
Christmas celebration in St. James
Parish, ask students if they know of
other unique celebrations.
(Comprehension)
Guiding Question 1-12
Critical Thinking
Have students create a festival
for their own community. They must
create a “new” festival, not one that
already exists.
After creating a new festival, have
students tell why their idea would
be good for their community.
T12
12
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Ask students
• What festivals held in March,
April, and May focus on foods?
(Knowledge)
• What traditional skills, besides
making file powder for gumbo,
might be demonstrated at
Louisiana’s festivals? (Application)
March and April
May
Multidisciplinary Activity
Questioning Strategy
Section 2
Above: Ponchatoula claims
to be the “strawberry
capital of the world.”
Opposite page, above: This
wooden Christmas tree in
St. James Parish will be set
ablaze as part of a tradition
that dates back to the
late 1800s. Opposite page,
below: The Christmas
Festival of Lights in
Natchitoches features more
than 300,000 colored
lights and over 70 displays.
Multidisciplinary Activity
Art Create a craft that might be
found at one of Louisiana’s festivals.
Lagniappe
Louisiana leads the nation in the
production of crawfish. It produces
about 100 million pounds per year,
half of which comes from the
Atchafalaya Basin. The other half
comes from an aquaculture system
of some 135,000 acres of ponds
located throughout the state.
Questioning Strategy
Louisiana’s Festivals
13
Addressing Learning Styles
Reading Strategy: Compare and Contrast
Verbal/Linguistic
Have students write a letter to
a friend in another state
describing a festival that he or
she attended. Invite the friend
to attend next year’s event.
Comparing Recipes
The Cajun dish jambalaya was developed from the Spanish dish paella. Look at
the ingredients and make a Venn diagram comparing the ingredients for the two
dishes. How closely do the two dishes resemble one another?
Jambalaya: onion, garlic cloves, sweet green pepper, celery, bacon drippings,
minced parsley, smoked ham, bay leaf, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, tomatoes,
tomato sauce, cold water, uncooked converted rice, shrimp
Paella: chicken legs, chorizo sausages, olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, medium
grain rice, salt, white pepper, saffron threads, chicken stock, shrimp marinated in
garlic, onion, parsley, oil and white wine, mussels and/or clams, artichoke hearts,
pimentos, peas, lobster claws or crab claws, lemons
Guiding Question 1-12
Ask students to tell what they
know about a company-owned
town. Have any students visited
such a town? (Comprehension)
T13
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Focus Activity
Have students examine the two
photos and identify which crafts are
displayed.
Have students bring in souvenirs
from Mardi Gras, i.e., beads, posters.
Discuss the symbolism of the
memorabilia.
Lagniappe
Class Discussion
Blueberries are also important to
the economy of Alaska. Ask
students how blueberries could
be a major product in Alaska.
Ask students
• How has Mardi Gras changed from
when it started? (Comprehension)
• What happens on Fat Tuesday?
(Knowledge)
Questioning Strategy
Internet Activity
Ask students what traditional
skills are found at the woodchopping festival. (Knowledge)
This adaptation came about during the colonial period, when the Acadians came to Spanish Louisiana.
Internet Activity
Have students go to www.nsula.
edu/folklife/ to find information
on Louisiana’s Folklife Festival held
in Natchitoches. The site has a
history of the festival as well as
links to other information about
culture and folklife in Louisiana.
Have students read selected
information and record five facts
they did not know before reading
the material.
Guiding Question 1-12
June and July
Top: This man is carving
decoys at the Folklife
Festival in Natchitoches.
Above: Local crafters
display their wares at Baton
Rouge’s Fest for All.
14
You can buy a hand-sized fried peach pie in Ruston
during the Peach Festival. The sweet peaches that
grow in the nearby orchards are a Louisiana treat.
Visitors come to this Lincoln Parish town to buy the
peaches and stay for the parade and arts and crafts
show.
Blueberries have recently become a commercial
crop in DeSoto Parish, and the residents of Mansfield
created a celebration for their community. The Blueberry Festival offers elements of country life in northwest Louisiana, including
good barbecue and good country music. A wood-chopping contest is a reminder
of an important skill of the past.
The Folklife Center at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches was
established to preserve information about Louisiana’s cultural elements. In July,
the university sponsors the Folklife Festival. Visitors and participants can escape the hot Louisiana summer as they enjoy this indoor event. The gathering
bridges the distance between nineteenth-century folkways and the Internet.
You can watch the Isleños mend a fishing net or use a computer to find information about an ancestor.
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Mardi Gras
Louisiana’s biggest celebration is, of course, Mardi Gras. The tradition began in Europe and was brought to Louisiana by the first French explorers. An
eighteenth-century Mardi Gras parade was described as a group of men ringing
cow bells in the streets of New Orleans. Today, more than a half million people
line the streets for the more than fifty parades held in the city.
Mardi Gras is the festive time before the solemn religious season of Lent.
The forty days of Lent are part of the Christian religion, especially in the Roman Catholic Church. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and Mardi Gras Day is
the day before. Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday.”
In Louisiana, however, the celebration of Mardi Gras begins on January 6,
also known as Twelfth Night. Parties, balls, street dances, and parades fill South
Louisiana. Mardi Gras parades have long been a part of the culture of Lafayette,
Morgan City, New Roads, and Thibodaux (TIB uh do).
The traditional country version of Mardi Gras takes place in Basile, Church
Point, Eunice, and Mamou. This piece of the prairie Cajun culture had almost
been lost until, in the 1950s, an appreciation for the importance of cultural
customs developed.
The traditional celebration is described as “running the Mardi Gras” (le courir
de Mardi Gras). Masked riders on horseback go from house to house collecting
food for the community feast. The riders entertain with singing and dancing
as they go. Part of the tradition requires the participants to catch live chickens
on the farms they visit. The chickens later become part of the gumbo.
