Florida Folklife Collection

Educational Units

Zora Neale Hurston, the WPA in Florida, and the Cross City Turpentine Camp
Zora Neale Hurston was already a published writer when she began working for the Florida division of the Work Projects Administration (WPA). In August of 1939, Hurston went on a recording expedition to the turpentine camps in Cross City, Florida. Includes photos and lesson plans.

Netmaking and Net Fishing in Florida
Longtime net maker and Fernandina resident Billy Burbank III discusses the history and practices of the net making trade. Includes photos and lesson plans.

Lucreaty Clark, White Oak Basket Maker
Clark learned to make white oak baskets from her parents. Originally these sturdy baskets were used to hold cotton and carry vegetables. The tradition of white oak basket making has been carried on by Lucreaty Clark's grandson, Alphonso Jennings.

Seminole Doll Making
Seminole doll maker Mary B. Billie and her daughter, Claudia C. John, discuss the history and practices of Seminole doll making. Includes photos and lesson plans.

Sacred Harp
Documents and audio recordings in this unit are primarily drawn from The Sacred Harp Sing, a slide and tape show created by the Florida Folklife Program in 1978, and field recordings by Alton Morris in 1949 in Gainesville, Florida. Includes photos and lesson plans.