Parodies Don't Have to Be in Song Form

Parodies don't have to be in song form.  There are many movie parodies and advertising parodies.  You can experiment with these at home or in the classroom.  Find a picture and see how you can make a funny parody out of it.  It is even better if it teaches a concept or helps you prepare for a test.
Here is one I did.

First, I took this cute unicorn picture with this cute saying...

and I combined it with this awesome scientist riding a paramecium and came up with....

Funny and educational all at the same time!  Try it yourself. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it!  Happy writing! 

LTUE Symposium 2018

This weekend, I had a fun time at the Provo, Utah Writer's Symposium LTUE <-----Click here to go to site.   I did a presentation on song parodies and how they can help students learn the information they need to know in an educational setting. It was a lot of fun. I have uploaded my slide presentation in case anyone is interested. The links for the videos on the slides that contain a video have the link listed on the right side of the slide.  You can click on that link and it will take you to the YouTube page that contains this song. The slides without videos will enlarge if you click on them so you can read what is written.   Happy Learning!!  

New Period Table Song

Six Year Old Girl Sings Periodic Table

Example of What Not to Do

This will help the kids learn

Teaches LA Personification and Science

History Lesson Women's Suffrage

The rest of the words to this song are in the post below this one. 

That Insect Leg

Here is a little parody I wrote to help kids memorize the parts of the insect leg.  Parodies are a great way to get kids into a "whole brain" learning state.  Knowing a song that helps them retain facts can also help lower test anxiety and bring up school performance.  It is also a great way to get kids engaged in their own learning.  if you guide them in making their own parodies to learn the concepts you are teaching, this skill will become a great asset to them throughout their lives. 

That Insect Leg

(Sung to Dry Bones)

The claws are connected to the tarsus, 

The claws are connected to the tarsus, 

The claws are connected to the tarsus, 

Which connects to the tibia! (Shout: And don't forget the tibial spurs!)

Chorus: That insect leg gonna hop around, 

That insect leg gonna crawl around, 

That insect leg gonna walk around, 

Oh, hear the insects buzz!

The tibial spurs connected to the tibia,

The tibial spurs connected to the tibia,

The tibial spurs connected to the tibia,

Which connects to the femur!

Chorus: That insect leg gonna hop around, 

That insect leg gonna crawl around, 

That insect leg gonna walk around, 

Oh, hear the insects buzz!

The femur connects to the trochanter,

The femur connects to the trochanter,

The femur connects to the trochanter,

Which connects to the coxa!

Chorus: That insect leg gonna hop around, 

That insect leg gonna crawl around, 

That insect leg gonna walk around, 

Oh, hear the insects buzz!

The coxa connects to the abdomen,

The coxa connects to the abdomen,

The coxa connects to the abdomen,

And now my song is done!

Chorus: That insect leg gonna hop around, 

That insect leg gonna crawl around, 

That insect leg gonna walk around, 

Oh, hear the insects buzz!

Write a Song Parody!

Parodies are becoming very popular. Turns out science says they are a great way to learn and memorize!  Parodies get both hemispheres of the brain working at the same time. This creates muscle memory that lasts a lot longer than memorizing alone.  Try taking some vocabulary words or concepts in a history unit, science unit, or math unit.  You can use tips from Weird Al. Just click here: https://www.fastcompany.com/1681833/master-class-weird-al-yankovic-on-how-to-make-a-great-parody

Go to it! See how much fun you can have and see if your grade improves!

The 13 Folds Of The U.S. Flag

Anyone remember learning this in history class?  Write about what the 4th of July means to you. 

THE 13 FOLDS OF THE U.S. FLAG

The 1st fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country", in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.

The 6th fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that We pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they are found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he too, has given his sons and daughters for defense of our country since they were first born.

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of our nation’s motto, "In God We Trust."

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, Ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today. 

Pineowlple!

Write a story about this owl.  What is his/her name?  Where does he/she live?  What does he/she eat?  What does he/she do?  What are his/her parents and siblings like?  Are there any others out there like this? Have fun with this one!