Section 2
Above: People crowd streets
and balconies in 2006 to
watch the colorful and
elaborate floats that are a
trademark of New Orleans’s
Mardi Gras parades.
Lagniappe
The official colors for
Mardi Gras, which were
chosen in 1872, are purple,
green, and gold. Purple
represents justice, green
stands for faith, and gold
stands for power.
Louisiana’s Festivals
15
Using Photos and
Illustrations
What is depicted in the picture
from a Mardi Gras parade?
T14
Go to www.nola.com/mardi
gras/about/index.ssf?/mardigras/a
bout/content/stories/sounds.html
to play some clips of the sounds of
Mardi Gras. Have students compare
this music to the blues, jazz, or
zydeco.
Teacher Note
Go to
www.negrospirituals.com/
to find background information on
the origin of African American
spirituals.
Critical Thinking
Ask students how Mardi Gras has
preserved culture.
Research Activity
Divide students into groups. Ask
each group to research Mardi Gras in
a particular area of Louisiana.
Determine how the celebrations are
similar and different.
Guiding Question 1-12
Class Discussion
Ask students why they think
Mardi Gras is so popular.
(Knowledge)
T15
Class Discussion
SECTION 3
LOUISIANA’S CULTURAL
REGIONS
Ask students why Mardi Gras is
popular among religious groups
other than Catholics.
(Comprehension)
INTRODUCE
Critical Thinking
Outline
Ask students if Mardi Gras is still
mostly a religious celebration. Have
them give reasons for their answers.
A. Sportsman’s Paradise Region
B. Crossroads Region
C. Plantation Country Region
D. Cajun Country Region
E. Greater New Orleans Region
F. Other Regional Labels
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Look at the picture of the king
cake. Ask students to tell what they
know about the cake.
Materials
Textbook, pages 17-25
Blackline Masters
Charting Cultural Regions,
page 6
Teacher CD-ROM
Transparencies
Online textbook
mystatehistory.com
ASSESS
Check for Understanding
1. To celebrate the harvest
2. Festival Acadiens, German
Oktoberfest, Tamale Festival,
St. Patrick’s Day
3. St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas
4. Festival Acadiens,
Oktoberfest, Zwolle, Creole
Heritage Day
5. Zydeco, jazz, blues
6. It symbolizes the last time
to be festive until after the
40 solemn days of Lent.
Above: The colorful king
cake is a Mardi Gras
tradition. Above right:
The capuchons (tall pointed
hats) and masks are part
of the costume for
“le courir de Mardi Gras.”
Check for Understanding
Focus
Remind students to continue to
define unfamiliar vocabulary in their
notebooks or journals.
1. What was the main purpose for the first fall festivals?
2. Give two examples of Louisiana festivals that celebrate
connections with other cultures.
3. What are two festivals that celebrate a holiday?
4. What is an example of a festival that honors a specific
ethnic group?
5. Name two kinds of Louisiana music featured at festivals.
6. What is the religious purpose of Mardi Gras?
Alternative Assessment
• Ask students to locate festivals
on an outline map.
• Have students use flash cards to
identify the names and locations of
festivals.
Mardi Gras celebrations have even spread to the Protestant cities of North
Louisiana. Because this area has few Catholics, the celebration holds little
religious significance. Their neighbors in South Louisiana say the North Louisiana cities simply could not resist the fun.
16
Class Discussion
Ask students to predict what
elements make up a cultural region.
Have students record their predictions. As they read, have them
compare their list to that in the
text. (Evaluation)
Guiding Question 1-12
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Reading Strategy
Lesson Closure
• Go quickly around the room asking each student to name one thing
that they learned in the section.
• Ask students to write a journal
entry: “I would like to attend the
Festival because _____.”
T16
Focus on Economics
Addressing Learning Styles
Objectives
Have students predict the
economic impact of Mardi Gras on
the communities that host
celebrations.
Have them research to find data
that illustrate the actual
economic impact.
Visual/Spatial
Have students design a Mardi
Gras mask. (Develop a rubric to
assess the assignment or use the
rubric included in the BLM book.)
Make a display of the masks
that students design.
GLE 4: Construct a chart or diagram to display geographical information in an
organized way.
GLE 12: Describe the causes and effects of cultural diffusion and effects of
cultural diversity in Louisiana.
GLE 75: Describe the contributions of ethnic groups significant in Louisiana
history.
GLE 81: Explain cultural elements that have shaped Louisiana’s state heritage
(e.g., festivals, music, dance, food, languages).
Addressing GLE Vocabulary
Have students define region as an
area that has physical or human
characteristics that make it
distinctive from other areas.
TEACH
Social Studies Skill
Reading a Map
Have students look at the map of
Louisiana’s cultural regions.
• Have them predict how each
region got its name.
• Identify the region in which
students live.
T17
Sportsman’s Paradise Region
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students how the two
pictures reflect the different
lifestyles found in this region.
Guiding Question 1-10
Reading Skill
Categorizing
Assign Charting Cultural Regions
from page 6 in the BLM book. This
activity will reinforce the chapter’s
Focus on Skills.
Guiding Question 1-4
Class Discussion
Ask students
• What feature(s) gives this region
its name? (Knowledge)
• What rivers are found in this
region? (Knowledge)
• What principal cities are found
here? (Knowledge)
• What is the cultural background
of most people who live here?
(Knowledge)
Reading Skill
Categorizing
Continue BLM Charting Cultural
Regions by adding information for
this region.
Social Studies Skill
The region called the Crossroads covers the center
of the state and merges the cultures of North and
South Louisiana. The urban center is AlexandriaPineville. Like Shreveport and Bossier City, these cities are on the banks of the Red River. Both are in
Rapides Parish.
In this region, small towns like Cheneyville and Winnfield feature Main Street
stores and churches. In the rural (country) areas, some people still live on farms
and continue their traditions. Weathered old barns symbolize these rural roots.
