Average Rating: 
Rating: - School House Rock Series
I have been using the School House Rock series for five years in a multi-grade upper elementary class in bush Alaska. I still hear former students humming the tunes from "Conjuction Junction" to "Three is a Magic Number" in other classrooms. This series may appear dated to some but, students in the elementary grades hum right along with the music and will watch the video over and over again. The Grammar Rock video still teaches the basic parts of speech to students and I am still discovering things about the parts of speech to use in daily language instruction. The segments are short enough to be used by themselves for mini-lessons. The only complaint from the students is on the Multiplication Rock video about the number 8. They think this segment is too slow and boring. However, they do laugh at 'Mr. Twelve Toes'. The Science and Social Studies videos in this series still hold the students' attention and provide an entertaining way for students to learn about government and elementary science. It is a good set to have handy for a rainy day activity.
Rating: - Everything Schoolhouse Rock Finally Out
If you grew up in the 70's and 80's and ever indulged yourself in Saturday Morning cartoons, you should know and be able to hum Schoolhouse Rock! Now that the set is out, one can look at the DVD and appreciate what we are given. Finally in one place, all of the Schoolhouse Rocks that we know and love, as well as some that we may have forgotten or not loved (I don't remember Money Rock). For the completist, all of the rocks are there, including the newly released "Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips" set that are fun, but truly seem dated. You can go to specific titles, or hit the highlights with the Top 10 Jukebox - great for jumping into the CD. A brand new Schoolhouse Rock is included - "I'm gonna send your vote to college" about the Electoral College. It's interesting and in the style of our favorites, but it lacks some of the pizzazz of the originals. I suppose it's very topical after the 2000 election, but I just don't see it having the fun of education that things like "Suffering until Suffrage" did. They could have stopped here with just all 46 original songs, but luckily for us the bonuses are fantastic. Music Videos as an outgrowth of the Schoolhouse Rocks! Rocks CD of artists interpreting their favorite songs. See how much you really remember in the trivia quiz. The inclusion of the Nike commercial featuring "Three is a Magic Number" shows how well Rocky entered the popular culture. A fitting tribute to a great set of work made for the kids, and the kids in all of us. C'mon and sing along - you know the words! "Conjunction Junction, what's your function..."
Rating: - This Is So Cool--Facts can be Fun!!
And it's even educational! I was so pumped (now that I have a DVD player) to hear that they were releasing a big-time anniversary edition of Schoolhouse Rock in its entirety. I've had four of the videos for years, but this set is so much better. Disc One has all of the original songs--you can play them in order, randomly, just the top ten--and an all-new song about the Electoral College (inspired, no doubt, by the 2000 presidential election). The way you can navigate your way through any and/or all of the songs is very easy and great for when you don't just want to hear about grammar (or history, math, etc. . .).What really puts this over the top, though, is Disc Two, with a bucket load of extras: the lost "Weather Show," a new computer three-song set, a making-of feaure, top 20 countdowns, an interactive trivia game, music videos by contemporary artists, audio commentaries, Emmy Award footage, etc. . . . I can't wait to explore even more than I got to last night! This will be such a great tool for my 21-month-old daughter (who will know how a bill becomes a law and how to use a conjunction in a sentence!) and a ton of fun for me in the process. The video quality isn't MONSTERS, INC., but it doesn't have to be. The old animation holds up just fine, as does the audio, which audiophiles could probably complain about if they want to poop the party for the rest of us. What really stands up to the test of time, aside from the basic content, is the music. These guys (primarily) did some really good arranging, little of it in the rock 'n roll genre, ironically. Jack Sheldon delivers some spectacular jazz vocals on several of the more famous tunes. Complicated yet catchy melodies are the strength--that's why we all remember "I'm Just a Bill" and "Conjunction Junction"--with great backing vocals and instrumentation to boot. The contemporary artists' renditions didn't hold up to the originals, but they were pretty interesting to hear. The interactive stuff will be great for kids hearing these songs for the first time. The interviews and commentaries are really interesting, especially in hindsight. Great new additions, discoveries, and formats all add to the charm of the original forty-six songs. How they managed to get all of that factual information into essentially a music video, while keeping the kids (and me) entertained, is still a mystery to me. Bottom Line: You'll be hard-pressed to find a better combination of education and entertainment. If there are any factual inaccuracies, they are minor enough to overlook and could actually spark interesting conversations. The basic content is right on-the-money. The fact that they'll actually be talking about and be interested in the grammar, history, science, and economics is important enough to overlook any minor flaws.
The fact that my daughter, who is a month shy of turning two years old, actually knows that "Wow!" is an interjection, a fact that most of my juniors (I'm a teacher) wouldn't know off the top of their heads, speaks volumes. . . !
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