Woody’s Classroom
One-stop-shop for Woody Guthrie educational materials, from tailored lesson plans to artistic activities, resources and more to help parents and teachers bring Woody into any classroom, whatever that may look like.
Activities
Woody Guthrie Bingo, play along while listening to Woody Guthrie’s kid’s song playlist. Mark your board when you hear the words!
Take Me Out To the Ballgame Coloring Activity
Woody Portrait Coloring Activity
All You Can Write Coloring Activity
California Stars Coloring Activity
Woody was an amazing artist as well as being a songwriter. He creating art out of everything. Watch this video to learn more about Woody’s visual art and sculpture, and be inspired to create your own.
See a quick tour of the Dust Bowl exhibit at the Woody Guthrie Center and find some inspiration to write your own verse. Watch here.
Resources
Animated music videos to popular Woody Guthrie songs can be found here.
Educational resources related to the world and American folk music from Smithsonian Folkways are available here.
Teach hip hop history and experience with lesson plans from Teach Rock here.
Lesson plans
All lesson plans are the intellectual property of Woody Guthrie Center and are intended for educational purposes only.
Growing up in Okemah – Middle School Lesson
Elementary- This Land is Your Land – Elementary Lesson
Museum Pre-Visit Activities – Pre & Post Visit Activities for Elementary and High School
Migrant farmworkers and the Great Depression – High School Lesson
Reading visual images High School Lesson Plan
Geothermal Energy Teacher’s Guide – Elementary Lesson on Geothermal Energy (Guthrie Green has geothermal wells underground. This page provides multiple resources for STEM lessons.)
Tulsa Race Riot Part 1 High School Lesson Plan
Tulsa Race Riot Part 2 High School Lesson Plan
Don’t Kill my Baby and my Son lesson Middle School / High School Lesson Plan
What was the Dust Bowl Elementary Lesson Plan
Woody Guthrie Unit – Elementary Lesson created by Abby Lopez & Celia Clinton
Ballad of Tom Joad – Middle School Lesson Plan on elements of fiction
Deportee and the Bracero Program – Middle School & High School Lesson Plan
Woody Guthrie Prize – Research Lesson Plan for Elementary & Junior High
Lesson plans from Woody Guthrie Publications are available here.
Using letters by, to, and about Woody Guthrie, the Library of Congress has developed this extensive lesson to learn biographical information about Guthrie as well as 20th Century U.S. history. Those lessons can be found here.
High school lesson plans developed by PBS from the Ken Burns film “The Dust Bowl” are available here.