On a large map of Louisiana,
show students the Red and Ouachita
Rivers as well as the principal cities
of Shreveport-Bossier City and
Monroe-West Monroe.
Exploring Diversity
T18
Look at the pictures on the page.
Have students write an essay
describing what it would be like to
live in the Crossroads region.
Guiding Question 1-10
Crossroads Region
Focus on Maps
Discuss the concept of diversity.
Brainstorm examples of diversity in
the classroom (gender, age, learning
styles, race). Diversity can explain
differences in nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, and
physical features. Have students create a large map of Louisiana using
pictures to demonstrate the diversity of Louisiana’s cultural regions.
(NOTE: This activity could be an
extension of the group activity.)
Using Photos and
Illustrations
This region’s label was chosen because of the many
lakes, rolling hills, and forests in northern Louisiana
that offer abundant outdoor recreation for residents
and visitors. Fishing and hunting have been a part of
life here for generations. Bass fishing tournaments are
big business on the lakes of the region. Newer sports
like water-skiing and power-boat racing add a different kind of excitement.
North Louisiana has more in common with the neighboring states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia than with South Louisiana. A cultural anthropologist uses the term upland South to describe this region. Early settlers came from
other southern states. The heritage of the people of this region is Anglo-Saxon
or Celtic, meaning their ancestors were English, Scottish, or Irish.
The northwest section of the region has Shreveport-Bossier City as its urban (city) area. These two cities are in different parishes and are separated by
the Red River, but they blend together into one urban culture. Museums and
theaters expand the region’s culture beyond the Sportsman’s Paradise image.
In northeast Louisiana, the urban center is Monroe-West Monroe. These
cities are joined by a bridge across the Ouachita (WASH i taw) River, and both
are in Ouachita Parish. The University of Louisiana at Monroe provides a cultural focus for the community.
18
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Group Activity
Reading Strategy
Divide the class into groups.
Have students use the text and
other reading sources to research
and present a lesson about their
assigned region. Encourage students to use maps, drawings,
interviews, and other aids in their
presentations.
Addressing GLE Vocabulary
Have students define cultural
diversity as the variety of human
cultures represented in a specific
group, institution, or region.
Section 3
Creating a Map
Continue with the outline map of
cultural regions. Color the Crossroads
region blue.
Above: Cheneyville, in
Rapides Parish, is typical of
the small towns in the
Crossroads region. Left:
Weathered old barns, like
this one in Natchitoches
Parish, symbolize the rural
roots of the Crossroads
region. Opposite page,
above: Shreveport is the
state’s third-largest city.
Opposite page, below: The
lakes in the Sportsman’s
Paradise region are a
popular destination for
anglers and other outdoors
enthusiasts.
Louisiana’s Cultural Regions
Class Discussion
Ask students
• What rivers are found in this
region? (Knowledge)
• How are the towns and cities
different from those found in the
Sportsman’s Paradise region?
(Analysis)
Critical Thinking
Ask students if they think the
pictures in the textbook are truly
representative of this region. Have
them give reasons for their answer.
19
T19
Class Discussion
Ask students
• How is Cajun French different
from French? (Analysis)
• What Cajun words or phrases do
you know? (Knowledge)
Teacher Note
For more information on Cajun
French, go to www.artsci.lsu.edu/
fai/Cajun/CajjuntoEuropen.html
for a list of words in English, Cajun
French, and French.
Lagniappe
The Cajun French word
for frog is ouaouaron.
Reading Strategy
Compare and Contrast
Have students develop a strategy
(Venn diagram or T-Chart) to
compare the wetlands and prairie
Cajun cultures.
Guiding Question 1-11
Cajun Country Region
Small towns fewer than ten miles apart show
the change from the crossroads of North Louisiana
culture to the Cajun heritage. The two towns of
Bordelonville and Acme in Avoyelles Parish reveal
these differences. Bordelonville is filled with Cajun
French Catholics; just across the Red River, Acme
was settled by Anglo-Protestants.
Cajun Country itself spreads over a triangle in southwest Louisiana. Within
this region, the culture can be further divided into prairie Cajun and wetlands
Cajun. The National Park Service Center features the prairie culture in Eunice
(Acadia Parish) and the wetlands culture in Thibodaux (Lafourche Parish). On
the prairie, the Cajun culture centered on agriculture and livestock, while the
wetlands Cajuns were fishers and trappers. This life continues today, but new
economic developments such as the oil industry have brought cultural changes.
Urban centers in Cajun Country include Houma (HO mah), Lafayette, Morgan City, and Thibodaux. Lake Charles is also included in the Cajun Country
region but shares some cultural characteristics with neighboring Texas.
Although American fast-food restaurants are now common in these cities,
some of the customers still speak Cajun French. Many of those customers work
in the oil industry instead of in the traditional occupations of their fathers.
Plantation Country Region
Old plantation homes, live oak trees, and Spanish
moss are the common symbols of this region. As its
name suggests, this region has more plantation homes
than any other place in the South. And, like cultural
regions everywhere, there is much more to life here
than the expectations suggest.
Life reaches from the past toward the future in this area along the Mississippi River. The cultural mix includes the conflicts of that past and the struggle
for a better tomorrow. Today, people
have begun to look for the cultural
heritage of all who live in the region, not just the heritage of those
who lived in the big house on the
plantation.
Baton Rouge is the urban center
of this region. The state’s capital city
has a mix of people and lifestyles
that mirrors the state. Every ethnic
group living in Louisiana today is
represented in Baton Rouge.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students what the photographs tell them about the region.
Below: Bocage Plantation
house in Darrow was built in
1801. Left: Parlange Plantation in New Roads is a
National Historic Landmark.
Opposite page, above: The
lifestyle of the Acadians in
southern Louisiana in the
early 1800s is preserved at
Acadian Village in Lafayette.
Opposite page, below: A
scenic bayou winds
through the Cajun town of
Bordelonville.