Writing Notebooks

Found this great web-site today.  It deals with writing notebooks.  This is a fun creative idea I want to start implementing!

http://corbettharrison.com/writers_notebooks.html#daily

Today's Writing Prompt

Have you every heard the expression, "When pigs fly?"  Usually when someone says, "When pigs fly," they are saying that something will never happen, or it will only happen when a pig flies, and since we know that pigs don't fly, we know that what ever the person is talking about will probably never happen.  

If pigs could fly, what kind of things do you think would happen?  Will the world quit spinning and we'll all float up to space?  Will it be summer all year long?  Will school be cancelled forever? 

Think about what you think would happen if pigs could fly and then take 10 to 15 minutes to write down your thoughts.

Today's writing prompt

You hear the doorbell ring.  You stop what you are doing and you go to the door.  When you open the door, there is a big wooden crate sitting on your porch with the words, "HANDLE WITH GREAT CARE" written on it.  You get your dad to help you use the crowbar to pry the crate open.  As soon as you remove the lid from the crate, a penguin walks out.  What do you do? Do you keep the penguin? If you decide to keep the penguin, what do you name it?  How do you care for it? Or would you give it to the zoo?  Take 10 to 15 minutes to write all about your penguin adventures. 

Daily Writing Prompt

Life has been a little crazy, so I have only been able to post the writing prompts for now.  I will get back to all the fun vocabulary and grammar soon! 

Have you ever watched a nature show on television or have seen a neat animal in a book,  and thought, "Gee, it sure would be fun to have one of those as a pet!"  You have?  Oh, good!

If you didn't have to worry about the animal making messes, accidentally stepping on your brother or sister, eating the neighbors or sitting on and crushing your parents car, what kind of animal would you love to have as a pet?  How would you ask your mom and dad for this pet?  Where would you have to go to get this pet?  What would you feed your pet? Does your pet do any special tricks? If so what are they?  Does your pet talk? Does it help you with your homework?  What kind of games would you play with your pet?

Take 10 to15 minutes to write all about your awesome pet!

Writing Prompt

Have you ever heard the expression, "He's on his soap box again."  Or, "I wish they'd just get off their soap box?"  Have you ever wondered what a soap box is?

Well, years ago, goods like soap were packaged and shipped in wooden crates or boxes.  People discovered that these boxes made good platforms that they could stand on and make speeches. 

People who carried around soap boxes, usually would set them down on a street corner, where there was a lot of people walking by. They would then stand on top of the box and shout out their speech about politics, religious matters or something else they felt the need to educate the population on. 

Now days, people use other platforms as a soap box.  Some of these platforms are social media sites or blogs where they write out their rant for anyone who is willing to read.  

It usually isn't a good idea to make a habit of soap boxing, especially if you want friends.   Usually people try to avoid the frequent soap boxer, because they feel the person  likes to stir up drama and contention.   And, if for no other reason, because people get tired of hearing the lecture over and over and over again.  However, on occasion, it is nice to be heard, especially if you have something nice to say! People do like to hear nice things.

So today, take 10 to 15 minutes to write what you would say if you could stand on a soap box.  Is there something about the lunchroom food that is bothering you?  Do you have a gripe about how much time you have to play at recess? Do you want to point out something nice someone did for you?  Think about it, then soap box away with your pen and paper! 

Daily Writing Prompt

Have you ever gotten goosebumps? Those little raised bumps on the skin, which make your hair stand on end, when you are cold or scared?  Have you ever wondered how those bumps came to be called goosebumps? 

Well, no one really knows why they are called goosebumps or how or where the word originated.  
 Most etymologists (a person who studies words), believe that the word goosebumps, came about because the little bumps make your skin look like a goose's skin when all the feathers are plucked out.  In Japan, they call it chicken skin.  What would you call those little bumps if you were given the task of naming them?

Take 10 to 15 minutes to write a story about how you think goosebumps got their name. If you think they should be called something else, write what you think they should be called and why.  Share your story with your friends or family!

Grammar Thoughts

Pronouns.

