6 Arkansas Folk Legends in the Digital Age
Time Requirement: 60 minutes.
By incorporating digital folklore into the lesson, students will gain a broader understanding of folklore concepts while also exploring the relevance of folklore to contemporary digital culture, including its connection to Arkansas legends.
Learning Objectives
- Students will understand the concept of digital folklore, its characteristics, and its relationship to traditional folklore, with connections to Arkansas legends.
Digital technologies have facilitated the rapid dissemination and globalization of folklore, enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds to share and engage with folklore across geographical boundaries. Digital platforms have democratized the creation and distribution of folklore, allowing ordinary people to rapidly contribute to the cultural landscape through user-generated content and participatory media. However, digital technologies also present challenges, such as issues of authenticity, misinformation, and digital preservation, as traditional folklore practices intersect with the digital realm. Overall, digital folklore and digital folk groups represent evolving forms of cultural expression and community building in the digital age, reflecting both continuity with traditional folklore and adaptation to new technological environments.
Materials:
- Access to internet-connected devices (e.g., computers, tablets, smartphones).
- Printed handouts or access to online resources with digital folklore examples.
- Examples of digital folklore related to Arkansas legends (e.g., online forums discussing the Fouke Monster, memes about the Boggy Creek Monster).
Strategies and Activities:
Begin the lesson by asking students if they’ve ever encountered folklore online, such as memes, urban legends, or viral videos. Allow a brief discussion to gauge their familiarity with digital folklore.
Define: Introduce the concept of digital folklore, explaining that it encompasses forms of folklore that are created, shared, and transmitted through digital technologies and online platforms.
Digital Folklore Overview:
Characteristics – Discuss the characteristics of digital folklore, including its informal transmission, participatory nature, and rapid dissemination. Provide examples to illustrate each characteristic.
Types of Digital Folklore – Present different types of digital folklore, such as internet memes, creepypastas, online rituals, and social media lore. Show examples and discuss their cultural significance.
Connecting to Arkansas Legends – Lead a brief discussion on how digital folklore intersects with Arkansas legends. Encourage students to consider how digital platforms have impacted the dissemination and adaptation of these legends in the online realm.
Examples – Show specific examples of digital folklore related to Arkansas legends, highlighting how they reflect the cultural heritage and storytelling traditions of the region.
Summarize key concepts covered in the lesson, emphasizing the dynamic nature of folklore in the digital age and its continued relevance to cultural expression and identity. Encourage students to reflect on how their understanding of folklore has expanded to include digital forms and invite them to explore digital folklore further on their own.
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework: Ask students to create their own piece of digital folklore related to an Arkansas legend, such as a meme, moderating a group/forum discussion, or creating digital artwork, and share it with the class in the next session.
Research Task: Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific type of digital folklore to research (e.g., internet memes, online urban legends). Provide access to internet-connected devices or printed resources. (Topics to research – history, previous versions, examples of note.) Discuss the similarities and differences between digital folklore examples and traditional folklore, as well as their cultural significance.
Vocabulary
Digital Folklore
Definition: Digital folklore encompasses a wide range of digital expressions of traditional folk culture, including memes, viral videos, internet urban legends, online rituals, and social media folklore.
Characteristics: Digital folklore often exhibits characteristics of traditional folklore, such as informal transmission, communal participation, and cultural significance. However, it also reflects the unique affordances and dynamics of digital technologies, such as rapid dissemination, remixing, and interactivity.
Examples: Examples of digital folklore include internet memes, creepypastas (online horror stories), chain emails, hashtag challenges, internet urban legends (e.g., Slender Man), and digital rituals (e.g., online mourning practices).
Digital Folk Groups
Definition: Digital folk groups are online communities or networks that form around shared interests, identities, or cultural practices. These groups often engage in collective storytelling, knowledge sharing, and creative expression within digital spaces.
Characteristics: Digital folk groups can take various forms, ranging from social media communities and forums to online gaming clans and virtual fandoms. They provide opportunities for individuals to connect, collaborate, and participate in digital folklore activities.
Examples: Examples of digital folk groups include fan communities dedicated to specific franchises (e.g., Star Wars, Harry Potter), online forums for sharing paranormal experiences or urban legends, gaming communities that create and share in-game folklore, and social media groups centered around niche interests or subcultures.
