I feel bad for today’s elementary school students. If you turn on PBS Kids or any kids' channels today, the shows just aren’t that good and they don’t seem to help kids learn. One of my favorite programs, while I was growing up, was "Schoolhouse Rock." It pre-dated me quite a bit, but my parents grew up watching these catchy little music videos and knew that it would be the best way to help me learn some of the best history, math, English, and science lessons. You don’t need fancy animation to be able to help kids learn, sometimes you just need a catchy tune with memorable lines. I’m guilty of singing these songs 20 years later when I need to remember anything from my times tables to American history. Here are some of my personal favorite lessons that "Schoolhouse Rock" taught me.
1. "No More Kings!"
Even as a former resident of mother England, this will always be one of my favorite "Schoolhouse Rock" tunes. It's a great little sing-along song about bashing King George III and dumping some tea in the Harbor.
2. "The Preamble"
OK, I’ll admit it. I was a history buff from day one and “America Rocks!” was my favorite out of all the editions of "Schoolhouse Rock." Let me tell you, this ditty helped me ace my high school government class. Of course, it’s super important to know what our founding fathers set out to do!
3. "Three is a Magic Number"
I still sing this song to remember how to multiply things by three. This song saved me on those timed math tests in fifth grade. Blind Melon also covered this song, showing just what a magic number three is.
4. "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here"
Adverbs are seriously underrated words. They are delightfully lovable. Indubitably.
5. "Sufferin’ Until Suffrage"
Ladies, this has to be one of the most important songs for us! Don’t let the 19th Amendment down, get out there and practice your human right to vote!
6. "Interjections!"
If this song was remade today, I imagine that texting slang would be added. Every story is a little bit more personal when some interjections are thrown in.
7. "The Body Machine"
This song was always a favorite of mine because it sang about food and how important it is for you. That’s always gotten me pretty excited.
8. "I’m Just a Bill"
I’m pretty sure that every kid had this played for them during a history or government class to explain how a bill becomes a law. That’s not just because the teacher was bored, but because it’s a darn good song.
9. "Conjunction Junction"
This song makes hooking up words, phrases, and clauses cool. As a writer, that gets me pretty excited, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
10. "Knowledge is Power!"
Thanks to Schoolhouse Rocky and all of his friends, I learned some things that I’m proud to say have made me a smarter person. "Schoolhouse Rock" taught me how exciting and fun it is to learn and that, if you open your mind, learning is actually pretty cool. Beyond the cheesy lyrics and the very '70s-sounding songs, watching "Schoolhouse Rock" absolutely helped to shape me into a smarter person who likes to learn. If you haven’t watched "Schoolhouse Rock" since your school days, look these songs up on YouTube. You won’t regret it!