Class Discussion
Ask students
• What would it have been like to
live on a plantation in the nineteenth century? (Comprehension)
• How would life on a plantation
be different today from life in the
eighteenth or nineteenth century?
(Analysis)
• How does plantation life reflect
Louisiana’s heritage? (Application)
Geography Activity
Continue the outline map. Locate
the Plantation Country region, and
color it green.
Geography Activity
Lagniappe
Have students continue the maps
they started in Section 1. Locate
and color purple the parishes that
make up the Cajun Country region.
• Laurel Valley Village is the oldest
surviving 18th-19th century sugar
plantation in America.
• The staircase at Chretien Point
Plantation was copied for Tara in
Gone With the Wind.
Critical Thinking
How did the development of the
oil industry change the economy of
the Cajun Country region?
Research Activity
Lagniappe
• For three years in a row, Money
magazine rated Terrebonne Parish in
the heart of Cajun Country the best
place to live.
• The city of Kaplan is referred to
as the most Cajun place on Earth.
20
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Have students look at the
bayou that runs through
Bordelonville. Ask students to
define bayou. Go to www.alligator
bayou.com/swamptours.htm to
find additional photos of Alligator
Bayou and learn more about the
wetland area of Cajun Country.
Click on “Gallery” for more
photos.
T20
Section 3
Louisiana’s Cultural Regions
21
Laura Plantation is supposedly
the site of the inspiration for the
Br’er Rabbit tales. Research one of
Louisiana’s slave tales. Share it with
the class.
Guiding Question 1-11
Addressing Learning Styles
Visual/Spatial
Have students go to www.bra
cvb.com/vacation/index.cfm?page
id=postcard to view postcards
created by students.
Ask students to create a
postcard for one of the regions
they have studied.
T21
Geography Activity
Give students an outline map of
Louisiana and ask them to find and
locate on the map major museums
in Louisiana.
Class Discussion
Ask students to list the purposes
museums serve. (Comprehension)
Critical Thinking
Have students choose an item
they think best represents
Louisiana’s culture. Write a letter to
the curator of a museum explaining
why you think this item should be
included in its collection.
Guiding Question 1-11
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students to look at the photo
at the bottom left of the page — a
Creole cottage that has been turned
into a museum. Ask them to identify a building in their community
that could be converted into a
museum.
Spotlight
Local
Interest
Museums
Local museums around the state display elements
of Louisiana’s culture, past and present.
In New Roads in Pointe Coupee Parish, a historic
house dating from the French colonial days of Louisiana is the museum and tourist center. The building was built around 1750 and was once part of
Parlange Plantation.
The building was constructed in the style called
“Louisiana Creole.” That is, it was built of cypress
timbers sawed by hand into 31/2- by 10-inch timbers, which were held in place with large wooden pegs.
This construction style was also used by the French in
Canada. The space between the timbers was filled with
bousillage, a combination of mud and moss.
Today, the house displays many cultural elements
of French Louisiana. A loom is still used to weave
cotton just as it did more than 150 years ago. Baskets woven by early settlers and their Indian neighbors decorate the rooms.
Right and below: The Pointe Coupee Museum is
housed in a unique Creole cottage on the False River.
22
T22
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Louisiana has many other museums, both large
and small. The state museums include the Cabildo
in New Orleans and the Louisiana State Exhibit Building in Shreveport. Local museums include the Ford
Museum in Homer, Claiborne Parish; the W. H. Tupper
Museum in Jennings, Jefferson Davis Parish; and the
West Baton Rouge Parish Museum in Port Allen.
Right: The Ford Museum in Homer is located in the old
Claiborne Hotel on the town square.
Section 3
Louisiana’s Cultural Regions
Teacher Note
Pineville is home to a one-of-akind museum — Old Town Hall
Museum, the only museum dedicated to municipal government in
Louisiana.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
After having students look at the
photo of the Ford Museum in Homer,
go to www.claiborneone.org/hom
er/hsford.html to learn more about
the history of the Claiborne Hotel as
well as the museum.
Class Discussion
After learning more about the
history of the Ford Museum — it
started when the sons of Herbert S.
Ford brought home two German
helmets from the city dump — ask
students if they have any artifacts
that could be the beginning of a
museum. If they do not have
artifacts, ask what artifacts could
be used to start a museum.
(Comprehension)
23
T23
Greater New Orleans Region
Geography Activity
Have students continue their
outline map of the cultural regions
by locating the Greater New Orleans
region and coloring it orange.
Lagniappe
In 1718, the French founded New
Orleans and marked “Cannes Brulee”
(Burnt Canes) on maps upriver
where Kenner is located today. The
name comes from observing natives
burning cane to drive out wild
game.
Below: The French Quarter,
famed for its “lacy”
balconies, is New Orleans’s
greatest attraction.
Left: The ornamental fences
are a feature of the Garden
District of New Orleans,
originally a strictly “American” section. Below: The
culture of the Acadiana
region is captured by New
Hope Chapel at Acadian
Village in Lafayette.
Ask students what would be
some reasons to change the cultural
boundaries of Louisiana.
(Application)
Other Regional Labels
Cultural regions are not mandatory boundaries on a map. Unlike the parish
lines that are set by law, regions can change and can have different labels.
People of many backgrounds live in each area of the state, and variations can
be found in every community.
Some people divide the state into three regions—North Louisiana, South
Louisiana, and New Orleans. Others say that South Louisiana should be divided
into New Orleans, Acadiana, and the Florida Parishes. The part of the state in
“the toe of the boot” is called the Florida Parishes because it was once part of
the colony of West Florida. This region was settled by people more like their
neighbors in North Louisiana than those in New Orleans and Acadiana.
Whatever regional divisions are used, it is important to know that the cultural histories of North Louisiana and South Louisiana have been very different. These differences are no longer as great as they once were, but they still
affect social, political, and economic interactions.
