Say It With a Song

Art History became easier and more enjoyable to students back in the late-80s and early -90’s with the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES craze. Raphael, Donatello, Michaelangelo and Leonardo were named after famous artists!? You’re kidding? There was also a very popular rock song which came out in 1989, which made remembering certain historical events from the Cold War era much easier. Do you remember Billy Joel’s WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE?

That pop song was so catchy, that when I attended art school, I memorized art history Q&A to the same melody line. I remember the line going into the chorus always ended with “…don’t forget The Flying Buttresses…we didn’t start the fire, it was always burning since the world’s been turning”…. And, I always 'aced' the tests because I was having so much fun singing, but during exam time, I  had to hum it to myself so the Paddy Wagon didn't have to ship me out.

So, when teaching some art history some many years later, I would teach kids how to remember trivia by incorporating a song with it. If there was a piano in the classroom, oh what fun we would have. I also showed them the acronym way, like ROY G BIV (colors of the spectrum ) and musical note stuff like the ever popular ALL COWS EAT GRASS.


I remember showing the wee ones about how to layout the construction paper in front of them, while also learning big words .

We did it to the tune of ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT.

Try a go at it…

VERTICAL, VERTICAL, VERTICAL’S UP AND DOWN


VERTICAL, VERTICAL, VERTICAL, VERTICAL …..


VERTICAL’S UP AND DOWN




HORIZONTAL, HORIZONTAL, HORIZONTAL’S SIDE TO SIDE


HORIZONTAL, HORIZONTAL, HORIZONTAL’S SIDE TO SIDE




DIAGONAL, DIAGONAL, DIAGONAL’S AT A SLANT


DIAGONAL, DIAGONAL, DIAGONAL’S AT A SLANT