Art Encounters Education Programs

Australian Storyteller and Folk Singer Paul Taylor

MAY 2008
Monday 5th - Friday 9th
Australian Storyteller and Folk Singer
Paul Taylor is back for a repeat
performance!

Due to the overwhelming popularity of this artist and the fact that it was sold out last year with schools still on the waiting list, Friends of the Arts have brought Paul back to share his particular brand of Aussie magic. Paul’s assembly program includes music, poetry and storytelling, and introduces students to the Australian character.

Students will enjoy exploring the visual poetry, symbols, history, and culture of Australia. Paul brings a celebration of Aboriginal and European Australian history through award-winning educational performances using traditional stories and instruments. Placing philosophy with poetry and music with stories, Paul brings light on the culture of his homeland through story, song and didgeridoo. In addition, Paul offers the following workshops:

• Didjeridoo – an instrument-making workshop for grades 3 and up.
• Aussie Games – fun, outdoor/gym games for all ages
• Aussie Folk Dancing – children learn the “kangaroo hop,” “heel & toe polka,” and the “Zorba.”
• Create a totem story – using a selected Australian totem, students create a group story based on a particular animal.

Curriculum Links: NH State Curriculum Frameworks Social Studies Broad Goal; “Students will demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the history of the world, including the contributions of ordinary citizens and groups of people.”

Recommended for grades K – 8.

Resources for possible inclusion in curriculum.

Possible Items for Inclusion in Paul Taylor Kit

CDS:

• Cooee, Paul Taylor’s compilation of Australian and American folksongs, sung by an Australian singer
• Walkabout, Paul Taylor

Song sheets from Paul Taylor’s website: http://www.paultaylor.ws/musicsheets.html

• Botany Bay
• COOEE
• Didjeridu
• Home Among the Gumtrees
• Six White Boomers
• Sun Arise
• Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
• Waltzing Matilda

Terms:

• Australian slang sheet from Paul Taylor’s website: http://www.paultaylor.ws/pdf/slang.pdf

Objects:

• didjeridoo
  • lesson plan on how to make one: http://www.kinderart.com/multic/p_didgeridoo.htm
  • how they are created and made: http://aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/creation.html and http://aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/making.html
• boomerang
  • website on physics of boomerangs: http://www.howstuffworks.com/boomerang.htm
  • math lesson plan on angles when throwing a boomerang
• lagerphone (rhythm sticks)
  • website pictures: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3063082 and http://www.silverbushmusic.com/bushkit.html
  • directions for making one, Paul Taylor’s website: http://www.paultaylor.ws/pdf/thelagerphone.pdf

Books:

• Australian Ripping Yarns, by Paul Taylor
• My Home in Kakadu, by Jane Kristopherson
  • Through the eyes of her granddaughter, Tarrah, respected elder Jane Christophersen reveals the beauty of life in Kakadu and the significance of the changing seasons to those who live there.
  • Striking illustrations show all the elements of daily life as Tarrah goes bush with her family gathering fruits, fishing and hunting. Also includes a mud map and additional information about the 6 seasons of Kakadu.
• The Mark of the Wagarl, by Lorna Little [Chil]
  • Maadjit Wagarl is the sacred water snake and guardian spirit of all the rivers and fresh waters of Nyoongar Country in the south-west of Western Australia. This is the story of how a young boy questioned the wisdom of his Elders and why he received the Wagarl for his totem.
• The Outback, by Annaliese Porter
  • It captures the Australian outback in all its moods in this moving bush ballad about the country's vast interior.
  • Written when she was only eight years old, The Outback brings together a gifted young writer and one of Australia's most celebrated artists, Bronwyn Bancroft.
• Legends of the Australian Aboriginals, by W. Ramsay Smith

Lesson Plans:

• Australian Aboriginal Art and Storytelling, Gr. 3-5, two 45-minute classes (3 separate web-based activities, any of which could be done individually) http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=652
• Australian Folktales, Gr. 9-12, two 50-minute classes (3 separate book-based activities, any of which could be done individually) www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit6/lesson4.html