What does the picture of the
French Quarter represent? Why is
the French Quarter such an
important tourist attraction?
Research Activity
Have students list as many
tourist attractions in New Orleans as
possible. List each site on a piece of
paper and then have students
choose one site randomly. Have each
student or each group of students
research one of the tourist sites.
After listening to the reports, have
each student choose one site that
he or she would like to visit and tell
why.
Check for Understanding
ASSESS
Check for Understanding
1. Ethnic heritage, language,
religion, food, music, recreation
2. North Louisiana has an English,
rather than a French heritage.
North Louisiana is more like
Georgia, Mississippi, and
Alabama.
3. The Florida Parishes were settled
by people who were more like
those from North Louisiana.
1. What are two characteristics used to identify a cultural
region?
2. How is the culture of North Louisiana different from
Acadiana?
3. What makes the Florida Parishes different from the rest of
South Louisiana?
24
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Section 3
Alternative Assessment
Louisiana’s Cultural Regions
25
Ask students why the text says
New Orleans is more like the
Caribbean or South America.
Guiding Question 1-10
Lagniappe
Most of the older buildings in the
French Quarter are actually Spanish.
After a 1788 fire, the Spanish
government rebuilt much of New
Orleans in its architectural style.
T24
The boundaries of cultural areas
may change as different groups of
people move in and out of an area.
Ask students to look at the map on
page 17 and, based on their knowledge of the location of cultural
groups, make a recommendation for
boundary changes.
Class Discussion
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
The city of New Orleans often seems like another
world to visitors, even those from other parts of Louisiana. It is often described as “cosmopolitan,” an
American city that is more like a European one. A
busy port on the Mississippi River exists alongside an
exotic historic district. A walk through the French
Quarter reminds the tourist of Louisiana’s past.
The largest city in the state is sometimes described as having more in common with the Caribbean and South America than with the rest of the United
States. The relaxed atmosphere of the tropics replaces the bustle of Boston.
• Have students create a journal
entry describing the cultural
region most different from the
one in which they live.
• Have students locate the cultural
regions on an outline map of
Louisiana.
Lesson Closure
Internet Activity
Class Discussion
Reading Strategy
Have students go to www.crt.
state.la.us/crt/tourism/regional.
htm to learn more about
Louisiana’s five regions. This site
has links to each region.
Ask students to describe other
ways regions may be classified.
(Comprehension)
Addressing GLE Vocabulary
Have students define
migration as the process of people
moving to a new place with the
intent of staying at the destination permanently or for a relatively long period of time.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
How do the two photos
represent the cultural differences
found in Louisiana?
Have students list the cultural
regions of Louisiana and identify at
least one distinct characteristic of
each.
Guiding Question 1-11
T25
SECTION 4
LOUISIANA’S PEOPLE
INTRODUCE
Outline
A. Ethnic Groups
1. Acadians
2. African Americans
3. American Indians
4. Anglos
5. Germans
6. Hispanics
7. Italians
8. Other Ethnic Groups
B. Families
4
Section
Lagniappe
The word ethnic comes
from the Greek word
ethnos, which means
“nation” or “people.”
Figure 1
Louisiana’s
People, 2000
Louisiana’s People
Have groups of students create a
mural depicting various cultural
groups found in Louisiana.
• the major ethnic groups in the state,
• the cultural contributions made by those groups, and
• vocabulary terms ethnic group, Acadians, free people of color,
Creoles, Anglos, lowland South, and Isleños.
Lagniappe
St. Martinville is known as the
“Birthplace of Acadiana.” The
Evangeline Oak in St. Martinville is
considered the most photographed
tree in the world.
Louisiana has a great diversity of people. Their cultural backgrounds have
blended into the fascinating mix that is Louisiana today. The cultural differences in the state come from the different ethnic backgrounds of its citizens.
Ethnic Groups
Female
51.6%
Male
48.4%
An ethnic group is a group of people who share common traditions, beliefs,
and patterns of living that include language, religion, customs, and food. The
people of Louisiana are much more diverse than some tourists expect to meet.
Acadians
Textbook, pages 26-29
Blackline Masters
Getting to Know Louisiana
Culturally, page 7
A Changing Culture, page 8
Louisiana Proverbs, page 9
Internet Activity: Researching
Louisiana’s Culture, page 10
True or False, page 11
Teacher CD-ROM
Transparencies
Online textbook
mystatehistory.com
French Canadians migrated to Louisiana in the eighteenth century. When
the English gained control of the province of Acadia (now called Nova Scotia),
they forced the French to leave. This exile became an important episode in the
history of Louisiana. The French-speaking Acadian farmers made their way to
the bayous and prairies, developing the region of Acadiana. In fact, the word
Remind students to define unfamiliar vocabulary in their notebooks
or journals.
Group Activity
As you read, look for:
Materials
Focus
BLM Assign Getting to Know
Louisiana Culturally from page 7 in
the BLM book.
Sex
Over 65
55-64 11.5% Under 10
8.5%
14.6%
35-54
28.6%
20-34
20.8%
Geography Activity
Look at Map 2. Name the parishes that form the triangle of Cajun
culture.
Class Discussion
Ask students
• Where did the African Americans
come from? (Knowledge)
• What are some characteristics of
Creole culture? (Knowledge)
Guiding Question 1-11
10-19
16.0%
Age
Lagniappe
Right: Louisiana’s people are
a blend of many ethnic
groups. Norbert LeBlanc is a
Cajun alligator hunter and
fisherman.
26
Free people of color had legal
rights in Louisiana. They could sue
whites in court, testify against
whites, and legally marry.
Questioning Strategy
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Ask students to name some
Indians that inhabit Louisiana.
(Knowledge)
Social Studies Skill
Reading Graphs
Have students look at Figure 1
and then answer the following:
1. By what percentage do women
outnumber men in Louisiana?
