Don't Laugh At Me- Sung by Peter Yarrow

Ok. My plan for the blog is to really expand and do themed posts on certain days.  Monday will be and idea from my classroom based on an American folk song, Tuesday a story book, Wednesday a product review, and Thursday a multi-cultural song or idea.  At least one post a week will have a pop song written in solfa to guess or use in your classroom :)

This week, because I just thought of this idea yesterday, I switched the product and the Story Book. Check out yesterdays post about beat blocks.  I will try to post Friday about a Folk Song, to make up for Monday.

The story book I chose for this week is "Don't Laugh At Me" Sung by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame).  He also did a forward.  The book is by Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin.  The ISBN is 978-1-58246-058-1.   The book comes with a 2 track CD- one with Peter Yarrow singing, and one that is just instrumental for you or your kids to sing along with.   I love books that you can SING with your class, and ones that they can go home and find on Youtube or Amazon.  Take a look at this youtube video of Peter Yarrow singing.

This is a GREAT anti-bullying book.  It talks about how people may look or feel different but that we are all special for being good at different things.  This book has made some adult aids in my room cry at times.  The kids are ALWAYS really responsive to it.  One First Grader even told me "In the yearbook last year I saw that you had pink hair in a picture and I didn't laugh at you, even though it was different" :) That was for Pink Ribbon Day in October.

Anti-bullying has been a theme this year at our school during what we call Wilson Way Days.  These are days where we meet as cross-grade level groups and have a lesson, and then split up in the afternoon for SPARKS activities (the kids get to choose a community-member led activity that interests them such as duct-tape crafts, science experiments, or a foreign language.)   This book fit in great the weeks leading up to and after our 1st Wilson Way Day in December and I showed it to every grade 1-6.

The song is such a powerful lesson for kids.  :) Check it out!