Pronouns are words that can stand alone and take the place of a noun in a sentence.   The most common pronouns are I, you, he, she, it we, you, they. 

It isn't very hard to use pronouns.  Let me show you a couple of examples.

"Charlie ate all the donuts," can be said, "He ate all the donuts."  The pronoun he replaces the noun Charlie in the sentence.  He now means Charlie.

"Barry will carry the ducks to the pond," can be said, "You will carry the ducks to the pond."  The pronoun you replaces your name, which in this case is Barry, in the sentence (I know your name really isn't Barry, this is just an example.  So, we are pretending your name is Barry).
 Okay Barry, let's move on.

Why do we use pronouns?  If we didn't have pronouns, we'd have to say our nouns all the time in sentences and that would be very obnoxious and confusing. Plus it would give us all a headache.   Here is an example of what I am talking about.   "Barry will carry Barry's ducks down to the pond."  Did you get a headache? I can wait if you need to go tell your mom your head hurts so she can get you an ice pack....

Oh, good! You're back!  Sorry about that. I  hope your head starts to feel better real soon. 

Now, where was I.  Oh, yes!  It is much easier to say, "Barry will carry his ducks down to the pond." There now, isn't that so much better? No more headache!  Using his in the place of Barry's helps the sentence flow better, make better sense, and keeps us from having to spend the rest of our lives with ice packs on our heads.   Pronouns, they're the headache medicine for sentences!  Now, go lie down and take a rest.  Your headache should be gone soon. 

Vocabulary Word and Definition

Acronym - Noun.

Today's writing prompt used the funny little word acronym.  An acronym is formed by taking the initial letters (meaning the first letter of each word) in a multi-word name and making a new word that is short for the multi-word name.

For example, let's say your name is Broderick Emmerson Anthony Nash, but your friends find your name a mouth full to say.  Plus, it takes them an eternity to say.  So, they take the first letter of each word in your name: B, E, A, N, and they form a new word that they start calling you by.  This new word is Bean.  And that is what you are know as by your friends for the rest of your life.  That is an acronym.  

Businesses use acronyms also to shorten longer names.  I know you've heard of NASA.  Well, NASA is an acronym for, "National Aeronautics and Space Administration."  Don't you think it is much easier to say the shortened acronym, NASA, than the whole long name? 

The next time you are playing with your friends or taking a road trip in the car with your family,  see what acronyms you can come up with from longer names or titles you see.

Today's Writing Prompt

Ahhh! The rainbow.  A very pretty addition to the sky after a rainstorm.

No doubt, you've probably studied the rainbow in school.  You probably know that a rainbow forms when light passes through a water droplet at a 42 degree angle and shatters white light into the colors that make it up.  I bet you even know that rainbows have seven colors and you can remember those colors by using the acronym
 R = Red
O = Orange
Y = Yellow

G = Green

B = Blue
I = Indigo
V= Violet

I bet you found all that knowledge about rainbows extremely fascinating. But, have you ever wondered what might happen if you could climb up one side of the rainbow, slide down the other side of the rainbow, and land on a billowy, fluffy, puffy, gray rain cloud?

This is your challenge, take 10 to 15 minutes to imagine and write about what sliding down a rainbow would be like. Would your friends be sliding with you?  Would sliding on the rainbow stain your clothes?  How would the rainbow feel to the touch?  Does it tickle your tummy when you slide down?  What does the world look like from the top of a rainbow?  Let your imagination run wild!

Vocabulary Word and Origin

Worm - Noun.

In today's writing prompt, the word worm is used.   Have you ever pondered how silly the word worm is?  Have you ever wondered where the funny word came from?

Well,  the word worm today means, a soft bodied, long, slender, bilateral, and sometimes slimy invertebrate (that means a worm has no back bone or spine).  But, the word worm that we use today, stems from an Old English word wurm, which is a variant of the word wyrm, that was defined as a serpent, snake, dragon or reptile.  Dragon? Well, that is fun! Who doesn't want a pet dragon?  