(3.2%)
2. Into which age bracket do most
Louisianians fit? (35-54)
3. Which group is larger – oldest or
youngest? (youngest)
TEACH
Ask students where the Acadians
lived before coming to Louisiana.
(Knowledge)
Guiding Question 5-4
T26
Lagniappe
Objectives
Reading Strategy
Critical Thinking
GLE 9: Explain ways in which goals, cultures, interests, inventions, and technological advances have affected perceptions and uses of places or regions in Louisiana.
GLE 11: Explain why humans settled and formed societies in specific regions or
why immigrant groups (e.g., Acadians) settled in specific areas of Louisiana.
GLE 12: Describe the causes and effects of cultural diffusion and effects of cultural diversity in Louisiana.
GLE 65: Analyze the causes, effects, or impact of a given historical event in Louisiana.
GLE 73: Describe and explain the importance of major events and ideas in the
development of Louisiana.
GLE 74: Describe the causes and effects of various migrations into Louisiana.
GLE 75: Describe the contributions of ethnic groups significant in Louisiana history.
GLE 81: Explain cultural elements that have shaped Louisiana’s state heritage
(e.g., festivals, music, dance, food, languages).
Comparing and Contrasting
Have students use a Venn
diagram to compare two cultural
groups in the chapter.
Ask students to hypothesize
why the Acadians would not
pledge allegiance to the king
of England. NOTE: You may
want the students to record their
hypotheses in a journal and refer
to it after studying the French and
Indian War.
Guiding Question 5-10
Natchitoches is an Indian word
meaning “place of the Paw Paw” or
“chinkapin.”
T27
the hill country of North Louisiana. The culture here is described as upland
South, the accent is southern, and the religion is Protestant.
The low-lying lands along the rivers were perfect for the establishment of
plantations. Anglos from other southern states and from New England settled
in this area, and the plantation culture that developed is described as lowland
South. This lowland South culture existed along the Mississippi River, as well
as along the Red and the Ouachita Rivers in the northern part of the
state. Some differences in customs, speech patterns, and religion are
still seen between the upland South and lowland South cultures.
BLM Assign activity A Changing
Culture from page 8 in the BLM
book.
Questioning Strategy
Ask students how the German
immigrants are different from the
other cultural groups found in
Louisiana today. (Knowledge)
Guiding Question 1-11
Germans
Germans also immigrated to Louisiana during the early colonial
years. However, they did not retain their language and soon blended
with the dominant French culture. More Germans arrived in the nineteenth century. A group of these German farm families settled in Acadia
Parish and created the community of Robert’s Cove. Their grandchildren continue to preserve elements of their German heritage. On
December 6, a procession celebrating the religious feast of St. Nicholas goes from house to house.
Focus on Geography
Show students the location of the
Canary Islands on a large map of the
world.
Hispanics
Class Discussion
Ask students
• Why were the Isleños brought to
Louisiana? (Knowledge)
• How might Louisiana have been
different from their homeland?
(Application)
• What kind of adjustments would
they have had to make to live in
Louisiana? (Comprehension)
Above: Present-day Isleños
display traditional fiesta
dress at the annual Isleño
fiesta in St. Bernard.
Addressing Learning Styles
Visual/Spatial
Design a symbol to represent one
of the cultural groups discussed in
the section.
Logical/Mathematical
After determining the ethnic
background of all the students in
the class, make a class graph displaying the data.
The oldest and best preserved Hispanic culture in Louisiana is
the group of people who still refer to themselves as Isleños (is LAY
nyos). The word means “islanders.” These people are descended from
Canary Islanders who were brought to Louisiana when it was a Spanish colony. They live in St. Bernard Parish, where their ancestors
settled in the eighteenth century. Some Isleños can still speak the
Spanish dialect and sing the songs of those first settlers. Those songs
are called decimas, ten-stanza narrative songs. Some of the songs tell of the
difficulties the first Isleños faced in the Louisiana colony; others tell of Spanish
knights who lived centuries ago.
The Hispanic community around Zwolle in Sabine Parish traces its ancestry
to the Spanish colony of Texas. In the twentieth century, an influential Cuban
community developed in New Orleans after Castro’s revolution drove them from
Cuba. The most recent Hispanic immigrants have come from Mexico.
Italians
The Italians were another large group of immigrants in the nineteenth century. These new arrivals became farmers, raising vegetables and strawberries.
Outside of New Orleans, the largest group of their descendants lives in Independence in Tangipahoa Parish.
The Italians contributed an interesting custom known as St. Joseph’s Altar
to Louisiana culture. The altar is a thank you for blessings of the past year. The
altars are set up sometimes in homes and sometimes in the church. Brought
28
from Sicily, the tradition includes a feast for friends and strangers. Each visitor
is given a dried fava bean for good luck until the next year.
BLM Assign Louisiana Proverbs
from page 9 in the BLM book.
Other Ethnic Groups
Class Discussion
The Gulf Coast has offered refuge to many groups of immigrants. Croatians
came from the coast of the Adriatic Sea with their sailing skills and developed
the oyster industry in the state. Their descendants live in Plaquemines
(PLAK mins) Parish. They share this region with Filipino immigrants
who were shrimpers. The most recent arrivals to become part of the
culture of the wetlands are the Vietnamese. Communities of Vietnamese fishermen now dot Louisiana’s coastline.
Chinese immigrants came to Louisiana as laborers during the nineteenth century. Some of them worked on plantations, while others
became involved in the shrimp-drying industry along the coast. Chinese communities thrive in Louisiana’s cities today. As tolerance for
cultural differences has increased, the Chinese now share part of their
New Year’s tradition with their neighbors. The Lion Dance is a popular sight in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
A community of Czechs in Rapides Parish continues to preserve their
customs. They gather annually to share elements of their culture with
each other and with visitors. In Livingston Parish, a Hungarian community still thrives near Albany. Many other cultures have contributed
to Louisiana’s diversity, including Arabs, Greeks, and natives of India.
