Exploring Geography and Music: A Rock Around the World Adventure

Marilyn Weiser [Minot]

Grade Level: Grade 4-8

Overview: This unit explores the connection between Geography and the world of music. Students experience an exciting adventure into the physical and human dimensions of the world by examining the lyrics, rhythm and style of songs. This unit will include identifying and defining geographical terms in lyrics. Eleven songs are categorized under the headings of cities/states, rivers/oceans and mountains. The elements that make up the National Standards are connected to real life as the students are guided to form mental maps and images and develop a better understanding of perception and cultural geography. "Geography as Exploration and Adventure" has been put to music for centuries. Music has the power to take us on beautiful adventures and explorations from the Heartland of America to the Swiss Alps.

National Geography Standards:

• 1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective
• 2. How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places and environments in a spatial context
• 4. The physical and human characteristics of places
• 6. How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions
• 10. The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics
• 12. The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement
• 13. How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface
• 15. How physical systems affect human systems
• 17. How to apply geography to interpret the past
• 18. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future

Perspectives Addressed: Both the spatial and ecological perspectives are addressed in this unit. Many songs are written about 'place' and how, where and why humans live on earth. There are also songs used in this unit that describe interaction and interdependence between humans and the environment. Perspectives are points of view by which people look at the world and "perception" geography teaches students to explain their view of the world and to better understand other people's view.

Connection to Curriculum: Language Arts, Geography, Music, Art (depending on grade level, other areas of the curriculum can be included)

Time: Eleven 30-minute class periods.

Materials/Resources Required: Pencils, crayons, paper, colored pencils, markers, Classroom Atlas, tape player, recording of 11 songs to be used in teaching this unit, copy of lyrics for each song.

Purpose: Through the eyes of music, can we look at cultural and perception geography to get the 'big picture?'

Objectives: 1.) Students will analyze the physical and human dimensions of the world by examining the lyrics, rhythm and style of songs. 2.) Students will define geographical terms present in song lyrics and identify 'where in the world' various features exist. 3.) Students will analyze and understand cultural geography through map and chart making and by using a variety of research tools to explain historical and environmental perspectives. 4.) Students will hear music, which gives them an opportunity to develop an appreciation for the beauty of the world.

Assessment: Narratives, journal writings, map interpretation and identifying characteristics of the landscape, written tests/open- ended questions, observe student attitudes.

Additional Activities:

1. Replay the song while the student designs a map with information depicting his/her perception of the landscape. The geographical terms identified in the lyrics must be present, along with symbols explained in a key.
2. Use "geo-dough," clay or other materials to make a model of physical and /or human characteristics of a region. The model should depict those characteristics that are referred to in the lyrics of the song.
3. Write a description of culture as described in the music. Identify various components such as beliefs, customs, forms of shelter, economic activities.
4. Learn dances related to the music.

References:

• Byklum, Daryl. 1994. Geography and Music, Making the Connection. Journal of Geography Geography Framework for the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress Geography for Life: National Geography Standards 1994
• Kemball, W.G. (ed) 1987. Spaces and Places: A Manual for Geography Teachers
• Salter, C.L., G. Hobbs, C. Salter. 1995. Key to the National Geography Standards

Songs for teaching geography

Cities and States: Kansas City-beatles; Sweet Home Alabama-Lynyrd skynyrd; God Blessed Texas-Little Texas, Livin' in the USA-Linda Ronstadt, Small Town Saturday Night-Hal Ketchum; Rockin' me-Steve Miller Band; Hotel California-The Eagles; Mexico-James Taylor; Six Days on the Road-Steve Earle; Louisianna Saturday Night-Mel McDaniel; Allentown-Billy Joel; In the Ghetto-Elvis Presley; Detroit City-Bobby Bare; Galveston-Glen Campbell; Kansas City-Wilbert Harrison; I love la-Randy Newman; Memphis-Johnny Rivers; Dirty Boulevard-Lou Redd; Streets of Philadelphia-Bruce Springsteen; San Francisco-Scott Mckenzie;

Rivers/oceans; Black Water-Doobie Brothers; The River-Garth Brooks; Don't Go Near the Water-Sammy Kershaw; Proud Mary-Creedance Clearwater Revival; Tennessee River-Alabama; Walk on the Ocean-Toad the Wet Sprocket; That was a River-Collin Raye; Chattahoochie-Alan Jackson; Seminole Wind-John Anderson; Ocean Front Property-George Strait; Running Bear-Johnny Preston; Patches-Dickey Lee; Ode to Billie Joe-Bobbi Gentry; Mother Nature's Son-Beatles; Green River-Creedence Clearwater Revival. Down by the River-Neil Young; Bridge Over Troubled Water-Simon and Garfunkel.

Mountains: Ain't No Mountain High Enough-Diana Ross; Wild Mountain Honey-Steve Miller Band; High On A Mountain Top-Marty Stuart; Rocky Mountain High-John Denver; Mountain Of Love-Johnny Rivers; Climb Every Mountain-The Four Tops; Sugar Mountain-Neil Young; Take Me Home, Country Roads-John Denver; Blue Ridge Mountain Blues-John Fogerty; Fire On The Mountain-Marshall Tucker Band; Man On A Silver Mountain-Ritchie Blackmore; Standing On A Mountaintop-Levon Helm; Green Country. Return to the top of this page.