Sea shanties are a part of the great genre of work songs. Sailors used the rhythm of the songs to keep together when rowing, hauling up sails, and doing other cooperative work. They also enjoyed music during their downtime. Pirate musicians, according to documents preserved from pirate ships, only had… Continue reading
“The Three Billy Goats Gruff” is a Norwegian folk tale. Three goats want to visit a distant field to get some enticing green grass, but must cross over a bridge with a troll living under it. They go one at a time, from the youngest to the oldest. The troll… Continue reading
From preschoolers who love to play with toy trucks to high school students discovering all the jobs involved in logistics and freight transport, everyone can learn something from a good lesson about trucks. Scroll down to find lessons at different grade levels. Preschool and Kindergarten Read books about trucks: My… Continue reading
“The Bremen Town Musicians” is one of my personal favorites among the tales of the Brothers Grimm. In this story, four old farm animals, in some versions having heard that their masters were going to have them — umm… put to sleep, decide to go to Bremen to apply for posts… Continue reading
The story of Paul Bunyan is an American folktale. It may be more proper to say that the stories of Paul Bunyan are American folktales, because there are quite a few of them, sometimes gathered together into a single long story, but sometimes not. Paul Bunyan is a folk hero among… Continue reading
Hawaii has a rich musical tradition quite different from that of the mainland. The Hawaiian Hula Archives include clips of “mele” or chants, as well as songs and lyrics and lots of background information. Explore some Hawaiian instruments, and play along with the music clips to practice rhythm skills.… Continue reading
The rainforests of the Congo Basin are second in size to the Amazon rainforest, but they are greatly endangered. One of the nations in the region is Côte d’Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, so named for the great herds of elephants that used to live there. Now, this country which used… Continue reading
As we get ready for an election year, a patriotic theme is a natural. It’s also a fun way to introduce American History lessons, and a cheerful theme at any time. Read on for ideas for ways to use patriotic songs in art and English lessons. There are plenty of… Continue reading
Mesopotamia, meaning “between the rivers,” was the cradle of civilization. Explore the people who lived here thousands of years ago with a couple of our favorite Mesopotamia lesson plans. These two lessons are designed to give a sense of time and place for ancient Mesopotamia, while integrating critical thinking, math,… Continue reading
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, but you can use these plans whenever you tackle this topic. Good or Bad? Unlike many of the drugs you look at during Drug Awareness lessons, alcohol is legal for adults and probably used in many of your students’ homes. To open your students’ minds… Continue reading