So, the next time you and your friends are bored, dress up in your finest suit of armor, take up your spade (shovel), and go dig up some dragon lairs in the backyard!

NOTE:  This is very important.  Don't forget to ask mom or dad for permission before you dig.  It is never fun for a knight to have the king and queen of the land mad at him or her for destroying gardens, greenery, buried phone, television or electrical lines (which can be dangerous), while hunting dragons. Be sure to ask where a safe spot is to hunt for your dragons. Then, make sure once you find your dragon lair and retrieve your dragon, that you fill back in your hole with dirt so nobody falls in and is never seen again, or has to go to the doctor for a sprained or broken body part because they tripped in the hole.  All will be hunky dory in the kingdom if you remember this very important decree.   Happy dragon hunting!

Today's Writing Prompt

It has been raining where we live, and when that happens, the worms come out of the ground and party on the sidewalk! That got us to thinking about fun stories that can be made up with a worm as the main character.  See what you can come up with!  Take 10 to 15 minutes to write a story with a worm as the main character.  Include in your story:
-What is the name of your worm?
-What does your worm like?
-Is your worm a boy or a girl?
- Who are your worm's friends?
-What adventures does your worm go on?
-Where does your worm live?
-What does your worm do?

Vocabulary and Origin

Senator - Noun.

Today's writing prompt uses the word, "senator."  A senator, by today's definition, is a person who has been elected by a state to sit on the United States senate to represent the people's political views and concerns to the federal government. 

Where did the word come from?  Well, I'm glad you asked!  The word "senator," is of ancient Roman origin and stems from a word meaning, "Old." If that isn't funny enough, "senator" is also closely related to the word "Senile," essentially making the word "senator" mean, "old and senile." 

So, the next time you overhear your parents or friends talking about the elected officials in the government, you can educate them on the origins of the word, "senator."  I bet they'll get a laugh out of it.   

A Moment For Grammar: Your VS You're

Oh boy! Have you ever run into anyone that some affectionately call, "the grammar police?"  Maybe you have a friend, a teacher, or even a parent who's climbed all over you for your incorrect use of the English language?  Or maybe, you are a member of the grammar police and love to correct your friends on their linguistic faux pas?

Whatever the case maybe, one such grammar war is fought over the use of "your" and "you're."   Some people think the the apostrophe shows possession, but this is another such case where the apostrophe does not help show possession.  Just like our previous discussion on "its" and "it's."

Your = Possession.  Something belongs to you.
You're = A contraction.  It is the shortened form of "you are."

Here are some examples.  "That is your book."  Or "This is your pencil."  These all use the possessive form of "you" which is written, "your."  "Your" shows that an object belongs to you, such as the pencil or the book.

"You're" is the contracted form of, "you are."  Here are some examples. "You're coming to the party aren't you?"  Or "You're such a nincompoop!"   In both sentences, "you're" can be replaced with "you are" and the sentence will still makes sense.  This is not the case with "your." 

So, the next time you come across a battle on Grammar's front-lines between the use of "your" or "you're," you can negotiate peace talks by educating the parties involved on which usage is correct one, and why.

Today's Writing Prompt

You are sitting in class when your teacher announces, "Today students, we will be writing a letter to our senator to express something we are concerned about. This assignment corresponds with the history lessons we have been studying on how our government was established, and how it works."

She then explains that after putting today's date at the top of the page, the proper way to open your letter is thus, 

"Honorable Senator (insert senator's name here),"

Your teacher then explains that from there, you will write the body of your letter explaining your concerns, then properly close is with,
"Sincerely,"
And sign your name. 

Your best penmanship (handwriting), is to be used.  She then turns you loose to ponder a concern and to write your letter.

Today's writing prompt is just that.  Formulate a letter to your senator.  It can be a letter of thanks or a letter expressing something you are concerned about.   You can write a letter to an actual senator or you can make up a senator and write to them. Your parents should be able to help you find out who your senator is if you choose to write to an actual one.

Take 10 to 15 min. to write out your thoughts, more if you need.  If writing to a real senator, you can decide whether you want to mail it or not.