Monday, June 25, 2018

American History Fun Parody Songs

American History Parody Songs
To me, an educational win is when you overhear your child singing an outline of the U.S.
Constitution, or the Gettysburg Address, or an overview of basic information about the Civil War, Jamestown, or Roanoke.

It's SO much better than hearing the theme song to Sponge Bob Squarepants or even a "classic" like the Flintsones!

I have to admit, I never really expected to find myself writing a review of a Youtube channel, but that's exactly what I'm doing here!

Mr. Betts Class on Youtube is a delightful source of History Parody Songs done to Pop Hits - so they're very sing-able.  Mr. Betts himself isn't afraid to be a little silly (perhaps even a bit of a "ham" - I mean that in the best sense of the word)- which of course is just the kind of things kids tend to enjoy.

He offers really well-done, funny, songs that are memorable and enjoyable enough to be watched repeatedly - which really drives the lessons home.

I was so curious about who I was watching that I did a little online research (which is to say, I went beyond the first three links on the internet search ; ). I discovered that Mr. Betts teaches at an upscale Catholic school with tuition that is about the same as that of an Ivy League University. He's highly qualified. And it is such a delight that he makes his expertise available to the WHOLE WORLD for FREE! : )

His songs are outlines - so if we hear a term that is unknown to us (Who was the Garrison in the context of Abolition? for example) we search for an informational video on Youtube - adding the words "for kids" to our video search.

A few caveats: Occasionally he uses a word that I'd rather he didn't - such as H*** or D*** (especially when quoting historical figures- but occasionally just gratuitously). His parodies are written to modern Pop Songs - so some of the songs his songs imitate may not be as wholesome as you would like in their original forms. So, you might want to caution your kids about doing a search for the original titles, if you don't normally allow a wide range of modern Pop Music in your home. Beware videos that deal with more graphic content - for instance, he has a warning about his "Donner Party" video - so we've never watched it. He does dress as female characters now and then for comedic effect. His work is usually unbiased and wholesome.(with the notable exceptions of his videos on President Trump, and his "Flying Squirrel" Character which express some pronounced biases. Those I would rate "PG" - which is to say - watch them with your kids and discuss where you agree or disagree : )

Overall, I find his work just delightful. And, if you start listening to his work,  you might find that your kid can list all sorts of details about U.S. History and Government that the average college grad can't : )

For starters, here's a sampling:

The U.S. Constitution:



The Bill of Rights:



Gettysburg Address:




The Civil War:


John Locke Overview:



Common Sense:



Andrew Jackson:





Monroe Doctrine:


World War I:


Women's Suffrage:



So, check it out & enjoy!

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3 comments:

  1. I grew up on Schoolhouse Rock and taught my kids the Preamble to the Constitution in homeschool with them, so I love these! Wish I'd known about them 2 years ago when we were doing American history! thanks for sharing!

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  2. Oh how fun; we just love parody songs and we had not yet stumbled on some that actually teach! Thanks for sharing with us at Love to Learn. Pinned.

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  3. These are cute videos! I had not hear of this man before. I'll be sure to check out more of them later.

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