Appalachian Culture
Created by Ashli Gore
Unit Description
The Appalachian Mountains form a natural boundary on the eastern side of the United States.
Travelers such as Daniel Boone used the natural break in the foothills of the Appalachians called
the Cumberland Gap. Before these early explorers, this route was used by Native Americans.
This unit was prepared for Grades 4 – 5 students in western Kentucky. Although students in the
western region are familiar with hills and the “old ways,” they are not familiar with Appalachian
culture and high elevations. So as the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Students will travel back in time and to a remote area in the Appalachian Mountains through a
PhotoStory. The unit will be taught using reading and drama content for Appalachian culture
including Jack Tales, Jemima Boone and an informational TrackStar webquest.
This unit is designed to be taught collaboratively with Kentucky Educational Televisions Arts
Toolkit – 2nd Edition Drama. Contact your school Library Media Specialist to get this resource.
If your school does not have the Toolkit, you may order it through KET at
http://www.ket.org/artstoolkit/drama/. It is an invaluable tool in Drama instruction. In the
Drama Toolkit specifically use Appalachian information included, “Exploring Jack Tales” lesson
(storytelling performance) and “Jemima Boone” (play performance). Teachers will need access
to the DVDs that come with this Toolkit to teach drama content in “Exploring Jack Tales” and
“Jemima Boone.”
Permissions and Resources
This unit may be distributed, edited and used for educational use only. Most information in the
unit was delivered to me orally and visually during a trip to historic Hensley Settlement in Bell
County, Kentucky and excursions to Pinnacle Overlook and Tri-State Peak. Special Thanks are
extended to National Parks service employees and volunteers. All images in the PhotoStory
were taken on the trip and may be reused for nonprofit, educational purposes. To clarify facts,
a published resource was referred to in creating the PhotoStory. This resource is available at
the Park’s Visitor Center.
Cox, William. The Hensley Settlement. Eastern National, 2005.
The following resources are also included in this unit. Substitutions may be made based on
materials that are readily available t you.
Available through your school Library Media Specialist –
Kentucky Educational Televisions Arts Toolkit – 2nd Edition Drama
The Arts Toolkit (Drama 2nd ed.) is the basis for the original teaching unit. The Drama Toolkit
has a wealth of information on Appalachian storytelling and performance excerpts on DVD that
are invaluable to enhance the drama content. However; conveying the Appalachian geography
and way-of-life was done orally and did not seem to distinguish from Appalachia to Land
Between the Lakes lifestyle in western Kentucky. This was an area that needed to be
strengthened in the unit to be more successful. After visiting the Cumberland Gap National
Park, I compiled images and information portraying Appalachian culture to be used in
correlation with the Jack Tales and supporting information found in the Drama Toolkit. This
combination will help my students compare and contrast Appalachian life in the lat 1700’s and
1800’s to life in western Kentucky at that time.
Available at the Park’s Visitor CenterShelby, Anne. The Adventures of Molly Whupple and other Appalachian folktales.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007.
There are many resources available on Jack tales. Jack tales were passed on in the oral
tradition (storytelling). DVDs of performance excerpts are in the Drama Toolkit. Books and
scripts can be purchased or stories read online at no cost. This resource is unique as its main
character is a girl. She is very similar to Jack and even meets him in some of her stories. These
stories naturally can be compared and contrasted with Jack tales and other folktales. The
author provides background knowledge about her stories that is very interesting.
Day 1 Activities
Introduce Appalachian culture and geography using resources in the Drama Toolkit and
Cumberland Gap 2010 PhotoStory movie attached. The editable project file is included.
Permission is granted to add/edit/delete images, narration, music (was not included due to
narration and intent to teach while playing), and order for nonprofit, educational use.
Day 2 Activities
View Trackstar created for unit. If Trackstar track is not available, the following links are from
the track and may be distributed to students or completed as whole-group instruction.
Track #410591, 'Appalachian Mountains - Cumberland Gap'
http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/ts/viewTrack.do?number=410591
This track is designed for students to learn about the Appalachian Mountains, Cumberland Gap,
and Appalachian culture. Students will apply information learned in an Appalachian drama and
reading unit.
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park
Site Location: http://www.nps.gov/cuga/index.htm
Learn about the Park and the Gap by exploring links. Be sure to visit the Hensley
Settlement as we will be discussing this in class.
Murray, Kentucky Elevation Information
Site Location: http://www.city-data.com/city/Murray-Kentucky.html
How many feet above sea level is our hometown, Murray, Kentucky?
Black Mountain Elevation Information
Site Location: http://geology.com/state-high-points.shtml
Black Mountain is the highest elevation in Kentucky? What is it's elevation above sea
level?
Pike's Peak Elevation Information
Site Location: http://www.pikes-peak.com/page/33.aspx
Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Pike's Peak is a popular tourist location. What is
its elevation?
New Orleans Elevation Information
Site Location: http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html
What are the elevation ranges for New Orleans, Louisiana? How does this information
explain the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina?
Southern Stories & Legends
Site Location: http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00492/page7.html
This is a ThinkQuest created by a student for students! Visit this site to learn more about
Jack Tales. While you are here, be sure to read about Uncle Remus. What is he known
for? Do you think we'll study him, too?
Jack Tales & Folklore
Site Location: http://www.ibiblio.org/bawdy/folklore/tales.html
This is a wonderful resource to read more about Jack. Take notice of the introductory
paragraph reminding us that Jack tales were meant to be told - not read. These stories
have been passed generation-to-generation in the oral tradition (storytelling).
Capture & Rescue of Jemima Boone
Site Location: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_and_rescue_of_Jemima_Boone
At the time Daniel Boone settled in Kentucky in the late 1700's, Kentucky was still
"indian country." Jemima and her mother are reported to be the first two women
settlers in Kentucky according to the KET Arts Toolkit we study. Read about this event in
her life. How does this event coordinate with our study of Appalachian drama? How
does the event relate to other prose literature that we might study? (Hint: a classic book
is mentioned in the article.)
Day 3 Activities – Appalachian Storytelling
Complete activities from “Exploring Jack Tales” lesson in Drama Toolkit. This is a storytelling
performance excerpt.
Note: You may choose to follow the lesson plan provided in the Toolkit or other variation. At
this point in my K-5 curriculum map, my students have a good understanding of storytelling. I
don’t have to teach the basics of storytelling as a form of drama that is passed on in the oral
tradition. Instead I focus on Jack Tales in general, connection to printed Jack Tales stories, the
performance story line, and technical and performance elements in the performance.
Day 4 Activities – Drama based on Appalachian history
Complete activities from “Jemima Boone” lesson in Drama Toolkit. This is a play excerpt.
Note: You may choose to follow the lesson plan provided in the Toolkit or other variation.
Again, by this point in at this point in my K-5 curriculum map, my students have a good
understanding of plays. I focus on Jemima Boone as a historical character, her experiences in
the Kentucky Territory, the play story line, and technical and performance elements in the
performance. We compare and contrast this play excerpt to the Jack Tales performance.