Ask students
• How did immigrants use skills
they acquired in their homeland in
Louisiana? (Knowledge)
• Is it important to preserve
culture? Why or why not?
(Comprehension)
Writing Activity
• Have students choose one of the
ethnic groups discussed in the
section. Then have them write a
letter to a family member back
home after they have lived in
Louisiana for six months.
• Have students pretend they are
traveling from their homeland to
Louisiana. Have them keep a journal
of their trip.
Families
Culture is preserved not only by regions and communities but also
by families. Often, they come together to share their heritage and pass
it along. The tradition of family reunions continues and grows in Louisiana today. In the small North Louisiana town of Dubach in Lincoln Parish, the
Colvin family reunion has been held annually since the beginning of the twentieth century. Relatives gather from across the United States to share food and
memories. They also visit the family cemetery to honor past generations.
You and your family also contribute to the unique culture of Louisiana. The
traditions of the past combine with the customs of today. Your music, food, clothing, language, games, and sports blend into the cultural picture of our state.
Check for Understanding
Above: Vietnamese
immigrants have settled
along Louisiana’s Gulf
Coast. Here, Tran Phu of
Delcambre mends a
shrimp net.
ASSESS
Check for Understanding
1. How did the word Cajun originate?
2. What are five ethnic groups who came to Louisiana?
3. How do families preserve their culture?
Section 4
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Louisiana’s People
29
1. It came from the French
pronunciation of the word
Acadianne, meaning people of
Acadia.
2. Acadians, African Americans,
American Indians, Anglos,
Germans, Hispanics, Italians
3. Families preserve their
heritage through family
reunions.
Alternative Assessment
Verbal/Linguistic
Find examples of decimas to
share with students. Have students
write a decima.
T28
Internet Activity
Reading Strategy
Assessing Culture
Internet Activity
Have students go to canaryis
landers.com/decima.htm to find
more information on decimas and
the Isleños who came from the
Canary Islands. The site contains a
clip from a decima.
Guiding Question 1-10
Collecting Information
Have students review
information on Louisiana’s fairs
and festivals (i.e., textbook,
Internet, brochures) and find at
least one event that honors each
of the cultural groups described in
Section 4.
Have students determine the
ethnic background of the oldest
members of their family. Find out
if they have attempted to
preserve their heritage. If so,
what steps have they taken?
Guiding Question 1-10
Assign Researching Louisiana’s
Culture from page 10 in the BLM
book.
• Have students locate cultural
groups on an outline map of
Louisiana.
• Use True or False from page 11 of
the BLM book.
Lesson Closure
Have students complete a journal
entry telling something they learned
about their own culture.
T29
Using Photos and
Illustrations
• Have students choose a picture in
the chapter that they believe is
most representative of Louisiana.
Have them give reasons for their
choice.
• Have students choose a picture in
the chapter and write a caption for
it. Instead of a caption, you may
ask students to write a question
that they have about the photo.
Addressing Learning Styles
Visual/Spatial
Draw a picture that represents
something you learned in the
chapter.
Internet Activity
Have students find pictures on
the Internet that illustrate the
content of the chapter. Have them
make a PowerPoint presentation
using at least ten pictures to share
with the class.
Meeting Expectations
Using Photographs as a
Source of Information
Photographs provide visual information for research
about the past and present. One element of culture
that can be studied through photographs is architecture. As an example, look at the photograph above. It
shows one of the most famous landmarks in the French
Quarter of New Orleans. It was built around 1788 and
is still known as Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop. It is described as a cottage with no interior hallways.
See if you can answer the following questions.
1. What materials do you think were used to construct the building?
30
2. Would the shutters on the building have a practical purpose?
3. What can you tell about the size of the building
by comparing with the building next to it?
4. Is there anything in the photograph that proves
this was really Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop?
5. What is another source that might tell you more
about the building, its style, and its history?
Now, find another photograph that shows a building
in Louisiana. What can you learn about the architecture of the building by studying the photograph?
Ask students to add two facts they
know to each section in the Chapter
Summary.
Chapter Summary
What is Culture?
• Culture is the way of life of a group of people.
Culture includes such elements as religion,
music, and food.
• Cultural anthropologists study groups of people
to learn about their culture.
• The major religions of Louisiana are Catholic and
Protestant; the religions of more recent immigrants include Buddhism and Islam.
• Louisiana music includes jazz, blues, Cajun
music, zydeco, and country music.
• The foods most often associated with Louisiana
came from the Cajuns and Creoles.
Louisiana’s Festivals
• The earliest festivals throughout the world were
a celebration of the harvest. Louisiana continued
this tradition as an agricultural culture.
• The fall festivals featured important crops such
as sugar cane and rice.
• Louisiana has hundreds of festivals every year,
held in every month of the year. Food and music
are often the focus of these festivals.
• Mardi Gras, Louisiana’s largest cultural celebration, was begun as part of the practice of the
Catholic religion. The largest Mardi Gras is in New
Orleans, but many other towns and cities also
celebrate with parades.
Louisiana’s Cultural Regions
• Louisiana can be divided into different cultural
regions based on such factors as ethnic heritage,
language, religion, food, music, or recreation.
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
Above: The rub board is a featured instrument at the
Southeast Louisiana Zydeco Festival in Plaisance.
• The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation
and Tourism has divided the state into five
cultural regions.
Louisiana’s People
• Louisiana has many ethnic groups including
Acadians, African Americans, American Indians,
Anglos, Germans, Hispanics, and Italians.
• Recent immigration has brought more ethnic
groups into the state.
