Now that my switch to school #2 is starting to calm down. I can start to focus on how I am going to change-up and improve the rest of the year hoping to continue the good streak that I am on! I sat down and went through my curriculum trying to align it with the Quaver curric that I am using and acquired a few ideas. I’m trying to get better about posting how-to videos and walkthroughs. I’m not the greatest at recording myself but hopefully it will change with practice!

  Posted is a video I  created using Quicktime Player (my apologies for the audio troubles in the beginning, this is the first time I’ve used the Quicktime Player recording feature) showing you how I walk through a Quavermusic.com webquest with the kids. I started writing these a few years ago and write new ones occasionally. After trying out the free items Quaver had to offer I just had to get more and now I have the whole family of programs and enjoy every minute. So try out this brand new quest created just for this post, I guarantee you’re going to love it so much you’ll be hooked on Quaver for good.

Patriotic songs:

What does the word patriotic mean to you? The meaning of the word is: for the love of one’s country. Patriotic songs were written just for that purpose, to celebrate our country. We have many patriotic songs about America but how many do you know? A lot of them were written many years ago and some have started to be sadly forgotten. Follow the steps below to discover more about the tunes we use to celebrate the United States of America.

1.) Francis Scott Key wrote the words to our national anthem The Star Spangled Banner. He wrote them right after he watched a battle during the War of 1812 take place. I want you to travel back to his time in the Phonebox and click menu. Select the music player and click the Audio Drama. Now close your eyes and put yourself in Mr. Key’s shoes, does his inspiration inspire you?

2.) We consider a lot of our patriotic tunes to be marches. John Philip Sousa was considered the king of marches. Go to his stop in the Phonebox to listen to one of his most famous pieces Stars and Stripes Forever. What do you think the title means? What can you picture in your head as this song plays?

3.) Now it’s your turn to be like Sousa and Key. Go back to Francis Scott Key’s time in the Phonebox and go back to that music player. Choose Yankee Doodle and listen to the tune, can you write some words to go along with the melody of Yankee Doodle? Write it down on a nearby piece of paper and try to perform it!

Are you teaching patriotic songs in your classes? How do you teach them? Are their ways you could see yourself using this quest for your lessons?