The learner will read selections from a recommended list of West Virginia's Appalachian literature. The learner will write an original story following a pattern or style of one of the stories presented in the unit. The learner will write orginal lyrics to fit the melody of a ballad or a folk song learned in the unit. There are no tests included for these selections. The four strands can be done in any order, and each can be taught independently of any of the others.
Students can learn the song by echoing line by line, then by singing the entire song.
With repeated listening and singing along, students can learn each song. Traditional folk literature does not lend itself to study of literary elements such as characterization or symbolism. Discussions of plot and theme, however, will work well with the traditional selections. The selections from writers such as Cynthia Rylant and Louise McNeill can, of course, be taught as literary selections. Those selections were included in the unit to further an understanding of the people and culture of West Virginia.