Geography and Music Dr. S. Kay Gandy Co-Coordinator Kentucky Geographic Alliance

Geography and Music

Dr. S. Kay GandyCo-CoordinatorKentucky Geographic Alliance

Kentucky Geographic Alliance

What is geography?

The Earth’s surface and the processes that shape it, the relationships between people and environments, and the connections between people and places

– Geography Education Standards Project, 1994

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Concept Songs (oceans, continents)

Familiar TunesSong BooksMobiles, Quilts

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We’ve Got the Whole World

We’ve got North and South America in our handsWe’ve got Europe, Asia, Africa in our handsWe’ve got Australia and Antarctica in our handsWe’ve got the continents in our hands

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We’ve Go the Whole World cont.

We’ve got the Indian Ocean in our handsWe’ve got the Arctic Ocean in our handsWe’ve got Atlantic and Pacific in our handsWe’ve got the oceans in our hands

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Sing a Sea Song

The earth is all covered with ocean, the earth is all covered with sea, the earth is all covered with ocean, more water than land don’t you seeWater, water, there’s water all over the world, the world; water, water, there’s water all over the world

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Sing a Sea Song cont.

Atlantic, Pacific, the Arctic, and then there’s the Indian too. These Oceans all cover our planet, I named all of them now can you?Water, water, there’s water all over the world, the world; water, water, there’s water all over the world

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Na Na Hey Hey

Na na na na, Na na na na, Let’s name the seven continentsNorth America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia Antarctica, and Africa, we can name the seven continentsNa na na na, Na na na na, hey, hey, hey, good-bye

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Books, Quilts and Mobiles

The River by Garth BrooksStar Spangled BannerYankee DoodleMy Country Tis of TheeThis Land is Your Land

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Cultural Geography

Cajun Music—made for dancingCajun DanceCajun Instruments

Violin/fiddle, accordion, drums, bass, guitar, triangle

ZydecoBlack version of Cajun, blues and R&B influence, added washboard instrument

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Jambalaya (Hank Williams, 1952)

Good-bye Joe, me gotta go, me-o, my-oMe gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayouMy Yvonne, sweetest one, me-o, my-oSon of a gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou

Jambalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumboCause tonight I’m gonna see my cheramie-oPick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oSon of a gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou

Thibodeaux to Fontenot, the place is buzzin’Kinfolks come to see Yvonne by the dozenDress in style, go hog wild, me-o, my-oSon of a gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou

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Kentucky’s Music CultureDwight Yoakam (Readin’, Rightin’, Rt. 23 —movement of Kentuckians to jobs in the north)My Old Kentucky Home (Stephen Foster)Boots Randolph (Yakety Sax)Shaker Music (South Union, Pleasant Hill)

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Lesson: The Dulcimer

NamesAppalachian dulcimerMountain dulcimerKentucky dulcimer“dulcymore”“harmonium”“hog fiddle”

Kentucky’s official state instrument

Click on picture

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Music continued…

Other Styles Jazz, Blues, Country, Folk, Classical, Rap, Pop

What connections can be made to geography?

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Western Songs

The Streets of LaredoThe Dying CowboyHome on the RangeThe Land County BachelorI’ve Been Working on the Railroad

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Location, Location, Location

Historical GeographyBattle of New Orleans

LocationsState capitols

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Test on Locations: Rock and Roll Across America

With a partner, try to find the locations you hear on your U.S. map.

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Other “Location” Songs

Hooray for HollywoodMy Old Kentucky HomeOklahomaMoon Over MiamiKansas CityGeorgia on my Mind

Missouri WaltzPennsylvania PolkaSan Antonio StrollOnly in MiamiHoustonNew York, New YorkGalvestonChicago

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Activity

Design a non-linguistic representation for the song

What A Wonderful World.

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Online ResourcesBowling Green State University: http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/music/

With almost a million recordings, the Sound Recordings Archives represents the largest collection of popular music recordings in an academic library in North America.

Festival Finder: http://www.festivalfinder.com/The site where you'll discover the latestdetails on more than 2,500 music festivals in North America.

Songs for Teaching: http://www.songsforteaching.com/socialstudiessongs.htm

Songs for geography, government, history, patriotism, and culture

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Organization

The National Geographic Society (NGS)Western Kentucky UniversityCo-Coordinators

Scott Dobler, Department of Geography & GeologyKay Gandy, School of Teacher Education

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KGA’S MISSION To provide pathways through which teachers can be exposed to geography and geographic thinkingTo maximize opportunities for students to become geographically literate and to appreciate geography as part of their everyday livesTo actively promote the value of geography and geography education at local, state and national levels

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EVENTS

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How Can You Be Involved?

Pre-service Teacher ConferenceTeacher Summer InstituteGPS DayGeography Awareness WeekGeographic BeeSteering CommitteeKentucky AtlasStrategic Planning

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Educational OutreachWebpage

www.kga.org

Listserv

Email kga@wku.edu