Three brief essays written by experts in the fields of arts and education explain the basics of Ties That Bind. Two of the Colorado Council on the Arts’ goals are to “Expand Arts Education Opportunities for Youth” and to “Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage.” One essay explains how Ties That Bind helps to meet those goals, how it was created, and what it contains. The other two essays provide a brief rationale supporting the incorporation of traditional arts into the classroom, and demonstrate the value of traditional arts in helping teachers meet history and geography standards.

Getting acquainted with Section I! Spending just a few minutes looking at Section I before exploring the other sections will make everything else that much simpler!

1. Read the first essay for a quick overview of what Ties That Bind’s four major sections each contain and what audio and video materials are accessible on this website. This is the “big picture.”

2. In the second essay, learn about the effectiveness of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teaching in reaching higher standards, and consider why the folk arts are a perfect tool for this approach to teaching.

3. The third essay points out specific situations that show how the folk arts can be especially effective in raising the levels of teaching and learning in the classroom.

Folk Arts In Your Classroom PDF