| | Woman Playing Guitar Pierre-Auguste Renoir | |
SONG PARODY 
Song parody A very simple definition - borrowing the tune of another song.
Assignment Choose a familiar song (see links below for ideas and exclusions) Write new words, maintaining the rhythm scheme (this means matching up the same number of syllables: see example below) Your new song should teach a lesson appropriate for an elementary class (see links below for topics and subject area suggestions) Put your song parody in Word document (or comparable) form Make a copy for each student in the class (and one for me) Grading Rubric | | Criteria | Grade | Syllables match Rhyme scheme correct Teaches an appropriate lesson | 100 | Minor syllable infractions | 95 | Minor syllable and rhyme infractions or several of one | 90 | Not enough lesson value with minor syllable and/or rhyme infractions | 85 | Minimal lesson value plus infractions | 80 | Based on relative infractions of disregard for matching syllables, rhyme scheme, lack of lesson, disregard for instructions, late assignment, or failure to complete the assignment | below |
Links for topics and examples:  | Don't use a list for your lesson, i.e. Days of the Week, Months of the Year, etc. Those don't rhyme and don't fit the syllable structure of familiar songs | | Don't use "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." I'm tired of that tune! | | Make sure the lesson has some substance (not "be good"). |
| | SITES Jeff Moran Article about a professor who wrote songs like "The Sounds of Science," and "You Ain't Nothin' But a Groundhog" Songsforteaching.com Most of these are not song parodies, but show how a song can be used to teach a subject NIEHS kids music Lyrics and midi files Elementary songs and poems Quite a few of these are song parodies Science Songs More songs by Jeff Moran
| EXAMPLES Give Me a Supernova To the tune of "Give My Regards to Broadway" You Ain't Nothin' But a Groundhog To the tune of "You Ain't Nothin' But a Houndog" Food Irradiation To the tune of "Locomotion" Wash Your Hands To the tune of I Wanna Hold Your Hand The Antonym To the tune of "The Muffin Man" The Planting Plan To the tune of "The Hokey Pokey" | | | | How to match your words with the familiar song: | | | | - Write out the words to the familiar song, with the syllables divided. Example:
Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony | strong | weak | strong | weak | strong | weak | strong | strong | weak | weak | weak | strong | weak | | Yan | kee | Doo | dle | went | to | town | rid | ing | on | a | po | ny | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Watch | each | time | you | cross | the | street | This | is | for | your | safe | ty |
Add your own words, matching a strong or weak syllable as was used in the original song. Be sure to use rhyming words in the same positions as in the familiar song.
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"Educators have always known that learning and life are maximal where play and work coincide." -- L. W. Gibbs
Created and Maintained by Vicky Boucher |
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