“Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here.” JK Rowling, author Harry Potter
How many of you know the words to your favorite songs? Was it hard to memorize those classic tunes that still run through your head? If you’re like most people, you quietly sing the alphabet song to yourself when you want to know what letter comes after J. We all know the power of music to make information stick. Well I’ve made it easy to use that power and give students critical knowledge that they will retain and use for a lifetime. The best part is how much fun you’ll have!
As a practicing Social Studies teacher, I’ve seen first hand a gap in modern education. As our world becomes more internationally connected many of our children are graduating high school geographically illiterate. A recent study found that at least 2 in 3 young people couldn’t correctly locate Iraq OR Saudi Arabia correctly on a map. 50% couldn’t correctly point to the states of New York or Ohio!
In my own classroom, I saw first hand how little students knew of geography and how difficult that made it to understand concepts of history, politics, religion and culture. I couldn’t teach Roman History when my students had no concept Italy, the Mediterranean Sea or even the basic continents of Europe, Africa and Asia. Focusing on the rise of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and their importance in the modern world was nearly impossible without the accompanying geographical knowledge. How could I discuss the importance of Hurricane Katrina when most students didn’t even know where to find New Orleans, the Mississippi River or the Gulf of Mexico? Yet, 33% of young adults can’t even pinpoint Louisiana on a map! I wanted a way for students to learn this information and learn it fast. And here is the truth: the old fashioned fill-in-the-blank, coloring maps are next to worthless. Students would fill out the maps, using valuable class time, and the very next day not remember a single thing.
I needed something new. Something that would grab students’ attention. Something that they wouldn’t be able to forget. Then I remembered that alphabet song. If it works for the alphabet, why can’t it work for geography? I began writing geography songs and creating animated files to accompany them. Did it work? Well you can read the students testimonials here or try it yourself with free preview songs. What I can tell you is that the resulting test scores were off the charts and that the catchy songs made us all laugh while we learned. What really impressed me, though, was the students’ newfound interest in history and current events. Armed with the geographic context students began to evaluate and discuss the content with a welcome enthusiasm.
I know that you and your children will enjoy these songs just as much as my students did. Please let me know about it! Have fun with these songs and keep Rocking the World!
Adam Crossley
Adam Crossley has a life long passion for both teaching and music. He is currently teaching at Shanghai Singapore International School in Shanghai China. He is planning on releasing a DVD that focuses upon Literacy Strategies and releasing a DVD for English Language Learners.
5% of all profits from Rocking The World will be donated to charities that support free, high quality education for all students.
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Testimonials
"The best way to remember the states, countries and whatnot that I have ever come across. We were learning and having fun at the same time."
Cameron, 8th grade