List of Patriotic American Songs (And YouTube Video Links)

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Squarehead Teachers

A friend of mine plays patriotic songs in her classroom all year long. After all, appreciation for your country shouldn’t just happen on holidays. Whether it’s during clean up time, line up time or as a reward, her kids LOVE LOVE LOVE hearing these songs! Most of the kids have even learned the words too! How great would it be if the rising generation could regain the fire of patriotism of the past?!

Here’s her list of songs/video links to help get you started:

A Salute to all 5 military branches (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force & Coast Guard)

Air Force Off We Go (lyrics)

America The Beautiful (lyrics)

Anchors Away (lyrics)

Anchors Away no lyrics

Caissons Go Rolling no lyrics

Caissons Go Rolling (lyrics)

Coast Guard Marching Song (lyrics)

Fifty Nifty United States

God Bless America (lyrics)

God Bless the USA (lyrics)

Marine’s Hymn (lyrics)

My Country Tis of Thee (lyrics)

Off We Go

Star Spangled Banner (lyrics)

This is My Country

This Land is Your Land

What’s More American

This Land is your land Simple

You’re a Grand Old Flag

Fun Halloween Ideas

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

It’s finally “Halloween season!” Bust out the spooky decor and let’s get scaring! Ok, fine… maybe you can’t do as much fun Halloween themed stuff as you could years ago, but here are some productive Halloween ideas for you. I found them on Pinterest. (Oooh! Follow me on Pinterest!)…

I think this paper chain ghost (source) could be a fun class craft… or adapted into a management tool!! It might work to build the ghost out of paper chains, and then tell the class if they can get rid of the ghost, they earn a prize (extra recess, no homework for a night, etc.). When the class does well, remove a paper loop and throw it away. The kids can see the ghost disappearing, so they can see their progress towards a prize. Or you could be really ambitious and do this in reverse, by earning paper chain links to build the ghost and earn the prize.

I’m musically challenged. It’s ironic, because my husband is very musically gifted (I guess opposites really do attract). Anyway, whenever I have a chance to bring a music activity that SOMEONE ELSE PLANNED into my classroom, I jump on it. Especially when it’s about a holiday (killing two birds with one stone)! Here’s a clever Halloween song and rhythm game. It’s not too difficult, and it involves some physical actions, so I’m all for it.

Click here for the directions and printable game cards.

YahnooChickChick, A Chick-Chick Who Can Yodel

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Here’s another Easter/spring folk song from my childhood that took me forever to recover. I couldn’t find a video that has the music, so I’ll keep on the look out for one. So make up your own tune, or just read it and chuckle.

YahnooChickChick

I know a baby chick-chick
On a mountain top
When he starts to yodel
He never ever stops.

Who’s that baby chick-chick
So happy hooray
Who loves to sing and yodel
While walking on his way?

It’s Yah-noo-chick-chick is a
Chick-chick- chick,
A chick-chick who can yodel!

Yah-noo-chick-chick is a
Chick-chick- chick,
A chick-chick who can yodel!

When you hear his song,
“Yo-de-lee-o”
Sing along: “Yo-de-lee-o”
And you can see it’s fun to be
A chick-chick who can yodel!

Eggbert the Easter Egg

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Before my siblings and I were born, my mom taught elementary school. So all growing up, we did all the crafts, songs, games, etc. that elementary school teachers do with their classes. Here’s one of the Easter songs from my childhood: Eggbert the Easter Egg.

Click here for a video with the song. Click here to hear the song and read the lyrics.

Here’s an activity that goes with the song (or as a generic Easter craft):

Eggbert the Easter egg cut out center3 copy

Sorry, the sample didn’t scan well!

Eggbert the Easter egg cut out center2 copy

Depending on what you’re doing with this pattern, choose different egg parts.

Eggbert the Easter egg cut out center1 copy

Directions

Submitted by a fellow teacher. Thank you!

Musicians To Know (upper grade grammar practice series)

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Teachers today are expected to teach EVERYTHING!

But there’s just not enough time! As money for fine arts dwindles, kids are getting less and less music in school. I could quote any of a million studies that show music helps with academics and character development, but I won’t. Instead, I present my “Musicians To Know” series. It’s 10 single-page grammar practice activities that teach kids about the most influential musicians of all time. The activities involve identifying parts of speech, prepositional phrases, dependent clauses, using a dictionary and thesaurus, etc. There’s even a little simple math thrown in. Appropriate for 5th grade and up is my guess, but I don’t know your class, so you be the judge.

Musicians to Know grammar series PDF

Information from classicsforkids.com, makingmusicfun.net, and KA Piano Studios.

Fun Thanksgiving Songs

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Squarehead Teachers

5 Fat Turkeys

5 Fat Turkeys are we,

We slept all night in a tree,

when the cook came around,

we couldn’t be found,

and that’s why we’re here, you see.

Here’s a video it you want to hear the tune…

This Old Road

This old road is hard and bumpy,

our new turkey’s wild and jumpy,

driver, driver, not so jerky,

Or you’ll make us lose our turkey.

Sorry, I couldn’t find the tune anywhere on the internet, and I’m not the greatest singer…

Here’s another great collection of Thanksgiving Songs.

Unique Contributions of the Arts

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Squarehead Teachers

The arts are under fire in our schools. Funding is being cut, and standardized testing is forcing teachers to teach to tests. While it does take time and effort to include the arts in a teacher’s curriculum, it is very worthwhile. Here are just a few contributions from the arts:

Culture –Culture encompasses all of the values, themes and activities that are important to a croup of people. By retaining, studying and expressing culture, students can strengthen their core knowledge of who they are. Educators can help children learn about themselves and the world around them by teaching culture through the arts.
Competence/Control- Being able to control your emotions, thoughts and actions is a crucial skill that children need to succeed and be happy in life. As teachers, we can help students comprehend what is right and wrong in their thoughts, emotions and actions so they can maintain control and enjoy life. The arts teach control in a more effective way than most other disciplines.
Communication-Communication is crucial in today’s society, not only for individuals, but for he world as a whole. The arts help students explore different ways of communicating a message to others, but students can have fun while doing so.
Cooperation/Collaboration- Collaboration and cooperation help our world problem-solve and improve situations. It is crucial that students learn the value of working as a team to accomplish a single goal. The arts require multiple areas of skill, which com from many people. This requirement to work together to produce a beautiful piece of art can help teach students that people need each other and that all have something to contribute to life.
Confidence- Confidence is empowering; it is what tells us we can go on when we get shaky. Confidence helps us accomplish things we thought we could never do. Teachers can instill in children confidence that will then lead them to accomplish great things. The opportunity to give this gift to a children is a blessing and teachers should help students develop self confidence every moment in the classroom.