Third Grade Black History Month Songs

Third Graders at SPARK studied musicians and artists for Black History Month, so we connected Music lessons as the topics made sense. The videos linked are more for fun and showing some learning than a perfect performance practices. We definitely had fun.

All students learned about the musical traditions of the Gullah culture on the Georgia Sea Islands and learned a bit of body percussion called Hambone and/or Juba, and Ms. Lockwood's class, who studied visual artist Jacob Lawrence, is featured performing two simplified pats that go with the songs Hambone and Juba.

Dr. Nease's class learned about Edward "Duke" Ellington, and in honor of him the class created choreography and performed a bit of "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder. In the song he mentions "Basie, Miller, Satchmo, and the king of all "Sir Duke", and with a voice like Ella's ringing out there's no way the band can lose!"  Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Satchmo=Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Ms. Madlem's class learned about Gladys Knight, so her class created  choreography and performed "Midnight Train to Georgia" with a few Gladyses and lots of Pips.

Ms. McCafferty's class studied Ella Fitzgerald, and they will film "A Tisket, a Tasket" today.

Ms. McCrae's class will be featured doing "Have Some Love" by multi-award winner and Georgia native Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino (filming tomorrow), with a rap created by our own Eliana.