Chapter Summary
31
Group Activity
Divide the students into the following groups: Germans, Acadians, Scots-Irish,
African Americans, French, Spanish, Anglos, and Native Americans. Have students
research their group and identify why they came, where they settled, and their
contribution to Louisiana. As part of the presentation, ask them to construct a
handout that lists the contributions of these ethnic groups, their significance in
history, and cultural elements that have shaped Louisiana’s heritage (festivals,
music, dance, food, and language). (Comprehensive Curriculum 1 Activity 11)
Guiding Questions 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 5-10, 5-11, 5-12, and 5-14.
T30
Use a “walk-around” to review the
content of the chapter. Divide the
class into four groups. Assign each
group one of the sections in the
chapter. Give the students a piece of
newsprint or flip chart paper and a
colored marker (a different color
marker for each group). Allow ten
minutes for the students to list all
the facts they remember from their
assigned section. (Do not allow
them to use their books.) Then, ask
the four groups to post their lists on
the wall — far enough away from
one another that a group of students can assemble around each
paper. The students will begin with
their own paper, then when you ask
them to rotate, they will move to
the paper to their right.
When they are in front of a new
set of information, ask them to read
what is written and add anything
they know about the section that
was omitted. Give them two or three
minutes to do this. Then have them
rotate again to the right. This time,
ask them to put an X beside any
piece of information they believe is
incorrect. Again, allow two or three
minutes to complete this task.
Then, ask the students to move a
final time. This time, ask them to
put a question mark beside any
piece of information they do not
understand.
When they complete this round,
have them return to their own
paper. Debrief what was added to
the paper by other students. If
there are question marks, have the
original group of students explain
information that some class members do not know.
T31
REVIEW
1. Student’s terms will vary.
2. a. Elements of other cultures
have become part of the
culture of Louisiana.
Student’s specific answers
may vary. For example,
Chinese New Year is now
celebrated in Louisiana.
b. Answers may vary but may
include the idea that music
has long been part of
religious services and
celebrations.
c. Answers may vary but may
include that the accordion
is an instrument and the
songs are sung in French.
d. Because jazz has spread
from Louisiana around the
world
e. The harvest and special
religious days
f. Fat Tuesday
g. Ethnic heritage, music,
religion
h. Sportsman’s Paradise, The
Crossroads, Cajun Country,
Greater New Orleans, and
Plantation Country
i. Acadians, Anglos, African
Americans, Germans, and
Italians (Accept other
reasonable answers.)
j. Answers will vary.
3. Answers will vary.
Activities
for
Learning
A w
Review
1. Prepare an illustrated glossary with ten terms
that explain Louisiana culture.
2. Answer these questions.
a. Name two ways cultural diffusion has
changed Louisiana.
b. Why is music such an important part of
culture?
c. What are two characteristics of Cajun music?
d. Why is jazz an example of cultural diffusion?
e. What occasions did early festivals celebrate?
f. What does the phrase Mardi Gras mean?
g. What are three factors used to identify a
cultural region?
h. Name the five cultural regions of Louisiana.
i. Name at least five ethnic groups who have
settled in Louisiana.
j. Give an example of a cultural activity
associated with a specific ethnic group.
3. Make a chart showing five elements of culture.
List examples of each that you have observed
in your community. You may choose to do this
as a visual chart.
Connect
With Your World
1. You are part of the culture of American
teenagers. List three ways your culture is like
the culture of other young people throughout
the United States. List three ways your culture
is special.
2. Family traditions are a part of our culture.
Write a short description of a tradition of your
family. This may be anything from going to a
family reunion to visiting your grandmother on
Thanksgiving to ordering pizza every Monday
night.
With Physical Geography
3. Some of Louisiana’s festivals connect to the
physical geography of the state. Give two
examples.
With Economics
4. Predict three ways Louisiana’s culture has a
positive effect on the state’s economy.
5. What are two ways changing technology has
spread Louisiana’s culture?
With Civics
6. Why do you think the state provides funds for
a special agency to promote Louisiana culture?
32
Chapter 1 Louisiana’s Culture: Families and Festivals
o b
Extend
1. Make a special-interest map of some of the
Louisiana festivals mentioned in this chapter.
Mark each location with a symbol representing
the festival. Create a legend identifying your
symbols.
2. Write a letter that Alison might have written
her friends in Arizona after she had lived in
Louisiana one year. Include details about what
she learned about her new culture.
3. Interview a person whose ethnic heritage is
different from yours. Learn how your cultures
are different and how they are alike.
4. Create a brochure or a PowerPoint presentation
about Louisiana culture. Your target audience
is young people in schools in other states.
5. Visit a festival. Write a short article about the
festival for your local newspaper. Or, use
photographs or sketches to report about your
experience.
6. Visit a local museum. What are the five most
interesting displays you saw?
7. If your community does not have a local
museum, list three displays you would include
if a museum was established.
8. Explore the web site of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
(crt.g2digital.com/home.cfm). Use the
information to select a place you would like to
visit. Explain your choice.
9. Locate the web information about Louisiana
folk life on the Louisiana Department of
Culture, Recreation and Tourism web site. List
five interesting facts to share with your class.
Photo Question
Monroe (below), on the banks of the Ouachita
River, is the commercial center of northeastern
Louisiana. What cultural region is it in?
Activities for Learning
33
CONNECT
With Your World
1. Answers will vary but may
include listening to the same
kind of music, eating fast foods,
and wearing the same styles of
clothing. Examples of ways their
culture is special may include
specific festivals, special foods,
and Louisiana music such as
zydeco.
2. Answers will vary.
With Physical Geography
3. Answers will vary but may
include the Shrimp and
Petroleum Festival and the
Crawfish Festival.
With Economics
4. Attracts tourists, festivals help
local economy, Louisiana
musicians earn income
5. Answers may vary but may
include examples such as
Louisiana music is played on CDs
that are bought in other places,
and people in other places can
order Louisiana products online.
With Civics
6. For economic benefits and to help
preserve our cultural heritage
EXTEND
Student responses to these
activities will vary.
PHOTO QUESTION
Sportsman’s Paradise
T32
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