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Teacher makes facts fun
Teacher creates 'Discover Virginia,' a musical to teach history Standards of LearningDate published: 3/18/2004
By KELLY HANNON
There was no chorus line or playbill, but an original musical debuted this week at Rockhill Elementary in Stafford County. It's a familiar tale: Two children move to Virginia from Texas with their family. They are beset by obstacles--making new friends, finding a lunch table, meeting a new teacher. But a surprising academic twist is thrown at them, too: the Virginia Standards of Learning history exam. They remember the Alamo, but come May they'll need to pass a standardized test that will quiz them on Jamestown, the Civil War and Virginia's five regions. It's a fictional scenario, but Rockhill music teacher Anna Ames said Stafford's large military population means new students often find themselves facing a test on material they've had just weeks or months to learn. A Georgia native herself, Ames decided to write a musical, "Discover Virginia," to help the school's fourth-graders prepare for the history exam by setting facts to upbeat melodies. So far, it seems to be working. Classroom teachers have overhead students humming and murmuring the educational tunes. "Teachers have told me the kids will be singing during the test," Ames said, laughing. On Tuesday morning, three of Rockhill's six fourth-grade classes performed for several other grades. The biggest hit was "Region Rap," which reviews the five regions of the state, usually taught using only maps. Piedmont region, lots of rolling hills/At the foot of the mountain, with cities and towns it fills/West of the fall line, tobacco and textiles deal/But don't forget the government, that's where they pass the bills! Arm and hand movements choreographed by Ames accompany each song. Earlier in the show, students performed "O Jamestown," which recounts the experience of the nation's first English settlers. The settlers were starvin', couldn't grow enough to eat/Then came John Smith, who got them on their feet/The Indians were scary, then Pocahontas they did meet/The settlers were determined not to meet defeat. Only three fourth-grade classes could fit on the stage of Rockhill's cafeteria/gym. Three classes performed for students and parents on Tuesday, and the other three will perform today. Rockhill Elementary is the largest elementary school in the county, with 1,040 students.
Date published: 3/18/2004
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