smART Songs
I'll do whatever it takes to help children learn. I've stood on tables, made up mnemonics and worn silly hats. One of the most effective tools for remembering techniques or other facets of information for some children are silly songs. I've made up a few over the years - this past week I wrote two more. I thought I'd share a few so you could have a peek into the art room.
3G
"Put the Cap on the Glue!!!!!" song. Sometimes they just break into song with this. |
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2nd Grade Temple/Columns song. A very effective teaching tool, and the kids LOVE singing this.
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"Glue Song Lullaby"
And, there is always; Dot, Dot, Not a Lot! But sometimes they need a reminder of how much to squeeze - gently. They remember this, because I ham it up with the glue bottle. |
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"Make Your Ruler a Great Hero" Rap. This helps a lot when we need to measure.
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Another first grade song, this one about line. The children draw the lines in the air as they sing. They are quite lovely when they sing this. I would rather have them sing here, but they are too quiet to record effectively. Imagine them drawing in the air with their finger.
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A short tutorial for the kids! For some classes, I do not have a second between classes - it helps to have this playing for my younger students while I run around putting out water for painting. Whew!
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For my first grade students, when they create their "castles" and learn about patterns. The song refers to the crenelations on the battlements. The "I and C and E" refer to the capital letters, which when cut, make excellent windows. The "upside down letter, U" makes a wonderful drawbridge. They love this song, sing in a very lively way while drawing and cutting, and it helps them to remember pattern.
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Up across, Down across
My castle has a crown Repeating all the lines The pattern I have down Up across, Down across Cutting on the line My castle is so marvelous The pattern very fine. The windows are like letters, there's I and C and E; The drawbridge is an upside down letter, "U" you see! Up across, Down across My castle has a crown Repeating all the lines The pattern I have down Up across, Down across Cutting on the line My castle is so marvelous The pattern very fine. |
This was created on a "lark" for my fifth grade students - they learn just the basics of some of the local Federal Architecture. I thought they would enjoy a little more detail and wrote this song. They think this is fun and that I am crazy. They do love hearing it though, and their drawings end up being much more symmetrical and ordered with the addition of this song. The tune is, of course, Gilbert and Sullivan.
The lyrics are available for download below.
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Above is my singing, a little puny. Below is a group of 5th grade students who begged me to give it a try. I think that they did great!
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