Let Freedom Sing!

June was my month to teach music and I thought it would be appropriate to learn patriotic songs.

We started to month learning "God Bless America". I taught the kids the song in sign lanuguage and we made a cool book to help them remember the meanings of the phrases. I can't figure out how to scan it into the computer, though.

Then we learned about John Phillips Sousa and his most famous march--"Stars and Stripes Forever". We listened to it and marched around the room. We also were introduced to another song about a flag--"You're a Grand Ol' Flag"--and the kids decorated paper flags.

Our next song was "God Bless America" and we talked about different rhythms. We also talked about different holidays and the tratidions that go along with each holiday. Often music is part of the that tradition. The 4th of July is no exception.

The final song we learned was our national anthem--"The Star Spangled Banner". We learned a little about Francis Scott Key and why he wrote the poem.

On Sunday we sang some of these patriotic songs and it was great to see the kids sing along becuase they were know familiar with them.